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Objective: To investigate the histopathologic, immunohistochemical, molecular genetic characteristics of CIC-rearranged sarcoma (CRS) with rhabdoid features. Methods: The clinical and pathologic data of two cases of CRS diagnosed between 2019 and 2021 at the Department of Pathology, Jiangsu Province Hospital were analyzed. Immunohistochemical study and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were performed. The relevant literature was reviewed. Results: Both patients were female, one was 58 years old, with tumor located in left thigh; the other was 43 years old, with tumor located in left pelvic cavity. Microscopically, both tumors were composed of small to medium-sized round, oval cells, arranged in nodules or sheets. The tumor cells showed irregular nuclear outline, coarse chromatin with prominent nucleoli and brisk mitotic activity. Both cases showed rhabdoid phenotype with myxoid stromal changes. Immunohistochemically, both cases were positive for CD99 and c-myc. High WT1 reactivity was seen in classic area, with low reactivity in rhabdoid area. There was no INI1 lost in both cases. Both were negative for NKX2.2 and NKX3.1. By FISH both cases demonstrated convincing break-apart signals of CIC gene. One patient died of disease after 1 month, and the other died of disease after 3 months. Conclusions: CRS is a small round cell undifferentiated sarcoma of the bone and soft tissue defined by molecular genetic characteristics, and may show atypical morphologic and immunophenotypic characteristics such as rhabdoid features. A correct understanding of its rare morphologic and immunophenotypic characteristics, combined with molecular pathologic detection, is conducive to correct diagnosis.

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, clinical manifestations and different diagnosis of patients with complicated lymphatic anomaly. Methods: The clinical and pathologic data of four patients with complicated lymphatic anomaly diagnosed and treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2000 to December 2021 were collected and analyzed. Results: One Gorham-Stout disease case and three generalized lymphatic anomaly cases were included in this cohort. Patients' ages ranged from 7 to 32 years. There were three males and one female. The positions of biopsy included three bone biopsy and one bronchus biopsy. Microscopically, all cases showed diffuse enlarged lymphatic channels. At the same time, osteogenesis was obvious in Gorham-Stout disease case. Radiologically, cortical loss was seen in Gorham-Stout disease, and lytic bone confined to the medullary cavity presented in generalized lymphatic anomaly. The three generalized lymphatic anomaly cases also had coagulopathy, and two had effusion. Conclusions: The histologic feature of complicated lymphatic anomaly was diffuse lymphatic malformation, and the diagnosis depends on clinical and pathologic information. The treatment and prognosis of these diseases are different, and therefore it is necessary to understand their clinical and pathologic features and make the correct diagnosis.

Objective: The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene is a master regulator in cellular DNA damage response. The dysregulation of ATM expression is frequent in breast cancer, and is known to be involved in the carcinogenesis and prognosis of cancer. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The bioinformatic analysis predicted a potential antisense transcript ATM-antisense (AS) from the opposite strand of the ATM gene. The purpose of this study was to identify ATM-AS and investigate the possible effect of ATM-AS on the ATM gene regulation., Methods: Single strand-specific RT-PCR was performed to verify the predicted antisense transcript ATM-AS within the ATM gene locus. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression levels of ATM-AS and ATM in normal and breast cancer cell lines as well as in tissue samples. Luciferase reporter gene assays, biological mass spectrometry, ChIP-qPCR and RIP were used to explore the function of ATM-AS in regulating the ATM expression. Immunofluorescence and host-cell reactivation (HCR) assay were performed to evaluate the biological significance of ATM-AS in ATM-mediated DNA damage repair. Breast cancer tissue samples were used for evaluating the correlation of the ATM-AS level with the ATM expression as well as prognosis of the patients., Results: The ATM-AS significantly upregulated the ATM gene activity by recruiting KAT5 histone acetyltransferase to the gene promoter. The reduced ATM-AS level led to the abnormal downregulation of ATM expression, and impaired the ATM-mediated DNA damage repair in normal breast cells in vitro. The ATM-AS level was positively correlated with the ATM expression in the examined breast cancer tissue samples, and the patient prognosis., Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that ATM-AS, an antisense transcript located within the ATM gene body, is an essential positive regulator of ATM expression, and functions by mediating the binding of KAT5 to the ATM promoter. These findings uncover the novel mechanism underlying the dysregulation of the ATM gene in breast cancer, and enrich our understanding of how an antisense transcript regulates its host gene., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a clonal histiocytic neoplasm with various clinical manifestations and heterogeneous prognoses. No standard therapy is available for recurrent/refractory LCH patients. This single-center, single-arm, phase 2 study enrolled 32 patients diagnosed with recurrent/refractory LCH. The TCD regimen (thalidomide 100 mg daily, cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m 2 Day 1, 8, 15, and dexamethasone 40 mg Day 1, 8, 15, 22 every 4 weeks) was administered for 12 cycles and thalidomide alone as maintenance for 12 months. The primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS). Events were defined as progression during or after TCD therapy or death from any cause. After a median follow-up of 22 months (range 5-24 months), no patient died of all causes. The overall response rate was 87.5%, including 18 patients (56.3%) achieving complete remission and 10 patients (31.3%) as partial remission. The estimated 24-month EFS was 64.0%. Patients with risk organ involvement had similar EFS compared to patients without risk organ involvement (P = 0.38). The common toxicities of TCD regimen include grade 1-2 neutropenia (18.8%), grade 1-2 constipation (12.5%), grade 1-2 tiredness (9.4%) and grade 2 peripheral neuropathy (12.5%). Oral thalidomide, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone are effective and safe regimen for recurrent/refractory LCH patients, particularly for patients with risk organ involvement., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Objective: Previous studies have shown the correlations between serum ferritin and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or diabetes. However, this relationship remains unclear in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with NAFLD. Therefore, this study aimed to elaborate the relationship between serum ferritin levels and NAFLD in middle-aged and older patients with T2DM and further explored the biomarkers for NAFLD in T2DM., Methods: A total of 805 middle-aged and older patients with T2DM were divided into NAFLD and non-NAFLD groups, and their serum ferritin levels were compared. Next, NAFLD group were divided into five subgroups according to the quintile levels of serum ferritin, and the differences in the constituent ratios of NAFLD were analyzed. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for NAFLD in patients with T2DM., Results: The serum ferritin levels were significantly higher in T2DM patients with NAFLD (168.47 (103.78, 248.00) ng/mL) than in the non-NAFLD patients (121.19 (76.97, 208.39) ng/mL). The constituent ratios of NAFLD were significantly higher in the F5 and F4 groups than in the F2 or F1 groups (22.70 and 22.70% vs. 15.90 and 16.90%, respectively; P < 0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that serum ferritin (P = 0.001) was an independent risk factor for NAFLD in patients with T2DM., Conclusions: Serum ferritin levels were significantly increased in T2DM with NAFLD, and the constituent ratios of NAFLD increased gradually along with the increased levels of serum ferritin. Thus, serum ferritin is an independent risk factor for NAFLD in patients with T2DM.

Objective To investigate the expression of Cripto-1 in pancreatic cancer and to analyze its clinical significance. Methods Cripto-1 expression in normal pancreas,pancreatic cancer and adjacent non-tumor tissues,chronic pancreatitis tissues and other related tissues was evaluated using immunohistochemistry.The association of Cripto-1 expression with the clinicopathological characteristics and the prognostic value of Cripto-1 in patients with pancreatic cancer were analyzed. Results The expression of Cripto-1 was higher in chronic pancreatitis tissues,pancreatic cancer and its metastases than in normal pancreas(P=0.019,P=0.025,and P=0.018,respectively).Cripto-1 overexpression was correlated with poorly differentiated pancreatic cancer.The patients with Cripto-1 upregulation had shorter median survival time(8 months vs.16 months,χ 2 =4.787,P=0.029).However,multivariate analysis failed to demonstrate overexpression of Cripto-1 an independent prognostic indicator in patients with pancreatic cancer(HR=1.341,95% CI=0.800-2.248,P=0.266).Conclusions Cripto-1 may play an important role in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer.It can be a potential prognostic biomarker for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Although animal protein is usually considered to be a more potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis than plant protein, the effect of protein source on lean mass and muscle strength needs to be systematically reviewed. This study aimed to examine potential differences in the effect of animal vs. plant protein on lean mass and muscle strength, and the possible influence of resistance exercise training (RET) and age. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Embase, Scopus and CINAHL Plus with Full Text, and 3081 articles were screened. A total of 18 articles were selected for systematic review, of which, 16 were used for meta-analysis. Total protein intakes were generally above the recommended dietary allowance at the baseline and end of intervention. Results from the meta-analyses demonstrated that protein source did not affect changes in absolute lean mass or muscle strength. However, there was a favoring effect of animal protein on percent lean mass. RET had no influence on the results, while younger adults (<50 years) were found to gain absolute and percent lean mass with animal protein intake (weighted mean difference (WMD), 0.41 kg; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08 to 0.74; WMD 0.50%; 95% CI 0.00 to 1.01). Collectively, animal protein tends to be more beneficial for lean mass than plant protein, especially in younger adults.

Objective: To evaluate the concordance of PD-L1 expression in various tissues using antibodies 28-8 and SP263 on their respective detection platforms. Methods: Three hundred seventy four specimens of surgical resection of pulmonary diseases in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 1, 2012 to January 31, 2017 were collected. Totally 374 cases were tested for PD-L1 expression using the two antibodies, 28-8 and SP263, by respective detection platforms (Dako and Ventana). Finally, 336 cases were used for further evaluation, and the results were statistically analyzed for concordance. Results: For non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), the positive rate of PD-L1 was 57.5% (177/308) using SP263, and 57.5% (177/308) using 28-8 antibody. The correlation coefficient was 0.97 ( P< 0.01). The positive rate of both benign lung diseases and paracancerous tissues was about 10.7% (3/28), and the positive concordance rate was 100.0%. The distribution of both antibodies was also relatively consistent. Conclusions: The expression levels of 28-8 and SP263 antibodies in NSCLC and other tissues are relatively consistent, suggesting both antibodies may be complementary and substitute for each other, which may be useful in guiding clinical management.

Background: Chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS) is an inflammatory disorder in the central nervous system (CNS) with distinct clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics. The pathophysiology of CLIPPERS still remains unclear. Because a few cases about lymphoma mimicking the manifestations of CLIPPERS were reported and the prognosis of lymphoma is much worse, early identification of lymphoma is very important., Case Presentation: A 31-year-old woman was admitted with 3 months' history of diplopia, dizziness, gait ataxia, and right facial numbness. The diagnosis of CLIPPERS was established based on the finding of punctate enhancing lesions in the cerebellum, thalamus, pons, medulla, and midbrain region in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), together with the favorable clinical and radiological responses to corticosteroids. However, she was diagnosed as peripheral T cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) by the pulmonary nodular and the skin biopsy almost 10 years later, and she got complete remission within 1 year after chemotherapy., Conclusion: We report the first case of CLIPPERS developing PTCL-NOS. This case proposes that when brain biopsy was difficult to achieve, biopsies in extra-cerebral lesions under the assisting examination of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) can be helpful in further identification.

In this report, we studied the effects of isovalent Na-doping on the recently discovered quasi-one-dimensional Cr-based unconventional superconductor K 2 Cr 3 As 3 . A series of polycrystalline samples with nominal component (K 1-x Na x ) 2 Cr 3 As 3 (x  =  0-1) were synthesized by the solid state reaction method. From crystal structure and chemical phase characterizations, we found two distinct chemical phases with the same hexagonal structure but distinguished by different site occupancy of Na + ions at the two kinds of K-site in the K 2 Cr 3 As 3 lattice structure. When x  ⩽  0.4, the doped samples form a continuous sosoloid phase of (K 1-x Na x ) 2 Cr 3 As 3 with the Na + ions randomly doping at the K-sites (denoted as α-phase); when x  ⩾  0.5, a novel individual phase of (K 0.25 Na 0.75 ) 2 Cr 3 As 3 emerges, in which the Na + ions selectively occupy all the '3k' sites and the K + ions occupy the '1c' sites (denoted as β-phase). No chemical phase of Na 2 Cr 3 As 3 was detected. Superconductivity in these samples was studied by electrical transport and magnetic susceptibility measurements, and it evolves in a much sophisticated manner. In the α-phase, the superconducting T c decreases quickly upon Na-doping. All these α-phase samples have surprisingly low superconducting volume fraction and relatively low T c compared with the undoped K 2 Cr 3 As 3 . However, the β-phase has a clearly enhanced T c up to 7.6 K which locates between the values of K 2 Cr 3 As 3 and Na 2 Cr 3 As 3 , and exhibits a full superconducting shielding signal.

A quaternary compound Bi 3 O 2 S 2 Cl, which consists of novel [BiS 2 Cl] 2- layers, is reported. It adopts a layered structure of the space group I4/ mmm (No. 139) with lattice parameters: a = 3.927(1) Å, c = 21.720(5) Å. In this compound, bismuth and chlorine atoms form an infinite planar layer, which is unique among the bismuth halides. Superconductivity is observed in both polycrystals and single crystals, and is significantly enhanced in the samples prepared with less sulfur or at higher temperatures. By tuning the content of sulfur, Bi 3 O 2 S 2 Cl can be converted from a semiconductor into a superconductor. The superconducting critical temperature ranges from 2.6 to 3.5 K. Our discovery of the [BiS 2 Cl] 2- layer opens another door in searching for the bismuth compounds with novel physical properties.

As the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) region responds to a warmer climate, the impacts of glacial meltwater on the Southern Ocean are expected to intensify. The Antarctic Peninsula fjord system offers an ideal system to understand meltwater's properties, providing an extreme in the meltwater's spatial gradient from the glacio-marine boundary to the WAP continental shelf. Glacial meltwater discharge in Arctic and Greenland fjords is typically characterized as relatively lower temperature, fresh and with high turbidity. During two cruises conducted in December 2015 and April 2016 in Andvord Bay, we found a water lens of low salinity and low temperature along the glacio-marine interface. Oxygen isotope ratios identified this water lens as a mixture of glacial ice and deep water in Gerlache Strait suggesting this is glacial meltwater. Conventional hydrographic measurements were combined with optical properties to effectively quantify its spatial extent. Fine suspended sediments associated with meltwater (nanoparticles of ~ 5nm) had a significant impact on the underwater light field and enabled the detection of meltwater characteristics and spatial distribution. In this study, we illustrate that glacial meltwater in Andvord Bay alters the inherent and apparent optical properties of the water column, and develop statistical models to predict the meltwater content from hydrographic and optical measurements. The predicted meltwater fraction is in good agreement with in-situ values. These models offer a potential for remote sensing and high-resolution detection of glacial meltwater in Antarctic waters. Furthermore, the possible influence of meltwater on phytoplankton abundance in the surface is highlighted; a significant correlation is found between meltwater fraction and chlorophyll concentration., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Here we report the discovery of the first ternary molybdenum pnictide based superconductor K 2 Mo 3 As 3 . Polycrystalline samples were synthesized by the conventional solid state reaction method. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals a quasi-one-dimensional hexagonal crystal structure with (Mo 3 As 3 ) 2- linear chains separated by K + ions, similar as previously reported K 2 Cr 3 As 3 , with the space group of P-6m2 (No. 187) and the refined lattice parameters a = 10.145(5) Å and c = 4.453(8) Å. Electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity measurements exhibit bulk superconductivity with the onset T c at 10.4 K in K 2 Mo 3 As 3 which is higher than the isostructural Cr-based superconductors. Being the same group VIB transition elements and with similar structural motifs, these Cr and Mo based superconductors may share some common underlying origins for the occurrence of superconductivity and need more investigations to uncover the electron pairing within a quasi-one-dimensional chain structure., (Copyright © 2018 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between PD-L1 expression and the clinicopathologic features and prognosis in triple-negative breast carcinomas (TNBC). Methods: All 142 cases of TNBC were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from February 2011 to December 2014, and the surgical excision or biopsy specimens from patients without chemotherapy and radiotherapy were included. Histopathologic analysis of stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (sTIL) was performed on HE sections, and PD-L1 immunohistochemical staining was done with MaxVision. Results: The PD-L1 expression rate was 34.5% (49/142) in tumor cells, and was 62.0% (88/142) in sTIL. The PD-L1 expression in tumor cells was positively correlated with tumor size ( r =0.181, P =0.031), Ki-67 index ( r =0.211, P =0.012), sTIL ( r =0.380, P <0.01) and PD-L1 expression in sTIL ( r =0.447, P <0.01). The PD-L1 expression in sTIL was positively correlated with tumor grade ( r =0.215, P =0.01), Ki-67 index ( r =0.253, P =0.002) and sTIL ( r =0.370, P <0.01). The high stromal CD8(+) /FOXP3(+) ratio was significantly associated with improved overall survival (χ(2)=4.186, P =0.041). The high percentage of sTIL was significantly associated with improved overall survival (χ(2)=12.427, P <0.01) and progression-free survival (χ(2)=4.057, P =0.044). Conclusions: In TNBC, PD-L1 expression is positively correlated with Ki-67 and sTIL; the stromal CD8(+) /FOXP3(+) ratio and sTIL are significantly associated with prognosis. The PD-L1 expression, stromal CD8(+) /FOXP3(+) ratio and sTIL are biologically important in TNBC, and all these correlative factors are important potential parameters in assessing immunotherapy for TNBC.

Aliskiren is a direct renin inhibitor that has been effective in anti-hypertension. We investigated whether aliskiren could improve the ischemia-induced cardiac injury and whether the autophagy was involved in this effect. A myocardial infarction (MI) model was created by the ligation of the left anterior coronary artery in C57J/BL6 mice. They were treated for 1, 3, 7, and 14 days with vehicle or aliskiren (25 mg/kg/day via subcutaneous injection). In vivo , the MI mice exhibited worse cardiac function by echocardiographic assessment and showed larger myocardial scarring by light microscopy, whereas aliskiren treatment reversed these effects, which were also associated with the changes in caspase-3 and Bcl-2 expression as well as in the number of apoptotic cells. Aliskiren increased autophagy, as demonstrated by LC3B-II expression and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, H9c2 cardiomyocytes were employed as an in vitro model to examine the effects of aliskiren on apoptosis and autophagy under oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced injury. Aliskiren significantly increased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. The beneficial effects of aliskiren were associated with decreased apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential as well as increased autophagy via increased autophagosome formation. We also found that aliskiren-induced cardiomyocyte survival occurred via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent autophagy. Taken together, these results indicated that aliskiren increased cardiomyocyte survival through increased autophagosomal formation and decreased apoptosis and necrosis via modulating AMPK expression. AMPK-dependent autophagy may represent a novel mechanism for aliskiren in ischemic cardiac disease therapy.

We report the discovery and characterization of a novel 112-type iron pnictide EuFeAs 2 , with La-doping induced superconductivity in a series of Eu 1- x La x FeAs 2 . The polycrystalline samples were synthesized through solid state reaction method only within a very narrow temperature window around 1073K. Small single crystals were also grown from a flux method with the size about 100μm. The crystal structure was identified by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis as a monoclinic structure with space group of P2 1 /m. From resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements, we found that the parent compound EuFeAs 2 shows distinct anomalies probably due to the Fe 2+ related antiferromagnetic/structural phase transition near 110K and the Eu 2+ related antiferromagnetic phase transition near 40K. La-doping suppressed both phase transitions to lower temperatures and induced superconducting transitions with a T c ∼11K for Eu 0.85 La 0.15 FeAs 2 ., (Copyright © 2017 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) was found to regulate biological behaviors in some cancers, including pancreatic cancer (PC). However, its clinicopathologic and prognostic implications in cancer remain unclear. This study was designed to address the issues in PC. Expression of GRK2 was measured by Western blotting and tissue microarray-based immunohistochemical staining in 3 and 171 patients with PC, respectively. The H-score was used to evaluate the staining results. In addition, GRK2 expression was correlated with clinicopathologic variables and overall survival. Finally, the prognostic value of GRK2 was validated in a publically available PC dataset, GSE21501. It was suggested that GRK2 expression was highly up-regulated in 2 out of 3 tumor samples, in contrast to corresponding non-tumor ones. Furthermore, H-score of GRK2 staining was significantly higher in tumor than in non-tumor tissues. Tumoral expression of GRK2 was significantly associated with T stage. Univariate analysis showed that high GRK2 expression in tumor tissues was predictive for poor overall survival of PC. However, GRK2 expression was not identified as an independent prognostic marker in multivariate Cox regression test, although close to the statistical significance. In dataset GSE21501, GRK2 was also revealed to be prognostic. Our data establish that GRK2 is overexpressed in PC, and might serve as a potential indicator of unfavorable prognosis., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and CD8 or FOXP3 positive lymphocytes in triple-negative breast carcinoma., Methods: A total of 160 triple-negative breast carcinomas were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University during 2012 to 2014. All were surgical excision or biopsy specimens from patients without prior chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Histopathologic analysis of stromal TIL was performed on hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections, and MaxVision immunohistochemical method was used for detection of CD8 and FOXP3 protein expression., Results: Stromal TILs were positively correlated with Ki-67 labeling index (P=0.002). The density of CD8(+) cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) was negatively correlated with tumor size (P=0.009), and positively correlated with Ki-67 index (P=0.021). The density of FOXP3(+) regulatory T-lymphocyte (Treg) was inversely correlated with the patient age (P=0.030), and positively correlated with histological grade (P=0.026). Stromal TILs were positively correlated with the density of CD8(+) CTL (P=0.014)., Conclusions: The percentage of stromal TILs and density of CD8(+) CTL are associated with tumor cell proliferation of triple-negative breast cancers. The density of FOXP3(+) Treg is significantly associated with poor prognosis. Stromal TIL is positively correlated with the density of CD8(+) CTL. Stromal TIL may provide a potential marker for pathological diagnosis and a target for guiding adjuvant therapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancers.

Objective: To study the expression of Skp2 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and its precancerous lesions, and to investigate its relationship with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection., Methods: The expression of Skp2 protein and HPV16/18 DNA was determined using immunohistochemistry and in-situ hybridization in 30 cases of normal cervical squamous epithelium, 29 cases of low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, 31 cases of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and 31 cases of cervical SCC., Results: Skp2 expression was not detected in normal cervical squamous epithelium and no significant difference was obtained statistically on Skp2 expression between normal cervical squamous epithelium and low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (P > 0.05). However, the expression of Skp2 gradually increased with elevation of epithelial lesion grading in an order from low to high grade and to cervical SCC (P < 0.01). The positive rate of HPV16/18 DNA in cases of normal cervical squamous epithelium, low-grade, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical SCC was significantly different (P < 0.01), although both high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical SCC had a similar high HPV infection rate up to 96.8%. There was no correlation obtained between Skp2 expression and HPV16/18 infection in low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia. In contrast, expression of Skp2 and HPV infection were significantly correlated in both high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical SCC (gammaH = 0.373, gammaC = 0.416, P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Abnormal expression of Skp2 is present mainly in high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive carcinoma, which may be considered as a surrogate marker for the high-grade lesions. Skp2 may play a key role in the development of cervical squamous carcinoma induced by HPV16/18 infection, through E7-Skp2-Rb signaling pathway.

In the present study, a novel hybrid sorbent ZrP-001 was prepared by loading zirconium phosphate (ZrP) onto a strongly acidic cation exchanger D-001. Sorption behavior of Pb(2+), Zn(2+), and Cd(2+) onto ZrP-001 was experimentally examined by comparing with the host exchanger D-001. ZrP-001 was characterized by scanning electron micrograph (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), pH-titration and pore size distribution analysis. Sorption of the heavy metals onto ZrP-001 was found to be pH-dependent due to the ion exchange mechanism. Compared to D-001, a smaller pore size of ZrP-001 due to the ZrP dispersion consequently resulted in a lower sorption rate. Competitive effect of Ca(2+) on sorption of heavy metals onto ZrP-001 and D-001 was compared to elucidate sorption preference of the hybrid sorbent towards heavy metals. More favorable sorption of ZrP-001 than D-001 was observed for all the three metals and their sorption preference onto ZrP-001 followed the order Pb(2+)>>Zn(2+) approximately Cd(2+). Fixed-bed sorption results and its efficient regeneration property further demonstrated that ZrP-001 is a potential candidate for removing heavy metals from contaminated water.

Zirconium phosphate (ZrP) has recently been demonstrated as an excellent sorbent for heavy metals due to its high selectivity, high thermal stability, and absolute insolubility in water. However, it cannot be readily adopted in fixed beds or any other flowthrough system due to the excessive pressure drop and poor mechanical strength resulting from its fine submicrometer particle sizes. In the present study a hybrid sorbent, i.e., polymer-supported ZrP, was prepared by dispersing ZrP within a strongly acidic cation exchanger D-001 and used for enhanced lead removal from contaminated waters. D-001 was selected as a host material for sorbent preparation mainly because of the Donnan membrane effect resulting from the nondiffusible negatively charged sulfonic acid group on the exchanger surface, which would enhance permeation of the targeted metal ions. The hybrid sorbent (hereafter denoted ZrP-001) was characterized using a nitrogen adsorption technique, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Lead sorption onto ZrP-001 was found to be pH dependent due to the ion-exchange mechanism, and its sorption kinetics onto ZrP-001 followed the pseudo-first-order model. Compared to D-001, ZrP-001 exhibited more favorable lead sorption particularly in terms of high selectivity, as indicated by its substantially larger distribution coefficients when other competing cations Na(+), Ca(2+), and Mg(2+) coexisted at a high level in solution. Fixed-bed column runs showed that lead sorption on ZrP-001 resulted in a conspicuous decrease of this toxic metal from 40 mg/L to below 0.05 mg/L. By comparison with D-001 and ZrP-CP (ZrP dispersion within a neutrally charged polymer CP), enhanced removal efficiency of ZrP-001 resulted from the Donnan membrane effect of the host material D-001. Moreover, its feasible regeneration by diluted acid solution and negligible ZrP loss during operation also helps ZrP-001 to be a potential candidate for lead removal from water. Thus, all the results suggested that ZrP-001 offers excellent potential for lead removal from contaminated water.

The adsorption equilibria of phenol and aniline on nonpolar polymer adsorbents (NDA-100, XAD-4, NDA-16 and NDA-1800) were investigated in single- and binary-solute adsorption systems at 313 K. The results showed that all the adsorption isotherms of phenol and aniline on these adsorbents can be well fitted by Freundlich and Langmuir equations, and the experimental uptake of phenol and aniline in all binary-component systems is obviously higher than predicted by the extended Langmuir model, arising presumably from the synergistic effect caused by the laterally acid-base interaction between the adsorbed phenol and aniline molecules. A new model (MELM) was developed to quantitatively describe the synergistic adsorption behavior of phenol/aniline equimolar mixtures in the binary-solute systems and showed a marked improvement in correlating the binary-solute adsorption of phenol and aniline by comparison with the widely used extended Langmuir model. The newly developed model confirms that the synergistic coefficient of one adsorbate is linearly correlated with the adsorbed amount of the other, and the larger average pore size of adsorbent results in the greater synergistic effect of phenol/aniline equimolar mixtures adsorption.

Removal of many organic pollutants including phenolic compounds from industrial wastewater can always be achieved by fixed-bed adsorption onto the polymeric resin adsorbent, and the relevant breakthrough curves would provide much valuable information to help to design a fixed-bed adsorption process in field application. In the present study, a model developed based on the constant-pattern wave approach theory and the Freundlich model was adopted to describe the breakthrough curves of phenol and p-nitrophenol adsorption onto a macroreticular resin adsorbent NDA-100 from aqueous solution. Column experiments were performed at different conditions to verify the model and the results proved that the model would describe the breakthrough curves well. Effect of the operation parameters on breakthrough curves was also discussed to get helpful information in choosing the adsorption process.

Adsorption of phenolic compounds from aqueous solution to a macroporous polymeric adsorbent (CHA-111), its animated derivative (MCH-111) and a reference weakly anion exchanger (ND-900) was studied. Experimental results indicated that amino functional groups on the polymeric matrix play an important role in phenol adsorption by MCH-111 and ND-900, which was attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonding between the phenol molecule and the amino group on the polymeric matrix. The semi-empirical Freundlich isotherm equation and its reduced form were employed to interpret the adsorption behavior. A site energy distribution model based on the Polanyi adsorption potential theory can elucidate the adsorption mechanism reasonably.

Objective: To realize the anatomical characteristics of laparoscopic rectum surgery and its clinical significance., Methods: 117 cases with benign and malignant diseases of rectum were operated by laparoscopic methods. The anatomy closely related with operation was analyzed., Results: The median operative time were 144 min. 4 cases were converted to open operations, so the converted rate was 1.7%. The blood loss in operation was rather little with an average of 126 ml. No instant or delayed injury of ureters, large bleeding in front of sacrum and other operation-related severe complications happened intra- and after operation. Dissecting only in one case disrupted the anterior-left wall of rectum., Conclusion: Laparoscopic rectal surgery is clinically feasible. Mastering the anatomical characteristics of laparoscopic rectum surgery can make us reduce the operative mistakes and complications.

Objective: To study the relationship between cadmium pollution and its adverse effects on female reproductive health status in people living in cadmium polluted area in Zhenghe, Fujian provinces., Methods: Data through laboratory studies on reproductive health of female residents in Cd-pollution area were studied and compared with those in control areas in Zhenghe., Results: Both prevalence rates of abnormal menstrual cycle and dysmenorrhea in unmarried women in Cd-pollution area (19.1% vs. 42.6%) were significantly higher than those in control area (5.7% vs. 18.9%) and the rates of sterility in married women in Cd-pollution area (6.3%) were significantly higher than those in control area (1.1%). During the first two pregnancies, rates of queasiness, disgorgement, spontaneous abortion and stillbirth in married women in polluted area were 44.7%, 31.7%, 10.27% and 4.23%, significantly higher than those 26.5%, 17.8%, 2.85% and 1.05% in control area, with significant differences (P < 0.05). Results from cumulative odds model analysis showed that: living in Cd-pollution area was a possible risk factor related to female reproductive health (OR = 2.072), after the other risk factors being under control., Conclusion: The female reproductive health status of people residing in the cadmium polluted area had already been deteriorated.

We conducted a case-control study in an industrial city in Taiwan to determine whether parents of newly diagnosed patients who were younger than 30 years old with leukemia or brain tumors or the patients themselves were more likely to have been employed in certain occupations or industries. Job histories were collected for parents (and for subjects if they worked) on 103 newly diagnosed cases of leukemia, 74 newly diagnosed cases of brain tumors, and 417 controls matched for age and sex. All jobs since the age of 16 that the subjects held for more than 6 months, a total of approximately 4,000 jobs, were coded for occupation and industry according the standard four-digit system used in Taiwan. Matched-pair analyses were performed comparing cases and controls among all jobs held by subjects and both parents using four-digit occupation and industry codes. Separate analyses also were performed for parental jobs held during the preconception, perinatal, and postnatal periods. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for subject smoking, parental smoking, and exposure to medical radiation. Certain industry and occupation four-digit codes were significantly associated with increased odds ratios of childhood tumors. Including work during any or all periods, leukemias were more common in children of fathers who had worked (1) as wood treaters (adjusted OR 16.03, 95% confidence interval CI = 1.77-145.5), and (2) as building finishers and related trades workers (adjusted OR 4.08, 95% CI = 1.12-14.8), whereas brain tumors were more common in children of mothers who had worked (1) in electronic parts and components manufacturing (adjusted OR 13.78, 95% CI = 1.47-129.0) and 2) as textile and garment workers (adjusted OR 7.25, 95% CI = 1.42-37.0), as well as in subjects who had worked with certain electronic parts and components (adjusted OR 28.67, 95% CI = 2.88-285.6). Leukemias were more common in children of fathers who had worked in the preconception period (1) as wood treaters (adjusted OR 12.17, 95% CI = 1.36-109.2), (2) as building finishers and related trades workers (adjusted OR 4.08, 95% CI = 1.12-14.8), (3) as electronic equipment assemblers (adjusted OR 4.56, 95% CI = I 1.05-19.9), and (4) as certain other assemblers (adjusted OR 10.24, 95% CI = 1.02-102.6). In addition, leukemias were more common in children of fathers who had worked in the perinatal period (1) as wood treaters (adjusted OR 13.08, 95% CI = 1.36-125.5) and (2) as building finishers and related trades workers (adjusted OR 4.51, 95% CI = 1.04-19.6). Brain tumors were more common in children of mothers who had worked in the preconception period (1) in electronic parts and components manufacturing (adjusted OR 11.81, 95% CI = 1.20-116.3), and (2) as textile and garment workers (adjusted OR 7.25, 95% CI = 1.18-31.0).

Objective: To evaluate the technique and significance of mastoscopic axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy., Methods: Sixty-two patients with breast cancer use methylene blue to test axillary sentinel lymph node. Sentinel lymph node was moved with endoscopy, and endoscopic axillary lymph nod dissection was performed. Pathological examination of sentinel lymph node and axillary lymph node was made with HE. To evaluate detection rate and false negative rate in sentinel lymph node., Results: Among the 62 patients, 61 were confirmed by endoscopic axillary sentinel lymph nod biopsy. Detection rate was 98.4%. Thirty-five cases were no metastasis, 27 cases were metastasis, false negative rate was 0., Conclusions: Mastoscopic axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy has a high detection rate, good efficiency of cosmetic and lower complications. It has higher sensitivity than traditional axillary lymph nod dissection and provide accurate lymph node stages.

The reproducibility of interpretation in diagnosing bacterial vaginosis may be enhanced by adding pus cells and clue cells into two different criteria, developed by Spiegel et al. and Nugent et al. The purpose of study was designed to find out which parameter was more reproducible. 100 patients were collected with the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis as an experimental group, while the other 100 patients who were with routine Papanicolaou smears in gynecologic clinic the collected as a control group. Two slides, including the original and reproducible ones, were obtained from vaginal smears for each patient. Three technicians read the slides randomly by using two different criteria, plus pus cells and clue cells. This showed the agreement for clue cells is the best method regardless of experimental group or control group (Kappa values between 0.708 and 1.000). The intra-observer agreement for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis by the method of Nugent et al. is superior to the method of Spiegel et al. Our data show the comparison of Amsel criteria versus Nugent criteria for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis with sensitivity of 88.9%, specificity of 55.4%, negative positive value of 62.1%, and positive predictive value of 85.8%. Moreover, our data also demonstrate the comparison of Amsel criteria versus the diagnosis either based on Nugent criteria or the presence of clue cells with sensitivity of 95.7%, specificity of 56.7%, negative positive value of 81.2%, and positive predictive value of 87.1%. The results demonstrate further adding score of the clue cells can enhance the reproducible diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis, which is superior to the methods of Nugent et al. and Spiegel et al.

We have collected data on the cancer deaths of children and adolescents 0-19 yr old living in a residential area near 3 large petroleum and petrochemical complexes in and near Kaohsiung city (petrochemical industrial districts, PIDs) in the period of 1971-1990 and compared these with the cancer deaths of children and adolescents 0-19 yr old among the entire population of Taiwan (national reference) and among the residents of 26 administrative districts, comprising all of Kaohsiung city and Kaohsiung county (local reference), except for 8 sparsely populated, rural districts. Having scrutinized all cancer death certificates, we have identified various statistically significant excess deaths, as compared with the national and local reference, due to cancers at all sites. Cancer of the bone, brain, and bladder in boys and girls 0-9 yr and 10-19 yr of age in the 1981-1990 decade that followed the establishment of petrochemical production in the PIDs was studied. However, excess cancer deaths seemed to have clustered in the 10-19 yr age group, who had been potentially exposed to the petrochemical pollutants for the longest period of time from the youngest age. Almost all bone, brain, and bladder cancer deaths registered were within 3 km of the 3 complexes. Bone and brain cancers in particular occurred in girls in the PIDs more frequently than in boys, even though these are believed to occur more in males than females elsewhere.

The purpose of this investigation was to study ethnic differences in mortality patterns due to accidents in the various aboriginal areas of Taiwan. Mortality data was collected from the National Health Department. To compare the accident mortality of aborigines with that of the general population of Taiwan, and then calculated standardized mortality ratios for accidents in the various aboriginal groups by using the cause specific accident mortality of the general population as standardized mortality and found that mortality in Taiwan between 1971 and 1990 was 60.1 per hundred thousand due all causes of injuries 72.2 (102.2 for males and 39.5 for females). The same figures for the aborigines were 194.9 (274.1 for males and 98.7 for females), respectively. The leading causes of accidental death among the aborigines were motor vehicle accidents, suicide, drowning, accidental falls for males and suicide, motor vehicle accidents and non-drug poisoning for females. Our investigations show that the standardized mortality ratio due to accidents in the aboriginal areas is two to three times higher than that in the general population of Taiwan. These figures were differences among the aboriginal tribes, despite similarities in medical care, environmental and economic circumstances. Mortality due to accidents, especially due to suicide and poisoning, in the Atayal and Bunun tribes were particularly higher than in other tribes. Thus, the risk of an accident in these regions may be associated not only with the environment and the lack of medical resources, but with some socio-cultural factors.