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Human kidney cell injury is a representative characteristic of diabetic nephropathy (DN), and its development has been shown to be associated with the dysregulation of some circular RNAs (circRNAs). We thus explored the role of circ_0008529 in DN-conditioned human kidney cell injury. Human kidney cells (HK-2) were treated with high glucose (HG) to construct DN models in vitro. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay and western blot assay were used for expression detection of circ_0008529, miR-485-5p, and Wnt family member 2B (WNT2B). Cell viability was ascertained by CCK-8 assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry assay and the expression levels of apoptosis-related markers. The release of inflammatory factors was examined by ELISA. The putative binding relationship between miR-485-5p and circ_0008529 or WNT2B was further verified by dual-luciferase reporter experiment, RIP assay, and pull-down assay. Circ_0008529 was highly expressed in serum of DN patients and HG-treated HK-2 cells. HG largely impaired cell viability and promoted cell apoptosis and inflammation production, while circ_0008529 knockdown attenuated the effects of HG. Circ_0008529 targeted miR-485-5p, and miR-485-5p inhibition recovered HK-2 cell injury that was blocked by circ_0008529 knockdown. In addition, miR-485-5p bound to WNT2B whose expression was positively modulated by circ_0008529. WNT2B overexpression recovered the inhibition of HK-2 cell injury caused by miR-485-5p upregulation. Circ_0008529 targeted the miR-485-5p/WNT2B pathway to regulate HG-induced HK-2 cell apoptosis and inflammatory injury, suggesting that circ_0008529 was a vital regulator in DN development.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of weekly PEGylated-recombinant human growth hormone (PEG-rhGH) in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) in China. Design and methods This was a multicenter, phase II study in which all subjects were randomized 1:1:1 to weekly s.c. injections of PEG-rhGH 0.1 (low-dose (LD) group) or 0.2 mg/kg/week (high-dose (HD) group) or control for 52 weeks. The primary end point was change (Δ) in height s.d. score (HT-SDS) from baseline to week 52. Secondary end points were height velocity (HV), bone maturity, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) SDS, and IGF-1/insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) molar ratio. Results A total of 360 children with ISS were recruited in the study (n = 120 in each group). At week 52, ΔHT-SDS was 0.56 ± 0.26, 0.98 ± 0.35, and 0.20 ± 0.26 in the LD, HD, and control groups, respectively (within-group P < 0.0001; intergroup P < 0.0001). Statistically significant values of ΔHV, IGF-1, IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio, and IGF-1 SDS at week 52 from baseline were observed in both treatment groups (P < 0.0001). There were clear dose-dependent responses for all auxological variables. PEG-rhGH was well tolerated throughout the treatment period with treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) reported in 86.5%, 84.6%, and 91.3% of children in the HD, LD, and control groups, respectively. The incidence of TEAEs was similar in all treatment groups despite the difference in doses. A total of 27 (8.7%) children experienced drug-related TEAEs. Conclusion Fifty-two-week treatment with PEG-rhGH 0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg/week achieved significant improvement in HT-SDS and other growth-related variables, including HV, IGF-1 SDS, and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio, in a dose-dependent manner. Both doses were well tolerated with similar safety profiles.

To explore the clinical features and genetic basis for a Chinese pedigree diagnosed with congenital glycosylation disease (CGD).Clinical manifestations of two brothers were analyzed. Whole exome sequencing was carried out for the sib pair. Suspected variants were verified by Sanger sequencing.Both the proband and her younger brother were found to carry compound heterozygous variants of the PMM2 gene, which included a known pathogenic mutation of c.395TC (p.I132T) and a previously unreported c.448-1(delAG) in the 5' end of exon 6 of the gene.The compound heterozygous variants of the PMM2 gene probably underlay the CGD in the sib pair.

The investigations of active deformation across a mountain foreland can provide important insights into the pattern and dynamics of deformation of an active orogenic belt. Here we focus on the spatiotemporal patterns of the Late Quaternary deformation along the north piedmont of the Chinese Tian Shan, a mountain range formed by the ongoing India-Asia collision. By using a terrace as the reference and applying the area-conservation method, the Holocene shortening rate of the Halaande anticline, a fold of the distal structure Belt III in the foreland, is estimated to 2.14 ± 0.24 mm/yr for the first time. Similarly, we re-calculate the Holocene shortening rates of the other anticlines of Belt II-III using the magnitude of shortening documented by river terraces and the terrace formation ages published previously. The summed Holocene (103-year timescale) shortening rates of individual anticlines along N–S transects are ~2–4 mm/yr, consistent with the Late Pleistocene (104-year timescale) shortening rate but about 2–6 times higher than the long-term (106-year timescale) average shortening rate of ~1 mm/yr during the past several million years. Together with the shortening rates of individual anticlines at the 103-year, 104-year, and 106-year scales, these observations imply that the deformation across the northern Chinese Tian Shan foreland has accelerated since at least Late Pleistocene. By summing the Late Quaternary rates of shortening in the southern Chinese Tian Shan foreland (4–5 mm/yr) and the intermontane basins in the hinterland of the Tian Shan (~2 mm/yr), the Late Quaternary rate of shortening across the Tian Shan range (between longitude 83°E and 87°E) amounts to ~9.0 ± 1.0 mm/yr, approximately matching the modern shortening rate of ~8 mm/yr derived from the GPS measurements. These results imply (i) that the deformation across the Tian Shan range and its foreland basins (between longitude 83°E and 87°E) could have not been changed significantly since at least Late Pleistocene; (ii) that, in the northern Chinese Tian Shan foreland, the recurrence interval of paleoseismic events during the past tens of thousands of years may be determined by a linear extrapolation of the Holocene or even geodetic rate of deformation.

Surface erosion shapes the topography of an active orogenic belt with a rate depending on the time and space scales. Quantifying erosion rates over various temporal and spatial scales is thus crucial for understanding the topographic evolution in active orogenic belts. This work focused on the decadal catchment-basin erosion rate and its controlling factors in the northern Chinese Tian Shan. Nine mountainous catchment basins were selected to quantify the decadal-scale erosion rates from hydrological data measured during the years 1964–2011. The contributions of the suspended load, bed load, and solute load in the river sediment load were first determined. The erosion rate was then calculated for each analyzed catchment basin. The results show that the average rate of catchment-basin erosion is ∼ 0.15 mm yr−1, whereas the rate varies from one catchment basin to the next (the minimum rate of 0.05 mm yr−1 in the Urumqi and the maximum rate of 0.30 mm yr−1 in the Manas). In order to explore the possible effects of climate, topography, lithology, vegetation, and tectonics on catchment-basin erosion, correlation analyses were conducted between these factors and the erosion rate. The results indicate that the catchment-basin erosion rate is more closely correlated with topographic factors (basin area and basin relief) and climatic variables (discharge, run off, run off depth, and mean temperature), indicative of the main controlling of topography and climate on catchment-basin erosion. The erosion rates reported in this work are approximately consistent with the paleo-erosion rate of

Alluvial units are important in understanding the interactions of antecedent drainage evolution with fold growth along the flanks of active orogenic belts. This is demonstrated by the Anjihai River in the northern Chinese Tian Shan foreland, which at present flows northward cutting sequentially through the Nananjihai anticline, the Huoerguos anticline, and the Anjihai anticline. Three episodes of alluviation designated as fans F-a, F-b, and F-c are identified for the Anjihai River. These three alluvial terrain features comprise a series of terraces, where the topographic characteristics, geomorphologic structure, and up-warped longitudinal profiles indicate continuous uplift and lateral propagation of the Halaande anticline and the Anjihai anticline over the past 50 Icy. Shortly after similar to 3.6 ka when the oldest terrace during the period of the fan Fb sedimentation was formed, significant rock uplift at the overlapping zone of the Anjihai anticline and the Halaande anticline led to the eastward deflection of the antecedent Anjihai River. A series of local terraces with elevation decreasing eastward indicate the gradual eastward migration of the channel of the Anjihai River during the period of the fan F-c sedimentation. Finally the Anjihai River occupied the previous course of the Jingou River when the latter was deflected eastward in response to rock uplift of the Anjihai anticline, presently flowing across the eastern tip of the Anjihai anticline. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

BACKGROUND Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant and lethal type of primary central nervous system tumor in humans. In spite of its high lethality, a small percentage of patients have a relatively good prognosis, with median survival times of 36 months or longer. The identification of clinical subsets of GBM associated with distinct molecular genetic profiles has made it possible to design therapies tailored to treat individual patients. METHODS We compared microarray data sets from long-term survivors (LTSs) and short-term survivors (STSs) to screen for prognostic biomarkers in GBM patients using the WebArrayDB platform. We focused on FBLN4, IGFBP-2, and CHI3L1, all members of a group of 10 of the most promising, differentially regulated gene candidates. Using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded GBM samples, we corroborated the relationship between these genes and patient outcomes using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for MGMT methylation status and quantitative reverse transcription PCR for expression of these genes. RESULTS Expression levels of the mRNAs of these 3 genes were higher in the GBM samples than in normal brain samples and these 3 genes were significantly upregulated in STSs compared to the levels in LTS samples (P

Objective The purposes of this study were to explore the effect of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) on the voice by analyzing the acoustic parameters between patients with OSAHS and those without OSAHS and to compare acoustic analyses performed by two software programs (MDVP and Praat). Methods Patients with OSAHS (n = 75) and normal controls (n = 46) were asked to produce a sustained sound of the vowel /i/ and were analyzed with electroglottography (EGG), MDVP, and Praat software. A self-rated scale (Voice Handicap Index, VHI-10) and acoustic parameters were compared. Results There were no statistically significant differences in the fundamental frequency (F0), jitter, shimmer, noise/harmonic ratio (NHR), contact quotient perturbation (CQP), or contact index perturbation (CIP) between the patient group and the normal group. The VHI-10 values were significantly increased in patients with OSAHS. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis suggested that the shimmer obtained from MDVP and Praat possessed relatively high accuracy in differentiating patients with OSAHS from healthy individuals. The results for F0, jitter, shimmer, and NHR were significantly different between MDVP and Praat in OSAHS patients. In normal persons, there was a significant difference in NHR; however, no significant differences were found for F0, jitter, or shimmer between the two software programs. The results demonstrated that high correlations were found between values obtained by both software programs. Conclusions Patients with OSAHS were prone to vibration irregularity, incomplete glottal closure, hoarseness, and other vocal problems. The two acoustic software programs present different values of acoustic measures. There was a strong correlation and consistency between the parameters calculated by the two software programs.

The piedmont aeolian sediment in Central Asia is has been widely used for Quaternary palaeoclimatic reconstructions. Here we present detailed sedimentological and rock magnetic investigations on 188 samples from the ~9.4-m-thick Urumqi River section (URS) in the southern Chaiwopu Basin of the northern Chinese Tian Shan foreland. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating constrains the time-span of the URS loess sedimentation from c. 28 to c. 6.8 ka. This chronology implies that the onset of the URS loess sedimentation is approximately synchronous with the Shangwangfeng Glaciation (MIS 2) in the headwaters of the Urumqi River. Analyses of sediment grain size and rock magnetic parameters indicate that sediment grain-size composition controls magnetic properties of the URS loess, i.e. the wind intensity model, distinct from the pedogenic model interpreting the variations in magnetic properties of the loess in the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). Overall, the variations in sediment grain size and magnetic properties throughout the URS indicate that the present study area was dominated by a climate of strengthened wind associated with gradually intensified aridity during the latest Pleistocene. In contrast, the intensity of aridity and coldness during the early Holocene gradually became relatively weakened.

The Lhasa terrane, the main tectonic component of the Himalayan–Tibetan orogen, has received much attention as it records the entire history of the orogeny. The occurrence of Permian to Triassic high-pressure eclogites has a significant bearing on the understanding of the Paleo-Tethys subduction and plate suturing processes in this area. An eclogite from the Bailang, eastern Lhasa terrane, was investigated with a combined metamorphic P–T and U–Pb, Lu–Hf, Sm–Nd and Ar–Ar multichronometric approach. Pseudosection modeling combined with thermobarometric calculations indicate that the Bailang eclogite equilibrated at peak P–T conditions of ~ 2.6 GPa and 465–503 °C, which is much lower than those of Sumdo and Jilang eclogites in this area. Garnet–whole rock–omphacite Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd ages of 238.1 ± 3.6 Ma and 230.0 ± 4.7 Ma were obtained on the same sample, which are largely consistent with the corresponding U–Pb age of 227.4 ± 6.4 Ma for the metamorphic zircons within uncertainty. The peak metamorphic temperature of the sample is lower than the Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd closure temperatures in garnet. This, combined with the core-to-rim decrease in Mn and HREE concentrations, the slightly U-shaped Sm zonation across garnet and the exclusive occurrence of omphacite inclusion in garnet rim, are consistent with the Lu–Hf system skewing to the age of the garnet core and the Sm–Nd system favoring the rim age. The Sm–Nd age was thus interpreted as the age of eclogite-facies metamorphism and the Lu–Hf age likely pre-dated the eclogite-facies metamorphism. 40Ar/39Ar dating of hornblende from the eclogite yielded ages about 200 Ma, which is interpreted as a cooling age and is probably indicative of the time of exhumation to the middle crust. The difference of peak eclogite-facies metamorphic conditions and the distinct metamorphic ages for the Bailang eclogite (~ 2.6 GPa and ~ 480 °C; ca. 230 Ma), the Sumdo eclogite (~ 3.4 GPa and ~ 650 °C; ca. 262 Ma) and Jiang eclogite (~ 3.6 GPa and ~ 750 °C; ca. 261 Ma) in the same (ultra)-high-pressure belt indicate that this region likely comprises different slices that had distinct P–T histories and underwent (U)HP metamorphism at different times. The initiation of the opening the Paleo-Tethys Ocean in the Lhasa terrane could trace back to the early Permian. The ultimate closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean in the Lhasa terrane was no earlier than ca. 230 Ma.

River-incision rate is widely used to track changes in tectonics or climate over time and space. However, the feasibility of utilizing the spatial variations of river incision to reconstruct past tectonic and climatic processes remains unclear. Here, we focus on the spatial patterns of river incision along the northern Chinese Tian Shan foreland. Three alluvial fans FP, FeH, and FlH are determined as the alluvial fan context of river incision and terrace classification providing the geomorphological framework across the foreland region. Four rivers (i.e. the Kuitun, Jingou, Manas, and Urumqi Rivers from the western, central, and eastern part of the foreland) are used to reconstruct the paleogeomorphology from the reference, which is the best-preserved terrace of each river system with ages clustering in different parts of the Latest Pleistocene-Early Holocene. The depth of incision constrained by the reference terrace of each river is obtained by comparing the present-day topography and the reconstructed one. The resulting profile of channel incision (depth and rate) of each analyzed river displays an overall decreasing-downstream trend from the maximum where the river exits from the mountain range, to zero. Such a trend has been attributed to the progressive lowering of the river gradient that was caused by the adjusted ratio of sediment input versus water discharge induced by climate change. Superimposing on the decreasing-downstream trend, an obvious step can also easily be observed onto the profile of channel incision of each river, downstream of which channel incision is significantly less. The step occurs near the thrust fault controlling growth of the outermost anticline through which each river cuts, thereby implying the key role of local rock uplift in forming the river-incision step. The former observation implies that, at the same timescale, more river incision at the exit from the mountain range does not necessarily mean stronger climatic forcing of incision there. We thus propose that, in a foreland setting, it should be the temporal pattern of river incision rather than its spatial variation that is helpful for unraveling the change in the forcing factor of downcutting.

The rate of erosion is critical for characterizing landscape evolution and understanding the interactions between tectonic activity, climate, and surface processes in active orogenic belts. This work focuses on the spatial pattern of river incision rate in the northern Tian Shan range, an active orogenic belt in NW China, based on fluvial geomorphic investigations. Both remote and field-based observations have been used to define the terrace sequences of four selected rivers preserved at the mountain front. For each analyzed river, one of the defined terraces (i.e. terrace T4 of the Kuitun River, terrace T5 of the Jingou River, terrace T5 of the Manas River, and terrace T4 of the Urumqi River) is used as a reference surface from which to reconstruct the paleogeomorphic surface (i.e. the previous riverbed) which was abandoned as a terrace as a result of fluvial incision. By comparing the present-day topography with the reconstructed (pre-incision) landscape, and after a porosity correction, the volume of material eroded by river incision and the depth of incision have been estimated. When combined with the formation age of each reference terrace, the average rates of river incision in the mountain range have been estimated at ~4.1 ± 1.5 mm/yr (Kuitun River), ~3.5 ± 1.4 mm/yr (Jingou River), ~3.1 ± 1.5 mm/yr (Manas River), and ~1.9 ± 1.3 mm/yr (Urumqi River). The above rates display a notable decreasing trend from the Kuitun (west) to the Urumqi (east). Our analyses indicate that lithology and climate might not be the main factors controlling the spatial variation of incision rates in the northern Chinese Tian Shan range. Instead, the observed pattern is in close agreement with changes of slope, relief, and N-S crustal shortening across the range. We thus propose that tectonic activity is the primary factor controlling the erosion and landscape evolution of the northern Tian Shan range, NW China.

miR‑152 has been reported to be downregulated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the functional significance and molecular mechanisms underlying the role of miR‑152 in RA remain largely unknown. The present study aimed to explore the functional role and the underlying mechanisms of miR‑152 in RA. The expression of miR‑152 in serum, synovial tissues, and fibroblast‑like synoviocytes (FLS) from patients with RA and healthy controls was detected by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR). Cell proliferation, cell cycle phase distribution and apoptosis of FLS were measured by Cell Counting Kit‑8 and flow cytometry assays. The effects of miR‑152 on the production of pro‑inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α, interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6 and IL‑8, were examined by ELISA. The target gene of miR‑152 was discovered by miRNA‑target prediction bioinformatics analysis, and confirmed by dual‑luciferase reporter assay, RT‑qPCR and western blotting. Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between miR‑152 expression and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain‑containing protein 10 (ADAM10). The results demonstrated that miR‑152 expression levels were significantly decreased in RA serum, synovial tissues and RA‑FLS compared with healthy controls. Overexpression of miR‑152 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, and decreased TNF‑α, IL‑1β, IL‑6 and IL‑8 production in RA‑FLS cells. Additionally, ADAM10 was demonstrated to be a target of miR‑152, and expression of the two genes was significantly negatively correlated. Of note, restoration of ADAM10 expression partially reversed the effects of miR‑152 on cell proliferation and apoptosis in RA‑FLS. Thus, miR‑152 may serve as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in RA.

Purpose. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) was related to invasion and metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. This study was designed to investigate the role of EphA2 in VM formation of HNSCC.Methods. The SiRNA technique was used to knock down the expression of EphA2in vitro. The ability of cell migration and invasion were measured by transwell and wound healing assays; three-dimensional culture was used to detect the ability of channel-like structure formation; Western blot was used to detect the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition- (EMT-) related moleculesin vitro. Further semiquantitative real-time RT-PCR assays and immunohistochemistry were used to demonstrate expression of EphA2 and EMT-related molecules according to VM presence or not in human tissue.Results. Knocking down EphA2in vitroleads to disabled channel-like structure formation, reduction of invasion and migration ability, and reverse of EMT-related markers. Both semiquantitative real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry showed that expressions of EphA2, Twist, and Vimentin were higher in the VM-positive group than in the VM-negative group significantly, while expressions of E-cadherin, claudin4, and DSG-3 were reverse.Conclusions. EphA2 played a key role in VM formation of HNSCC through regulation of EMT.

In the northern Tian Shan foreland basin, northwestern China, the thick Cenozoic terrigenous succession is crucial for paleoclimate–environmental reconstruction of the Asian interior. Here we present a detailed rock magnetic investigation on 245 samples from the ~ 1200-m-thick Neogene Taxi He section with a magnetostratigraphic age span of ca. 8.0 to 2.0 Ma in the northern Tian Shan foreland basin. Our rock magnetic results indicate that the significant variations in composition, concentration and grain size of magnetic minerals occurred at ca. 6.0, 3.7 and 2.7 Ma. The comparable compositions of rare earth elements (REEs) throughout the Neogene Taxi He section suggest no significant modification of the source materials during the interval between ca. 8.0 and 2.0 Ma, and thus sediment provenance is not regarded as responsible for these observed variations in rock magnetic properties. Our further analyses show that the variations in magnetic properties of the Taxi He section are casually linked mainly with lithofacies transition due to range encroachment into foreland basin as well as climate aridification. Identified enhancement of aridification was chronologically constrained at ca. 6.0 and 2.7 Ma. Such climate events are important archives for reconstructing the Late Cenozoic paleoclimatic history of the Asian interior. Further comparison between different paleoclimate records clearly indicates that magnetic parameters such as S − 100mT are potentially effective proxy indices for paleoclimate–environmental reconstruction in the Tian Shan foreland basins and the nearby areas.

The Tibetan Plateau is the result of several collision events between a series of Gondwana-derived blocks ( e.g. , Qiangtang, Lhasa and India) and the Asian continent since the early Paleozoic. The occurrence of high-pressure eclogites has a significant bearing on the Paleo-Tethys subduction and plate suturing processes in this area. A quartzite, together with its host eclogite from the Jilang County in the Lhasa Block of northern Tibet, was investigated in terms of petrology, geochemistry, and combined Lu–Hf and U–Pb geochronology. The composition of the Jilang eclogite is similar to supra-subduction-zone basalts found in back-arc basins (LREE depleted, negative Nb–Ta anomalies, positive Pb anomalies, e Nd(t) = ~ + 8). The observations of coesite/coesite pseudomorph in the eclogites and the estimated P–T conditions of 3.4–3.8 GPa and 753–790 °C for the eclogites imply that the Jilang eclogites have undergone ultra-high-pressure metamorphism. The Lu–Hf age of 265.9 ± 1.1 Ma (2σ, 14 points, MSWD = 1.8) of the Jilang eclogite most likely reflects garnet growth and is interpreted to reflect eclogite–facies metamorphism due to the occurrence of omphacite inclusions from core to rim in garnets and the spherical geometry effect despite the well-preserved prograde zoning in the garnets. U–Pb analyses of the metamorphic rims of zircons from eclogites indicate that two episodes of zircon growth occurred at ~ 261 Ma and ~ 238 Ma. The identical zircon 206 Pb/ 238 U age of 291 ± 4 Ma (2σ, MSWD = 2.2, n = 12) for the quartzite and 290.6 ± 6.2 Ma (2σ, MSWD = 1.1, n = 11) for the magmatic cores of the eclogite suggest that the detrital zircon in quartzite has the same origin as the protolith zircon in the eclogite. The initial opening of the back-arc basin in the Lhasa Block was no later than ca . 290 Ma; the final closure of the back-arc basin in the Lhasa Block, led by the arc–continent collision between the Gangdese island arc and the northern Lhasa Block, was no earlier than ca . 266 Ma.

Interleukin-23 (IL-23), a member of the IL-12 family of cytokines, is a heterodimeric cytokine. It is composed of subunits p40 (shared with IL-12) and p19 (an IL-12 p35-related subunit) and is secreted by several types of immune cells, such as natural killer cells and dendritic cells. The IL-23 receptor is composed of the subunit IL-12Rβ1 and the IL-23-specific subunit IL-23R. The binding of IL-23 to its specific cell surface receptor regulates a number of functions, including proliferation and differentiation of cells and secretion of cell factors. Memory T cells are a subset of T cells that secrete numerous important cell factors, and they function in the immune response to infection and diseases like cancer, autoimmune disease and bronchial asthma. IL-23R is expressed on the surface of memory T cells, which suggests that it can specifically regulate memory T cell function. IL-23 has been widely used as a clinical indicator in immune-related diseases and shows potential for use in disease treatment. Here we review the current progress in the study of the role of IL-23 in the regulation of memory T cells.

To investigate the expression and its significance of interleutin-17 (IL-17) and immunoglobulin E (IgE) in patients with bronchial asthma, sixty adult patients with bronchial asthma and 30 healthy human control were sequentially enrolled in this study. The production of IL-17 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. The correlation between expression of IgE and IL-17 was analyzed. It was found that IL-17 was significantly up-regulated in bronchial asthma in comparison to the health control on mRNA level, and serum levels of IL-17 and IgE in bronchial asthma were significantly higher than those in health control, respectively (P < 0. 001). Significant positive correlation in bronchial asthma were found between expression of IL-17 and IgE (r = 0.7082, P = 0.0418). The present study implied that expressions of IL-17 and IgE play an important role in the development of bronchial asthma. Key words: Bronchial asthma, immunoglobulin E, interleukin-17, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

To explore the personality and character of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients.Subjects, recruited from May 2013 to February 2014, were assigned to the severe OSAHS group (56 cases), mild-moderate OSAHS group (59 cases), and control group (42 cases) on the basis of apnea hyponea index (AHI). Subjects were assigned to the severe hypoxemia group (24 cases), mild-moderate hypoxemia group (91 cases) on the basis of PaO2. The psychological aspects of subjects were assessed by using the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI).Compared between OSAHS group and the control group, differences of 6 clinical scales depression (D), hysteria (Hy), masculinity (Mf), paranoia (Pa), anxiety (A), ego strength (Es) were significant (t value was 2.609, 2.133, -2.294, 2.520, 2.041, 2.675 respectively, all P0.05). The scores of OSAHS group were higher than the control group on five clinical scales, depression (D), hysteria (Hy), paranoia (Pa), anxiety (A), ego strength (ES). The scores of OSAHS group were lower than the control group on clinical scale masculinity (Mf). Compared between severe OSAHS group and mild-moderate OSAHS group, differences of 6 clinical scales depression (D), paranoia (Pa), psychasthenia (Pt) anxiety (A), manifest anxiety scale (MAS), dependency (Dy) were significant (t value was 2.460, 2.086, 2.181, 2.121, 2.954, 1.982, respectively). The scores of severe OSAHS group were all higher than the mild-moderate OSAHS group on these six clinical scales. Compared between severe hypoxemia group and the contrast group, differences of 4 clinical scales depression (D), masculinity (Mf), paranoia (Pa), ego strength (Es) were significant (t value was respectively 2.992, -2.221, 2.164, 2.165, all P0.05). The scores of severe hypoxemia group were higher than the control group on 3 clinical scales, depression (D), paranoia (Pa), ego strength (ES), and lower than the control group on clinical scale masculinity (Mf). Compared between severe hypoxemia group and mild-moderate hypoxemia group, psychasthenia (Pt) were significant (t value was 1.984). The scores of severe hypoxemia group were higher.Compared with health people, OSAHS patients have special personality and character. The degree of OSAHS can infect the personality and character of OSAHS patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) on semicircular canal function.By means of a series prospective study at Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of our hospital, the study was performed on 77 patients suffering from OSAHS in a period from 2012 to 2014, who underwent polysomnography (PSG) and caloric test. The maximal slow-phase velocity (SPV) and unilateral weakness (UW) were used to measure the vestibular function. Severity of OSAHS was evaluated by the lowest oxygen saturation (LSaO₂) and apnea hypopnea index (AHI). The SPV after cool was signed, warm test was performed for each ear, and the sum of left ear SPV were calculated, and then, the SPV of right ear was counted as the same way. Finally, the relationships between LSaO₂, AHI, age, BMI, and SPV of caloric test were analyzed.Caloric vestibular tests in the 77 OSAHS patients demonstrated abnormal findings in 52 patients (67.5%) and normal vestibular functions in the remaining 25 patients (32.5%). Of the 52 patients with an abnormal test result, 16 (20.8%) patients had unilateral vestibular hyporeflexia and 36 (46.7%) patients revealed a bilateral vestibular hyporeflexia. There was no linear relationship between AHI, age, BMI with SPV of caloric test (P0.05). The SPV had significant difference between Lower LSaO₂group (LSaO₂50%) and higher LSaO₂group (LSaO₂≥ 80%) (P0.05). LSaO₂was lower in patients undertaken bilateral vestibular hyporeflexia.OSAHS patients with long-term intermittent hypoxia can disturb the vestibular organs and reduce semicircular canal function. The heavier hypoxemia will lead to the lower reflex of semicircular canal, with the heavier degree of hypoxemia, and the bilateral horizontal semicircular canal involvement may also be higher at the same time. Due to the effect of vestibule centre compensatory, OSAHS patients lack of dizziness and symptoms from balance disturbances such as typically acute vestibular damage.

Background: Hereditary ataxia is a group of hereditary diseases that are characterized by chronic progressive uncoordinated gait and are frequently associated with cerebellar atrophy. Objectives: To investigate evidence-based diagnosis of hereditary ataxia by retrospective analysis of the diagnostic process in one Chinese family. Methods: Clinical records of 15 ataxia patients from one Chinese family with 46 family members were retrospectively reviewed and a tentative diagnosis was made based on clinical manifestations, signs and symptoms, mode of inheritance, and progression. Since hereditary ataxia is a group of heterogeneous diseases having various subtypes and overlapping symptoms, we adopted a stepwise evaluation to achieve a tentative diagnosis. To confirm the diagnosis, we performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific for the suspected causative gene of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) subtype 3 (SCA3). Results: Through analysis of hereditary and clinical characteristics of family histories of the patients, we suspected that the family might suffer from SCA, especially, SCA3. The PCR assay for SCA3 showed that, five of the ten samples analyzed had a CAG trinucleotide expansion of the SCA3 gene, and four of the five members developed ataxia. The remaining one, a seven-year-old girl, showed no symptoms or signs except for uvula deviation. No clinical symptoms were found in five other members with negative PCR results. Thus, based on both clinical findings and laboratory results, we further confirmed that the family suffered from SCA3. Conclusion: Hereditary ataxias are disorders sharing overlapping symptoms. Comprehensive analysis of medical and family records together with genetic diagnosis improves diagnostic efficiency of hereditary ataxia and aides in family counseling.

Three successive zones of fault‐related folds disrupt the proximal part of the northern Tian Shan foreland in NW China. A new magnetostratigraphy of the Taxi He section on the north limb of the Tugulu anticline in the middle deformed zone clarifies the chronology of both tectonic deformation and depositional evolution of this collisional mountain belt. Our ∼1200‐m‐thick section encompasses the upper Cenozoic terrigenous sequence within which ∼300 sampling horizons yield an age span of ∼8–2 Ma. Although the basal age in the Taxi He section of the Xiyu conglomerate (often cited as an indicator of initial deformation) is ∼2.1 Ma, much earlier growth of the Tugulu anticline is inferred from growth strata dated at ∼6.0 Ma. Folding of Neogene strata and angular unconformities in anticlines in the more proximal and distal deformed zones indicate deformation during Miocene and Early Pleistocene times, respectively. In the Taxi He area, sediment‐accumulation rates significantly accelerate at ∼4 Ma, apparently in response to encroaching thrust loads. Together, growth strata, angular unconformities, and sediment‐accumulation rates document the northward migration of tectonic deformation into the northern Tian Shan foreland basin during the late Cenozoic. A progradational alluvial–lacustrine system associated with this northward progression is subdivided into two facies associations at Tugulu: a shallow lacustrine environment before ∼5.9 Ma and an alluvial fan environment subsequently. The lithofacies progradation encompasses the time‐transgressive Xiyu conglomerate deposits, which should only be recognized as a lithostratigraphic unit. Along the length of the foreland, the locus of maximum shortening shifts between the medial and proximal zones of folding, whereas the total shortening across the foreland remains quite homogeneous along strike, suggesting spatially steady tectonic forcing since late Miocene times.

A new division of Middle and Late Pleistocene alluvial sequence in the north piedmont of the Chinese Tian Shan based on geomorphologic, stratigraphic, and chronologic criteria provides a framework for examining their relationship to climate change during glacial–interglacial transitions. Over the past 550 kyr at least four major alluviation episodes occurred within the piedmont. Along the major river valleys in this region, each episode of alluvial fan deposition morphologically correlates with a major river terrace. These correlations create a regionally applicable framework for subdivision of the Quaternary alluvial sequence in the study area, where seven stepped river terraces are defined. Our new chronology of this fluvial sequence suggests that, following intervals of aggradation, three highest river terraces and equivalent alluvial fans were abandoned at ∼ 530 ka, ∼ 300 ka and ∼ 10 ka, respectively. Paleosols at the base of the loess sequences that directly overlie the older terraces and fans suggest that episodes of aggradation occurred late in the glacial cycles. The subsequent incision that caused abandonment/stabilization of these terraces and fans occurred near to glacial–interglacial transitions. A relatively high degree of synchrony in major river incision events across the piedmont, despite disruption by several discrete structure zones with asychronous tectonic activities, supports the dominant control exerted by climatic conditions on alluvial deposition and terrace creation during the Quaternary across the north piedmont of the Chinese Tian Shan.

The rapid industrial development in the Yangtze River watershed over the last several decades has drawn great attention with respect to heavy metal pollution to the Yangtze River estuary and nearby coastal areas. In this study, a 236 cm long sediment core was retrieved from the Yangtze River subaqueous delta (122°36′ E, 31°00′ N) in 2008 and analyzed for magnetic properties and geochemical compositions to investigate heavy metal pollution history. The activity of 137 Cs peaked at depth 140 cm, with a broad plateau between 120 cm and 140 cm, suggesting an average sedimentation rate of 3.11 cm yr − 1 for the upper 140 cm layer. Magnetic susceptibility (χ), saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM), anhysteretic remanent magnetization (χ ARM ) and heavy metal enrichment factors (EF) all showed an upward increase trend above depth 140 cm, suggesting that increased ferrimagnetic mineral concentration was accompanied by heavy metal enrichment in the sediment. Geochemical and granolumetric analyses showed that sediment sources and particle sizes played minor roles in the variations of magnetic properties. The effect of diagenesis, which can lead to the selective removal of magnetic minerals, was noticeable in the lower part of the core (140–236 cm). Co-variation between magnetic properties (χ, SIRM and χ ARM ) and EF of Cu and Pb suggests that the elevated ferrimagnetic mineral concentration can be used as an indicator of heavy metal pollution in the reconstruction of environmental changes in estuarine and coastal settings.