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This study was aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effect of the Naja Naja Actra Venom Component (NNAVC) combined with activated immune cells on human acute myeloblastic leukemia line KG1a cells. The cytotoxic effects of NNAVC at different concentrations on KG1a cells were measured by CCK-8 method. LDH releasing assay was used to detect the cytotoxic effects of activated immune cells, NNAVC combined with activated immune cells on KG1a cells and the sensitivity of KG1a treated with NNAVC to activated immune cells. The results showed that the inhibitory rate of NNAVC on KG1a cells increased with the concentration enhancement, the cytotoxicity of activated immune cells at the different effector to target (E:T) ratios(6.25:1, 12.5:1, 25:1) on KG1a cells were 12.30%, 24.85% and 52.26%. The cytotoxicity of NNAVC combined with activated immune cells at the different E:T cell ratios (10:1, 20: 1) on KG1a cells were 56.21% and 85.59%, which were higher than that of NNAVC or activated immune cells alone. The cytotoxicity of activated immune cells at the E: T cell ratio of 10:1 on KG1a cells treated with NNAVC at different concentrations were 25.65%, 31.33%, 28.63% and 16.78%, respectively, and that at the E:T cell ratio of 20: 1 were 40.62%, 44.70%, 44.62% and 40.72%. It is concluded that:both of NNAVC and activated immune cells have lethal effect on KG1a cells, and the combination of NNAVC and activated immune cells can strengthen their effect on KG1a.

Objective: To explore a method of primary culturing human adenoid cystic carcinoma cells of lacrimal gland., Methods: Experiment research. Tumor tissue was obtained from the surgical material of a patient diagnosed as lacrimal adenoid cystic carcinoma in Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital during May 16th to June 1st.We gained primary cells via tissue culture techniques. Mixed cells were removed through several ways.Observed cell morphological characteristics by phase contrast microscope, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Cyto-immunochemical staining was applied to detect the expressions of vimentin, desmin, S-100, cytokeratin, pan and CD34. Their expressions were also detected in the tumor tissue except CD34. Made cell growth curve and calculated cell doubling time., Results: The outgrowth of cells was observed by day 5 after seeding tissues, and then cells generated slowly. The first passage proceeded by day 32, and the classical epithelioid cell colonies was observed by day 69 after inoculation. Purified cells of human lacrimal adenoid cystic carcinoma were obtained after the removal of mixed cells through several ways, which have been successfully subcultured for more than 100 passages. The 25th passage LACC cells appeared to be typically epithelioid cells, they showed contact inhibition as the density high enough.SEM and TEM showed the 25th passage LACC cells were malignant tumor cells poorly differentiated. They showed positive reaction with vimentin, cytokeratin (pan) as well as S-100, but negative reaction with desmin and CD34, which were consistent with the tumor tissue. The cell growth curve turned like a sigmoid one, and the cell doubling time was 37.1 h., Conclusions: We gained purified LACC cells, and understood the morphological characteristics, laying the foundation for the establishment of a human lacrimal adenoid cystic carcinoma cell line.

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) expression in breast cancer by immunohistochemistry and discuss their influencing factors., Methods: The pretreatment biopsy specimens were collected from 148 patients (from Beijing Cancer Hospital between 2004 to 2010) with invasive breast cancer. After reslicing and staining (ER:SP1, PR: 1E2, HER-2: 4B5), the status of ER, PR and HER-2 was analyzed by a pathological expert with automated imaging system Ariol MB-8. And their results were compared with the original reports., Results: The concordance rates between original reports and automated image system were ER:76.35%, PR:49.32%, HER-2:63.51% while Kappa values 0.12 (P = 0.020) , 0.18 (P = 0.002) and 0.08 (P = 0.200) respectively. And the concordance rates between expert reports and automated image system were ER:93.92%, PR:81.08% and HER-2:76.35% while Kappa values 0.77 (P < 0.001) , 0.67 (P < 0.001) and 0.32 (P < 0.001) respectively., Conclusion: For the expressions of ER, PR and HER-2, the disaccording results of original reports and automated image system may be mainly due to the differences of antibodies, staining methods and interpretations.

Background: The pharmacokinetics (PKs) and pharmacodynamics (PDs) of telmisartan varies among the individuals, and the main causes remain unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of ORM1, as well as ABCC2, ABCB1, ABCG2 and SLCO1B3 polymorphisms, on the disposition of the drug and BP change after taking 40 mg telmisartan in 48 healthy Chinese males., Method: A total of 48 healthy males were included in this trial. Every volunteer ingested a single dose of 40 mg telmisartan, and the plasma drug concentration and blood pressure (BP) were measured up to 48 h., Result: In this study, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) in the heterozygotes of ORM1 113AG was higher than that in the wild-type homozygotes, AUC(0-48) (113AA vs. 113AG, 1,549.18±859.84 ng·h/ml vs. 2,313.54±1,257.71 ng·h/ml, P = 0.033), AUC(0-∞) (113AA vs. 113AG, 1,753.13±1,060.60 ng·h/ml vs. 2,686.90±1,401.87 ng·h/ml, P = 0.016), and the change(%) of the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from the baseline BP value also showed a significant difference between the ORM1 113AG and 113AA genotypes at 5 h after taking telmisartan (P = 0.026). This study also showed that the allele of ABCC2 C3972T would affected the disposition of telmsiartan and the DBP change significantly after taking the drug. However, the common SNPs of ABCG2 C421, ABCB1 C3435T, and SLCO1B3 T334G showed no impacts on the PKs of telmisartan or BP change(%) in our trial., Conclusion: The ORM1 A113G polymorphism was associated with the PKs variability after taking telmsiartan, as well as ABCC2 C3972T. The heterozygotes of ORM1 113AG showed a larger AUC and a notable BP change(%) from the baseline compared with the wild-type., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-TNC-10000898.

Cancer vaccines are an effective way to prevent the occurrence of cancer. Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 (Eps8) is a novel tumor-associated antigen, which is overexpressed in the majority of tumor types. In the present study, the Eps8 protein was cloned and characterized, and its feasibility as an antitumor agent in murine breast carcinoma was investigated. The results revealed that the Eps8 protein increased the secretion of interleukin (IL)-12 in the culture supernatant of dendritic cells (DCs). The Eps8 protein‑pulsed DCs induced significant cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses, T-cell proliferation and a higher level of interferon (IFN)-γ in the culture supernatant of the splenocytes ex vivo. Additionally, when the mice were immunized with the Eps8 vaccine, this resulted in a regression of 4T1 breast tumors and significantly prolonged survival time in the tumor‑bearing mice compared with that in the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) control group. The Eps8 vaccine induced higher CTL responses in the splenocytes of mice vaccinated against the 4T1 cells; the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells was increased in the Eps8 group; and the percentage of CD4+CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in the Eps8 group was significantly lower compared with that of the PBS group. The results suggested that the Eps8 vaccine was able to stimulate antitumor effects against 4T1 breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, and it may provide a potential immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of breast cancer.

This study was purposed to explore the application value of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) detection in differential diagnosis of chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD) and Ph(+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(+) ALL), as well as in dynamic monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) after treatment. The BCR/ABL fusion gene of newly diagnosed and treated cases was detected by using BCR/ABL (ES) probe and BCR/ABL (DF) probe respectively. The results showed that among 49 newly diagnosed cases considered as CMPD, 28 cases met the criterion of CML morphologically, out of them 23 cases were eventually diagnosed to be CML and with morphological consistent rate 82.1% (23/28), the sensitivity and specificity all were 100% (23/23). The BCR/ABL positive rate of eventually diagnosed cases was 81.3% ± 17.7%. Among 13 cases received allogeneic haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), 9 cases achieved long-term disease-free survival and 4 cases relapsed, the several monitoring for whom after donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) and imatinib treatment or allo-HSCT showed BCR/ABL negative. Among 16 cases treated with imatinib, 11 cases remained BCR/ABL negative after 1 year; 5 cases showed BCR/ABL positive during 6, 7 and 10 years after treatment, respectively, but out of them BCR/ABL positive in 1 case turned negative after allo-HSCT. It is concluded that the FISH is sensitive and specific diagnostic technique, the detection of BCR/ABL fusion gene in newly diagnosed and treated cases by using 2 different probes can help to fast and accurately determine the differential diagnosis for CML and Ph(+) ALL, and dynamically monitor the MRD after treatment with imatinib and allo-HSCT.

As compared to the well-known traditional couple-mode theory, in this study, we proposed a visual, graphical, and simple numerical simulation method for long-period fiber-grating surface-plasmon-resonance (LPG-SPR) sensors. This method combines the finite element method and the eigenmode expansion method. The finite element method was used to solve for the guided modes in fiber structures, including the surface plasmon wave. The eigenmode expansion method was used to calculate the power transfer phenomenon of the guided modes in the fiber structure. This study provides a detailed explanation of the key reasons why the periodic structure of long-period fiber-grating (LPG) can achieve significantly superior results for our method compared to those obtained using other numerical methods, such as the finite-difference time-domain and beam propagation methods. All existing numerical simulation methods focus on large-sized periodic components; only the method established in this study has 3D design and analysis capabilities. In addition, unlike the offset phenomenon of the design wavelength λ(D) and the maximum transmission wavelength λ(max) of the traditional coupled-mode theory, the method established in this study has rapid scanning LPG period capabilities. Therefore, during the initial component design process, only the operating wavelength must be set to ensure that the maximum transmission wavelength of the final product is accurate to the original setup, for example, λ = 1550 nm. We verified that the LPG-SPR sensor designed in this study provides a resolution of ~-45 dB and a sensitivity of ~27000 nm/RIU (refractive index unit). The objective of this study was to use the combination of these two numerical simulation methods in conjunction with a rigorous, simple, and complete design process to provide a graphical and simplistic simulation technique that reduces the learning time and professional threshold required for research and applications of LPG-SPR sensors.

Objective: To explore the correlations between molecular subtypes and responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in primary breast cancer patients., Methods: The core-needle biopsy specimens were collected from 563 patients undergoing 4-8 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy between January 2001 to January 2009. And immunohistochemical assays were employed to detect the levels of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and Ki-67 proliferation index simultaneously. Molecular subtypes were divided on the basis of immunohistochemical results. And the associations between molecular subtypes and responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were analyzed in 563 patients., Results: The pathological complete response (pCR) rates of patients with hormone receptor-negative/HER2-negative subtype (HR-/HER2-) , HER2-positive subtype (HER2+) and hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative subtype (HR+/HER2-) were 38.9%, 17.9% and 8.3% respectively. In univariate analysis, there were significant differences in pCR rates among the groups (P < 0.001) . In multivariate analysis, the patients with HER2+ subtype had a significantly higher pCR rate than those with HR+/HER2- subtype (OR = 0.344, P = 0.002) . Whereas the patients with HER2+ subtype had a significantly lower pCR rate than those with HR-/HER2- subtype (OR = 2.453, P = 0.007) . Among HR+/HER2-subtypes, a higher pCR rate was observed in the group of high expression level of Ki-67 proliferation index (Ki-67 ≥ 20%) (P = 0.004) . But no significant differences existed in pCR rates between the group of high expression level of hormone receptor and the group of non-high expression level (P = 0.256) ., Conclusion: There were correlations between molecular subtypes and responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in primary breast cancer patients. Patients of HER2+and HR-/HER2- subtype are more likely to respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Among HR+/HER2-subtypes, those with a high level of Ki-67 proliferation index tend to benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) is an important group of enzymes in DNA repair pathways, especially the base excision repair (BER) for DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) repair. Inhibition of PARP in DNA repair-defective tumors (like those with BRAC1/2 mutations) can lead to cell death and genomic instability, what is so called "synthetic lethality". Currently, PARP inhibitors combined with cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of BRCA-1/2 deficient cancers are in the clinical development. In this review, we will be focused on the development of combination application of PARP inhibitors with other anticancer agents in clinical trials.

Ginseng, a commonly used natural product, has been frequently reported to induce herb-drug interaction with many clinical drugs. The intestinal bacterial metabolites of ginsenosides have been widely regarded as the substance basis for ginseng-drug interactions. To date, little is known about the inhibitory effect of intestinal bacterial metabolites of ginsenosides towards UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). In vitro investigation of the inhibition of 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (ppt) towards UGT1A1 and UGT2B7 was carried out. The results showed that ppt exhibited strong noncompetitive inhibition towards UGT1A1 and competitive inhibition towards UGT2B7. The inhibition kinetic parameters (Ki ) were calculated to be 8.8 and 2.2 μM for UGT1A1 and UGT2B7, respectively. Using the maximum plasma concentration of ppt, the alteration of area under the concentration-time curve was calculated to be 20% and 70% respectively for UGT1A1-mediated and UGT2B7-mediated metabolism. However, given that the varied contribution of these two UGT isoforms towards drug metabolism and the influence of herb complexity and individual difference, the explanation of these results should be paid more caution., (Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Our objective was to determine metabolic syndrome (MS) prevalence in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to investigate the conditions that contribute to its development. 116 patients with SLE classified according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria, and 115 controls were enrolled. MS was defined by the joint interim statement of the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association; World Heart Federation; International Atherosclerosis Society; and International Association for the Study of Obesity (IDF/NHLBI/AHA/WHF/IAS/IASO). SLE features and treatment of SLE were assessed. Fasting insulin and cortisol levels of 30 newly diagnosed, untreated patients and 33 age and sex-matched controls were detected. MS prevalence was 34.2% in patients with SLE and 14.8% in controls (p=0.002). Lupus patients with MS had less frequency of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) intake (16.0% vs 45.8%; p=0.012). Untreated patients with SLE had higher levels of fasting insulin (10.92 ± 13.53 vs 5.48 ± 5.43 uU/mL, p<0.001) and plasma cortisol at 16:00 (257.22 ± 177.98 vs 139.84 ± 63.46 nmol/L, p=0.001), but lower plasma cortisol at 08:00 (195.51 ± 149.84 vs 278.95 ± 136.27 nmol/L, p=0.024). Comparisons regarding steroid therapy, levels of insulin and cortisol were not statistically significant between patients with MS and without MS. The Chinese patients with SLE presented a higher MS prevalence and fasting insulin than controls. MS was not associated with the steroid therapy and plasma cortisol. HCQ use proved to be protective against MS. The circadian rhythm of cortisol may differ in patients with SLE.

We report a novel quantum-dot-conjugated graphene, i.e., hybrid SiO2-coated quantum dots (HQDs)-conjugated graphene, for targeted cancer fluorescent imaging, tracking, and monitoring drug delivery, as well as cancer therapy. The hybrid SiO2 shells on the surface of QDs not only mitigate its toxicity, but also protect its fluorescence from being quenched by graphene. By functionalizing the surface of HQDs-conjugated graphene (graphene-HQDs) with transferrin (Trf), we developed a targeted imaging system capable of differential uptake and imaging of cancer cells that express the Trf receptor. The widely used fluorescent antineoplastic anthracycline drug, doxorubicin (DOX), is adsorbed on the surface of graphene and results in a large loading capacity of 1.4 mg mg(-1). It is advantageous that the new delivery system exhibits different fluorescence color in between graphene-HQDs and DOX in the aqueous core upon excitation at a same wavelength for the purpose of tracking and monitoring drug delivery. This simple multifunctional nanoparticle system can deliver DOX to the targeted cancer cells and enable us to localize the graphene-HQDs and monitor intracellular DOX release. The specificity and safety of the nanoparticle conjugate for cancer imaging, monitoring, and therapy has been demonstrated in vitro.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E can contribute to the escape of cancer cells from host immune mechanisms. However, it is unknown whether HLA-E gene polymorphisms might play a role in cancer immune escape. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between HLA-E gene polymorphisms and HLA-E expression in tumor tissue and determine the effects on clinical outcome of patients with stage III colorectal cancer. Two hundred thirty patients with stage III colorectal cancer were enrolled. HLA-E expression was detected in patient-derived tumor tissues with immunohistochemistry. HLA-E gene alleles in tumor tissues were detected with the polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific primer method. In colorectal cancer tissue and in the normal tissue adjacent to the tumor, the HLA-E expression rates were 72.2 and 15.1 %, respectively (P < 0.05). Patients with overexpression, low expression, and no expression of HLA-E exhibited disease-free survival of 55.3, 72.9, and 72.1 %, respectively. Patients with HLA-E overexpression exhibited the lowest long-term survival rate. No relationship was observed between the type of HLA-E gene polymorphism and its expression level in tumor tissues; moreover, no polymorphisms appeared to affect the long-term survival of patients with colorectal cancer. The type of HLA-E polymorphism did not have an impact on HLA-E expression in tumors or the prognosis in patients with stage III colorectal cancer. However, the level of HLA-E expression in tumor tissue strongly predicted long-term survival in these patients.

Estrogen receptor-α (ERα) is essential for estrogen-dependent growth and its level of expression is a crucial determinant of response to endocrine therapy and prognosis in ERα-positive breast cancer. Breast cancer patients show a wide range of ERα expression levels which change in individual patients during disease progression and in response to systemic therapies. However, little is known concerning how the expression of ERα is regulated in human breast cancer. Recently, several microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified to regulate ERα expression and to predict ER, progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) status. The expression levels of miR-342 and ERα mRNA were analyzed in human breast cancer samples and cell lines by quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis. The correlations between the expression levels of miR-342 and clinicopathological factors were analyzed. Statistically significant associations were observed between miR-342 and ER, HER2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) status in the human breast cancer samples and the levels of miR-342 gradually increased as ERα mRNA expression increased. Moreover, ectopic overexpression of miR-342 upregulated the expression levels of the ERα mRNA and significantly sensitized the MCF-7 cells to tamoxifen-induced apoptosis and inhibition of cellular proliferation. These results suggested that miR-342 expression is positively correlated with ERα mRNA expression in human breast cancer and that it may be a significant marker for predicting tamoxifen sensitivity in ERα-positive breast cancer and a potential target for restoring ERα expression and responding to antiestrogen therapy.

The presence and distribution of typical of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), which comprise two types of polycyclic musks (PCMs) including Galaxolide (HHCB) and Tonalide (AHTN) as well as six types of estrogens containing estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), diethylstilbestrol (DES), and bisphenol A (BPA), were investigated at two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Jiangsu, China. Only raw wastewater was treated in WWTP A while WWTP B was serving an urban-industrialized area. In the influent, the concentrations of EE2 (2193-4437ngL(-1)), E2 (1126-1170ngL(-1)), and DES (268-421ngL(-1)) were generally higher than the previously reported values, whereas the concentrations of HHCB (306-316ngL(-1)), E1 (29-129ngL(-1)), E3 (53ngL(-1)), and BPA (26-176ngL(-1)) were much lower than those reported in other previous studies. In addition, AHTN was not detected in either WWTP and E3 was not found in WWTP B. The detected processes including anaerobic/oxic process (A/O), combined orbal oxidation ditch process (C-orbal OD) and anaerobic/anoxic/anoxic/oxic membrane biological reactor (A/A/A/O-MBR) showed higher removal efficiencies for HHCB (67-71%) and EE2 (87%) than those in other previous studies. Besides, the total hydraulic retention time (HRT) ranged between 6.7 and 20.0h, sludge retention time (SRT) ranged between 8 and 23d, and water temperature ranged from 24.8 to 28.2°C. The removal efficiencies for estrogens in biological processes were related to the following factors: the level of hydrophobic estrogens, the type of removal process (C-orbal OD was consistently less efficient in removing estrogens than A/O and A/A/A/O-MBR), and a high SRT or HRT (A/A/A/O-MBR with higher SRT and HRT showed higher and more stable removal of hydrophobic estrogens)., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

By the methods of space-time substitution and PVC tube closed-top in situ incubation, this paper studied the soil mineralized-N content, N mineralization rate, and N uptake rate in Phyllostachys edulis-broadleaf mixed forest (PBMF) formed by P. edulis expansion and its adjacent evergreen broadleaf forest (EBF) in Dagangshan Mountain of Jiangxi Province, China. There existed the same spatiotemporal variation trend of soil total mineralized-N (TMN) content between the two forests. The annual average N mineralization rate was slightly lower in PBMF than in EBF. In PBMF, soil N mineralization was dominated by ammonification; while in EBF, soil ammonification and nitrification were well-matched in rate, and soil nitrification was dominated in growth season (from April to October). The N uptake by the plants in PBMF and EBF in a year was mainly in the form of NH4+-N, but that in EBF in growth season was mainly in the form of NO3- -N. These findings indicated that the expansion of P. edulis into EBF could promote the ammonification of soil N, weakened soil nitrification and total N mineralization, and also, increased the NH4+-N uptake but decreased the NO3- -N and TMN uptake by the plants.

Flavonoids have been widely reported to protect liver injury in iron-overload diseases, where the mechanism of this therapeutic action is dependent on their antioxidant effects, including free radical scavenging and metal-chelating. In this study, in contrast to the significant decrease in iron content, quercetin (Qu) from lower diet (0.3%, w/w) showed pro-oxidant ability on protein carbonyl formation and exhibited unobvious effect on iron-overload rat liver injury. Furthermore, the anti- and pro-oxidant activities of Qu on hemoglobin (Hb)-dependent redox reactions (i.e. the oxidative stability of Hb and its cytotoxic ferryl intermediate, Hb-induced protein oxidation) were investigated to illustrate the elevated protein oxidation in lower Qu-treated iron-overload rat. It was found that superoxide (O₂·⁻) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) were generated during the reaction between Qu and Hb. Qu, however, effectively reduced ferryl intermediate back to ferric Hb in a biphasic kinetic reaction. Moreover, Qu could significantly aggravate Hb-H₂O₂-induced protein oxidation at low concentrations and exhibit protective effects at high concentrations. Different from the classic antioxidant mechanisms of Qu, the dual effects on Hb redox reactions in vitro, therefore, may provide new insights into the physiological and pharmacological implications of Qu with iron-overload disease.

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is shaped by the self-immobilization of microorganisms. In this study, AGS was cultivated successively in a column sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with glucose and sodium acetate as the carbon sources. The shock-loading effects of varying the Cu2+ concentration (0.0, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/L) on the characteristics of aerobic granules were studied. The results show that Cu2+ has a toxic effect on the aerobic granules. Although the aerobic granules became increasingly loose as the Cu2+ concentration increased from 1.0 to 5.0 mg/L, their structural integrity was largely maintained. However, the aerobic granules disintegrated and their skeletons consisting of internal filamentous bacteria were exposed at the Cu2+ concentration of 10.0mg/L. The functional groups -NH2, -OH, -COOH, and C-N reacted with Cu2+. Ca, Fe, and P were the major trace elements observed in the AGS. With an increase in the Cu2+ concentration from 0.0 to 10.0 mg/L, the weight percentages of the essential elements Fe, Ca, Na, and K in the granules decreased from 23.98%, 24.64%, 3.86%, and 3.87% to 14.90%, 13.93%, 0%, and 0%, respectively, whereas the weight percentage of copper increased correspondingly from 0% to 35.43%. Cu2+ was exchanged with the essential metals and chelated by the nitrogen-containing functional groups (-NH2 or C-N) of the protein. These effects influenced the structural stability of the sludge.

Background: Eps8 is a novel proto-oncogene related to the tumorigenesis, proliferation, metastasis, chemo-resistance, and prognosis of many human solid cancers. However, the function of Eps8 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is still unclear. Thus, this study aims to develop a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for Eps8 in AML., Methods: Eps8 was amplified and cloned into pMD18-T to generate the recombinant plasmid pMD18-T/Eps8 as standard DNA for the establishment of real-time quantitative PCR. This assay was used to detect the expression level of Eps8 in bone marrow samples from AML patients and healthy volunteers (control group)., Results: The limit of detection achieved using this standard was 100 copies, which was 10 times more sensitive than that achieved using conventional PCR, indicating high sensitivity. Melting curve analysis demonstrated that the primers designed for the established real-time quantitative PCR assay were specific and available. The expression level of Eps8 in the AML patients increased compared with that in the control group (p = 0.013). Furthermore, the expression level of Eps8 showed significant correlation with the complete remission rate of AML patients to chemotherapy (p = 0.024)., Conclusions: The established assay is useful in detecting the expression level of Eps8. The results suggest that Eps8 may serve as a prognostic factor of responsiveness to chemotherapy in AML patients.

Objective: To explore the diagnostic value and health economic evaluation of ultrasound-combined fine-needle aspiration cytology for axillary lymph node status in breast cancer., Methods: We reviewed retrospectively collected the data from 2503 cases of biopsy-proved breast cancer (T0-2) at our breast center between May 2005 and June 2010. The diagnostic fees of ultrasound-combined fine-needle aspiration cytology and clinical examination were calculated and assessed with cost-minimization analysis., Results: Ultrasound-combined fine-needle aspiration cytology prevented 10.9 percent of the patients with positive clinical findings from unnecessary sentinel lymph node biopsy and achieved a saving of 155.55 RMB per patient. However, only 29.4 percent of the cases were diagnosed with ultrasonographic abnormal axillary nodes., Conclusions: Ultrasound-combined fine-needle aspiration cytology has great application values. The ultrasonic diagnostic criteria of abnormal axillary nodes should be loosened.

Objective: To determine the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and investigate the related molecular mechanism., Methods: After incubating cultured HSCs for 24 h with different concentrations of NGF (100, 200 or 400 ng/mL), the cell proliferation was observed by XTT colorimetric assay and cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. Morphological changes in response to a 24 h exposure to 100 ng/mL NGF were observed by transmission electron microscopy., Results: NGF significantly inhibited HSC proliferation (P less than 0.05) in a dose-independent manner. The optical densities of the XTT colorimetric assay were 0.66+/-0.03 for 100 ng/mL NGF, 0.69+/-0.03 for 200 ng/mL NGF, and 0.66+/-0.03 for 400 ng/mL NGF, all of which were significantly lower than that of the control group (0.73+/-0.01; P less than 0.05). All concentrations of NGF led to significantly higher numbers of HSCs in the G2 phase (100 ng/mL: 14.83+/-5.41%, 200 ng/mL: 14.73+/-2.50%, and 400 ng/mL: 14.87+/-2.06%), compared to that detected in the control group (7.47+/-4.39%; P less than 0.05). Twenty-four hours of exposure to 100 ng/mL NGF caused morphological changes indicative of apoptosis., Conclusion: NGF inhibits the proliferation of HSCs, possibly by arresting the cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. NGF-inhibited cells may also undergo apoptosis.

Aim: It has been reported that BMI-1, a gene transcription promoter overexpressed in various human cancers, is associated with poor survival. We investigated whether BMI-1 is a marker for cervical cancer by detecting the expression of BMI-1 in cervical cancer., Methods: An immunohistochemistry (IHC) streptavidin-peroxidase technique was used to identify BMI-1 protein expression in 302 cervical cancer specimens. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were employed to measure BMI-1 mRNA and protein level. The correlation between BMI-1 expression and clinicopathological factors was analyzed., Results: Both BMI-1 mRNA and protein expression were evident in cervical carcinoma tissues. An intense positive rate of 55.3% (167/302) was observed by IHC. High BMI-1 expression was correlated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, vascular invasion and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (P < 0.05), but there is insufficient evidence to confirm its value in tumor size, age, estrogen or progesterone receptor (P > 0.05). The BMI-1 protein level was positively correlated with the clinical stages of cervical carcinoma and a high BMI-1 expression was associated with poor prognosis (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The high expression of BMI-1 in cervical cancer is related to tumor progression, lymph node metastasis and HPV infection, suggesting that cervical cancer with excessive BMI-1 expression possesses high metastases potential and that BMI-1 may be a promising biomarker for predicting metastasis in cervical cancer., (© 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)

A novel and specific nanoplatform for in vitro simultaneous cancer-targeted optical imaging and magnetically guided drug delivery is developed by conjugating CdTe quantum dots with Fe(3)O(4)-filled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for the first time. Fe(3)O(4) is filled into the interior of the CNTs, which facilitates magnetically guided delivery and improves the synergetic targeting efficiency. In comparison with that immobilized on the external surface of CNTs, the magnetite nanocrystals inside the CNTs protect it from agglomeration, enhance its chemical stability, and improve the drug loading capacity. It also avoids magnetic nanocrystals-induced quenching of fluorescence of the quantum dots. The SiO(2)-coated quantum dots (HQDs) attached on the surface of CNTs exhibit favorable fluorescence as the hybrid SiO(2) shells on the QDs surface prevent its fluorescence quenching caused by the CNTs. In addition, the hybrid SiO(2) shells also mitigate the toxicity of the CdTe QDs. By coating transferrin on the surface of the herein modified CNTs, it provides a dual-targeted drug delivery system to transport the doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) into Hela cells by means of an external magnetic field. The nanocarrier based on the multifunctional nanoplatform exhibits an excellent drug loading capability of ca. 110%, in addition to cancer-targeted optical imaging as well as magnetically guided drug delivery.

The redox reaction of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP) is an important physiological and biochemical reaction in the human body, as it is involved in the oxidative metabolism of both endogenous and exogenous substrates. Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) is the only obligate electron donor for all of the hepatic microsomal CYP enzymes. It plays a crucial role in drug metabolism and treatment by not only acting as an electron donor involved in drug metabolism mediated by CYP enzymes but also by directly inducing the transformation of some antitumor precursors. Studies have found that the gene encoding human POR is highly polymorphic, which is of considerable clinical significance as it affects the metabolism and curative effects of clinically used drugs. This review aims to discuss the effect of POR and its genetic polymorphisms on drug metabolism and therapy, as well as the potential mechanisms of POR pharmacogenetics.

Objective: To study the correlation of EphA2 protein expression with vesculogenic mimicry (VM), clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in choroidal melanoma (CM)., Methods: It was a retrospective case series study. Between January 1992 and December 2005, 56 cases of human CM with clinicopathologic data from the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University were studied. HE stainings were performed to observe the microcirculation patterns in tumor tissue specimens. VM was found in 26 of the 56 cases using CD31/periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) double staining and transelectron microscopy. All cases were divided into two groups: VM-positive and VM-negative. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on paraffin sections of the 56 cases of CM specimens to investigate the expression of EphA2. According to tumor cells positive rate and staining intensity of the results of evaluation, the specimens were divided into low expression and high expression groups.χ(2)-test and t-test were used to analyzed the enumeration data and measurement data, respectively. Survival analysis was used to further elucidate its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics, VM and prognosis. Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyzed the influence factors of prognosis., Results: VM channels were found in 26 of the 56 CM cases and VM-negative 30 cases. VM-positivity was related to cell type, tumor size and recurrence and metastasis, and the differences were statistically significant (χ(2) = 4.612, 5.346, 5.213; P = 0.036, 0.021, 0.027). The results showed that EphA2 was up-regulated in the VM-positive group compared with the group of VM-negative group. The positive rates of EphA2 expression in the VM-positive group and VM-negative group were 92.3% (25/26) and 70.0% (21/30), respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (t = 2.247, P = 0.009). The EphA2 protein was expressed in epithelioid (10/12), mixed (11/15) and spindle (41.40%) cell types, with a significant difference among these histological types (χ(2) = 6.513, P = 0.010). The expression rate of EphA2 protein were significantly higher in large (54.55%, 18/33) than small (45.45%, 15/33) tumors, and the expression of EphA2 in metastatic and recurrence patients (10/11) were significantly higher compared with controls (31.11%, 14/45) (χ(2) = 4.556, 8.211;P = 0.016, 0.005). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed the presence of VM resulted in a poor prognosis (t = 9.263, P = 0.000). The Cox proportional hazards model indicated that the EphA2 overexpression and the presence of VM were independent predictors of a poor prognosis (χ(2) = 12.041, P = 0.001). Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between them (r = 0.412, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that EphA2 may play a critical role in the formation process of VM in CM, implicating EphA2 as a valuable marker for the prediction of recurrence, metastasis and prognosis in CM patients.

Objective: To study the extraction system of hirudin emulsion liquid membrane with the Poecilobdella manillensis as raw material, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (D2EHPA) as carrier, Span 80 as emulsifier, octane and D2EHPA mixed to constitute membrane solution, diluted HCl solutions as internal aqueous phase., Method: Using the orthogonal experiment to optimize the extraction conditions of hirudin reference substance such as membrane phase, internal aqueous phase volume ratio (MIPVR), external aqueous phase pH, internal aqueous phase pH, mobile carrier concentration and so on, and then using hirudin crude extracts to do purifying experiment, and gaining experimental samples., Result: The optimal conditions of hirudin extraction were as follows: MIPVR 10: 3, internal aqueous phase pH 2.6, external aqueous phase pH 3.4, the mass fraction of carrier D2EHPA 2%. In the optimal extraction conditions, when the initial concentration of hirudin was one anti-thrombin activity units (ATU) x mL(-1), ATU recovery rate of the reference substance was 83.06%. In the purifying experiment of crude extracts, ATU recovery rate was 82.99%, and the specific activity of sample was 3 289.48 the ATU x mg(-1). Discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and spectral scanning, the results showed that the purity and reference substance were considerable., Conclusion: The method of preparation hirudin was relatively simple, the purity of the experimental samples and ATU recovery were both high.

The promise of pharmacogenetics has included reduction of adverse drug events and enrichment for clinical efficacy. However, there has been very little assessment of the context in which this promise could be delivered. There are issues of return on effort and end points of meaningful impact that are crucial to moving this area of clinical pharmacology into practical benefit for our health system.

The isolation and identification of cancer stem cells are the key points in exploring characteristics of cancer stem cells at present. Several species of cancer stem cells, for instance, retinoblastoma tumor stem cells, cancer stem cells of melanoma of choroid, breast cancer stem cells, lung cancer stem cells, colon cancer stem cells, etc., have been isolated and cultured successfully by serum free medium while their biological functions and characteristics are acquired. This review focus on the application of serum free medium in the research of isolating cancer stem cells, both ocular and general, in terms of providing foundation for further research on ocular cancer stem cells.

Cyclooxygenase-2 is a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. Here, we designed the analogues p321-9L and p321-1Y9L (YLIGETIKL) from cyclooxygenase-2-derived native peptide p321. Then, we tested the binding affinity and stability of the analogues and their ability to elicit specific immune response both in vitro (from PBMCs of HLA-A*02⁺ healthy donors) and in vivo (from HLA-A2.1/K(b) transgenic mice). Our results indicated that the activity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced by p321-9L and p321-1Y9L was more potent than that of p321. In conclusion, the epitope analogue, especially p321-1Y9L, may be a good candidate which could be used to the immunotherapy of patients with tumours expressing cyclooxygenase-2., (© 2012 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Using a femtosecond laser, we have transformed the laser-direct-writing technique into a highly efficient method that can process AgO(x) thin films into Ag nanostructures at a fast scanning rate of 2000 μm(2)/min. The processed AgO(x) thin films exhibit broad-band enhancement of optical absorption and effectively function as active SERS substrates. Probing of the plasmonic hotspots with dyed polymer beads indicates that these hotspots are uniformly distributed over the treated area.

Objective: To investigate anti-endotoxin action of four OAs reacted with endotoxin by the LAL assay with KTA., Methods: Using a incubating kinetic tube reader and kinetic turbidimetric assay (KTA), the concentration-response time curve of endotoxin reacted with limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) at 37 degrees C were obtained and the action of four organic acids (OAs) on it were investigated. The four OAs were benzoic acid, salicylic acid, syringic acid and 2-amino-benzoic acid from Radix isatidis. Meanwhile, the temperature variation caused by endotoxin with the four OAs was studied by the rabbit pyrogen test (RPT)., Results: It was showed that a low concentration (1 mg/mL) of the four OAs had a little effect of anti-endotoxin, and when the concentrations of the four OAs were 30 mg/mL, the endotoxin was neutralized completely. The relationships between the concentrations of endotoxin and the OAs were all linear with correlation coefficients of greater than 0.9995, indicating that the four OAs all had strong anti-endotoxin action, while syringic acid had the strongest action among the four OAs with IC50 of 12.84 mg/mL., Conclusion: The investigations of KTA agreed well with the results obtained by means of RPT.

A simple and sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous separation and determination of trace earthy-musty compounds including geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol, 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 2,3,4-trichloroanisole, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, and 2,3,6-trichloroanisole in water samples. This method combined headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and used naphthalene-d(8) as internal standard. A divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fiber exposing at 90°C for 30 min provided effective sample enrichment in HS-SPME. These compounds were separated by a DB-1701MS capillary column and detected in selected ion monitoring mode within 12 min. The method showed a good linearity from 1 to 100 ng L(-1) and detection limits within (0.25-0.61 ng L(-1)) for all compounds. Using naphthalene-d(8) as the internal standard, the intra-day relative standard deviation (RSD) was within (2.6-3.4%), while the inter-day RSD was (3.5-4.9%). Good recoveries were obtained for tap water (80.5-90.6%), river water (81.5-92.4%), and lake water (83.5-95.2%) spiked at 10 ng L(-1). Compared with other methods using HS-SPME for determination of odor compounds in water samples, this present method had more analytes, better precision, and recovery. This method was successfully applied for analysis of earthy-musty odors in water samples from different sources., (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Introduction: Gyrolab™ technology presents a technology breakthrough for large molecule bioanalysis to support biologic drug development. The advantages of this innovative platform include fully automated nanoscale immunoassay capability, better assay reproducibility and data quality, small reagent and sample volumes, and rapid assay development and validation as a result of reduced run time. Although Gyrolab has been increasingly used in method development in discovery environment, few fully validated Gyrolab assays have been reported. Here we report a method validation of a Gyrolab assay to determine rituximab levels in human serum., Methods: Rituximab is captured on a Bioaffy™ CD by a biotinylated rat anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody against rituximab and detected by an Alexa Fluor®-labeled anti-human IgG antibody. Assay conditions were optimized to give required sensitivity and dynamic range. The assay validation was conducted according to the current industry standards for GLP-regulated immunoassays., Results: The intrabatch precision and accuracy for the assay were determined using spiked human serum samples and shown to have a coefficient of variation (CV) of <11% with a mean bias <20%. The interbatch precision (CV) and absolute mean bias were both <12% with the total error <25%. Adequate spike recovery was demonstrated in serum samples of healthy individuals and solid tumor patients. The dilutional linearity test showed that the determined concentrations adjusted with various dilution factors had a linear relationship with the expected concentrations and that there was no hook effect. The method has been validated for the quantification of rituximab in human serum from 90 to 60,000 ng/mL with a minimum required dilution of 30., Discussion: The Gyrolab assay was proved to be accurate, precise and selective, with a comparable sensitivity to the ELISA method, but provided an automated nanoscale assay with a significantly wider assay dynamic range for the determination of rituximab in human serum during pharmacokinetics/toxicokinetics studies., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the clinicopathologic features, immunohistochemical findings, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) of central nervous system in childhood., Methods: The clinicopathologic data, morphologic features and immunophenotypes were reviewed in 6 cases of AT/RT. EnVision method was applied. Antibodies include cytokeratin (CK), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), vimentin, smooth muscle actin (SMA), muscle specific actin (MSA), glial fibrinary acid protein (GFAP), desmin, placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) and INI1., Results: Five of the six cases of AT/RT occurred in infancy and early childhood. Histologically, the predominant component was rhabdoid cells. Cytoplasmic inclusions were present in all cases. Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) component was also identified in 5 of the 6 cases studied. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen and vimentin. The staining for INI1, desmin and PLAP was negative. Smooth muscle actin was expressed in 2 cases and glial fibrillary acidic protein in 5 cases. The proliferative index as demonstrated by Ki-67 staining was high., Conclusions: AT/RT is not a particularly uncommon malignancy in childhood. The histologic hallmark is the presence of rhabdoid cells with cytoplasmic inclusions. The tumor cells are positive for cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen and vimentin, and negative for INI1. Differential diagnosis includes PNET, medulloblastoma and medullomyoblastoma.

Background: Large amounts of high quality DNA are typically required for high-throughput genotyping arrays but sometimes study participant DNA is in limited supply. Multiple displacement amplification (MDA)-based whole genome amplification is an in vitro technique that permits the genetic analysis of limited amounts of high molecular weight genomic DNA (gDNA)., Methods: The performance of MDA-whole genome amplified DNA (wgaDNA) as a template for DMET Plus (Affymetrix) was assessed. wgaDNA was generated from gDNA from three HapMap CEU cell lines and 11 breast cancer patients. One HapMap sample and three patient samples were randomly selected for replication to assess reproducibility. Accuracy was assessed by comparing the wgaDNA genotypes with gDNA genotypes. The kappa (κ) statistic was used to measure genotype concordance between paired gDNA-wgaDNA and wgaDNA-wgaDNA samples. Copy number variants (CNV) were not included in concordance analysis in this study., Results: A good genotype call rate of 98.8%±1.06% (mean±standard deviation, 1931 markers) was observed for all 18 wgaDNA samples with three samples having call rates lower than 98%. High genotype concordance rates were observed between four HapMap wgaDNA-gDNA pairs (98.5%, κ=0.9817, p<0.0001, 1931 markers) and 14 patient wgaDNA-gDNA pairs (100%, κ=1.00, p<0.0001, 19 markers among CYP2D6 and CYP2C19). Excellent genotype concordance was also observed between four independently amplified duplicate samples (98.0%, κ=0.9745; p<0.0001, 1931 markers)., Conclusions: MDA-produced wgaDNA provides accurate and reproducible genotypes with the DMET Plus array and is therefore a suitable template for this targeted pharmacogenetic genotyping array.

Abstract: A three-year breeding experiment was conducted in a paddy field in Zixing City of Hunan Province, South-central China to study the characteristics of golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) reproduction under natural conditions. Under the natural conditions in southern Hunan Province, the snails could approximately reproduce three generations per year. The average sexual maturity periods of the first, the second, and the third generation of the female snails were 59.3, 45.4 and 213.0 days, respectively, and those of the male snails were 4.3 days earlier than the females'. The natural sex ratio of the females to the males was 1.54:1. The average copulation duration was 19.2 hours, but spawning did not always occur after each time of copulation. The number of the egg masses produced by the females per month was significantly positively correlated with the mean monthly air temperature (r = 0.756) , while the average incubation duration of the egg masses was significantly negatively correlated with the daily air temperature (gamma = -0.726x + 23.064, r = -0.980). The average incubation time of the egg masses was 20.7 days, average incubation rate was 44.1%, and the average life expectancy of the female and male snails was 2.40 and 1.98 years, respectively. A female snail in its lifetime could averagely spawn 13764 eggs and reproduce 6070 young snails.

Objective: The prognosis of patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) remains poor, and no single chemotherapy regimen is recognized as a global standard. A phase 2 trial was conducted to determine the efficacy and tolerability of the modified combination regimen of capecitabine and irinotecan (mXELIRI) in patients with AGC., Methods: Patients with earlier untreated AGC received intravenous irinotecan (125 mg/m) over 90 minutes on days 1 and 8, and oral capecitabine (850 mg/m) twice daily on days 2 to 15, every 3 weeks. Treatment was continued for at most 8 cycles or until disease progression or intolerable toxicity., Results: Thirty-two patients were enrolled. In total, 141 cycles of mXELIRI were administered. The overall response rate was 43.7%, with 1 complete response and 13 partial responses. At a median follow-up of 16.2 months, median time to progression and overall survival were 5.6 months (95% confidence interval, 4.27-6.93 mo) and 11.0 months (95% confidence interval, 8.71-13.29 mo), respectively. The most common hematological adverse event was neutropenia (n=18, 56.3%); grade 3 neutropenia was observed in 5 patients, with neutropenic fever in only 2 patients. The most common grade 3/4 nonhematological toxicities were anorexia (n=3, 9.4%), nausea (n=3, 9.4%), vomiting (n=2, 6.3%), and diarrhea (n=2, 6.3%). There was no treatment-related death., Conclusions: mXELIRI is a safe and effective first-line treatment for unresectable and metastatic gastric cancer with a manageable tolerability profile. It can be used as one of the first-line treatment options for patients with AGC.

Despite recent significant advances in the treatment of hematological malignancies, relapse of this disease is of great note with the existence of the minimal residual disease (MRD). Tumour peptide vaccine seems to be one of the effective immunotherapies for eliminating tumor cells of MRD. This review focuses on the late results of clinical trails of peptide vaccination protocols targeting WT1, RHAMM, BCR-ABL, PR1 in hematological malignancies and the development of specific immune responses to PRAME and Survivin peptides. An outlook to heteroclitic peptides, new adjuvants, combined peptide vaccines and Ad-tWT1 vaccine is also given to further explore the possibility to enhance the efficacy of the peptide vaccine.

In the title compound, C(9)H(7)ClN(2)O(6), the nitro groups and the ester group make dihedral angles of 44.0 (1), 89.6 (1) and 164.1 (1)°, respectively, with the benzene ring. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked through weak C-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions. Mol-ecules are stacked via π-π inter-actions about inversion centers, with a centroid-centroid distance of 3.671 (2) Å.

This paper studied the active oxygen scavenging system of Cupressus funebris seedlings under drought condition and the recovery capability of the system after re-watering, aimed to understand the adaptation mechanisms of C. funebris to the 'drought and re-watering' environment in Karst area. With the increasing time of drought stress, the seedling's relative water content (RWC) decreased, soluble protein concentration increased first and decreased then, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased consistently. The MDA content recovered to the level of the control (CK) when re-watering was implemented within 2 weeks of drought, but could not when the re-watering was made after 4 and 6 weeks of drought. Under drought stress, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) increased consistently. After rewatering, the SOD activity had somewhat decrease but still remained at a higher level than the CK, and the POD and CAT activities decreased to the CK level when suffered mild stress but had less decrement when suffered severe stress. It was concluded that C. funebris seedlings could resist mild drought stress via increasing their soluble protein concentration and inhibiting membrane lipid peroxidation, but could not resist severe drought stress because of the irreversible damage of their membrane structure.

Tetraphenylethylene (TPE)-based glycoconjugates were easily synthesized by copper(I)-catalyzed "click reactions" between propargyl-attached TPE and azido-functionalized sugars. The TPE compound bearing lactosyl moieties (Lac-TPE) was found to be a fluorescence "turn-on" sensor for cholera toxin by virtue of aggregation-induced emission characteristics of the TPE motif owing to the specific interaction of lactose with the cholera toxin B subunit, whilst a cellobiose-functionalized TPE derivative did not show any response to the toxin. Therefore, Lac-TPE shows promising applications in the detection of cholera toxin, as well as in the investigation of carbohydrate-protein interaction., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objective: To compare the distant disease-free survival between breast cancer patients with nodal pathological complete response (pCR) and those with nodal residual disease (RD) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy., Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 376 needle biopsy proved node positive breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed., Results: The median follow-up time was 24 months (range: 5 - 100). The pCR rate of axillary lymph node was 30.9%. And the three-year distant disease-free survival (DDFS) rates were 91.7% and 78.8% in the patients with axillary lymph node pCR and RD respectively. According to the Log-rank test, there were significant differences in survival curves (P = 0.016). Multivariate analysis showed that the relative risk of DDFS for patients with RD was 2.14 folds of than that of the pCR group (P = 0.047). No significant difference existed between the disease-free survival (DFS) curve in two groups. DDFS had significant differences between the patients with the number of lymph node metastasis ≤ 3 and ≥ 4 in the RD group (P = 0.001)., Conclusion: The distant disease-free survival of node positive breast cancer is associated with the status of axillary lymph node after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

After comparing the spectral differences between red tide water and normal water, we developed a method to retrieve red tide distributions from MODIS data based on the characteristics of red tide water spectrum. The authors used the 119 series of in situ observations to validate the method and found that only one observation has not been detected correctly. The authors then applied this method to MODIS data on April 4, 2005. In the research areas three locations of red tide water were apparently detected with the total areas about 2 000 km2. The retrieved red tide distributions are in good agreement with the distributions of high chlorophyll a concentrations. The research suggests that the method is available to eliminating the influence of suspended sediments and can be used to retrieve the locations and areas of red tide water.

Objective: To observe the expression and distribution of CD44, CD133, and ABCG2 in orbital adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and investigate their correlations with pathological type and prognosis., Method: Two steps method of immunohistochemical staining was employed in 33 cases of paraffin embedded surgical specimens of human orbital ACC, 5 cases of recurrence samples, 3 cases of an excised lacrimal gland caused by neither inflammation nor tumor diseases, and 6 cases of xenograft tumors in nude mice. A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical material of these patients, which were collected from Jan. 1991 to Mar. 2009., Results: The positive rate of CD44 was 54.5% (18/33), with 76.9% (10/13) in solid type and 40.0% (8/20) in adeno-tubiform type. There was no statistically significant difference between them (P = 0.072). In solid type the positive expression cells were often located at the marginal part of the cancer nest. In the adeno-tubiform type, positive cells were often located at the outer layer of the tubiform structure (myoepithelial cells). CD44 was also expressed in normal tissues. The positive rate of CD133 was 57.6% (19/33), with 76.9% (10/13) in solid type and 45.0% (9/20) in adeno-tubiform type. There was no significant difference between them (P = 0.087). CD133 antigen was expressed in either the cytoplasm or nucleus, or expressed in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. The positive rate of ABCG2 was 21.2% (7/33), with 30.77% (4/13) in solid type and 15.0% (3/20) in adeno-tubiform type. There was no significant difference between them (P = 0.393). Many positive cells surrounded the vessels in tumor tissues. There were no significant differences between different prognosis groups of these surface phenotypes. The correlative analysis results of three surface phenotypes showed that CD44(+) cells have positive correlation with CD133(+) cells (Spearman, r(s) = 0.416, P = 0.016). In six transplanted tumors of nude mice, the number of positive cases for CD44(+), CD133(+) and ABCG2(+) was 1, 1 and 4 cases, respectively., Conclusions: The expression of CD44, CD133 and ABCG2 in ACC may influence the progress of ACC. However, they cannot be used as the markers for the evaluation of the prognosis of this tumor.

Objective: To evaluate whether lung transplantation conferred acceptable survival compared with conventional treatment for end-stage silicosis., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data for five consecutive patients with silicosis between September 2002 and December 2010, four underwent single lung transplantation and one bilateral lung transplantation., Results: There was no perioperative mortality. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was required in four patients, three underwent single lung transplantation and one received bilateral lung transplantation, three of them were successfully weaned. One developed primary graft dysfunction 2 days after transplant and died of multiple organ failure on postoperative day 8. The remaining four patients were discharged from hospital. During follow-up, one recipient died of severe infection 7 months after transplant. All remaining patients returned to work and had a good quality of life after 5, 3 and 2 years, respectively., Conclusions: Lung transplantation offers effective therapy for patients with end-stage silicosis.

We report the existence and stability of gap solitons in parity-time (PT) complex periodic optical lattices with the real part of superlattices. These solitons can stably exist in the semi-infinite gap. We have studied the effects of different relative strengths of the superlattices and different amplitudes of the imaginary part on soliton propagation. It was found that the relative strength of the superlattices and the amplitude of the imaginary part significantly affect the PT symmetry and the stability of solitons in the PT complex periodic optical lattices., (© 2011 Optical Society of America)

Objective: To investigate the selection of recipients, operative technique, and perioperative management of lung transplantation for silicosis., Methods: Lung transplantations (LTx) were performed for five end-stage silicosis in our hospital who were diagnosed in accordance with recommendations of the local Prophylactic Therapeutic Institution for Occupational Diseases. The chest roentgenogram and high resolution CT showed somewhat pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, pulmonary emphysema and massive opacities. The mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) was > 30mmHg, NYHA III or IV. Two patients received thoracic surgery prior to LTx, one patient was ventilator-dependent. One patient received bilateral sequence lung transplantation (BSLT) under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Four patients received single lung transplantation (SLT), 3 under ECMO support., Results: Patient five died of multiple organ failure on postoperative day 8, the remaining four patients were discharged from hospital. During follow up, patient three died of severe infection 7 month postoperatively, the remaining three patients were alive for 5 years, 3 years and 2 years respectively, and lived good quality of life, especially with lower mPAP and improved lung function. Although our patients suffered low-grade chronic rejection with the manifestation of bronchiolitis obliterative syndrome (BOS)., Conclusion: Lung transplantation is a viable option for patients with end-stage silicosis, providing acceptable quality of life and survival. Both SLT and BSLT are satisfactory approach for end-stage silicosis,and long-term survival requires further investigations.

We find the existence of two kinds of solitons at the interface of optical superlattices with both spatially modulated nonlinearity and linear refraction index. The first kind of solitons can either drift across the lattice, or deflect to the uniform nonlinear medium. The dynamics of such solitons mainly depends on their powers. The other kind of solitons can stably propagate along the surface, and can be controlled by additional Gaussian beams. In addition, we demonstrate the input-angle-dependent reflection, trapping, and refraction with nearly no losses by launching sech-shaped solitons.

Objective: To investigate the binding characteristics of interleukin 11 (IL-11) analogue-cyclic nonapeptide c(Cys-Gly-Arg-Arg-Ala-Gly-Gly-Ser-Cys) NH2 C30H54N16O10S2, c(CGRRAGGSC), and human prostate cancer PC-3 cells., Methods: c(CGRRAGGSC) was labeled with fluorescent dye LSS670, and the location of LSS670-cyclic nonapeptide in the PC-3 cells was investigated by fluorescent microscopy. Flow cytometry was used to detect the fluorescence intensity of the in vitro binding of LSS670-c (CGRRAGGSC) to PC-3 cells and calculate its IC50 and Ki in competitive inhibition experiments. 99Tcm-DTPA-c(CGRRAGGSC) was synthesized by the reaction of 99mTcO4- with c(CGRRAGGSC). The binding characteristics of 99mTc-DTPA-c(CGRRAGGSC) and IL11R in the PC-3 cells were analyzed by radioreceptor assay. Bmax and Kd were calculated in saturability and reversibility experiments., Results: The binding of LSS670-c(CGRRAGGSC) to the PC-3 cells showed the characteristics of saturability and concentration-time dependence. Unlabeled c(CGRRAGGSC) and LSS670-c(CGRRAGGSC) exhibited a competitive inhibition on the PC-3 cells (IC50 = [6.31 +/- 0.12] nmol/L, Ki = [2.11 +/- 0.14] nmol/L). Fluorescence was mainly distributed in the cell membrane (Kd = [0.32 +/- 0.02] nmol/L, Bmax = [754 +/- 34] fmol/mg pro)., Conclusion: c (CGRRAGGSC) could bind PC-3 cells through a receptor-mediated pathway.