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Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vascular disease complicated by coronary artery injury. Although polymorphisms in prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1 (

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vascular disease complicated by coronary artery injury. Although polymorphisms in prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1 ( PTGS1) are being increasingly explored in cardiovascular diseases, little is known regarding the connection between PTGS1 polymorphisms and KD risk. We evaluated 834 KD patients and 1474 healthy controls to explore the relationship between PTGS1 polymorphisms (rs1330344 and rs5788) and KD risk. Our results showed that the rs1330344 CC genotype was significantly associated with KD risk and coronary artery injury in children with KD. In combined analysis, individuals with 1-2 unfavorable genotypes had an increased risk of KD, compared with those with no risk genotype. Stratified analysis indicated that the rs1330344 CC genotype is strongly associated with increased risk of KD in children aged ≤60 months and females. Moreover, carrying 1-2 of these SNP genotypes had a higher risk of KD than those who harbored none of them in children ≤60 months of age and females; the risk of coronary artery dilatations/small aneurysms and medium/giant aneurysms was also significantly increased in KD patients. In summary, the PTGS1 rs1330344 CC genotype is associated with increased susceptibility to KD, which may contribute to KD pathogenesis and serve as a genetic biomarker.

Background and objective Biomarkers are important tools for prompt diagnosis of cancer. This study aimed to identify reliable biomarkers for clinical applications in the diagnosis of gastric cancer and lymph-node (LN) metastasis. Methods Between 1 December 2014 and 31 December 2015, we prospectively collected samples of gastric-cancer tissues, corresponding matched-pair normal gastric mucosa, and their peri-gastric metastatic and non-metastatic LNs to identify quantitatively reliable genes using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Relative quantity (RQ) was used to calculate the mRNA expression levels of our target genes. Statistics were calculated using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s multiple comparison test. Analytical graphs were plotted using GraphPad Prism. Results Of nine assessed genes, the mRNA levels of inhibin beta A (INHBA) and secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) were most consistently highly expressed in tumor tissues by 15.4- and 15.6-fold, respectively, as compared with normal tissues (P

Determination of TiOCl2 in refined TiCl4 was significant for analysis of its impurities. TiOCl2 could be determined by infrared spectroscopy due to its infrared characteristic spectrum line. However, normal infrared absorption cell was not fit for the sample analysis, because TiCl4 easily reacted with moisture in the air and immediately was hydrolyzed to form highly corrosive hydrochloric acid smoke. The infrared absorption cell with the window film of ZnSe ( Ф10×1mm, wavenumbers: 7800cm-1~440cm-1) and the glass cell (optical path: 22mm, 12mm, 7mm and 4mm) was assembled and utilized in determination of the TiOCl2 in refined TiCl4 by standard addition method. The detection limit of TiOCl2 was 26.5mg•kg-1, the regression equation was Y=1.0118X, R2=0.9926; With standard addition method, the regression equation of TiOCl2 was Y=1.9400X, R2=0.9940,This infrared absorption device was safe, simple and convenient, easily removable and washable, and re-useable. This method could meet the requirement of determination of TiOCl2 in refined TiCl4.

This paper addresses the function projective synchronization problem between 3-cell Quantum cellular neural network hyperchaotic system and 6th-order cellular neural network system in the presence of unknown system parameters. Quantum-CNN systems produce nanoscale chaotic controllers under certain conditions. Based on Lyapunov stability theory the adaptive control law and the parameter update law are proposed to make the states of the 3-cell Quantum-CNN hyperchaotic system and 6th-order cellular neural network system asymptotically synchronized. Numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed synchronization schemes.

According to the characteristics of Ad Hoc networks, distributed intrusion response mobile firewall system is designed based on mobile Agent. Surveillance agent monitors neighbors communication behavior, and reports to the control agent. Control agent is in charge of judging, and activates tracing agent and blocking agent. Defensive agent is set up in system to keep the firewall mobile features. Depending on semi-Markov process (SMP) theory, we have created a dynamic behavior model of the mobile firewall system and analyze the performance of network security.

Aiming at discovering effective biocontrol agents (BCAs) against grey mold on tomato caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers., we selected 819 bacterial isolates from the surface as well as the interior of the roots, stems, and leaves of tomato plants grown in B. cinerea-infested fields. In a dual-culture assay, 116 isolates (14.16%) showed antagonism against B. cinerea and fewer ones against five additional tomato-associated fungal pathogens – Pythium ultimum, Phytophthora capsici, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Ralstonia solanacearum. Thirty-one isolates with antagonism to B. cinerea and at least one of the five additional pathogens were assessed for their efficacy in controlling grey mold on tomato in a greenhouse test. Thirteen of them attained the efficacy over 50% and were subjected to the second greenhouse test, in which 12 isolates consistently accomplished the biocontrol efficacy over 50%, with isolates ABc28 and ABc22 achieving the efficacy of 66.71% and 64....

The content control of the impurities in refined TiCl₄ becomes the key part for the quality control of titanium material. Refined TiCl₄ is the key procedure in producing titanium sponge. Besides, the content of the impurities in titanium sponge and that of the impurities in refined TiCl₄ presents the 4-times enrichment relationship. Therefore, control the content of the oxygen, there is the need to analyze the source of oxygen impurities so that strict control can be conducted over the impurities of refined TiCl₄. Determination of TiOCl₂ in refined TiCl₄ was significant for analysis of its impurities. TiOCl₂ could be determined by infrared spectroscopy due to its infrared characteristic spectrum line. However, normal infrared absorption cell was not fit for the sample analysis, because TiCl₄ easily reacted with moisture in the air and immediately was hydrolyzed to form highly corrosive hydrochloric acid smoke. According to Lambert-Beer Law, which means the concentration (c(x)) and absorbance (A)-length (L) curve's slope have direct ratio. The infrared absorption cell with the window film of ZnSe (Φ10 x 1 mm, wavenumers: 7800-440 cm⁻¹) and the glass cell (optical path: 22, 12, 7 and 4 mm) was assembled and utilized in determination of the TiOCl₂ in refined TiCl₄ by standard addition method. The detection limit of TiOCl₂ was 17.8 mg · kg⁻¹, the regression equation was Y = 1.011 8X, R = 0.9963; With standard addition method, the regression equation of TiOCl₂ was Y = 1.940 0X, R = 0.997 0, it' s good in linearity relation, the TiOCl₂ content in refined TiCl₄ is determined to be 833.8 mg · kg⁻¹ and SD up to 40.0 mg · kg⁻¹. RSD of the method precision is between 0.95%-1.94%, while recovery rate is between 88.5%-93.1%. This infrared absorption device was safe, simple and convenient, easily removable and washable, and re-useable. The method could conduct the quantitative analysis over the TiOCl₂ content in refined TiCl₄ through adding standard sample for one time, it could meet the requirement of determination of TiOCl₂ in refined TiCl₄.

Purpose To evaluate whether the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) predicts survival in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) before and after transarterial chemoembolization treatment. Materials and Methods Clinical and laboratory data for 145 consecutive patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization for unresectable HCC during 2001–2004 were analyzed retrospectively. The NLR was recorded before and 3 days after treatment. Results The pretreatment mean NLR was 3.3; 59 (40.7%) patients had an elevated NLR (≥ 3.3). The median survival of patients with a high NLR was 8 months (range 1–28 months) compared with 12 months (range 2–41 months) for patients with a normal NLR; a significant difference was found in overall survival (log-rank test, P = .001). The NLR was increased in 127 (87.6%) patients after transarterial chemoembolization and was decreased in 18 patients; the increase indicated better outcomes (log-rank test, P = .006). Age (≥ 49 y), high NLR, decreased NLR after treatment, large tumor (≥ 5 cm), vascular invasion, and elevated serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) level all were predictors of poor survival. Multivariate analysis showed that a high NLR ( P = .041) and vascular invasion ( P = .040) were independent factors for predicting worse survival. Conclusions A high NLR independently predicts poor survival in patients with unresectable HCC undergoing transarterial chemoembolization treatment, and an increased NLR indicates a better outcome than a decreased NLR for patients after transarterial chemoembolization.

Optimization structure of cladding radius and grating periods of long-period fiber grating(LPFG) was proposed,in order to achieve a high sensitivity of sensing the refractive-index of the external medium.Based on the coupled-mode theory of the LPFG,a theoretical analyzation was carried out between the cladding radius and grating period,and surrounding refractive-index,respectively.Effects of the variation of the cladding radius and grating period on the refractive-index sensing were discussed.Both of these parameters were found to be equivalently important to control the refractive-index sensing.Optimizing parameters of the grating are Λ=380 μm and rcl=17 μm in order to achieve a good apply of the LPFG with resonance wavelength in the 1.55 μm common application region.Variation of external medium refractive-index from 1.26 to 1.38 was tested and the achieved refractive-index sensing sensitivity is 0.000 12.Optimization structure of the LPFG achieves a good result.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is naturally resistant to radiotherapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy, leaving surgery as the mainstream therapeutic approach. However, the 5-year recurrence rate after curative resection is as high as 61.5%. The background hepatitis B- or C-induced cirrhosis and the presence of micrometastases at the time of surgery have been regarded as two main causes of recurrence. Recently, accumulating evidence suggests that growth factors and cytokines released during the physiological process of post-surgical liver regeneration could induce the activation of dormant micrometastatic lesions. The establishment of neovasculature to support either liver regeneration or HCC growth involves multiple cell types including liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, hepatic stellate cells, and circulating endothelial progenitors. The crosstalks among these cells are driven by multiple molecules and signaling pathways, including vascular endothelial growth factors and their receptors, platelet-derived growth factor, the angiopoietin/Tie family, hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met signaling, and others. Anti-angiogenic agent targeting liver cancer vasculature has been reported to be able to generate limited survival benefit of the patients. In this review, discussions are focused on various angiogenic mechanisms of HCC and liver regeneration, as well as the prevailing anti-angiogenic strategies.

In order to simultaneously detect the multi-solute concentrations in mixed solution,system for measuring the multi-solute concentrations in mixed solution using optical Fiber Fabry-Perot Resonator(FFPR) is proposed.The relation between FFPR interference transmission wavelength and concentrations of the mixed solution is analyzed theoretically.The measuring system consists of an InGaAs LED,fiber coupler,FFPR sensor,opto-electrical convertor,amplifier and spectrometer.The analytical equation between concentrations and interference transmission wavelengths is standardized by measuring the samples contain ethanol and glycerin.The action script 2.0 is used as the programming language according to the mathematical relation.The real-time variation of the concentration change is monitored by the PC.

A real-time solution concentration monitor based on Fabry-Perot interferometer is designed.The concentration variation measurement is realized by the F-P interferometer and optical fiber to transmit the image to the CCD.The relation between the variation of interference fringes of the F-P interferometer and the fluctuation of solution concentration is analyzed.The monitor system consists of He-Ne laser,optical fiber,planar F-P interferometer,arrayed CCD and PC is set up.Three different glycerin solution are used to verify the system design,and the experiment shows the system can provide a resolution on the order of 10-4 concentration variation.

Whether percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) is as effective as repeat hepatectomy for recurrent small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the long-term remains unknown.We included 110 patients into this study. Each patient had fewer than three recurrent HCCs, with the largest tumor less than 5 cm in diameter. Sixty-six patients with 88 tumors were treated by PRFA and 44 patients with 55 tumors were treated by repeat hepatectomy.The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year overall survival rates after repeat hepatectomy and PRFA were 78.6%, 56.8%, 44.5%, 30.7%, and 27.6%, and 76.6%, 48.6%, 48.6%, 39.9%, and 39.9%, respectively (P = 0.79). The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year overall survival rates after the initial hepatectomy for the two groups were 95.4%, 79.1%, 65.0%, 50.4%, and 42.9%, and 98.5%, 85.0%, 70.8%, 58.7%, and 55.6%, respectively, (P = 0.18). Subgroup analyses showed that there was no significant difference between the overall survivals of the two groups of patients when the interval of tumor recurrence from the initial hepatectomy wasor=1 year (P = 0.74) or1 year (P = 0.69), and for recurrent tumoror=3 cm (P = 0.62) or3 cm (P = 0.57). Major complications happened significantly more often after repeat hepatectomy than PRFA (30 of 44 versus 2 of 66, P0.05). The interval of recurrence from the initial hepatectomy, the diameter of the recurrent tumor and the serum albumin level were significant prognostic factors for overall survival.PRFA was as effective as repeat hepatectomy in the treatment of recurrent small HCC. PRFA had the advantage over repeat hepatectomy in being less invasive.

Summary Aims This study aimed to determine the risk factors of survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA). Patients and methods Between August 1999 and May 2005, 281 patients (250 males and 31 females) who were 33–80 years old (mean 65.3 years) received PRFA only or PRFA in combination with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in our center. Patients were treated with PRFA or PEI by a percutaneous approach with ultrasound (US) guidance and were evaluated at regular intervals to determine disease recurrence and survival. The survival curves were constructed by the Kaplan–Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. The relative significance of the variables in the risk factors of overall survival was assessed by multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results At the end of the study, 189 patients were alive, and 92 were dead. Median survival was 48.7 months. The overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 89%, 54%, and 43%, respectively. The overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for small tumor (size ⩽3cm) were 97.8%, 65.7%, 58.6%, respectively, for medium tumor (size 3.1–5cm) 94.1%, 57.1%, 37.1%, respectively, and for large tumor (size >5cm) 62.8%, 40.3%, 0%, respectively. Survival of patients treated with PRFA was dependent on tumor size ( p p =0.003; RR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2–2.0), combination with PEI ( p =0.01; RR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4–0.9), Child-Pugh class ( p =0.002; RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3–3.0) and safety margin ( p =0.0026; RR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4–0.9). Conclusions PRFA is an effective treatment for HCC. This study showed after PRFA, tumor size, number of tumors, combination with PEI, safety margin, and Child-Pugh class were independent risk factors of survival.

Background/Aims: Most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) are associated with cirrhosis. The clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes of HCC present in non-cirrhotic livers are not well known in Chinese patients. This study was performed to explore the features of these patients and their outcomes after hepatectomy. Methods: 96 patients with histologically confirmed HCC in non-cirrhotic liver who underwent partial hepatectomy between 1995 and 2001 in our cancer center were reviewed. A retrospective analysis of the clinicopathologic features was performed, and survival of patients was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model. Results: Operative mortality and morbidity were none and 8.3% (8/96), respectively. Postoperative overall survival (OS) rates at 1, 3, 5 and 10 years were 84.4, 62.5, 47.9 and 38.2%, respectively, with a median OS of 57 months. Disease-free survival (DFS) rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 56.3, 39.6, and 33.3%, respectively, with a median DFS of 18 months. TNM stage was an independent prognostic factor for both OS and DFS of non-cirrhotic HCC. Operative blood loss was an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS of patients who received curative resection. Conclusion: Curative partial hepatectomy was an effective and safe treatment for non-cirrhotic HCC. Aggressive local therapies were recommended for patients with intrahepatic recurrence.

Macrophages are a major component of most solid tumours and can exert both anti- and pro-tumourigenic functions. Although the immunosuppressive/pro-tumour roles of macrophages have been widely examined, significantly less is known about macrophage subpopulations that have potential anti-tumour properties in humans. In the present study, a population of CD169(+) macrophages with relatively high expression levels of HLA-DR and CD86 was identified in human hepatocellular carcinoma tissues. The frequency of CD169-expressing macrophages within cancer nests was significantly lower than that found in paired non-tumour areas. In vitro experiments revealed that in the presence of anti-CD3 stimulation, CD169(+) macrophages could significantly enhance the proliferation, cytotoxicity, and cytokine production capacity of CD8(+) T cells in a CD169 molecule-dependent manner. Autocrine TGF-β produced by tumour-stimulated macrophages was involved in the down-regulation of CD169 expression on these cells. Moreover, the accumulation of CD169(+) macrophages in tumour tissues was negatively associated with disease progression and predicted favourable survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, which was in contrast to the trend observed for total CD68(+) macrophages. Therefore, CD169 might act as a co-stimulatory molecule for cytotoxic T-cell activation, and could define a population of tumour-infiltrating macrophages with potential anti-tumour properties in human hepatocellular carcinoma tissues. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John WileySons, Ltd.

Refined TiCl4 is the key procedure in producing titanium sponge. Besides, the content of carbon and oxygen (C and O) impurities in titanium sponge and that of C and O impurities in refined TiCl4 presents the 4-times enrichment relationship. Therefore, the content control of the C and O impurities in refined TiCl4 becomes the key part for the quality control of titanium material. In order to control the oxygen and carbon, there is the need to analyze the source of C and O impurities so that strict control can be conducted over the impurities of refined TiCl4. Determination of CO2 in refined TiCl4 was significant for analysis of its impurities. CO2 could be determined by infrared spectroscopy due to its infrared characteristic spectrum line. However, normal infrared absorption cell was not fit for the sample analysis, because TiCl4 easily reacted with moisture in the air and immediately was hydrolyzed to form highly corrosive hydrochloric acid smoke. According to Lambert-Beer Law, which means the concentration (c(ξ)) and absorbance(A) - length (L) curve's slope have direct ratio. The infrared absorption cell with the window film of ZnSe (φ10 mm x 1 mm, wavenumers: 7 800 -440 cm(-1)) and the glass cell (optical path: 42, 22, 12, 7 and 4 mm) was assembled and utilized in determination of the CO2 in refined TiCl4 by standard addition method. The detection limit of CO2 was 0.92 mg x kg(-1), the regression equation was Y = 0.031 1X, R = 0.997 2; With standard addition method, the regression equation of CO2 was Y = 0.131 7X, R = 0.998 6, it's good in linearity relation, the CO2 content in refined TiCl4 is determined to be 1.53 mg x kg(-1) and SD up to 0.04 x mg x kg(-1). RSD of the method precision is between 0.53%-1.27%, while recovery rate is between 89.2%-96.8%. This infrared absorption device was safe, simple and convenient, easily removable and washable, and re-useable. The method could conduct the quantitative analysis over the CO2 content in refined TiCl4 through adding standard sample for one time, it could meet the requirement of determination of CO2 in refined TiCl4.

The experiments of the shielded charge initiated by the high speed half- prefabricated steel fragment has been studied in this paper. The damage way of half- prefabricated steel fragment to the shielded charge is hit, burning or detonation action. And the damage effect is structure damage or function damage. The result shows that toward Comp. B explosive with 1.62g/cm3 dense behind 6mm Q235 steel and of φ 200 mm×100mm size, the fragment’s critical detonation speed is about 2 400~2 600m/s.

Macrophages (Mϕ) are prominent components of solid tumours and exhibit distinct phenotypes in different microenvironments. Previously, we found that tumours could alter the normal developmental process of Mϕ to trigger transient activation of monocytes in the peritumoural stroma of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we showed that a fraction of monocytes in the peritumoural stroma, but not in HCC cancer nests, expressed surface c-Met molecules. Monocytes exposed to tumours strongly expressed c-Met proteins with kinetics similar to their activation status, and significant correlations were found between c-Met levels and HLA-DR expression on tumour-infiltrating monocytes. NF-κB-mediated autocrine TNF-α stimulated the expression of c-Met on activated monocytes, and by interacting with its ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), c-Met increased the motility and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9-producing capacity of tumour-associated monocytes. The intensity of c-Met expression on tumour-infiltrating monocytes was associated with high mortality and reduced survival of patients with HCC. Therefore, the expression of c-Met on activated monocytes/Mϕ may represent a novel mechanism by which a tumour actively and precisely regulates the distribution and functions of these cells to facilitate disease progression.

Purpose: CD169 was first identified on macrophages (Mϕ) and linked to antigen presentation. Here, we showed CD169 expression on some CD8+ T lymphocytes in regional lymph nodes (LNs) and investigated the function and clinical relevance of CD169+CD8+ T cells in tumor-draining LNs of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Experimental design: Fresh tumor-draining LN tissues from 39 randomly enrolled patients were assessed by flow cytometry for activation and differentiation of CD169+CD8+ T cells and T cell-mediated killing of tumor cells. In total, 114 tumor-draining LN paraffin sections from CRC patients were analyzed by multiple-color immunofluorescence for CD169+CD8+ T cell distribution and clinical values. The prognostic significance of CD169+CD8+ T cells was evaluated by Kaplan–Meier analysis. Results: A fraction of CD8+ T cells in regional LNs, but not peripheral blood, tonsils, or tumors, expressed surface CD169. In situ detection of draining LNs revealed preferential localization of CD169+CD8+ T cells to subcapsular sinus and interfollicular regions, closely associated with CD169+ Mϕ. CD169+CD8+ T cell ratios were significantly lower in peri-tumor LNs than distant-tumor LNs. CD169+CD8+ T cells predominantly expressed activation markers (CD69, HLA-DR, PD-1) with slightly lower CD45RA and CD62L levels. They produced high granzyme B, perforin, TNF-α, and IFNγ levels, and promoted tumor-killing efficiency ex vitro. Moreover, CD169+CD8+ T cells infiltrating tumor-draining LNs decreased with disease progression and were strongly associated with CRC patient survival. Conclusions: We identified novel activated/cytolytic CD169+CD8+ T cells selectively present in regional LNs, potentially serving as a powerful prognostic factor and indicator for selecting patients for immunotherapy.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become an important treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The good candidates for RFA are patients with HCC at an early stage (solitary tumor ≤5 cm in diameter or ≤3 nodules ≤3 cm in diameter). Several clinical trials have shown that RFA is effective in resection for the treatment of small HCC. Until now, RFA has been widely used as a radical treatment for small HCC. RFA also plays an important role in the multidisciplinary treatment of HCC and is usually combined with other therapies such as resection, vascular intervention, intratumor ethanol injection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and biological immune therapy. In this study, we will introduce our experience of RFA in the treatment of HCC in a cancer center in China.

It has been shown that vitamin D deficiency increases an individual's susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB). However, very little is known about the effect of vitamin D on the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) in dendritic cells (DCs). Because DCs play an important role in TB infection, we investigated the phenotypic characteristics and functional capabilities of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) after stimulation with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in the presence or absence of 25(OH)D(3)(100 nM). Bone marrow cells from mice were cultured with GM-CSF (20 ng/ml) and were then treated with 25(OH)D(3) for 7 days. On day 6, 5 µg/ml of BCG (≥1.0×10(6) CFU/mg) was added to the cells for 24 hours, and on day 7, the non-adherent cells were harvested for phenotypic and functional analyses. After incubation with 25(OH)D(3), the expression levels of MHC-II and CD86 on the surface of the dendritic cells (DCs) and the ability of the DCs to stimulate proliferation of allogeneic mixed lymphocytes were lower than control cells (p

BACKGROUND/AIMS A high prevalence of serum IL-6 has been associated with the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in both animals and humans. However, it is not clear how the levels of serum IL-6 influence the prognosis of HCC patients. This study was carried out in order to attempt to answer this question. METHODOLOGY A total of 156 adults were selected and categorized into four groups: healthy subjects (n=18), those with tumor recurrence (n=26), those initially diagnosed with HCC (n=32), and those with HCC (n=80) who received curative resection between 2002 and 2004 with five years of follow-up. Serum IL-6 levels were determined in all subjects by the same ELISA method. RESULTS IL-6 was found in high levels in the serum of patients initially diagnosed with HCC (8.47±5.92, p

Background Although the incidence of osteoarticular tuberculosis is increasing, glenohumeral joint tuberculosis is rare and often misdiagnosed in its early stages. Our objective was to study the incidence of the initial misdiagnosis as frozen shoulder and the duration of the prediagnostic period among patients with glenohumeral joint tuberculosis. Methods The clinical records of 21 patients with tuberculosis of the shoulder joint were retrospectively analyzed. Results Among the 16 patients with glenohumeral joint tuberculosis, 14 (87.5%) were initially diagnosed as having frozen shoulder instead of glenohumeral joint tuberculosis at their primary care clinics. Two patients actually showed both shoulder pain and limited range of motion, although they did not have a record of initial diagnosis with frozen shoulder. Consequently, 14 (87.5%) of the patients in our study with glenohumeral joint tuberculosis were likely misdiagnosed as having frozen shoulder. On the other hand, this group accounted for 3.6% (n = 16) of 450 patients who, during the same period, had been initially diagnosed with frozen shoulder at our institution. The mean prediagnostic period to attain the final, correct diagnosis of glenohumeral joint tuberculosis for this group was 14.5 months. Conclusion It appears that misdiagnosis is common and early diagnosis of tubercular infection in the glenohumeral joint has become increasingly difficult. Glenohumeral joint tuberculosis should be suspected in cases of longstanding pain in the shoulder. It is necessary to re-examine these frozen shoulder patients with repeated plain radiographs followed by further imaging studies, especially magnetic resonance imaging, if conservative therapy fails.

Sr2 SiO4 : Eu2+ , Nd3+ was synthesized by solid state synthesis method, and the sensitization of Nd3+ near-infrared luminescence by Eu2+ was investigated. The characteristic near-infrared luminescence of Nd2+ in Sr2 SiO4 matrix was greatly enhanced by co-doping of Eu2+. The mechanism of energy transfer from Eu2+ to Nd3+ was analyzed through investigation of fluorescence excitation and emission spectra, and fluorescence lifetime. Excited Eu2+ (II) transfers energy effectively to Nd3+ through non-radiative energy transfer process in Sr2SiO4, resulting in greatly enhanced near-infrared luminescence of Nd3+, while sensitization of Nd3+ by Eu2+ (I) was achieved by the way of Eu2+ (II).

To compare the survival outcomes between hepatic resection and transarterial lipiodol chemoembolization (TACE) used as the initial treatment in patients with large (≥5 cm), multiple, and resectable hepatocellular carcinomas.This study had local ethical committee approval; all patients gave written informed consent. Between January 2004 and December 2006, 168 consecutive patients were prospectively studied. As an initial treatment, 85 patients underwent hepatic resection and 83 underwent TACE. Of the 29 of 83 patients in whom there was a good response to TACE, 13 underwent subsequent hepatic resection. The remaining 16 patients, who refused hepatic resection, underwent TACE and local ablation. Repeated TACE was performed in patients with stable disease or progressive disease after initial TACE. The differences in survival between groups and subgroups were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to clarify the prognostic factors for survival.The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates for the initial hepatic resection group and the initial TACE group were 70.6%, 35.3%, 23.9% and 67.2%, 26.0%, 18.9%, respectively (P = .26). Complication rates were significantly higher in the initial hepatic resection group than in the initial TACE group (P.01). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates in patients who underwent initial TACE and subsequent hepatic resection were 92.3%, 67.3%, and 50.5%, respectively, which were significantly higher than rates in patients treated with initial hepatic resection (P = .04) but were not significantly higher than in patients who responded well to TACE but refused hepatic resection (P = .07). Tumor size was the independent risk factor for survival.TACE might be a better initial treatment in patients with large, multiple, and resectable hepatocellular carcinomas; hepatic resection should be recommended to patients who respond well to TACE.

To explore the efficacy and determine the risk factors of survival for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) treated by percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA).From January 1999 to December 2008, 82 patients with recurrent HCC, with the diameter less than 7 cm for solitary tumor, or the largest tumor less than 5 cm for multiple tumors(the number of tumors less than 3), were treated by PRFA. The significance of 12 clinical or pathological variables in the risk factors of overall survival were assessed.The overall survival 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 75.8%, 43.9% and 34.5% (from the date of PRFA), and 95.1%, 63.2% and 46.6% (from initial hepatectomy), respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that tumor size before initial hepatectomy, recurrence interval from initial hepatectomy, number of recurrent tumors, diameter of largest recurrent tumor, serum glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and serum albumin (ALB) level were significant prognostic factors (P0.05, Kaplan-Meier Log-rank test). Multivariate analysis showed recurrence interval from initial hepatectomy, diameter of largest recurrence tumor, serum GGT and ALB level were significant prognostic (P0.05).PRFA is effective for recurrent HCC. Recurrence interval from initial hepatectomy, diameter of largest recurrent tumor, serum GGT and ALB level are significant prognostic factors.

Background and objective Single mode of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) often leads to limited ablation in the zone of necrosis. This study clarifies the efficacy of combining temperature- and power-controlled RFA for malignant liver tumors. Methods Between April 2008 and August 2008, 58 patients with malignant liver tumors received RFA at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. The patients were divided into 2 groups using a random number table: one group received combined temperature- and power-controlled RFA (the combination group), and the other group received power-controlled RFA alone (the control group). Results Three patients were lost to follow-up and 55 patients were included for evaluation. Twenty-five patients with 29 tumors were treated by the combination RFA, and 27 tumors (93.1%) achieved either complete response (CR) or partial response (PR). One patient had a seriously decreased heart rate. In the control group, 30 patients with 32 tumors received power-controlled RFA, and 29 tumors (90.6%) achieved CR or PR. There were no serious complications. There was no difference between the combination and control groups in treatment time ((13.3 +/- 1.3) min vs. (10.2 +/- 2.3) min, P = 0.459). The number of sessions of RFA for the combination group was less than that of control group (1.3 sessions vs. 2.4 sessions), but the difference was not significant (P = 0.579). Conclusion RFA controlling both temperature and power is effective and safe for patients with malignant liver tumors, and the number of sessions of RFA for the combination group was less than that of the control group.

To verify the accuracy of measurement of humeral head retroversion angle with multislice spiral computerized tomography (MSCT) volume rendering technique.Twenty cadaveric humeri, 9 left and 11 right, free from traumatic or degenerative disfigurement, were harvested from embalmed cadavers. Before all soft tissues were removed by sharp dissection these humeri were scanned with 16 slice spiral CT scanner (CT1 group); then underwent anatomical measurement (anatomical measuring group); and at last, these humeri with marked anatomic neck were scanned with 16 slice spiral CT scanner again (CT2 group). The measurement was done by 2 orthopedists independently so as to diminish the measuring error. The differences in the humeral head retroversion angle between the CT1 group and anatomical measuring group, and the CT2 group and anatomical measuring group were analyzed with paired-samples T test.It showed that the results have no significant difference among them. The difference in the average value of humeral head retroversion angle between the CT1 group and anatomical measuring group was 1.64 degrees, and that between the CT2 group and anatomical measuring group was 0.65 degrees.Simple, fast, and precise, and suitable for clinical application, MSCT volume rendering technique can be used preoperatively, thus helping to realize the idea of individualization of shoulder arthroplasty and shoulder prosthesis. Although this technique is easy to be influence by the subjective factors of the observers, increase of experience and rational measurement may minimize the measurement error.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) and combined with other minimally invasive treatments for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (RHCC) after hepatectomy.Eighty-four patients with RHCC after hepatectomy who were treated with PRFA or combined with other minimally invasive therapies between August 1999 and February 2008 were analyzed retrospectively.There was no treatment related mortality in the study population, and the morbidity was 2.4% (2/84). The complete ablation rate was 94.0% (79/84), and the 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 74.9%, 54.9% and 48.2%, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients with recurrent interval after hepatectomy less than 1 year and over 1 year were 72.1%, 36.2%, 24.2% and 76.8%, 70.6% and 65.1%, respectively (P = 0.040). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients with tumor sizeor= 3 cm and3 cm were 83.2%, 67.7%, 67.7% and 59.1%, 24.2%, 12.1%, respectively (P = 0.003). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients treated with PRFA alone and combined with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) were 66.7%, 33.3%, 22.2% and 76.5%, 57.3%, 57.3%, respectively (P = 0.017). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients treated with PRFA alone and combined with transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) were 55.6%, 24.7%, 24.7% and 81.6%, 66.0%, 57.5%, respectively (P = 0.001).PRFA is an effective and safe treatment for RHCC, and tumor size and recurrent interval after hepatectomy are important prognostic factors. Combination with PEI or TACE may improve the efficacy of PRFA for treatment of RHCC.

To investigate the clinical significance of the amount of regulatory T cells (Treg) in the peripheral blood CD4+ cells and tumor tissue in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).From January 1999 to December 2000, 63 HCC patients underwent radical resection in Sun Yatsen University Cancer Center. Tregs in those patients were detected in the samples of preoperative peripheral blood by flow cytometry and also in tissue samples of the resected tumors by immunohistochemistry. All patients had been followed up till Dec 30, 2005. The correlations of Treg amount in the peripheral blood CD4+ cells and tumor tissue with clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of HCC were analyzed.The proportion of Treg/CD4+ in the peripheral blood was significantly higher in the patients with HCC than that in those with HBsAg positive (P0.01) and in the normal controls (P0.01). The mean number of Treg in tumor tissue was (15.69 +/- 13.29)/mm2, but none or very few Treg was detected in the normal liver tissue, para-cancerous liver tissue, and HBV-infected liver tissue. The proportion of Treg/ CD4+ in the peripheral blood was significantly positively correlated with the number of Treg in tumor tissue (P = 0.024). The 5-year survival in patients with high amount of Treg in both peripheral blood and tumor tissue was significantly poorer than that in the patients with low amount of Treg (P = 0.042, 0.019). The 5-year disease-free survival rate was significantly lower in the patients with high amount of Treg in tumor tissue than that in the patients with lower amount (P = 0.001).Regulatory T cells in the circulatory blood and tumor tissue are increased in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The increased amount of regulatory T cells either in peripheral blood or in the tumor tissue is pertaining to poor prognosis. Detection of regulatory T cells both in the preoperative peripheral blood CD4+ cells and tumor tissue may be used as a potential immunological prognostic indicator for the hepatocellular carcinoma patients after radical resection.

The present study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes and prognostic factors of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing hepatectomy. From January 1983 to December 2006, 2,283 patients with HCC received hepatectomy in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. The clinicopathological data and treatment outcomes of 67 elderly HCC patients (elderly group, ≥70 years of age) and 268 patients (control group

To evaluate the adsorption and desorption of epirubicin (EADM) by carbon-coated iron nanocrystals (CCIN).EADM standard curve was generated. After thorough mixture of CCIN and EADM with sonication, the mixture solution was centrifuged at high speed to obtain dissociated EADM for evaluating the adsorption capacity of CCIN. A dialyzer was used to evaluate the desorption of drug-loaded CCIN particles in different media (PBS, normal saline, or distilled water), at different temperatures, and with different quantities of loaded drug.The adsorption of EADM by CCIN presented linear adsorption before saturation and saturation adsorption, with an adsorption saturation point of about 160 microg/mg. The desorption of EADM from CCIN particles was affected by such factors as the extraction media, temperature, and quantity of the loaded drug. Compared to distilled water, PBS and normal saline improved the release rate of EADM from the drug-loaded CCIN particles. Higher temperature also contributed to higher release rate of EADM. Higher release rate of EADM occurred after the CCIN particles adsorbed greater amount of EADM.CCIN shows an EADM adsorption pattern of Langmuir isotherm adsorption. Such factors as higher temperature, PBS solution, higher speed of medium replacement, and more drug adsorbed all contribute to a higher release rate of EADM.

Hepatectomy is considered as the potentially curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and used in some selected Stage IIIA HCC, which include multiple tumors more than 5 cm or tumor involving a major branch of the portal or hepatic vein(s) (UICC TNM staging system, sixth edition). Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) was used in retrospective studies to improve the survival outcome of resected HCC. However, its beneficial effect on the survival outcomes of the Stage IIIA patients has not been evaluated. The present study is to evaluate if hepatectomy combining with adjuvant TACE for Stage IIIA HCC result in better long-term survival outcome when compared with hepatectomy alone. From January 2001 to March 2004, we conducted a prospective randomized trial in patients with Stage IIIA HCC (NCT00652587), recruiting 115 Stage IIIA HCC patients to undergo hepatectomy with adjuvant TACE (HT arm) or to undergo hepatectomy alone (HA arm) in our cancer center. Survival outcomes of the two arms were analyzed. The demographic data were well matched between the two arms. There were no significant differences in the morbidity and in-hospital mortality between the two arms of patients. The most significant toxicities associated with adjuvant TACE were nausea/vomiting (54.4%) and transient hepatic toxicity (elevation of aminotransferase, 52.6%). Although there was no significant difference in the rate of recurrence between the two arms (50/57 vs. 56/58, P = 0.094), HT arm seemed to have more proportion of single lesion of recurrent HCC (χ 2 = 3.719, P = 0.054) and more proportion of potential curative therapy for recurrence (χ 2 = 4.456, P = 0.035). Until the time of censor, 92 patients had died. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates and median overall survival for HT arm were 80.7, 33.3, 22.8% and 23.0 months, respectively. The corresponding overall survival rates and median overall survival for HA arm were 56.5, 19.4, 17.5% and 14.0 months, respectively. The difference was significant (stratified log-rank test, P = 0.048). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival rates and median disease-free survival for HT arm were 29.7, 9.3, 9.3% and 6.0 months, respectively; correspondingly, for HA arm were 14.0, 3.5, 1.7% and 4.0 months, respectively (stratified log-rank test, P = 0.004). For Stage IIIA HCC, hepatectomy with adjuvant TACE efficaciously and safely improved survival outcomes when compared with hepatectomy alone.

To investigate the effect of vacuum-assisted closure (V. A. C.) technology in the treatment of infected wound of skin and soft tissue as a result of explosion injury in pig.Sixteen explosion wounds were established by electric detonators on the shoulders and hips on both sides of 4 small white domestic pigs ,and they were divided into A group [(without treatment and infection occurred on 1-2 post burn day (PBD), then treated with vaseline gauze on 3 (PBD)], and B group (with the same treatment as in A group, except for treatment of vacuum assisted closure (V. A. C) with pressure of - 15 kPa after 3 PBD). The data of wound depth, wound area, wound healing time were collected and analyzed at 3 PAD and 1, 3, 6, 9, 14, 19, 24 days after treatment. Specimens from wounds were collected for histopathology observation, including also cell proliferation index, the number of vascular endothelial cells, the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the number of bacteria.Compared with those in A group on land 3 days after treatment, wound area, wound depth were not enlarged or deepened in B group, while the number of inflammatory cells, vascular endothelial cells, proliferative cells were increased, the activity of MPO was enhanced and the number of bacteria was decreased. There were obvious differences between two groups in following indices: wound area ,wound depth, the number of vascular endothelial cells and bacteria during 1 to 19 days after treatment (P0.01)), the number of cell proliferation from 1 - 9 days after treatment (P0.01)), and the activity of MPO on 3, 6 days after treatment (P0. 01). The wound healing time was (32.8 +/- 1.6) d in A group, which was longer than that in B group (25.8 +/- 1.0 d, P0.01).Compared with conventional dressing change, V. A. C can decrease bacteria load, lessen secondary necrosis, prompt the inflammatory response, accelerate the formation of granulation tissue, shorten wound healing time in infectious wound of porcine skin and soft tissue resulted from explosion injury.