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Numerous studies have shown Kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A) may play a critical role in the development and progression of cancer. However, the clinical value of KIF20A in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is unknown. Here, we investigated the expression pattern of KIF20A in NPC and its correlation with clinicopathological features of patients.Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to quantify KIF20A expression in NPC cell lines and clinical specimens compared with normal controls. KIF20A protein expression was also examined in archived paraffin embedded tumor samples from 105 patients with pathologically confirmed NPC by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Statistical analyses were applied to assess the associations between KIF20A expression and the clinicopathological features and survival outcomes. Effects on migration and invasion were assessed by wound healing and transwell invasion assays after KIF20A silencing.KIF20A was significantly overexpressed at both the mRNA and protein levels in NPC cell lines and human tumor tissues. 45/105 (42.9%) of NPC specimens expressed high levels of KIF20A among the KIF20A detectable cases. Statistical analysis revealed that high KIF20A expression was significantly associated with gender (P = 0.046), clinical stage (P

This study investigated the expression, clinicopathological significance and mechanism of action of TIMELESS, a mammalian homolog of a Drosophila circadian rhythm gene, in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry revealed TIMELESS was upregulated in NPC cell lines (n = 8 vs. NP69 cells), and freshly-frozen (n = 6) and paraffin-embedded human NPC specimens (n = 108 vs. normal samples/non-tumor cells). TIMELESS expression was associated with T category (P = 0.002), N category (P = 0.001), clinical stage (P < 0.001), metastasis (P = 0.047), vital status (P = 0.013) and serum Epstein-Barr DNA (P = 0.005). High TIMELESS expression was associated with poorer overall survival (80.7% vs. 95.9%; P = 0.004) and progression free survival (68.1% vs. 88.0%; P = 0.005). Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed TIMELESS was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and progression free survival. Stable ectopic overexpression of TIMELESS in NPC cell lines conferred resistance to cisplatin-induced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, promoted an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition phenotype, and activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and downstream gene transcription; knockdown of TIMELESS had the opposite effects. TIMELESS may play a role in the development of NPC and could represent a valuable prognostic factor and potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic prevention issues are discussed much more seriously around the world after Fukushima earthquake, Japan, April 2011, especially for those countries which are near the earthquake zone. Approximately 1.8×1012 kilograms of explosive energy will be released from a magnitude 9 earthquake. It destroys most of the unprotected infrastructure within several tens of miles in diameter from the epicenter. People can feel the earthquake even if living hundreds of miles away. This study is a seismic simulation analysis for an innovated and improved design of viscoelastic damping isolator, which can be more effectively applied to earthquake prevention and damage reduction of high-rise buildings, roads, bridges, power generation facilities, and so forth, from earthquake disaster. Solidworks graphic software is used to draw the 3D geometric model of the viscoelastic isolator. The dynamic behavior of the viscoelastic isolator through shock impact of specific earthquake loading, recorded by a seismometer, is obtained via ANSYS finite element package. The amplitude of the isolator is quickly reduced by the viscoelastic material in the device and is shown in a time response diagram. The result of this analysis can be a crucial reference when improving the design of a seismic isolator.

Golf is an extremely popular activity that over 60 million of people enjoy playing it. Overuse injuries associated with the back, neck, wrist, shoulder, elbow, knee, etc., are common for both professional and amateur player due to golf swing. A lot of researchers investigate the mechanical behavior of golf club or biological response of human body individually. But there is little study on the dynamic interaction between the hand-arm and golf club mashie (HAGCM) when striking ball. Solidworks package is used to draw the 3D geometric model of a left hand-arm contacted at the grip of the golf club. Then the 3D biomechanical model is imported into ANSYS software for transient (impact) analysis. Due to complicated geometry of the sharp edge at the club head and the hand-arm, the tetrahedral element is applied for all components of HAGCM to save computer resource during ANSYS process. Finite element convergence test is obtained before any further analysis. In order to simulate the ball-striking, the hitting surface of the club head is subjected to the impact force of 22 N within 0.01 seconds. All the deformations, principle and shear stresses of the time response found in the vibrating golf head, shaft, grip and hand are compared with each other. Normal and eccentric impact analyses for HAGCM are examined as well. The angular velocity found in eccentric impact is much higher than that in normal impact, and it will cause the muscle to exert more power to hold the golf club. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viperin is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated multifunctional protein that regulates virus replication and possesses broad antiviral activity. In many cases, viperin interferes with the trafficking and budding of viral structural proteins by distorting the membrane transportation system. The lentivirus equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) has been studied extensively. In this study, we examined the restrictive effect of equine viperin (eViperin) on EIAV replication and investigated the possible molecular basis of this restriction to obtain insights into the effect of this cellular factor on retroviruses. We demonstrated that EIAV infection of primary equine monocyte-derived macrophages (eMDMs) upregulated the expression of eViperin. The overexpression of eViperin significantly inhibited the replication of EIAV in eMDMs, and knockdown of eViperin transcription enhanced the replication of EIAV in eMDMs by approximately 45.8%. Further experiments indicated that eViperin restricts EIAV at multiple steps of viral replication. The overexpression of eViperin inhibited EIAV Gag release. Both the α-helix domain and radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) domain were required for this activity. However, the essential motifs in SAM were different from those reported for the inhibition of HIV-1 Gag by human viperin. Furthermore, eViperin disrupted the synthesis of both EIAV Env and receptor, which consequently inhibited viral production and entry, respectively, and this disruption was dependent on the eViperin α-helix domain. Using immunofluorescence assays and electron microscopy, we demonstrated that the α-helix domain is responsible for the distortion of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Finally, EIAV did not exhibit counteracting eViperin at the protein level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the title compound, C13H11ClN2O6, the dihedral angles between the benzene ring and the aminomethylene unit and between the aminomethylene group and the dioxane ring are 8.19 (14) and 1.39 (17)°, respectively. The dioxane ring has a half-boat conformation, in which the C atom between the dioxane O atoms is 0.662 (4)Å out of the plane through the remaining ring atoms. Intramolecular N—H...O and N—H...Cl interactions occur.

To study the relationship between chemical structure and switching time of electrochromic polymer materials, four star-shape monomers, 3,6-di(thiophen-2-yl)-9-(4-(thiophen-2-yl)phenyl)-9H-carbazole (M1), 2,7-di(thiophen-2-yl)-9-(4-(thiophen-2-yl)phenyl)-9H-carbazole(M2), 3,6-bis(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-5-yl)-9-(4-(thiophen-2-yl) phenyl)-9H-carbazole(M3) and 2,7-bis(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-5-yl)-9-(4-(thiophen-2-yl)phenyl)-9H-carbazole(M4) were designed and synthesized successfully, their chemical structure were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high resolution mass spectrum (HRMS). Their resulting polymer films could be obtained by electropolymerization, all the polymer films showed well-defined electrochemical properties except for PM2, the PM3 and PM4 revealed wider electrochemical response due to the existence of EDOT units. The surface morphology results indicated that all the polymer films consisted of many particles, and PM1 and PM3 showed smaller grain than that of PM2 and PM4 due to the different aggregation structure, which might benefit for the transport of doped ions. Electrochromic kinetic studies confirmed such hypothesis furtherly, PM3 revealed fastest switching time (T c : 0.72 s and T b : 0.61 s), the reason could be explained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which indicated that PM3 possessed the smallest charge transfer resistance (R ct) and fastest diffusion coefficient values at the oxidation state. We hope these findings will provide a little effect on designing and synthesizing high performance electrochromic materials and devices. [Display omitted] • Obtained four star-shape structure monomers based on carbazole-thiophene derivatives. • PM1, PM3 and PM4 films showed good electrochemical and electrochromic properties. • PM3 films exhibited faster response time and higher coloration efficiency comparing with PM4 films. • 3, 6-position linked carbazole derivatives showed the bigger space and shorter diffusion path than 2,7-position linked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The spatial distribution of electron cyclotron resonance plasma in ECR-PECVD reaction chamber is diagnosed by a Langmuir probe and the effect of the magnetic field is also investigated. The results show that the ECR plasma in the upper region has poor radial and axial uniformity, whereas the plasma in the downstream region has fine radial uniformity. Changing of magnetic coil currents does not distort the characteristics of spatial distribution in the reaction chamber. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy and prognosis of Rituximab combined with DHAX and CHOP regimen in the first-line treatment of elderly patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)., Methods: A total of 36 elderly patients with DLBCL who were admitted and treated with 3 of more courses of treatment from August 2011 to August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into rituximab±DHAX (R±DHAX) regimen group (18 cases) and rituximab±CHOP (R-CHOP) regimen group (18 cases) according to the treatment plan, and clinical features, efficacy and survival of the patients were observed., Results: Compared with R-CHOP group, patients of the R±DHAX group were older, and had worse performance status and higher IPI score, the differences between two groups in age, ECOG score and IPI score were statistically significant ( P =0.005 P =0.018, P =0.035), but there were no significant differences beween two groups in gender, whether there were B symptoms, whether LDH was elevated, whether there was extranodal involvement, cell origin, bone marrow infiltration, and whether rituximab was combined ( P =0.738, P =1, P =0.315, P =0.305, P =0.413, P =0.177, P =0.711, P =0.229). The efficacy could be evaluated in 36 cases, including CR 14 (38.9%), PR 17 (47.2%), PD 5 (13.9%), and ORR of 86.1% (31/36). There were no statistically significant differences in CR［(27.8%（5/18） vs 50.0%（9/18）; P >0.05］ and PR ［44.4%（8/18） vs 50.0%（9/18）; P >0.05］ of R±DHAX group and R-CHOP group, there was statistically significant difference in ORR［72.2%（13/18） vs 100.0%（18/18）; P =0.045］ between two groups. The 1-year OS of R±DHAX group and R-CHOP group was (38.9±11.5%)% and (94.4±7.4%)%, respectively, 2-year OS was (16.7±8.8)% and (72.2±10.6)%, respectively, and the differences between two groups were statistically significant ( P =0.001, P =0.002). The median survival time in the R±DHAX group was 11 months(95% CI :8.9-13.1), and the median survival time in the R-CHOP group was not reached, and there was a statistically significant difference between the groups ( P < 0.001)., Conclusion: For elderly DLBCL patients, R±DHAX may not be superior to R-CHOP in OS, and ECOG score, IPI score and age may affect the survival of elderly DLBCL patients. However, R±DHAX regimen is safe, tolerable and has a certain efficacy, which can be used as one of the clinical treatment options for elderly DLBCL.

We collected thyroid-related hormone index levels, sleep duration, and other basic characteristics of the population with depression from the NHANES 2009-2012 cycles and evaluated the association of Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Index (TSHI) with sleep duration in the euthyroid population with depression via different analysis methods. We found that the association between TSHI and sleep duration was only found in patients with depression degree < Moderate (score: 1-14) rather than > Moderate group. Among the populations with degree < Moderate (N = 1918), only 4 indexes (parametric Thyroid Feedback Quantile Index, PTFQI, Thyrotroph Thyroxine Resistance Index, TT4RI, Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone TSH, and TSHI) reflecting the sensitivity to thyroid hormones were related to the sleep duration, with a significant non-linear relationship after adjusting for potential confounders (all P < 0.05). Trend analysis indicated that with the level increase of these 4 indexes, the sleep duration increased (all P for trend < 0.001). Further, we found that TSHI was relatively more important among the 4 indexes. Sum up, sensitivity to thyroid hormones is associated with sleep duration in the euthyroid population with depression degree lower than Moderate. Poor sensitivity referred to a longer sleep duration., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To study the incidence and risk factors of herpes zoster in patients with multiple myeloma and to evaluate the preventive effect of antiviral therapy., Methods: The clinical features of multiple myeloma patients with herpes zoster were retrospectively analyzed, the risk factors of herpes zoster and the effect of antiviral prophylaxis were analyzed., Results: Among 180 patients with multiple myeloma, 23 cases developed herpes zoster (12.8%). The incidence of herpes zoster was 19.1% in patients with renal dysfunction and 23.5% after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The incidence of herpes zoster was higher in patients receiving bortezomib-containing regimens (21/137, 15.3%) than that in those without bortezomib (2/43, 4.7%), but there was no statistical difference ( P =0.067). Antiviral prophylaxis was associated with fewer zoster infections, 8/111(7.2%) developed herpes zoster in patients who received antiviral prophylaxis, and 15/69 (21.7%) in those receiving no prophylaxis( P =0.005). 65.2% of patients with herpes zoster did not receive antiviral prophylaxis. Multivariate analysis showed that bortezomib treatment, AHSCT and renal dysfunction were independent risk factors for multiple myeloma with herpes zoster, while antiviral prophylaxis was independently associated with reducing the risk of herpes zoster. Herpes zoster had no effect on OS in patients with multiple myeloma., Conclusion: The risk of herpes zoster in multiple myeloma patients was increased. Antiviral prophylaxis can reduce the risk of herpes zoster in patients on bortezomib-based therapy.

Objective: To explore the related factors affecting of autologous peripheral hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in patients with single center lymphoma and multiple myeloma., Methods: The clinical total of 30 patients with lymphoma or multiple myeloma who underwent autologous peripheral hematopoietic stem cell mobilization and transplantation in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University from March 2012 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including the patients' age, gender, disease type, chemotherapy course, mobilization scheme, collection times, CD34 + cell count, adverse events, days of neutrophil and platelet implantation after transplantation. The related factors affecting to the mobilization efficiency of peripheral blood stem cells was analyzed., Results: The mobilization scheme had a significant effect on the mobilization success rate of CD34 + cells. The mobilization success rate and optimal mobilization rate of intermediate-dose VP-16+G-CSF were higher than that of high-dose VP-16+G-CSF ( P <0.05); the mobilization success rate of patients with previous chemotherapy courses ≤4 was higher than that of patients with chemotherapy courses >4 (100% vs 72.22%, P <0.05); the mobilization success rate of lymphoma patients was lower than that of myeloma patients (66.67% vs 94.44%, P <0.05); the mobilization success rate of lymphoma patients who received intermediate-dose VP-16+G-CSF was higher than that received high-dose VP-16+G-CSF patients (100% vs 42.86%, P <0.05). Patients' gender, age, time from diagnosis to mobilization and disease status had no significant effect on the efficiency of stem cell mobilization. Fifteen patients (50%) had febrile neutropenia during stem cell mobilization. There was no statistical difference in the incidence of febrile neutropenia between the two mobilization schemes ( P >0.05); the incidence of severe thrombocytopenia in intermediate-dose VP-16+G-CSF group was higher than that in high-dose VP-16+G-CSF group ( P <0.05). There was no statistical difference in the time of granulocyte implantation and platelet implantation after stem cell transplantation in patients with different mobilization schemes ( P >0.05)., Conclusion: Mobilization regime, the number of previous chemotherapy course and disease type affect the mobilization efficiency of stem cells. Intermediate dose VP-16+G-CSF can improve the mobilization efficiency of stem cell in lymphoma patients, but should pay attention to the risk of bleeding.

Endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria are versatile and widely distributed in plants. Numerous strains of endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria are used as biofertilizers to minimize the utilization of chemical fertilizers, improve nutrient use efficiency, increase crop productivity, and reduce environmental pollution. However, the mechanism underlying the interaction between nitrogen-fixing bacteria and plants is still unclear. So, the present study was planned to assess the effects of endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria on sugarcane by analyzing the changes in physiological and biochemical activities. In the current study, Klebsiella variicola DX120E, an endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacterium, was inoculated on sugarcane varieties B8 and ROC22 to evaluate the effects on nitrogen and carbon metabolism-related enzymatic activity and biomass. Results showed that DX120E inoculation improved the enzymatic activities related to gluconeogenesis and nitrogen metabolism increased the sugarcane plant's height, cane juice Brix, biomass, chlorophyll, and soluble sugar content in sugarcane. Metabolomics analysis revealed that the metabolome modules were highly enriched in carbon and nitrogen metabolic pathways of strain-affected sugarcane than uninoculated control. The identified carbohydrates were associated with the glycolysis or gluconeogenesis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in plants. Metabolomic profiling in the present investigation showed that carbohydrate metabolism is coordinated with nitrogen metabolism to provide carbon skeletons and energy to amino acid synthesis, and amino acid degradation results in several metabolites used by the citric acid cycle as an energy source. Moreover, differentially expressed metabolites of non-proteinogenic amino acids have a further complementary role to the action of endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Meanwhile, a significant difference in metabolites and metabolic pathways present in stems and leaves of B8 and ROC22 varieties was found. This study discovered the potential benefits of DX120E in sugarcane and suggested candidate regulatory elements to enhance interactions between nitrogen-fixing microbes and sugarcane., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Qin, Xie, Khan, Wei, Sun, Su, Guo, Li and Xing.)

Objective: To investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients, and analyze the effect of doxycycline (DOX) on the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in MM cells., Methods: The peripheral blood and bone marrow samples of MM patients were collected, and the patients were divided into three groups: newly diagnosed group, remission group and relapsed/refractory group, while the peripheral blood samples of 34 health people and the bone marrow samples of 17 IDA patients were selected as normal control and control group. The levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were detected by ELISA. The protein levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in H929 cells treated by different concentrations of DOX were analyzed by Western blot. After H929 cells was treated by Akt inhibitor MK-2206 2HCl in combination with DOX, Western blot was used to detect the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9., Results: The levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in newly diagnosed MM patients were higher than those in control (P<0.05), while for the patients in the remission group were decreased, but still higher than those in control. The levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were increased again for the patients in relapsed/refractory group, and showed no significant difference as compared with those in newly diagnosed group. The levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 could be inhibited by 10 mg/L and 15 mg/L DOX treated by H929 cell. The protein levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 showed no altered in H929 cells treated by 5 nmol/L MK-2206 2HCl alone. DOX exerted more profound inhibitory effect to MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in H929 cells when Akt inhibitor MK-2206 2HCl was combined with DOX., Conclusion: The levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 are increased in MM patients and related to the disease status of MM. DOX can inhibit the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in MM cells, and antagonizing its activation of Akt signaling pathway can further enhance the inhibitory effect.

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T)-cell therapy is a promising treatment for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). In our previous report, CD19- and BCMA-targeted CAR-T co-administration was associated with a high response rate. Although cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity are frequent complications following CAR-T treatment, cerebral infarction is rarely reported as a CAR-T-related complication. We reported a 73-year-old female MM patient who received CD19- and BCMA-targeted CAR-T for refractory disease. Her disease responded to CAR-T therapy, but she developed neurological symptoms following CRS. Cranial CT and MRI demonstrated multiple cerebral infarctions and bilateral anterior cerebral artery (ACA) occlusion. We suggest that cerebral infarction other than CAR-T-related neurotoxicity is the underlying cause of abnormal neuropsychological symptoms, and diagnostic imaging tests should be actively performed to exclude ischemic cerebrovascular events., (© 2021. Japanese Society of Hematology.)

Epilepsy is a clinical syndrome caused by the highly synchronized abnormal discharge of brain neurons. It has the characteristics of paroxysmal, transient, repetitive, and stereotyped. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a recently discovered type of noncoding RNA with diverse cellular functions related to their excellent stability; additionally, some circRNAs can bind and regulate microRNAs (miRNAs). The present study was designed to screen the differentially expressed circRNA in an acute seizure model of epilepsy in mice, analyze the related miRNA and mRNA, and study their participating functions and enrichment pathways. In order to obtain the differential expression of circRNA in epilepsy and infer their function, we used next-generation sequencing and found significantly different transcripts. CIRI (circRNA identifier) software was used to predict circRNA from the hippocampus cDNA, EdgeR was applied for the differential circRNA analysis between samples, and Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to draw the network diagram. A total of 10,388 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified, of which 34 were upregulated and 66 were downregulated. Among them, mm9&#95;circ&#95;008777 and mm9&#95;circ&#95;004424 were the key upregulated genes, and their expression in the epilepsy group was verified using Quantitative real-time PCR (QPCR). The analysis indicated that the extracted gene ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were closely related to several epilepsy-associated processes. This study determined that mm9&#95;circ&#95;008777 and mm9&#95;circ&#95;004424 are potential biomarkers of epilepsy, which play important roles in epilepsy-related pathways. These results could help improve the understanding of the biological mechanisms of circRNAs and epilepsy treatments., (© 2021 The Authors. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

Lymphadenopathy is an important characteristic of POEMS syndrome, and a Castleman disease (CD)-like pathologic change in the lymph nodes is one of the major diagnostic criteria. However, the characteristics of lymphadenopathy in POEMS still have not been completely elucidated. The lymph node biopsies are available only for a small proportion of patients. A simple and safe way is needed to rule CD in or out. This study aimed to analyse the features of lymphadenopathy and estimate the role of imaging methods, including computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography-CT (PET/CT), in the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy in patients with POEMS syndrome. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 23 patients with confirmed POEMS syndrome. All of the patients received chest and abdominal CT scan and/or superficial ultrasound examinations. Four patients underwent PET/CT examinations, and 6 patients received lymph node biopsies. Enlarged lymph nodes (short diameter ≥ 1 cm) were found in 48% (11/23) of patients, but only 1 patient had an enlarged lymph node with a diameter ≥ 2 cm. Lymph nodes with CD-like pathologic changes from 2 patients showed increased maximum standard uptake values (SUV max ) of 18 F-deoxyglucose ( 18 FDG) on PET/CT, while lymph nodes with reactive pathologic changes from 2 other patients showed a normal metabolic PET/CT profile. The extent of lymph node enlargement in patients with POEMS was less than that in patients with CD per se . We draw the conclusion that most of the enlarged lymph nodes had diameters ≤ 2 cm, which is less than that in cases of CD per se and PET/CT may be helpful in determining whether enlarged lymph nodes are characterized by CD-like changes or not., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2020.)

Background: Acute exacerbation of IPF (AE-IPF) is associated with high mortality. We studied changes in pathogen involvement during AE-IPF and explored a possible role of infection in AE-IPF., Objectives: Our purpose is to investigate the role of infection in AE-IPF., Methods: Overall, we recruited 170 IPF patients (48 AE-IPF, 122 stable) and 70 controls at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital. Specific IgM against microbial pathogens and pathogens in sputum were assessed. RNA sequences of pathogens in nasopharyngeal swab of IPF patients were detected by PathChip. A panel of serum parameters reflecting immune function were assessed., Results: Antiviral/bacterial IgM was higher in IPF vs. controls and in AE-IPF vs. stable IPF. Thirty-eight different bacterial strains were detected in IPF patient sputum. Bacteria-positive results were found in 9/48 (18.8%) of AE-IPF and in 26/122 (21.3%) stable IPF. Fifty-seven different viruses were detected in nasopharyngeal swabs of IPF patients. Virus-positive nasopharyngeal swabs were found in 18/30 (60%) of tested AE-IPF and in 13/30 (43.3%) of stable IPF. AE-IPF showed increased inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IFN- γ , MIG, IL-17, and IL-9) vs. stable IPF and controls. Mortality of AE-IPF in one year (39.5%) was higher compared to stable IPF (28.7%) .Conclusions . IPF patients had different colonization with pathogens in sputum and nasopharyngeal swabs; they also displayed abnormally activated immune response, which was exacerbated during AE-IPF.

Aquatic plant treatment system (APTS) is a widely used sewage purification technique; however, it requires a large area of land due to its long hydraulic retention time. In order to improve the economic value of APTS in the treatment of rural sewage, an aquatic vegetables (lettuce) purification system strengthened with a set of supplemented lighting was evaluated. The effect of supplemented lighting of blue and red light on lettuce growth and sewage purification was studied by batch experiments. The results showed that the lettuce growth and the removal rates of pollutants were enhanced by supplemented lighting, of which red light is superior to blue light, and the increase of red light intensity further promoted the growth of lettuce and the removal rate of pollutants. Supplementary light is a suitable method which could improve the purification effect of APTS in most weather conditions especially in countries where day-night light patterns change substantially between winter and summer. The results would be useful for the APTS design for treating rural domestic sewage.

Aquatic plants are widely used for treating wastewater treatment plant secondary effluent. During this process, some residual activated sludge in the secondary effluent is intercepted and attaches to the plant roots. However, the effect of the attached activated sludge on nutrient removal in secondary effluent has up to now been unknown. Aiming at this problem, this investigation was conducted to compare the nutrient removal rates in secondary effluent by washed Pistia stratiotes (washed batch) and Pistia stratiotes with activated sludge attached to the roots (study batch). Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from the activated sludge attached to the roots were extracted and characterized by three-dimensional excitation emission matrix (3D-EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that the nutrient removal rates in the study batch were better than that in the washed batch. The 3D-EEM results showed that the protein content of EPS increased during the experiment, indicating the growth of microorganisms in the attached activated sludge. Our work demonstrated the enhanced effect of activated sludge attached to the roots of Pistia stratiotes on the removal of pollutants in secondary effluent, which is useful to guide the practical engineering of secondary effluent treatment.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and reliability on the quantitative evaluation of Colles' fracture by multislice CT (MSCT) multiplanner reconstruction (MPR)., Methods: A total of 36 patients with Colles' fracture from July 2011 to July 2014 were investigated in this study. There were 11 males and 25 females with a mean age of (42.5 ± 5.4) years old (ranged 35 to 72 years). All the patients underwent anteroposterior and lateral X-ray films and MSCT scans on wrist joints within 2 days after trauma. Images were sent to the workstation through picture archiving and conserving system (PACS). One associate chief physician independently and respectively measured the dorsal intercalation depth of distal fracture block, palmar angle and dislocation degree of wrist articular surface collapse on anteroposterior and lateral X-ray film and MSCT-MPR. The time interval between the two measurements was 2 weeks. All the data between the first and second measurement on X-ray and MPR and the mean value between the X-ray and MPR was examined with paired t-test. The pearson analyzed their correlation., Results: Among the 35 cases, 35 cases of palmar angle, 21 cases of intercalation depth and 16 cases of dislocation of wrist articular surface collapse could be measured on both X-ray and MPR. For the above parameters, the first measurement results were (12.5 ± 3.6)°, (4.5 ± 2.1) mm, (3.7 ± 1.6) mm and the second measurement results were (4.8 ± 2.2)°, (6.4 ± 3.6) mm, (2.5 ± 1.2) mm on X-ray films respectively. The first measurement results on MPR were (14.5 ± 5.3)°, (4.2 ± 1.2) mm, (5.7 ± 2.3) mm, and the results were (13.2 ± 2.6)°, (4.7 ± 2.2) mm, (4.6 ± 2.1) mm for the second measurement respectively. The three parameters between the first and second measurement on plain film had statistical difference and low correlation (r = 0.681, 0.640, 0.345, P < 0.05). The data between the first and second measurement on MPR showed that the dislocation degree of wrist articular surface collapse had statistical difference (P < 0.05) and no statistical significance was found for the other two parameters (P > 0.05), with the moderate correlation (r = 0.954, 0.854, 0.642). The three parameters had low or moderate correlation with each other on X-ray (r = 0.454, 0.532, 0.378, P < 0.05), compared with the mean value on MPR., Conclusion: Using MSCT MPR images may carry on the multiple parameter measurement of Colles fracture, to make quantitative evaluation, and repeated measurement is better reliability.

Objective: To study the therapeutic efficacy of multigly-cosidorum Tripterygium combined with rhIL-11 for treating patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)., Methods: A total of 75 patients with ITP were divided into 2 group: experimental group and control group. The experimental group included 40 patients who had been treated with multigly-cosidorum Tripterygium combined with rhIL-11. Multigly-cosidorum Tripterygium was given at a dose of 1mg/kg·d for 2 months and rhIL-11 was injected at a dose of 16,000,000 units per day. Control group included 35 patients who had been treated with prednisone at a dose of 1 mg/kg·d. Platelet counts were performed every day before platelet counts >30 × 10⁹/L. Peripheral blood T cells were collected before and after treated for 2 months. The ratios of CD4⁺, CD8⁺ T cells in peripheral blood T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry., Results: Totally effective rate in experimental group was 77.5%. Totally effective rate in control group was 82.9%. Totally effective rate showed no statistical difference between these two groups (P > 0.05). The average time of platelet count 30 × 10⁹/L in experimental and control groups were 13.06 ± 6.10 days and 9.76 ± 5.71 days respectively; in experimental group, the ratio of CD4⁺ T cells in peripheral blood was 21.03% before treatment, then rised to 34.49% after treatment for 2 months (P < 0.01); The ratio of CD8⁺ T cells in peripheral blood was 26.35% before treatment, then decreased to 20.18% (P < 0.01). In control group, the ratio of CD4⁺ T cells was 22.30% before treatment, then rised to 25.11% after treatment for 2 months (P < 0.05); The ratio of CD8⁺ T cells in peripheral blood was 27.24% before treatment, then decreased to 21.35% (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Multigly-cosidorum tripterygium can correct disorder of T lymphocytes, the combination of multigly-cosidorum triptergium and rhIL-11 can accelerate therapeutic efficacy for treating ITP and with less adverse reaction, so this combination may be effective and safe for treating patients with ITP.

The purpose of this study was to determine the genotype and allele frequencies of hMLH1 (-93G>A and I219V) and hMSH2 (-118T>C and IVS12-6T>C) polymorphisms in patients with gastric carcinoma and normal controls, and to evaluate the association between these polymorphisms and the risk of gastric cancer in a hospital-based Chinese population. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes. A TaqMan assay was used to determine the genotype and allele frequencies of hMLH1 and hMSH2 polymorphisms in data obtained from 554 gastric cancer cases and 592 controls. Unconditional logistic regression was used to assess the association between the four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gastric carcinoma risk. No evidence of an association among any of the four polymorphisms and the risk of gastric cancer was observed. However, when gastric cancer patients were further stratified by age, gender, smoking status, alcohol use and clinicopathological characteristics, and compared with the control populations, the combined variant genotype hMSH2 -118T>C (TC+CC) was not only associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer in subgroups of younger subjects [ages ≤63years; adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.51, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-2.16], but also with diffuse tumors (adjusted OR=1.41, 95% CI, 1.01-1.96). These data indicate that the polymorphisms of -93G>A, I219V and IVS12-6T>C are not associated with the risk of gastric cancer. However, hMSH2-118T>C combined with variant genotypes (TC+CC) may confer a potential risk of gastric cancer in the Chinese population.

In the title compound, C(13)H(11)ClN(2)O(6), the dihedral angles between the benzene ring and the amino-methyl-ene unit and between the amino-methyl-ene group and the dioxane ring are 8.19 (14) and 1.39 (17)°, respectively. The dioxane ring has a half-boat conformation, in which the C atom between the dioxane O atoms is 0.662 (4)Å out of the plane through the remaining ring atoms. Intra-molecular N-H⋯O and N-H⋯Cl inter-actions occur.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the growth characteristics and the expression level of integrin mRNA of the cultured bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in myeloid crisis (MC), and explore the role of BMMSCs in pathogenesis of CML. Five CML patients were enrolled in experimental group, five healthy persons were used as control. BMMSCs were cultured in vitro. The morphology of BMMSCs was observed every day and the growth curve were portrayed, and the ability of cell proliferation were detected according to the daily results of cell counting. Total RNA was extracted from third and fourth passages of BMMSCs, The expression of integrins mRNA of BMMSCs were measured by real-time PCR. The results showed that the BMMSCs of experimental and control groups had no difference in growth characterisctics, but the expression of integrins mRNA of the BMMSCs was higher in CML patients than in normal control group (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the abnormally high expression of integrins of BMMSC from the CML patients take part in pathogenesis of CML.