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Background: Toxoplasma gondii, a globally distributed zoonotic obligate intracellular parasite, infects a wide array of mammals, including humans, sheep, and birds. As a unique sheep breed in southwestern China, Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep occupies an important position in animal husbandry in Zhaotong due to its strong adaptability, high reproductive rate, and excellent wool quality. Lambs infected with T. gondii are prone to neurological symptoms and growth retardation, while T. gondii infection in ewes can cause abortions, stillbirths, and deformities, thus affecting sheep reproduction and sheep product quality. Meanwhile, mutton and dairy products contaminated with T. gondii can become potential sources of human infection, potentially threatening public health and safety., Method: To understand the T. gondii infection in semi-fine wool sheep in Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, 586 blood samples were collected and subjected to indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) for T. gondii antibodies, and the infection-related factors were analyzed through cross-sectional analysis. In the meantime, nested PCR was conducted on a total of 217 samples collected from 31 rodents caught in and around the sheep breeding ground to test the T. gondii B1 gene in rodent tissues., Results: A total of 94 sera tested positive for T. gondii antibodies, with a total positive rate of 16.04% (94/586) (95% CI: 14.77-20.89). Cross-sectional statistical analysis on factors related to semi-fine wool sheep infection rate, including sampling season, sex, age, and weight, suggested that age (< 6 months: 23.81%; 6-12 months: 11.74%; > 12 months: 15.83%) was a significant factor explaining the infection rate differences (P = 0.003 < 0.05, χ 2  = 11.62, df = 2). Thus, age was considered a key risk factor for T. gondii infection in this study (odds ratio, OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.42-3.87). Nested PCR analysis on 217 (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain, and muscle) tissues from the 31 rodents indicated that 11 tested positive. The total infection rate of rodents in and around the breeding ground was 35.48% (11/31), and 14 samples tested positive, with a positive infection rate of 6.45% (14/217)., Conclusion: The T. gondii infection rates of semi-fine wool sheep and rodents from their breeding environment in Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, were high, necessitating enhanced prevention, control, and treatment measures to ensure the healthy breeding of semi-fine wool sheep and veterinary public health and safety., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Context: COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus pneumonia, which is related to abnormal liver function. Thus, it is important to explore the occurrences and causes of abnormal liver function with COVID-19., Methods: We chose 109 patients with COVID-19 in 2020 and studied the relationship between gender, age, basic diseases, antiviral drug treatment, disease classification, and abnormal liver function, and analyzed the causes of abnormal liver function in patients with COVID-19., Results: Among patients, 46 (42.20%) had abnormal liver function at admission; 37 (80.43%) had mild abnormal liver function; and 9 (19.57%) had severe liver function. Compared with other age groups, the abnormal rate of serum ALP in the group younger than 21 years old were the highest ( P < 0.05). The abnormal rates and concentrations of serum ALT, AST and γ-GT in the male groups were higher than in female groups ( P < 0.05), basic disease group were higher than those in the non-basic disease group ( P < 0.05). Serum γ-GT concentration after 1 week of antiviral treatment was higher than that before treatment ( P < 0.05). The abnormal rate of ALT and AST at discharge was lower than that after antiviral treatment for 1 week ( P < 0.05). Serum TB and AST concentrations at discharge were lower than those before treatment ( P < 0.05). Serum AST and γ-GT concentrations in severe/critical type group were higher than those in mild or ordinary type group ( P < 0.05)., Conclusions: In this study, we found male sex, basic diseases, antiviral drugs, and severe/critical types are related to the occurrence of abnormal liver function in COVID-19 patients., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite of phylum Apicomplexa that poses a huge threat to pregnant hosts, and induces tragic outcomes for pregnant hosts, fetuses and newborns. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the tragic consequences caused by T. gondii remains to be revealed. In the present study, we applied RNA-seq to study the transcriptomic landscape of the whole reproductive organ of pregnant mice post T. gondii infection, aiming to reveal the key altered biological characters of reproductive organs of pregnant mice that could contribute to the tragic outcomes caused by T. gondii infection. The results of the present study showed that the transcriptome of reproductive organs of pregnant mice was significantly altered by T. gondii infection. A total of 2,598 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 1,449 upregulated genes and 1,149 downregulated genes. Enrichment analysis of the DEGs showed that the significantly altered features of reproductive organs of pregnant mice were excessive inflammatory responses, downregulated metabolism processes, and congenital diseases. The chemotaxis of immune cells in the reproductive organs of infected pregnant mice could also be reshaped by 19 differentially expressed chemokines and 6 differentially expressed chemokine receptors that could contribute to the damages of reproductive organ in pregnant mice. Overall, the findings of present study may help to understand the pathogenic mechanism of the acute T. gondii infection in reproductive organs of pregnant mice, and it could also help to improve toxoplasmosis therapeutics for pregnant individuals., 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 © 2024 Deng, Chen, Yang, Ma, Shu, Zou and He.)

Background: Cryptosporidium is a globally distributed zoonotic protozoan parasite in humans and animals. Infection is widespread in dairy cattle, especially in calves, resulting in neonatal enteritis, production losses and high mortality. However, the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in pre- and post-weaned calves in Yunnan Province remains unclear., Methods: We collected 498 fecal samples from Holstein calves on 10 different farms in four regions of Yunnan Province. Nested PCR and DNA sequencing were used to determine the infection, species and genotypes of Cryptosporidium spp. in these animals., Results: The overall occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in Holstein calves was 32.9% (164/498), and the prevalence in pre- and post-weaned calves was 33.5% (106/316) and 31.9% (58/182), respectively. Four Cryptosporidium species were identified in these animals, namely C. bovis ( n = 119), C. parvum ( n = 23), C. ryanae ( n = 20) and C. andersoni ( n = 2). Based on sequencing analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein gene of C. bovis , C. parvum and C. ryanae , six subtypes of C. bovis (XXVIe, XXVIb, XXVIf, XXVIa XXVIc and XXVId), two subtypes of C. parvum (IIdA19G1 and IIdA18G1) and four subtypes of C. ryanae (XXIf, XXId, XXIe and XXIg) were identified., Conclusions: These results provide essential information to understand the infection rate, species diversity and genetic structure of Cryptosporidium spp. populations in Holstein pre-weaned and post-weaned calves in Yunnan Province. Further, the presence of IIdA18G1 and IIdA19G1 in C. parvum implies significant animal and public health concerns, which requires greater attention and more preventive measures., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Rhizosphere is a vital area for substance exchange and energy transfer between roots and soil microorganisms. Therefore, diazotrophs in the rhizosphere play a pivotal role in facilitating plant nitrogen acquisition. We investigated the variability in the abundance and community structure of soil diazotrophs and the influencing factors across rhizosphere soils of Cunninghamia lanceolata in three locations: Baisha State-owned Forest Farm in Longyan City (BS), Sanming Forest Ecosystem and Global Change Research Station (SM), and Wuyishan National Forest Park in Nanping City (WYS), located in the western region of Fujian Province, quantified the diazotrophic abundance by using real-time quantitative PCR, and assessed the community structure by high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that soil pH, C:N ratio, and C:(N:P) stoichiometry in SM were notably lower compared to those in BS and WYS. In SM, the abundance of the nifH gene was 6.38×10 8 copies·g -1 , significantly lower than 1.35×10 9 copies·g -1 in BS and 1.10×10 9 copies·g -1 in WYS. Additionally, α diversity index of diazotrophs was lower in SM compared to BS and WYS, while the community structure of diazotrophs in rhizosphere soils of BS and WYS was similar, which differed significantly from that in SM. The diazotrophic sequences in the three forest farms could be divided into 5 phylum, 8 classes, 15 orders, 23 families and 33 genera, with Proteobacteria, α-proteobacteria, and Bradyrhizobium as the dominant phylotypes. Soil pH, available phosphorus, NO 3 - -N and C:(N:P) ratio were identified as significant factors influencing both the abundance and community structure of nifH genes, with soil pH performing the greatest. Taken together, there were spatial variations in the distribution of diazotrophic abundance and community structure in C. lanceolata rhizosphere soils, with soil pH as the primary driving factor.

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the interocular symmetry and distribution of peripapillary vessel density in young myopic eyes., Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was designed. A total of 174 eyes of 87 young myopic patients were recruited in this study. According to spherical equivalent (SE), 48 eyes were classified as mild myopia with a mean SE of - 2.12D (SD 0.66D), 66 as moderate myopia with a mean SE of - 4.50D (SD 0.87D), and 60 as high myopia with a mean SE of - 7.39D (SD 1.30D). Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was used to measure the vessel density. The distribution and interocular symmetry of peripapillary vessel densities were analyzed., Results: The vessel densities in the whole image, peripapillary, superior and inferior sectors were significantly lower in the high myopia group than in the mild or moderate myopia group (All P < 0.001), and the density in the nasal sector was significantly lower in the high myopia group than in the mild group. And most interesting, the vessel densities in the inside disc and temporal sector showed no difference among the three myopic groups (All P > 0.05). By Pearson correlation analysis, the vessel densities in the whole image, peripapillary, superior, inferior and nasal sectors were negatively correlated with axial length (AL) and SE (All P < 0.001), but vessel densities in the inside disc and temporal sector did not show this correlation (All P > 0.05). Interocular symmetry was observed in all the vascular parameters through paired-samples t-tests (All P > 0.05), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Pearson correlation analysis (All P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The density of radial peripapillary capillaries decreased in the myopic eye with axial elongation, and optical vascular parameters showed significant interocular symmetry among young myopic eyes., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Eimeria tenella is an obligate intracellular parasitic protozoan that invades the chicken cecum and causes coccidiosis, which induces acute lesions and weight loss. Elucidating the anticoccidial mechanism of action of green tea polyphenols could aid the development of anticoccidial drugs and resolve the problem of drug resistance in E. tenella., Methods: We constructed a model of E. tenella infection in Wuliangshan black-boned chickens, an indigenous breed of Yunnan Province, China, to study the efficacy of green tea polyphenols against the infection. Alterations in gene expression and in the microbial flora in the cecum were analyzed by ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to verify the host gene expression data obtained by RNA sequencing. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to clarify the interactions between the component green tea polyphenols and the targeted proteins; potential anticoccidial herbs were also analyzed., Results: Treatment with the green tea polyphenols led to a reduction in the lesion score and weight loss of the chickens induced by E. tenella infection. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7), MMP1, nitric oxide synthase 2 and ephrin type-A receptor 2 was significantly altered in the E. tenella infection plus green tea polyphenol-treated group and in the E. tenella infection group compared with the control group; these genes were also predicted targets of tea polyphenols. Furthermore, the tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate acted on most of the targets, and the molecular docking analysis showed that it has good affinity with interferon induced with helicase C domain 1 protein. 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing showed that the green tea polyphenols had a regulatory effect on changes in the fecal microbiota induced by E. tenella infection. In total, 171 herbs were predicted to act on two or three targets in MMP7, MMP1, nitric oxide synthase 2 and ephrin type-A receptor 2., Conclusions: Green tea polyphenols can directly or indirectly regulate host gene expression and alter the growth of microbiota. The results presented here shed light on the mechanism of action of green tea polyphenols against E. tenella infection in chickens, and have implications for the development of novel anticoccidial products., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Large proportion of natural forest has been transformed into plantations in subtropical regions, with consequences on forest ecosystem structure and function. In order to understand the responses of two nitrite reducing genes ( nirK and nirS ) in N 2 O production to forest conversion, we collected soil samples from Castanopsis carlesii natural forest, Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation and Pinus massoniana plantation and examined the abundance of nirK and nirS genes in soils and aggregates. Results showed that forest conversion increased soil pH, while decreased soil ammonium content. Forest conversion did not influence the mass proportion of soil aggregates. The abundance of nirK and nirS genes varied in aggregates with different particle sizes. The abundance of nirK and nirS genes was the highest in small macraoaggregates and the lowest in the silt-clay particles. Moreover, the abundance of nirK was significantly higher than that of nirS in soils of all forest types, indicating that nirK dominated in the acidic forest soils. Conversion of natural forest to plantations significantly increased the abundance of nirK and nirS genes in the bulk soil and aggregates, indicating that forest conversion would be beneficial for the growth of microorganisms bearing nirK and nirS genes, which might be associated with the increases of soil pH. Taken together, conversion of natural forest to C. lanceolata plantation or P. massoniana plantation significantly increased the abundance of nirK and nirS in soils and aggregates, but did not affect the mass proportions of aggregates.

Background: Primary intracranial malignant melanoma (PIMM) is rare, and its prognosis is very poor. It is not clear what systematic treatment strategy can achieve long-term survival. This case study attempted to identify the optimal strategy for long-term survival outcomes by reviewing the PIMM patient with the longest survival following comprehensive treatment and by reviewing the related literature., Case Summary: The patient is a 47-year-old Chinese man who suffered from dizziness and gait disturbance. He underwent surgery for right cerebellum melanoma and was subsequently diagnosed by pathology in June 2000. After the surgery, the patient received three cycles of chemotherapy but relapsed locally within 4 mo. Following the second surgery for total tumor resection, the patient received an injection of Newcastle disease virus-modified tumor vaccine, interferon, and β-elemene treatment. The patient was tumor-free with a normal life for 21 years before the onset of the recurrence of melanoma without any symptoms in July 2021. A third gross-total resection with adjuvant radiotherapy and temozolomide therapy was performed. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed no residual tumor or recurrence 3 mo after the 3 rd operation, and the patient recovered well without neurological dysfunction until the last follow-up in June 2022, which was 22 years following the initial treatment., Conclusion: It is important for patients with PIMM to receive comprehensive treatment to enable the application of the most appropriate treatment strategies. Long-term survival is not impossible in patients with these malignancies., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no direct conflict of interest for this work., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

The reactive nitrogen deposition in subtropical region of China has been increasing annually, which affects biogeochemical processes in forest soils. In this study, three treatments were established, including control (no N addition, CK), low nitrogen deposition (40 kg·hm -2 ·a -1 , LN), and high nitrogen deposition (80 kg·hm -2 ·a -1 , HN) to study the response of denitrifying functional genes and potential N 2 O emissions to simulated nitrogen deposition in the soils of a natural Castanopsis carlesii forest. Results showed that HN significantly decreased soil potential N 2 O emission, while 8-year nitrogen deposition did not affect the abundances of nirS , nirK , nosZ Ⅰ and nosZ Ⅱ. However, the abundance of nosZ Ⅰwas significantly higher than nosZ Ⅱ in all the treatments, indicating that nosZ Ⅰ dominated over nosZ Ⅱ in the acidic soils. HN significantly decreased the ratio of ( nirK+nirS )/( nosZ Ⅰ +nosZ Ⅱ), which was positively correlated with soil pH. The results suggested that long-term high nitrogen deposition reduced soil pH and the abundance ratio of ( nirK+nirS )/( nosZ Ⅰ +nosZ Ⅱ), which subsequently reduced the potential N 2 O emission.

Purpose: The recurrent/progressive glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) carries a dismal prognosis and the definitive treatment strategy has not yet been established. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of apatinib in recurrent/progressive GBM patients. Materials and methods: The clinical data of 19 recurrent/progressive GBM patients who received apatinib treatment from November 2015 to December 2019 at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were collected retrospectively in this study. Objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were reviewed and assessed. Results: The overall ORR was 52.6%, and the DCR was 73.7%. Median PFS and OS were 5.1 and 10.4 months, respectively. The 6-month PFS and OS rates were 38.9% and 68.4%, respectively. The 12-month PFS and OS rates were 16.7% and 36.8%, respectively. The treatment-related toxicities were generally well-tolerated. The most common grade 3/4 AEs were hand-foot syndrome (36.8%) and hypertension (21.1%). Conclusion: Our study showed that apatinib therapy provided a better salvaging option for recurrent/progressive GBM patients and the toxicity was manageable., 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 Zhang, Du, Deng, Zheng, Yao, Wang, Yang and Wu.)

Background: Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine (Cr) ratio was an independent predictor of stroke-in-evolution (SIE) among patients who had suffered an acute ischemic stroke. We investigated the association of changes in BUN/Cr on stroke outcome during hospitalization after acute ischemic stroke (AIS)., Methods: AIS patients admitted within 3 days from stroke onset (2020-2021) were included in the study. Baseline data, including BUN and Cr levels, were collected. Univariate linear regression and a multivariate regression model were applied to assess the relationship between the change of BUN/Cr and short-term outcomes., Results: One hundred and eighty-one patients were included. The mean increase of BUN/Cr level was - 2.0 ± 1.78. Univariate linear regression suggested that baseline NIHSS, thrombolysis, change of BUN/Cr, and history of atrial fibrillation, statin use, and antiplatelet therapy was associated with the decrease in NIHSS during hospitalization (P < 0.05). After adjusting for potential confounders, multivariate regression analysis revealed the associations between the decrease in BUN/Cr and favorable outcome are significant (β = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.14,-0.28)., Conclusion: The decrease in BUN/Cr is positively correlated with a better early neurological improvement in AIS patients., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

With the development of mobile terminals, tunable capacitors for signal processing and memristors for calculation have received a lot of attention. Combining a tunable capacitor and a memristor can improve the performance of mobile terminals and reduce space requirements. In this article, we report on Bi 2 NiMnO 6 (BNMO) films with high dielectric tuning and nonvolatile resistive switching (RS) effects. The BNMO films are fabricated by the sol-gel method and annealed at different temperatures. It exhibits a dielectric tunability of up to 92%. This high dielectric tunability may be attributed to the modulation of the interface dipole by the electric field. When an electric field is applied, the interface dipole of the BNMO film is far away from the interface of the BNMO, and then forms a conductive channel where anions and cations are mixed. The BNMO films are found to have a double-set type effect due to its dielectric tunability properties. This work introduces an ultra-high dielectric tuning material and a new type of RS effect on BNMO thin film, which can achieve tuning and memory behavior on a device., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) combined with liver injury has become a very prominent clinical problem. Due to the lack of a clear definition of liver injury in patients with COVID-19, the different selection of evaluation parameters and statistical time points, there are the conflicting conclusions about the incidence rate in different studies. The mechanism of COVID-19 combined with liver injury is complicated, including the direct injury of liver cells caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 replication and liver injury caused by cytokines, ischemia and hypoxia, and drugs. In addition, underlying diseases, especially chronic liver disease, can aggravate COVID-19 liver injury. In the treatment of COVID-19 combined with liver injury, the primary and basic treatment is to treat the etiology and pathogenesis, followed by support, liver protection, and symptomatic treatment according to the clinical classification and severity of liver injury. This article evaluates the incidence, pathogenesis and prevention and treatment of COVID-19 combined with liver injury, and aims to provide countermeasures for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 combined with liver injury., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors of this article declare that there is no conflict of interest with any person or organization., (©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We studied the clinicopathologic features of superficial CD34-positive fibroblastic tumor (SCPFT), which is a newly described neoplasm, to enhance the recognition and diagnostic level of the disease., Case Presentation: We herein report two cases of superficial CD34-positive fibroblastic tumors in a 33-year-old man and a 30-year-old man. The 33-year-old man presented with a slow-growing subcutaneous nodule 5.0 cm in diameter on the right thigh, and the 30-year-old man developed a painful lump 4.0 cm in diameter on his right thigh. Histologically, the tumor was located in superficial soft tissue with relative circumscription. Tumors had abundant spindled polygonal cells, which were arranged in fascicular or sheet-like patterns. Neoplastic cells were characterized by polymorphic nuclei, granular cytoplasm, intranuclear cytoplasmic pseudoinclusions, and an extremely low mitotic rate. Immunohistochemically, neoplastic cells showed diffuse and strong CD34 expression and focal cytokeratin staining. The expression of S-100 protein, SMA, CD99, H-caldesmon, ALK-1, and bcl-2 were all negative. The Ki-67 index was low., Conclusions: SCPFT is a rare low-grade fibroblastic tumor that has typical morphologic features and unique biologic behavior. Familiarity with clinicopathologic characteristics of the tumor contributes to the differential diagnosis of similar tumors., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2020.)

Background : Nimotuzumab is a humanized anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody that has shown preclinical and clinical anticancer activity in cerebral glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). We conducted a phase II, single-arm, multicenter clinical trial to evaluate the benefit of adding nimotuzumab to current standard chemo-radiotherapy for patients with GBM with positive EGFR expression. Methods : Newly diagnosed patients with histologically proven single supratentorial GBM and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) positive expressions were recruited. All patients were treated with nimotuzumab, administered once a week intravenously for 6 weeks in addition to radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide after surgery. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary objectives included objective response rate (ORR) and toxicity. Results : A total of 39 patients were enrolled and 36 patients were evaluated for efficacy. The ORR at the end of RT was 72.2%. Median OS and PFS were 24.5 and 11.9 months. The 1-year OS and PFS rates were 83.3% and 49.3%. The 2-year OS and PFS rates were 51.1% and 29.0%. O (6)-methylquanine DNA methyl-tranferase (MGMT) expression is known to affect the efficacy of chemotherapy and status of its expression is examined. No significant correlation between treatment outcomes and MGMT status was found. Most frequent treatment-related toxicities were mild to moderate and included constipation, anorexia, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and leucopenia. Conclusions : Our study show that nimotuzumab in addition to standard treatment is well tolerable and has increased survival in newly diagnosed GBM patients with EGFR positive expression., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) is revolutionizing the management of brain metastases (BMs). This study was to explore the value of upfront cranial radiotherapy (RT) in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with BMs compared with EGFR-TKIs alone. Methods: We searched all topic-related comparative articles in public databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) and conference proceedings. Outcomes of interest were intracranial objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), and intracranial progression-free survival (PFS). Statistical analyses were calculated using Review Manager 5.3 software. Results: Thirteen comparative studies that included a total of 1,456 patients were eligible. Upfront brain RT had significantly higher OS (HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.65-0.93, P = 0.005) than EGFR-TKI alone. Upfront RT plus TKI had superior OS (HR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.58-0.86, P = 0.0005) and intracranial PFS (HR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.49-0.99, P = 0.04). The pooled data favored upfront whole brain RT (WBRT) plus TKI in terms of intracranial PFS (HR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.48-0.85, P = 0.002) and OS (HR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.57-1, P = 0.05). Upfront stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) was associated with better OS (HR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.26-0.54, P < 0.00001). Similar results were observed when analysis was restricted to the use of erlotinib or geftinib. Conclusions: The upfront use of brain RT seemed critical, especially for SRS. Upfront administration of upfront WBRT plus EGFR-TKI had better survival outcomes and seemed superior to EGFR-TKI alone.

By utilizing digital orthogonal filtering (DOF) in the digital domain, we report, for the first time, experimental demonstrations of aggregated 30.078Gb/s/λ transmissions of DOF-multiplexed spectrally-overlapped and/or frequency gapless six channels over IMDD PON systems incorporating off-the-shelf and low-cost 10G-class optical devices. Experimental results show that simple adaptive channel power loading implemented in the digital domain enables very similar transmission performances of individual channels regardless of their locations in the digital filter space. As a direct result of the interplay between the transmission system-associated negative chromatic dispersion and the intensity modulation-induced frequency chirp, negative power penalties of >0.2dB are experimentally observed for all the involved channels under various transmission system configurations. In addition, excellent performance robustness of the demonstrated systems is also obtainable for various transmission distances up to 45km.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs that play critical roles in human malignancies and can be used as biomarkers for cancer. Until now, a number of biomarkers for prognosis of glioblastoma (GBM) have been reported in tumor tissues but only a few biomarkers in circulating fluid. Using a custom microarray, we previously identified 19 differentially expressed miRNAs in serum of patients with GBM. In this study, we investigated whether 3 of the 19 miRNAs in serum could be used as prognostic biomarkers for patients with GBM. We first validated the serum levels of 3 candidate miRNAs in an independent cohort of 24 GBM patients and 12 healthy volunteers by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), and then evaluated the prognostic value of these miRNAs in a total of 36 GBM patients. The results show that the serum levels of the 3 miRNAs (miR-451a, miR-485-3p and miR-4298) determined by qRT-PCR are significantly different between 24 GBM patients and 12 healthy volunteers (all P <0.05) and are in concordance with the results of microarray analysis. High serum level of miR-451a is correlated with positive tumor O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) expression (P = 0.040). Survival analysis showed that low serum miR-485-3p level is associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.004) and overall survival (OS) (P < 0.023). Furthermore, univariate and multivariate Cox analyses demonstrated that that serum miR-485-3p expression is a significant independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS in GBM patients. In conclusion, serum miR-485-3p level is reduced and might be a potential prognostic biomarker in GBM patients.

Background and Objective: Primary intracranial germ cell tumors (GCTs) are a class of heterogeneous tumors. Surgery can quickly relieve tumor compression and provide histological diagnosis. It is very difficult to treat some patients who are unable to be pathologically diagnosed. We aimed to analyze clinically diagnosed GCTs patients., Methods: Patients clinically diagnosed as primary intracranial GCTs were included in this study., Results: From 2002 to 2015, 42 patients clinically diagnosed with primary intracranial GCTs received chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Patients were assigned to diagnostic chemotherapy group (25 cases), diagnostic radiotherapy group (5 cases) and gamma knife radiosurgery group (12 cases) based on their initial anti-tumor therapy. The 5-year survival rates were 85.8%, 75.0% and 63.6%, respectively. There were no statistically significant difference (p value = 0.44). Patients were assigned to the group (30 cases) with secretory tumors and the group (12 cases) with non-secretory tumors based on their levels of tumor makers. The 5- year survival rates were 80.7% and 68.6%, respectively. There were no statistically significant difference (p value = 0.49).The major adverse reactions were grade III - IV bone marrow suppression with an incidence of 35.2% and grade II- III nausea/vomiting with an incidence of 45.8%., Conclusion: Surgical removal of tumor or biopsy is recognized as the most accurate method to determine the pathological property of tumor. But for some patients who can not be pathologically diagnosed, they can receive comprehensive treatments such as chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy, and some of them can still have good responses.

In the present paper, multi-degree-of-freedom strongly nonlinear systems are modeled as quasi-Hamiltonian systems and the stochastic averaging method for quasi-Hamiltonian systems (including quasi-non-integrable, completely integrable and non-resonant, completely integrable and resonant, partially integrable and non-resonant, and partially integrable and resonant Hamiltonian systems) driven by fractional Gaussian noise is introduced. The averaged fractional stochastic differential equations (SDEs) are derived. The simulation results for some examples show that the averaged SDEs can be used to predict the response of the original systems and the simulation time for the averaged SDEs is less than that for the original systems.

Utilizing low-cost, 2.2GHz modulation bandwidth, uncooled and standalone directly modulated VCSEL (DM-VCSEL)-based real-time dual-band optical OFDM (OOFDM) transmitters, aggregated 16.375Gb/s transmissions of OOFDM signals having bandwidths approximately 3.8 times higher than the VCSEL manufacturer-specified modulation bandwidths, are experimentally demonstrated, for the first time, over 200m OM2 MMF links based on intensity modulation and direct detection. The aggregated signal transmission capacities of the aforementioned links vary by just 8% for various OM2 MMFs ranging from 100m to 500m, and by just 10% over a 1GHz passband carrier frequency detuning range. Such dual-band OOFDM adaptability-induced excellent performance robustness and large passband frequency tunability can significantly relax the requirements on VCSEL modulation bandwidth for achieving specific transmission performances for cost-sensitive application scenarios such as data centers.

The purpose was to assess the suitability of quadratic equations for the accurate representation of corneal topography and consider the effect of translation and rotation fitting on the quality of fit and the curvature results. Topography images were recorded for the anterior and posterior surfaces of 490 corneas of 490 myopic patients using Pentacam. Elevation data were fitted to four shape models, three of which considered translational and/or rotational fitting. Differences between the models in the estimates of radii of curvature (R) and asphericity coefficients (Q) and in the quality of fit (as measured by the root mean square (RMS) error and the structural similarity index (SSIM)) were statistically analysed. The general shape model that considered both translational and rotational misalignments provided the best fit for the anterior (RMS = 1.18 ± 0.56 µm, SSIM = 0.99 ± 0.01) and posterior (RMS 3.64 ± 1.23 µm, SSIM = 0.99 ± 0.01) corneal surfaces in all subjects. The quality of fit degraded significantly (with p < 0.01 in all cases) when misalignments were not considered, increasing RMS to 5.20 ± 2.27 µm (anterior) and 17.10 ± 6.08 µm (posterior) and decreasing SSIM to 0.84 ± 0.18 (anterior) and 0.68 ± 0.22 (posterior) when both translational and rotational misalignments were ignored. The estimates of Rx, Ry, Qx and Qy as obtained when both forms of misalignment were considered varied, respectively, by as much as 0.18 mm, 0.23 mm, 0.27 and 0.54 for the anterior surface, and 0.25 mm, 0.39 mm, 0.32 and 0.37 for the posterior surface when misalignments were ignored. The variations were statistically significant, with p remaining below 0.01 in all cases. In conclusion, consideration of geometric misalignments helps improve the accuracy of describing corneal topography. The effects of misalignments on the estimates of corneal radius and asphericity are statistically significant and may in some cases be clinically significant.

Self-seeded passive optical networks (PONs) are currently attracting extensive research interest. In this paper, a novel self-seeded PON transmitter is, for the first time, proposed and experimentally demonstrated, which incorporates two face-to-face-positioned reflective semiconductor optical amplifiers (RSOAs) operating at their gain saturation regions: one RSOA directly driven by an upstream electrical signal and the other RSOA biased at a fixed current. Detailed experimental explorations are undertaken of the dynamic performance characteristics of the proposed transmitter. It is shown that, in comparison with previously reported self-seeded transmitters each employing a reflective mirror and a single electrical signal-driven RSOA, the proposed transmitter has a number of salient advantages including, considerably narrowed optical signal spectra, up to 16dB reduction in RINs of intensity-modulated optical signals, and residual intensity modulation crosstalk suppression as high as 10.7dB. The aforementioned features enable experimental demonstrations of real-time self-seeded 10Gb/s optical OFDM (OOFDM) transmitters. In particular, by making use of two low-cost RSOAs having their 3-dB modulation bandwidths as small as 1.125GHz, 10Gb/s over 25km adaptive OOFDM transmissions with power penalties of 0.6dB are experimentally achieved in the simple self-seeded IMDD PON systems.

Optical injection locking (OIL) is an effective approach for significantly enhancing the modulation bandwidths of VCSELs. The frequency responses of OIL-VCSELs are, however, very sensitive to the applied OIL conditions. This brings about strong difficulties in practically utilizing the OIL-enhanced modulation bandwidths to achieve highly robust transmission performances of directly modulated OIL-VCSEL-based multi-mode fibre (MMF) links for cost-sensitive application scenarios such as data-centers. In this paper, directly modulated OIL-VCSEL-based real-time dual-band optical OFDM (OOFDM) transceivers with tunability in both the electrical and optical domains are experimentally demonstrated, for the first time, utilizing DACs/ADCs at sampling speeds as low as 4GS/s. The transceivers can support 15.125 Gb/s adaptive OOFDM transmissions over 100 m OM2 MMF links based on intensity modulation and direct detection. More importantly, the adaptability and tunability of the demonstrated transceivers enable the achievement of excellent robustness of the aggregated OOFDM transmission capacity to OIL condition variations. It is shown that, over a large diversity of OIL conditions that give rise to significantly different system frequency responses, the aggregated OOFDM transmission capacity only vary by <11% in the aforementioned transmission link.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans (MOVE!) in achieving weight loss in veterans who attended the multidisciplinary weight management program in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System., Methods: From April 1, 2006, to December 31, 2009, 382 veterans enrolled in the MOVE! program; 377 veterans attended at least 3 group sessions and were included in this study. All veterans were encouraged to complete 8 weekly group sessions on nutrition, lifestyle changes, and behavior modification in a group setting led by a multidisciplinary team. After completing the session, veterans had the option of continuing with a support group that meets monthly. The change in weight from 1 year pre-enrollment in MOVE! to 1, 2, and 3 years postenrollment was analyzed., Results: Veterans gained 1.4 kg per year (standard error [SE] = 0.47, P = .003) before enrolling in MOVE!. One year after the enrollment participants lost on average 2.2 kg (SE = 0.42; P < .001). The pre-enrollment slope for weight change was significantly different from the postenrollment slope., Conclusion: Findings from this study support the need for a long-term weight management program such as MOVE! in primary care settings to assist overweight and obese VA patients in achieving and maintaining weight loss to reduce the risk and progression of age-related chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Individuals with the metabolic syndrome have a significantly higher risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference are inaccurate methods for assessing abdominal obesity; in addition, some obese individuals are metabolically healthy while some normal weight individuals have metabolic syndrome. The methods used to visualize intra-abdominal fat, such as computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are not available to primary care practitioners as screening methods for the primary care patient. The present study examined commonly used biomarkers to assess which of them would be most predictive of metabolic syndrome to assess the feasibility of using indicators other than BMI in the assessment of obesity-associated disease risk in the primary care setting. We examined 169 (118 females, 51 males) obese individuals with increased waist circumference (>102 cm for men and >85 cm for women), who were patients at the UCLA Risk Factor Obesity Clinic. Of these, 59 had three or more criteria associated with metabolic syndrome. In a multivariate linear regression model including body weight, BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, glucose, high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides (TG), only log TG and glucose values were significantly associated with the presence of metabolic syndrome (p<0.001). Both TG and fasting glucose levels were significantly and positively correlated with fasting insulin (p<0.001), homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) (p<0.001). TG were correlated negatively with adiponectin (p<0.01) and positively with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. We conclude that the presence of elevated TG is independently associated with metabolic syndrome and is a likely predictor for insulin resistance in individuals with increased waist circumference. This finding has significant implications for screening obese and normal weight individuals in the general population for clinically significant metabolic syndrome and prediabetes, which has a major public health impact given the common occurrence of metabolic syndrome and the need for early intervention to prevent T2DM.

This study assessed the antibody persistence, and the immunogenicity and safety of a booster dose of a DTaP-IPV//PRP∼T (Pentaxim®, Sanofi Pasteur's AcXim family) combined vaccine and of standalone vaccines one year after primary vaccination in the People's Republic of China. Participants (N=719) previously primed with DTaP-IPV//PRP∼T at 2, 3, 4 months (Group A, N=255), 3, 4, 5 months (Group B, N=233), or DTaP (Wuhan Institute of Biological Products), PRP-T (Act-Hib®) and IPV (Imovax® Polio) at 3, 4, 5 months (Group C, N=231) received boosters of the same vaccines at 18-20 months of age. Seroprotection (SP) and seroconversion (SC) were determined before and 1 month after the booster. Safety was monitored from parental reports. In all groups 87.6-100% of participants had pre-booster protective anti-PRP, -diphtheria, -tetanus and -poliovirus antibody titers; post-booster, all SP rates were 100% and SC was ≥ 80.4% for anti-pertussis titers ≥ 4-fold increase. Reactogenicity was low for each group. These data support the use of the DTaP-IPV//PRP∼T vaccine in the People's Republic of China compared to separate DTaP, IPV, and PRP∼T administration in terms of both safety and immunogenicity., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the immunogenicity and safety of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (acellular, component), poliomyelitis (inactivated) vaccine (adsorbed) and Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (DTaP-IPV//PRP-T) combined vaccine compared with commercially available DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), tetanus conjugate and IPV monovalent vaccine., Methods: Subjects were randomly divided into three groups, Group A and Group B were DTaP-IPV//PRP-T combined vaccine (PENTAXIM(TM)) vaccinated at 2, 3, 4 months of age or 3, 4, 5 months of age respectively; Group C was commercially available DTaP. Hib tetanus conjugate (Act-HIB(TM)) and IPV (IMOVAX PolioTM(TM)) vaccines vaccinated at 3, 4, 5 months of age. All groups received booster dose at 18 to 20 months of age, with antibody titers tested. Non-inferiority analysis was demonstrated in terms of seroprotection/seroconversion rates between Group A, Group B respectively and Group C. Safety information was collected after each vaccination to assess the safety of investigational vaccines., Results: The non-inferiority of DTaP-IPV//PRP-T combined vaccine vaccinated at 2, 3, 4 or 3, 4, 5 months of age versus DTaP, Hib tetanus conjugate and IPV vaccine was demonstrated for all vaccine antigens in both primary and booster phases in terms of seroprotection/seroconversion rates. DTaP-IPV//PRP-T combined vaccine was well tolerated. The rate of solicited/unsolicited severe adverse reactions was very low and similar to the control vaccines., Conclusion: DTaP-IPV//PRP-T combined vaccine was highly immunogenic with good safety profile in Chinese infants, which was comparable to the commercially available control vaccines.

The aim was to demonstrate the immunogenicity and safety of a DTaP-IPV//PRP-T combined vaccine (Pentaxim(®)) compared to individual vaccines in infants in the People's Republic of China. Infants (N=792) were randomly assigned to receive DTaP-IPV//PRP-T at 2, 3 and 4 months of age (Group A) or 3, 4 and 5 months of age (Group B), or DTaP (Wuhan Institute of Biological Products), PRP-T (Act-Hib(®)) and IPV (Imovax(®) Polio) at 3, 4 and 5 months of age (Group C). Antibody titers were measured pre- and 1 month after the third vaccination; non-inferiority analyses were performed for seroprotection/seroconversion (SP/SC) rates. Safety was assessed 1 month after the primary series. SP/SC rates for the DTaP-IPV//PRP-T vaccine were high and non-inferior to the controls. Reactogenicity was low for each group and no hypotonic hyporesponsive episode or seizure was reported. In conclusion, the DTaP-IPV//PRP-T vaccine was highly immunogenic, non-inferior to the commercially available control vaccines and had a good safety profile for both primary administration schedules., (Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: X-ray stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is one of the effective treatments for brain metastases (BM). This study was to evaluate the efficacy of SRT on BM, and investigate prognostic factors., Methods: Between July 1999 and December 2004, a total of 122 intracranial lesions in 78 patients with BM were treated using SRT in our Center. Forty-nine patients had a solitary lesion and 29 had multiple (2-6) lesions. The median SRT dose was 15 Gy (11-24 Gy) in single fraction for 38 lesions, and 24 Gy (11-40 Gy) in 2-6 fractions for 84 lesions. SRT was combined with whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) of 30-40 Gy for 39 patients. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed by the log-rank test and Cox model, respectively., Results: The median survival time was 12.9 months (1.7-77.4 months). The 1-year intracranial PFS rate was 87.4%. The 1-and 2-year OS rates were 53.9% and 25.8%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the 1-year OS rates were higher in the patients with pretreatment KPS of >/= 70, extracranial lesions controlled, or SRT combined with WBRT than in those with KPS of < 70 (60.7% vs. 29.4%, P = 0.002), extracranial lesions uncontrolled (69% vs. 44.9%, P = 0.005), or SRT alone (64.1% vs. 43.4%, P = 0.03). The benefit of treating with WBRT in combination was mainly achieved in the patients with extracranial lesions controlled or with more than one intracranial lesion. Multivariate analysis showed that KPS score and status of extracranial lesions were independent prognostic factors for OS., Conclusions: SRT is an effective and safe modality for BM. SRT combined with WBRT may prolong the survival time of the patients with extracranial lesions controlled or multiple intracranial lesions. Independent prognostic factors for OS are KPS score and status of extracranial lesions.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) among schoolchildren in Guangdong Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region., Methods: Using a cluster sampling method, an epidemiological survey of RHD was conducted in 16 682 primary and high school students by auscultation in Guangdong Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from 2005 to 2006. Review of the clinical records, RHD survey in adults, and examination of the positivity rate of group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus (GAS) by throat swab cultures in the students aged between 9 and 12 years in the sampled schools were also carried out., Results: No RHD patient was found in the sampled population. In Xinjiang, the prevalence of RHD was 12.9/1000 among adults, higher than that (2.2/1000) in Guangdong Province. The GAS-positive rate in the schoolchildren in Xinjiang ranged from 9.8% to 12.6%, higher than that in Guangdong (2.3%-3.9%)., Conclusion: The GAS-positive rate among children and incidence of RHD in adults are higher in Xinjiang than in Guangdong. The prevalence of RHD among the schoolchildren shows a reduction compared with that in 1994.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), an environment-friendly reaction medium, has been adopted to accelerate the dehydrochlorination of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Experimental results demonstrated that at 210 degrees C for 1h the dechlorination degree was as high as 74.2% for PVC/PEG, while for PVC only 50.0%. Moreover, from thermogravimetric analysis, it was found that for PVC/PEG the decomposition of PVC corresponding to the dehydrochlorination stage shifted to lower temperatures compared with that of pure PVC, suggesting some interactions exist between PEG and PVC that caused the faster dehydrochlorination rate. In addition, during this process, no waste byproducts such as KCl have been produced, and satisfactory recyclability of PEG (10 cycles) has been obtained.

Fermi resonance and its effect on the mean transition time and rate are studied. The necessary frequency ratio 1:2 for Fermi resonance to occur is explained by applying the deterministic averaging method to the two-dimensional conservative Pippard system, and a more frequent fluctuation of energy process due to Fermi resonance is shown by using the samples obtained from digital simulation of the stochastic Pippard system. In the case of weak coupling, the mean transition time of the reacting oscillator energy is evaluated for both nonresonance and Fermi resonance by using the standard (Stratonovich) stochastic averaging method. The theoretical results for the mean transition time in the case of Fermi resonance and nonresonance is then extended to the stochastic system with bistable potential, and the effects of frequency ratio and coupling coefficient on the mean reaction rate are analyzed. In the case of strong coupling, it is pointed out that the exciting oscillator and reacting oscillator move together like one oscillator and no Fermi resonance can occur. In this case, the mean transition rate of the system total energy is studied by using the stochastic averaging method for quasi-non-integrable Hamiltonian systems. All the theoretical results are confirmed through comparison with those from digital simulation, and the effect of Fermi resonance on the transition time and rate is discussed.

In the first part of the paper, the stochastic dynamics of the Peyrard-Bishop-Dauxois (PBD) DNA model is studied. A one-dimensional averaged Itô stochastic differential equation governing the total energy of the system and the associated Fokker-Planck equation governing the transition probability density function of the total energy are derived from the Langevin equations for the base-pair (bp) separation of the PBD DNA model by using the stochastic averaging method for quasinonintegrable Hamiltonian systems. The stationary probability density function of the average energy and the mean square of the bp separation are obtained by solving the reduced Fokker-Planck equation. In the second part of the paper, the local denaturation of the thermalized PBD DNA model is studied as a first-passage-time problem in the energy. A backward Kolmogorov equation and a Pontryagin equation are derived from the averaged Itô equation and solved to yield the waiting-time distribution and the mean bp opening time. All the analytical results are confirmed with those from Monte Carlo simulation. It is pointed out that the proposed method may yield a reasonable mean bp opening time if the friction coefficient is fixed using experimental results.

Purpose: Local recurrence remains one of the major causes of failure in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Stereotactic radiosurgery and fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (FSRT) have recently evolved as a salvage option of NPC. This study was conducted to review the treatment outcome after FSRT for NPC., Methods and Materials: Between September 1999 and December 2005, 90 patients with persistent (Group 1: n = 34, relapse within 6 months of RT) or recurrent (Group 2: n = 56, relapse beyond 6 months) NPC received FSRT using multiple noncoplanar arcs of 8-MV photon to the target. Median FSRT dose was 18 Gy in three fractions (Group 1) or 48 Gy in six fractions (Group 2). Median follow-up was 20.3 months., Results: Complete response rate after FSRT was 66% for Group 1 and 63% for Group 2. One-, 2-, and 3-year disease-specific survival (DSS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates for all patients were 82.6%, 74.8%, 57.5%, and 72.9%, 60.4%, 54.5%, respectively. Three-year local failure-free survival, DSS, and PFS rates were 89.4%, 80.7%, and 72.3% for Group 1, and 75.1%, 45.9%, and 42.9% for Group 2, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that recurrent disease and large tumor volume were independent factors that predicted poorer DSS and PFS. Seventeen patients developed late complications, including 2 with fatal hemorrhage., Conclusions: Our results indicate that FSRT is effective for patients with persistent and recurrent NPC. Compared with reported results of radiosurgery, FSRT provides satisfactory tumor control and survival with a lower risk of complications and it may be a better treatment for local failures of NPC.

Background & Objective: There are only a few traditional treatment methods for lung metastasis, and the therapeutic effectiveness is not satisfactory. X-ray stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is developed as a new treatment option of lung metastasis in recent years. This study was to summarize the efficacy of SRT on lung metastasis., Methods: A total of 39 patients with 62 lung metastatic lesions were treated by SRT in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University. The median maximum diameter of the targets was 2.1 cm (1.2-4.9 cm), and the median maximum volume of the targets was 1.4 cm(3) (0.3-16.9 cm(3)). Of the 62 lesions, 21 were irradiated by single fraction with a dose of 20-24 Gy, and 41 were irradiated by 2-4 fractions with a dosage of 8-16 Gy/fraction and a total dose of 24-45 Gy. The median biologic effective dose (BED) of all lesions was 75 Gy (52.8-112.5 Gy)., Results: Response rate was 83.3% at 3 months after treatment. For the lesions with maximum diameter of < or =3 cm, the response rates were 62.5% for BED<75 Gy and 93.5% for BED> or =75 Gy (P=0.023). Median survival time was 21.6 months (3.4-62.2 months). The 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates, local control survival rates and progression-free survival rates were 78.9% and 48.2%, 88.4% and 82.8%, 65.0% and 39.3%, respectively. The 2-year overall survival rate was significantly higher in the subgroup with single lung metastatic lesion than in the subgroup with multiple lung metastatic lesions (57.7% vs. 30.0%, P=0.047), and significantly higher in the subgroup without metastasis in other organs than in the subgroup with metastasis in other organs (54.9% vs. 28.6%, P=0.003). The occurrence of radiation pneumonitis (> or =grade 2) was 5.1% (2/39)., Conclusions: SRT is an effective and safe treatment for lung metastasis. The patients with single lung metastasis and without metastasis in other organs have better survival. BED> or =75 Gy has better local control effect on lung metastasis with maximum diameter of < or =3 cm.

Background & Objective: Surgery is the major treatment for glioma, and radiotherapy is often needed after operation. This study was to evaluate prognostic factors of patients with cerebral glioma treated with radiotherapy., Methods: Records of 158 patients with cerebral glioma, including 123 patients with astrocytoma (AC), 12 patients with oligodendroglioma (OD) or mixed oligoastrocytoma (OA), and 23 patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), received radiotherapy in our center were analyzed. Eighty patients received total resection, 77 received subtotal resection, and 1 received biopsy before radiotherapy. Median radiation dose was 58 Gy (36-75 Gy). Median waiting time from operation to radiotherapy was 29 days (12-261 days). Sixty-eight patients received chemotherapy before or after radiotherapy. Cox model was used for univariate and multivariate analysis., Results: Median follow-up was 23 months (2-62 months), 27 patients relapsed, and 57 patients died. The 2- and 4-year overall survival rate were 66.5% and 45.7%. Univariate analysis showed that histologic grade (I/II vs. II/IV), histologic type (AC/OD vs. GBM), Karnofsky performance state (KPS) before radiotherapy (>/=80 vs.< 80), extent of resection (total vs non-total), and age(40 years) were significant predictors in association with overall survival rate of patients with glioma. Multivariate analysis showed that histologic grade (P=0.001), age (P=0.006), KPS before radiotherapy (P=0.009), and extent of resection (P=0.037) were independent prognostic factors of glioma., Conclusion: Low grade (I/II), age /=80 before radiotherapy, and total resection are independent factors for predicting better survival of glioma patients.

The stationary motion of active Brownian particles is studied by using the stochastic averaging method for quasi-integrable Hamiltonian systems. First the stochastic averaging method for quasi-integrable Hamiltonian systems is briefly introduced. Then the stationary solution of the dynamic equations governing an active Brown particle in plane with the Rayleigh velocity-dependent friction model subject to Gaussian white noise excitations is obtained by using the stochastic averaging method. The solution is validated by comparison with the result from Monte Carlo simulation. Finally, two more stationary solutions of the dynamic equations governing active Brownian particle with the Schienbein-Gruler and Erdmann velocity-dependent friction models, respectively, subject to Gaussian white noise excitations are also given.

Objective: To determine the origin of Rana temporaria for quality Oviduetus Ranae in the light of historical documents and modern researches on the classification of Rana temporaria chensinensis., Method: Works of Chinese meteria medica of all ages, related historical documents and reports from home and abroad on researches of R. temporaria chensinensis were consulted, sorted out, analyzed and summarized., Result: The original Shange recorded in the works of Chinese meteria medica is R. temporaria chensinensis, which is the independent species, not one of species of European forest frogs. R. temporaria chensinensis is divided into 4 subspecies: R. temporaria chensinensis, Lanzhou, Kangding, and Changbaishan. The origin of R. temporaria is Changbaishan subspecies of R. temporaria chensinensis., Conclusion: Changbaishan subspecies of R. temporaria chensinensis is determined as the origin for quality Oviduetus Ranae.

Both harringtonine (Harr) and Ara-C are effective for treatment of ANLL. Since it was suggested that Harr could induce leukemic cells to differentiate and Ara-C might be a weak inducer of leukemic cell differentiation, we investigated the effect of Harr in combination with Ara-C on inducing differentiation of leukemic cells. Ten patients with ANLL were treated with low dose Harr in combination with low dose Ara-C. Complete remission was achieved in 8 of the 10 patients. After therapy, severe pancytopenia and moderate myelosuppression occurred in two patients who achieved remission. Four patients demonstrated a decrease in blast cells with an associated transient increase in mature granulocytes during therapy. Auer bodies appeared in 7-8% mature granulocytes in peripheral blood and in bone marrow on the 14th day of combination therapy in one patient. Freshly isolated leukemic cells from six pretreatment patients were cultured in liquid in the presence of Harr in combination with Ara-C. Apparent evidence of differentiation of leukemic cells and Auer bodies in the cytoplasm of mature granulocytic cells were observed in two of the six patients. The above results seem to suggest that the therapeutic effect of low dose Harr plus low dose Ara-C may result from both differentiation induction and cytotoxicity of the leukemic cells.