Search

Vestibular schwannomas (VSs, also known as acoustic neuromas) are benign intracranial tumors commonly managed with observation, surgery, and radiotherapy. There is currently no approved pharmacotherapy for VS patients, which is why we conducted a detailed search of relevant literature from PubMed and Web of Science to explore recent advances and experiences in drug therapy. VSs feature a long course of disease that requires treatment to have minimal long-term side effects. Conventional chemotherapeutic agents are characterized by neurotoxicity or ototoxicity, poor effect on slow-growing tumors, and may induce new mutations in patients who have lost tumor suppressor function, and therefore are unsuitable for treating VSs. Along with the well-investigated molecular pathophysiology of VS and the increasingly accessible technology such as drug repositioning platform, many molecular targeted inhibitors have been identified and shown certain therapeutic effects in preclinical experiments or clinical trials.

Objective.The risk factors for incident seizures in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were prospectively determined in a cohort study.Methods.A total of 2203 patients with SLE followed longitudinally in the Hopkins Lupus Cohort were analyzed. Demographic variables, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, and SLE disease activity were recorded at each quarterly visit. Adjusted estimates of association of risk factors for onset of seizure were derived using pooled logistic regression. We examined incident seizures in 3 ways: at the time of diagnosis, more than 45 days after the diagnosis of SLE, and after cohort entry.Results.Of 2203 patients with no history of seizure prior to SLE diagnosis, 157 (7.13%) had the first seizure occurrence at the time of (37 patients, 1.68%) or after diagnosis (120 patients, 5.45%) of SLE. The risk of seizure occurring around the time of SLE diagnosis was higher in patients with a history of malar rash (p = 0.002), proteinuria (p = 0.004), and psychosis (p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis of the first seizure occurring after the diagnosis of SLE showed that history of low C3 (p = 0.0078), psychosis (p < 0.0001), cranial or peripheral neuropathy (p = 0.0043), anti-Sm antibody (p = 0.0551), renal involvement (p = 0.0177), and current corticosteroid dose (p < 0.0001) were independently associated with a higher incidence of seizure. Disease activity was not predictive after adjusting for corticosteroids.Conclusion.Risk of seizure after diagnosis of SLE is increased in those patients with prior psychosis, neuropathy, proteinuria, anti-Sm, low C3, and use of corticosteroids.

Thermoelectric (TE) devices for power generation have been attracting increasing attention on account of their advantages such as solid-state operation, good stability, and high reliability. This paper presents an overview of the design principle, fabrication methods and testing technology of TE power generation devices. Particular attention is paid to skutterudite-based devices regarding electrode fabrication, barrier layer design, interface optimization, protective coating, and evaluation of elements and modules. The development of Bi2Te3-based devices for power generation focusing specifically on the optimization of Bi2Te3/electrode joints and fabrication and evaluation of Bi2Te3-based modules is summarized. The future challenges concerning TE devices for power generation are discussed.

Oily wastewater and fly ash will cause great pollution to the environment, the paper reviewed the fly ash as the oil removal medium, through the means of directly adding as adsorbents, preparing fly ash ceramisite, adding to remove oil after modification and combing with other treatment processes, etc., had better treatment effect on a variety of oily wastewater generated from different backgrounds. The results showed that using fly ash to treat the oily wastewater could achieve "using waste to treat waste", and could play a dual effect on the environmental protection. Meanwhile it pointed out deficiencies in the existing processes, and the future research should rely mainly on improving the adsorption capacity, the separation and the final treatment of saturated fly ash, and strengthening the research on reaction mechanism.

In this paper, particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is presented to optimize the five-effect evaporator system in a cane sugar production plants and realize the minimum loss of energy.Generally, the energy optimization of five-effect evaporator system is a so complex that can not be found a effective algrithm to resolve. The energy optimization of five-effect evaporator system requires considering various parameter criteria so as to meet the requirements of the production process. Hence, a energy optimization model of five-effect evaporator system is proposed. We tested the presented model and PSO algorithm at a cane sugar production plant in Guangxi province so as to support the application of industry.The results of the empirical study show that the energy optimization of five-effect evaporation in cane sugar production plants based on a PSO algorithm is feasible and effective.

To investigate the impact of low pressure accumulator to the performance of hydraulic impactor, mathematic model of hydraulic impactor was established. By application of AMESim, The simulation models of hydraulic impactor with low pressure accumulator and hydraulic impactor without low pressure accumulator were obtained. After model calculation, the displacement, velocity of the piston and the return pressure were shown in figures. Rationality of the simulation system was verified by the compare between simulation results and experimental results. The simulation results show that low pressure accumulator can increase the impact energy and frequency of hydraulic impactor in a small degree and reduce the impact of return pressure significantly. Article provides theory basis for the designation of hydraulic impactor.

This paper presents a real-time communication framework for massive multiplayer online games (MMOG), which is to ensure the efficiency of communication and software readability at the same time. Firstly, we compare the current mainstream serialization technologies and demonstrate the significance of custom protocol through analysis of those technical limitations. Then, the paper puts forward the concept of protocol-bean innovatively. By this means, we implement an object-oriented custom protocol method, which has higher performance and more readability. Finally, through the comparison of data bandwidth and real-time response time, experimental data shows this framework could ensure the lowest data bandwidth without destroying software structure. And compared with real-time server Red5, response time is improved by 40 times.

Taking water heat pump project in Kaixian Peoples Hospital of Chongqing City as a research example, by long-term monitoring on the lake temperature, nitrogen, phosphorus, and population distribution of algae, the effect of tail-water on phytoplankton of lake was studied. The results show that the tail-water have some influences on the number and diversity of algae in summer when the lake water heat pump system works, and the total number of algae near the tail-water discharge point is lower than that in other regions, but the dominant algae in different sampling points are same at the same time. In winter, cold water discharge makes the total number of algae near the tail-water discharge point essentially higher than that in other regions. Moreover, cold discharge water can reduce the diversity index of the lake phytoplankton. In addition, tail-water has a seasonal influence on lake phytoplankton, and its cumulative environmental impact can be obtained through monitoring and comparative research by long-term.

A real-time method is proposed to detect faces in videos. First it uses frame difference method to extract the motion area. Next the clustering character of skin is used to get the general face area. AdaBoost algorithm is applied to make concrete detection of human face. Finally an improved CamShift algorithm method is used to keep the tracking and improving algorithm speed. The experiments demonstrate the robustness and high speed of the proposed algorithm.

This paper presents a signal direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation approach that possesses excellent performance in spatial and temporal correlated signals environments. Firstly, an algebraic solution of the null subspace is derived based on the Vandermonde structured steering vectors of uniform linear array when all the sources possess identical nonzero mean value, and then, the DOA estimation is obtained with a polynomial rooting method. The novel algorithm performs much better than the conventional algorithms in the situation that the sources are closely spaced or correlated, and simulations have verified the validity of the algorithm.

PURPOSE The objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic performance of quantitative diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in detection of prostate cancer. METHODS A comprehensive search was performed for English articles published before May 2012 that fulfilled the following criteria: patients had histopathologically proved prostate cancer; diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was performed for the detection of prostate cancer, and data for calculating sensitivity and specificity were included. Methodological quality was assessed by using the quality assessment of diagnostic studies instrument. Publication bias analysis, homogeneity, inconsistency index, and threshold effect were performed by STATA version 12. RESULTS Of 119 eligible studies, 12 with 1637 malignant and 4803 benign lesions were included. There was notable heterogeneity beyond threshold effect and publication bias. The sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence interval (CI) estimates of DWI on a per-lesion basis were 77% (CI, 0.76-0.84) and 84% (CI, 0.78-0.89), respectively, and the area under the curve of summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.88 (CI, 0.85-0.90). The overall positive and negative likelihood ratios with 95% CI were 4.93 (3.39-7.17) and 0.278 (0.19-0.39), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Quantitative DWI has a relative sensitivity and specificity to distinguish malignant from benign in prostate lesions. However, large-scale randomized control trials are necessary to assess its clinical value because of nonuniformed diffusion gradient b factor, diagnosis threshold, and small number of studies.

This paper demonstrated a GIS system about Agricultural Production. Its main function is to show price transmission relations of agricultural production among the main markets. Using Silverlight and ArcGIS technology, the system has a strong user experience and abundant display effect. This paper mainly discussed the main technologies, structural framework and the main functions of the system.

As online gaming addiction has a serious impact on the healthy growth of young people, this paper presents a method that uses the ontology to shield Chinese game webpage. This method, based on positive example webpages and counter example webpages to calculate weight of feature words, to establish domain feature thesaurus and make ontology; then according to positive example WebPages, calculate weight of ontology elements in all parts of webpage to get ontology element weight database; then intercept webpage from the network application layer, identify candidate webpage (candidate) based on domain feature thesaurus; finally carry out semantic relevancy computing and shielding the game webpages in candidates. Experiments showed the shielding accuracy rate had arrived 98.8%. The principle of the method can be extended to other domains.

Background and objective: The aim of this study was to assess the beneficial effects of simvastatin on cigarette smoke-induced small airway remodeling in rats. Methods: Simvastatin was administered at different doses for 16 weeks to rats with cigarette smoke-induced small airway remodelling. Morphological analyses were performed, and collagen deposition, production of growth factors, inflammatory parameters and RhoA, as well as the Smad signalling pathway in the lungs, were examined. Results: Simvastatin attenuated small airway wall thickening and prevented the increase in lung hydroxyproline content and collagen deposition induced in airway walls by cigarette smoking. In addition, simvastatin downregulated transforming growth factor-β1 and connective tissue growth factor protein and gene expression in the lungs. Furthermore, accumulation of macrophages and neutrophils and increases in tumour necrosis factor-α concentration in BAL fluid were inhibited by simvastatin. Simultaneously, the expression of RhoA and the phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3 in lungs exposed to cigarette smoke were inhibited during simvastatin administration. However, the increased expression of Smad2 and Smad3 proteins and the decreased level of Smad7 protein in remodelled lungs were not affected by simvastatin. Conclusions: Simvastatin attenuated experimental small airway remodelling, as indicated by decreases in collagen deposition and small airway wall thickening. Simvastatin may inhibit cigarette smoke-induced small airway remodelling by reducing growth factor expression and inflammation. The mechanism of action of simvastatin on small airway remodelling involved RhoA and the Smad signalling pathway. These findings indicate that simvastatin may have potential beneficial effects in the treatment of COPD.

BACKGROUND Mucus hypersecretion in the respiratory tract and goblet cell metaplasia in the airway epithelium contribute to the morbidity and mortality associated with airway inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to examine the effect and mechanisms of simvastatin on airway mucus hypersecretion in rats treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS Mucus hypersecretion in rat airways was induced by intra-tracheal instillation of LPS. Rats treated with or without LPS were administered intra-peritoneally simvastatin (5 and 20 mg/kg) for 4 days. Expression of Muc5ac, RhoA and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) p38 in lung were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry or Western blotting. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and IL-8 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were assayed by an enzyme-linked lectin assay and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS Simvastatin attenuated LPS-induced goblet cell hyperplasia in bronchial epithelium and Muc5ac hypersecretion at both the gene and protein levels in lung (P

A multitude of interferon (IFN)-inducible genes (IFIGs) are coordinately expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), emphasising the globle activating of signal pathway mediated by IFN-I in SLE. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of expression regulation of IFIT4 (interferon induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 4) by IFN-alpha. We found that IFN-alpha failed in inducing IFIT4 in STAT1-negative U3A cells. Ectopic expression of STAT1, but not mutant STAT1-S727A, almost completely restored IFN-alpha2a-induced IFIT4 expression. IFN-alpha induced the expression of IFIT4 and STAT1 in THP-1 cells, and this process was significantly antagonized by the specific inhibitors of both PKCdelta and JNK or their dominant negative mutants respectively. The inhibition of JNK activity by its specific inhibitor or its dominant negative mutant suppressed both IFIT4 expression and serine phosphorylation of STAT1 but not the activation of PKCdelta, while inhibition of PKCdelta suppressed activation of IFIT4, STAT1, and JNK. Our results suggest that the induction of IFIT4 transcription by IFN-alpha depends upon sequential activation of PKCdelta, JNK and STAT1, and that the influence of PKCdelta or JNK on IFN-alpha-mediated induction of IFIT4 is dependent upon the phosphorylation of STAT1 at Ser-727. The results in our experiment provide an in vitro model of the signaling mechanisms of IFIGs regulated by IFN-alpha, that is putatively thought to occur in vivo as the one of pathogenesis of SLE.

Pd-doped TiCo1-xPdxSb (0 £ x £ 0.08) half-Heusler compounds were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method and their electrical transport properties in the temperature range of 300-900 K were investigated. Single phase TiCo1-xPdxSb was obtained in the range of 0 £ x £ 0.08. The lattice parameters increased with Pd content. Doping of Pd on the Co site resulted in a great increase of electrical conductivity without significant decrease of Seebeck coefficient. A large power factor of 26 µW/K2 cm was observed for TiCo0.92Pd0.08Sb compound at 300 K.

The ZrNiSn/C60 thermoelectric composite was prepared by a spark plasma sintering (SPS)technique. The obtained sample was fully dense and homogeneous. Slices of the sample were characterized by electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity up to 850K. It was shown that the composite has a higher electrical conductivity, a lower Seebeck coefficient and a higher thermal conductivity than the ZrNiSn matrix alloy. XRD pattern and EPMA analysis of the composite revealed that the C60 nano particles reacted with ZrNiSn matrix to form ZrC inclusions.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the diagnostic performance of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for breast lesions by different measuring methods and find out the optimum measuring method. Methods: ADCW-mean and ADCW-min were obtained by whole-measurement method, while ADCmean and ADCmin were extracted by spot-measurement method. Four ADCs were analyzed by One-way ANOVA and Independent T-test. The diagnostic performances of these four ADCs were calculated by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and the area under the curves (AUC) were compared through Z-test. Results: For the whole-measurement method, there were significant differences between malignant and benign lesions (ADCW-mean=1.014±0.197 for malignant, ADCW-mean=1.650±0.348 for benign, F=37.511, P

The character of sintering under vacuum and its use in the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of Al2O3–ZrO2 composites were investigated. Densification by sintering under vacuum was more difficult than by sintering in air under the same sintering temperature. Sintering under vacuum also caused non-uniformity in structure, therefore bringing about damage or rupture by the development of residual stresses during heterogeneous densification. However, pre-sintering under vacuum was proven to be favorable for pore elimination and densification if it was followed directly by HIPing, compared with pre-sintering, in air at the same bulk density; the reasons are analyzed. The SiO2–B2O3 pyrex-coating technique was also employed to enable comparison with pre-sintering techniques. The results show that slurry-coating processing can bring about changes in the shapes and sizes of the final products. The defects in coatings were difficult to overcome completely, thus, the slurry-coating technique is considered to be unreliable for HIP treatment.

To investigate the expression of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) gene in the peripheral blood leukocyte of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to evaluate the relationship between the gene expression and the disease activity.The clinical data of 100 SLE patients, 40 non-SLE patients with rheumatic diseases, and 40 normal controls were collected. Total RNA was extracted from the peripheral blood and then reverse transcribed into cDNA. Sybr green dye based real-time quantitative PCR method was used to compare the expression levels (indicated as 2(-ΔCt) value) of PKR in the three groups.(1) The 2(-ΔCt) value of PKR expression level in the SLE patients was (14.69 ± 7.62), which was significantly higher than those in the non-SLE patients (5.09 ± 4.73, P = 0.012)and normal controls(4.79 ± 3.49, P = 0.005). (2) The 2(-ΔCt) value of PKR expression level in the SLE patients with severe activity was (22.57 ± 2.61), which was significantly higher than those in the SLE patients with mild activity and no activity (12.94 ± 2.41, P = 0.000; 8.85 ± 2.17, P = 0.000). (3) The 2(-ΔCt) value of PKR expression level in the SLE patients with lupus nephritis was significantly higher than that in the SLE patients without lupus nephritis (16.85 ± 7.32 vs 8.35 ± 2.04, P = 0.034). (4) The 2(-ΔCt) value of PKR was correlated with the systemic lupus erythematosus index (SLEDAI) scores (r = 0.32, P = 0.000), WBC (r = 0.46, P = 0.000), Hb (r = -0.22, P = 0.035), the quantitation of urine protein in 24 hours (r = 0.21, P = 0.000), HDL-C (r = 0.21, P = 0.022), and anti-RNP antibody (r(s) = -0.21, P = 0.025).The expression of PKR in the SLE patients is up-regulated, especially in those with severe activity. The expression level of PKR gene is associated with SLE disease activity.

This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) in the management of refractory thrombocytopenia associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). From January 2003 to February 2012, 20 patients underwent splenectomy for thrombocytopenia associated with SLE. Of these, 11 underwent open (SLE-OS group) and 9 underwent laparoscopic splenectomy (SLE-LS group). Another 15 patients with ITP underwent LS (ITP-LS group) were categorized as the control group. Surgical indications, perioperative details, and short- (90 days) and long- (median, 42 months) term hematological outcomes were assessed. Splenectomy was successful in all 20 SLE patients. The mean platelet count increased from 23 × 10(9)/L before splenectomy to 289.2 × 10(9)/L and 144.2 × 10(9)/L after 3 and 6 months, respectively, and was 115.5 × 10(9)/L at the last visit, with a 3-month complete response (CR) rate of 100 %. After a median follow-up of 42 months, 17 patients (85 %) had a CR or partial response (PR) to splenectomy plus medical therapy. SLEDAI score and dosage of steroids decreased significantly after splenectomy. None of these patients experienced any postoperative infection, bleeding, or thrombotic events. SLE-LS group had lower volumes of estimated blood loss and postoperative drainage and shorter postoperative hospital stay than SLE-OS group. There were no statistically significant differences between the SLE-LS and ITP-LS groups in operation time, estimated blood loss, and postoperative hospital stay. Splenectomy is effective and safe in the management of refractory thrombocytopenia secondary to SLE. LS may be safe and effective in thrombocytopenia associated with SLE.

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a rare form of pancreatitis characterized by prominent lymphocyte infiltration and pancreatic fibrosis resulting in organ dysfunction. The pathogenesis and pathology of AIP remain unknown. A 64-year-old Chinese man presented with symptoms and signs of bile duct obstruction diffuse enlargement of the head of pancreas, elevated IgG levels, and negative autoimmune antibody responses. A pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy was performed and a pancreatic tumor was suspected. However, periductal lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and fibrosis were found in the head of pancreas and nearby organs instead of tumor cells. Four months after surgery, the patient was readmitted because of reoccurrence of severe jaundice and sustained abdominal distension. Prednisone 30 mg/d was administered orally as an AIP was suspected. One and a half months later, the symptoms of the patient disappeared, and globulin, aminotransferase and bilirubin levels decreased significantly. Over a 9-mo follow-up period, the dose of prednisone was gradually decreased to 10 mg/d and the patient remained in good condition. We further demonstrated dominant CD3+/CD8+ populations, CD20+ cells and a few CD4+ cells in the pancreatic parenchyma, duodenum and gallbladder wall by immunohistochemical assay. This AIP case presented with significant CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration in the pancreas and extra-pancreatic lesions, indicating that this cell population may be more important in mediating AIP pathogenesis than previously known and that AIP might be a poorly defined autoimmune disease with heterogeneous pathogenesis.

To investigate the expression levels of 2', 5'-oligoadenylate synthetase-like (OASL) and interferon induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 2 (IFIT2) genes in the peripheral blood leukocyte of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to evaluate the relations between these gene expression levels and disease activity.The clinical data of 50 SLE patients, 25 non-SLE patients with rheumatic diseases, and 25 normal controls were collected. Specimens of peripheral blood were collected; total RNA was extracted and transcribed into cDNA. SYBR green dye based real-time quantitative PCR method was applied to compare the expression levels (indicated as deltaCT value) of OASL and IFIT2 in patients with SLE and those in the controls.The deltaCT value of OASL expression level of the SLE patients was (4.83 +/- 0.41), significantly higher than those of the non-SLE patients (3.26 +/- 0.47) and normal controls (3.07 +/- 0.54, both P0.05), The deltaCT value of IFIT2 expression level of the SLE patients was (2.85 +/- 0.41), significantly higher than those of the non-SLE patients (1.19 +/- 0.52) and normal controls (1.07 +/- 0.47, both P0.05). The deltaCT value of OASL is related with the SLEDAI scores and immunoglobulin A. (Both P0.05). The deltaCT value of IFIT2 is related with the SLEDAI scores and IgA, white blood cell (both P0.05).The value of IFIT2 and OASL expression level of the SLE patients is up-regulation, the real time expression levels of OASL and IFIT2 genes are associated with SLE disease activity. To inhibit the expression of OASL and IFIT2 may become a novel therapeutic approach for SLE.

To investigate the expression of myxovirus resistance 1(MX1) and 2'5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 1(OAS1) genes in the peripheral blood leukocyte of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to evaluated the relations between these genes expression levels and disease activity.In this study, there were 50 SLE petients, 20 non-SLE patients with rheumatic dieases, and 25 normal controls. The peripheral blood samples of these patients were collected, and the expression levels (indicated as delta Ct value) of MX1 and OAS1 were measured by Sybr green dye based real-time quantitative PCR method.The deltaCt value of MX1 expression in SLE patients was 3.55 +/- 1.39, which was significantly higher than those of non-SLE patients (2.31 +/- 0.52, P = 0.000) and normal controls (2.23 +/- 1.05, P = 0.000). (2) The deltaCt value of OAS1 expression in SLE patients was 4.45 +/- 1.56, which also was significantly higher than those of non-SLE patients (3.03 +/- 0.76, P = 0.000) and normal controls (2.75 +/- 0.64, P = 0.000). (3) The deltaCt value of OAS1 was correlated with the SLEDAI scores (r = 0.338, P = 0.019) and serum IgA level. (4) The ACt value of MX1 was not correlated with the SLEDAI scores (r = 0.064, P = 0.661), but correlated with the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), albuminuria of 24 hours (r = 0.428, P = 0.003 r = 0.383, P = 0.009 r = 0.394, P = 0.007; r = 0.316, P = 0.025); (5) The deltaCt values of MX1 and OAS1 in the SLE patients with arthritis were significantly higher than those in non-arthritis SLE patients (3.04 +/- 1.42, P = 0.004; 3.89 +/- 1.49, P = 0.006).The expression levels of both MX1 and OAS1 in SLE patients are up-regulated, the expression levels of OAS1 genes are associated with SLE disease activity. As IFN-induced genes, MX1 and OAS1 play their respective role in SLE.

According to small environmental capacity and fragile ecosystem of lake, take for the research object of lakes in Chongqing Section of three gorges reservoir area. Using the method of physical simulation, studied the effects of cold water discharge of lake water source heat pump systems on water quality. The results showed that cold water discharge lead to the water temperature decrease in local area of lake, thus, the Dissolved Oxygen near outfall week increased, but the bottom Dissolved Oxygen was unchanged; It also made the Alkalinity increasing to some degree, but the effect is not significant on pH; Cold discharge lead to increase of ammonia nitrogen, but had little effect on nitrate nitrogen; cold discharge had certain limit function on total nitrogen increasing, which was mainly the content of organic nitrogen reduce; The total Phosphorus also increase because of cold discharge, but it was not significant. The correlation between total nitrogen and total phosphorus was not remarkable.

Background Bleomycin-induced fibrosis is extensively used to model aspects of the pathogenesis of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. This study aimed to determine the benefic effects and mechanisms of simvastatin on bleomycininduced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Methods Bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice were administered with simvastatin in different doses for 28 days. We measured inflammatory response, fibrogenic cytokines and profibrogenic markers in both bleomycin-stimulated and control lungs, and correlated these parameters with pulmonary fibrosis. Results Simvastatin attenuated the histopathological change of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and prevented the increase of lung hydroxyproline content and collagen (I and III) mRNA expression induced by bleomycin. Moreover, simvastatin down-regulated the increased expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) induced by bleomycin at both gene and protein levels. Simultaneously, the accumulation of neutrophils and lymphocytes and the increased production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid were inhibited by simvastatin in early inflammatory phase after bleomycin infusion. The higher dose of simvastatin was associated with a more significant reduction in these inflammatory and fibrotic parameters. Furthermore, the inactivation of p38, RhoA and Smad2/3 signaling pathways was observed during simvastatin administration. Conclusions Simvastatin attenuated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, as indicated by decreases in Ashcroft score and lung collagen accumulation. The inhibitory effect of simvastatin on the progression of pulmonary fibrosis may be demonstrated by reducing inflammatory response and production of TGF-β1 and CTGF. These findings indicate that simvastatin may be used in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. Chin Med J 2008;121(18):1821-1829

Objective Abnormal angiogenesis is a central hallmark for the development and progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. It has been shown that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the critical angiogenic factors in angiogenesis. The aim of the present study was to assess whether disruption of VEGF pathway would attenuate bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Methods Bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice were treated intraperitoneally with VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU5416 at different phases after bleomycin infusion. We measured angiogenesis and inflammatory response in both bleomycin-treated and control mice, and correlated these levels with pulmonary fibrosis. Results The increased expressions of VEGF/VEGFR (Flk-1) were correlated to a larger number of microvessels and a higher score of pulmonary fibrosis. Early administration of SU5416 inhibited pulmonary collagen deposition, histopathologic fibroplasias and the activation of TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway in bleomycin-stimulated lung. These were also paralleled by a reduction of VEGF/VEGFR-2 (Flk-1) expression and microvessel numbers in lung. Furthermore, SU5416 inhibited inflammatory cell numbers and LDH activity in BALF and IL-13 expression in lung tissue at early inflammatory phase of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusion These results suggest that the VEGFR-2 inhibitor, SU5416, attenuates histopathologic fibroplasias and collagen deposition by regulating angiogenesis and inflammation in the lung.

To assess the effect of delayed opening of the infarct-related artery (IRA) by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on the late left ventricular remodeling after acute anterior myocardial infarction (AAMI).Sixty four patients with initial Q-wave AAMI and with the total occluded IRA conformed by angiogram at 9.1 +/- 2.3 (2 - 14) days after the onset were divided into successful PCI group and control group (not receiving PCI or the IRA not re-opened). Two-D echocardiogram was performed at acute phase (about 3 weeks), 2 and 6 months after onset of AAMI respectively to detect the left ventricular function and left ventricular wall motion abnormality (VWMA). The total congestive heart failure events were recorded during 6 months follow-up.VWMA scores, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes (LVEDVI and LVESVI) were similar in 2 groups at acute phase and 2 months after the onset of AAMI. There were no differences between the parameters above at acute phase and 2 months in each group too. VWMA scores and LVEF did not changed significantly at 6 months in each group compared with those at acute phase and 2 months (P0.05). But LVEDVI and LVESVI were significantly smaller in the successful PCI group than those in the control group (P0.01, P0.05). The rate of congestive heart failure events was 19% in control group and 2.0% in successful PCI group (P0.05) respectively.Delayed opening of IRA in AAMI could prevent the late phase but not the early phase of left ventricular remodeling after AMI.

To investigate the expression levels of interferon (IFN)-alpha, -beta, -omega and -gamma genes and proteins in the peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to evaluate any possible connections between these expression levels with clinical features.144 SLE patients, 27 non-SLE patients with rheumatisms and 59 normal controls were recruited for the research, and all subjects were drawn blood to isolate plasma and elute total RNA. SYBR Green Dye based real-time quantitative PCR method was used to compare the expression levels of 4 IFNs in patients with SLE and those in the controls. The significance for the correlation of these expression levels and disease activity and specificity was studied.(1) mRNA expression levels of all 4 IFNs in SLE patients were remarkably lower than those observed in normal controls (P0.01 in all); IFN-alpha expression levels in SLE patients were increased than those observed in non-SLE group (P0.01). (2) The expression levels of all 4 IFNs in active SLE patients were similar to those observed in inactive SLE patients (P0.05 in all), and expression levels of all 4 IFNs in patients with SLE were not correlated with involvements of kidney, lung, brain, blood. (3) IFN score in SLE patients was remarkably lower than that observed in normal controls (P0.01). (4) The expression levels of all 4 IFNs in both SLE patients and normal controls were positively correlated with each other (P0.01 in all). (5) Protein levels of IFN-alpha, IFN-beta and IFN-omega in patients with SLE were similar to those observed in normal group (P0.05 in all), protein level of IFN-alpha in active SLE group was apparently elevated than in inactive SLE group (P0.01), and protein level of IFN-gamma has a trend to increase in SLE group than in normal group.Decreased expression levels of IFN-alpha, -beta, -omega and -gamma have implicated significance in the determination of SLE disease specificity, of which IFN-alpha is the best. Lower expression level of IFN score has also significance in the determination of SLE disease specificity. Higher protein level of IFN-alpha is helpful to judging SLE disease activity.

A new coding method for a CGH with pure phase based on the decomposition of any complex vector into two symmetrically situated conponent vectors with equal amplitude is proposed. In this method only two cells are needed for each sampling point as compared with the conventional types with three or four cells of Burckhardt's and Lee's configurations. Theoretical analysis of this proposal is given and some preliminary experimental results are presented.

Introduction Using oligonucleotide microarray, many IFN-inducible genes have been found to be highly expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from most patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Among these IFN-inducible genes, IFN-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 4 (IFIT4) is a novel gene whose function is unknown. Methods In this study we examined the role played by IFIT4 in monocyte differentiation and the correlation between IFIT4 expression and the clinical manifestation of SLE. To this end, we used plasmid transfection, flow cytometry, mixed leucocyte responses, ELISA, quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results We found that both IFIT4 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly higher in PBMCs and monocytes from SLE patients than in those from healthy control individuals. IFIT4 expression was positively correlated with antinuclear antibodies, anti-double-stranded DNA, and anti-Sm auto-immune antibodies in SLE. Patients with SLE exhibiting higher expression of IFIT4 had a higher prevalence of leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and C3/C4 decrease. IFIT4 protein was localized exclusively to the cytoplasm, and it was significantly upregulated by IFN-α in normal PBMCs. To determine the role played by IFIT4 in monocyte differentiation, the monocytic cell line THP-1 was transfected with pEGFP-IFIT4 expression plasmid and stimulated with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor/IL-4 to generate IFIT4-primed dendritic cell-like cells (DCLCs). IFIT4-primed DCLCs acquired morphological characteristics of dendritic cells more quickly, with greater resemblance to dendritic cells, as compared with DCLCs primed with pEGFP-C1 control plasmid trasfection. Furthermore, they exhibited higher expressions of CD40, CD86, CD80, HLA-DR and CD83, along with lower expression of CD14; increased IL-12 secretion; and an increased ability to stimulate T-cell proliferation. In addition, IFIT4-primed DCLCs enhanced IFN-γ secretion (about 2.4-fold) by T cells compared with controls. Conclusion Our findings suggest that IFIT4 might play roles in promoting monocyte differentiation into DCLCs and in directing DCLCs to modulate T-helper-1 cell differentiation; these actions might contribute to the autoimmunity and pathogenesis of SLE.