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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of TGF-β1 in autophagy and invasion ability in human gastric carcinoma cell line SGC7901. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cultured SGC7901 cells were treated with different concentrations of TGF-β1 for 24 h. The protein expression levels of autophagy relative marker LC3 and Beclin1 were detected by Western blot. The effect of TGF-β1 on invasion ability of SGC7901 cells was detected with transwell method. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that TGF-β1 was able to induced autophagy of SGC7901 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Autophagy inhibitor 3-MA could inhibit TGF-β1 upregulated autophagy. Furthermore, TGF-β1 significantly enhances the invasion ability of SGC7901 cells. However, autophagy inhibitor 3-MA could effectively reverse this process. CONCLUSIONS: TGF-β1 enhances SGC7901 cells migration by inducing autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wurtzite stalactite-like quasi-one-dimensional ZnS nanoarrays with ZnO protuberances were synthesized through a thermal evaporation route. The structure and morphology of the samples are studied and the growth mechanism is discussed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show both the ZnS stem and the ZnO protuberances have wurtzite structure and show preferred [001] oriented growth. The photoluminescence and field emission properties have also been investigated. Room temperature photoluminescence result shows it has a strong green light emission, which has potential application for green light emitter. Experimental results also show that the stalactite arrays have a good field emission property, with turn-on field of 11.4 V/μm, and threshold field of 16 V/μm. The ZnO protuberances on the ZnS stem might enhance the field emission notably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports that the enzyme telomerase plays a crucial role in cellular proliferation and tumorigenesis. Addition of hexameric repeats to chromosome ends to prevent telomeric loss and thus entry into senescence; Composition of the RNA-directed DNA polymerase; Determination of enzyme activity through catalytic protein component telomerase reverse transcriptase.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of HIV infection and related factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) living for ≤5 years in Wenzhou of Zhejiang province. Methods: MSM who were aged ≥16 years, had lived in Wenzhou for ≥3 months and had anal sex and/or oral sex with men in the last 12 months were recruited through respondent-driven sampling (RDS) from February to October in 2015. The MSM recruited completed a questionnaire for the information collection on socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behavior, awareness of HIV and related intervention, mental health status. Blood samples were collected from them for serological detection of HIV and syphilis antibodies. Software SPSS 18.0 was used to analyze HIV infection and related factors. Results: A total of 454 MSM were investigated, 108 of them (23.7 % ) were HIV positive. There were 267 MSM who lived in Wenzhou for ≤5 years, and 73 of them (27.3 % ) were HIV positive. Most of them were workers and commercial servants aged ≥25 years with personal monthly income <4 000 yuan and educational level of junior high school or below. According to multiple logistics regression analysis, age of 25-68 years old ( OR =12.19, 95 %CI : 2.29-65.02), heterosexual behavior in recent 6 months ( OR =0.42, 95 %CI : 0.18-0.96), believing it was possible to be infected with HIV ( OR =0.06, 95 %CI : 0.01-0.95), believing it was impossible to be infected with HIV ( OR =0.03, 95 %CI : 0.01-0.35) and syphilis status ( OR =3.32, 95 %CI : 1.05-10.52) were the risk factors associated with HIV infection. Conclusion: Compared with MSM who lived in Wenzhou for >5 years, MSM who lived in Wenzhou for ≤5 years had higher HIV infection rate and higher prevalence of risk behavior. It is necessary to conduct targeted intervention among them.

Objective: To investigate the effect of humidex combined with mean temperature and relative humidity on the incidence of bacillary dysentery in Hefei. Methods: Daily counts of bacillary dysentery cases and weather data in Hefei were collected from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2013. Then, the humidex was calculated from temperature and relative humidity. A Poisson generalized linear regression combined with distributed lag non-linear model was applied to analyze the relationship between humidex and the incidence of bacillary dysentery, after adjusting for long-term and seasonal trends, day of week and other weather confounders. Stratified analyses by gender, age and address were also conducted. Results: The risk of bacillary dysentery increased with the rise of humidex. The adverse effect of high humidex (90 percentile of humidex) appeared in 2-days lag and it was the largest at 4-days lag ( RR =1.063, 95 %CI : 1.037-1.090). Subgroup analyses indicated that all groups were affected by high humidex at lag 2-5 days. Conclusion: High humidex could significantly increase the risk of bacillary dysentery, and the lagged effects were observed.

Objective: To explore the correlation between quantitative value of joint bone scan by single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT) and serum bone metabolic markers in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Method: Clinical data of 60 newly diagnosed RA patients were retrospectively collected in Department of Rheumatology and Immunology from May 2013 to December 2014, including 28 cases with medical history less than 6 months and 32 from 6 months to 2 years. Serum C-terminal telopeptide of type Ⅰ collgen(CTX-Ⅰ)and N-terminal propeptide of type Ⅰ collagen(PINP)were tested by chemiluminesence. SPECT whole body bone and target joint scan before treatment was done. Thirty-nine healthy subjects as control group received ultrasound, electrocardiogram, X-ray, and whole body bone imaging examination. Quantitative values of joint imaging were calculated for the statistical analysis. Result: Demographic data between RA group and control group were comparable ( P >0.05), including sample, sex, age and BMI. The joint SPECT value, CTX-Ⅰ and PINP levels were all significantly higher than those of control group ( P <0.01), which were 6.48±1.98 versus 3.73±1.16; (0.66±0.37) mg/L versus (0.58±0.21) mg/L; (46.35±28.15) mg/L versus (30.47±13.75) mg/L respectively. Joint SPECT values had positive correlations with serum CTX-Ⅰ levels in all RA patients, as well as PINP in patients with disease duration 6mon-2years. And the according correlation coefficients were 0.513, 0.495, 0.402( P <0.05). But SPECT value had no correlation with CTX-Ⅰ ( P =0.081) in patients with disease duration less than 6 mon.The correlation coefficient was 0.336. Conclusion: SPECT imaging quantitative values were positively correlated with serum bone metabolic parameters. Thus SPECT imaging alone or combined with bone markers are helpful in diagnosing active RA.

Fiber-reinforced composites (FRC) could be feasible materials for fracture fixation devices if the mechanical properties of the composites are congruent with the local structural properties of bone. In a recently developed FRC implant, bisphenol A dimethacrylate (BisGMA) and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) resin was reinforced with unidirectional E-glass fibers. The addition of a braided glass fiber sleeving to the unidirectional fibers increased the torsional strength (99.5MPa) of the FRC implants at the expense of the flexural strength (602.0MPa). The flexural modulus was 15.3GPa. Two types of FRC intramedullary nails were prepared; first type was FRC as such, second type was FRC with a surface layer of bioactive glass (BG) granules. Experimental oblong subtrochanteric defect was created in 14 rabbits. The defect, which reduced the torsional strength of the bones by 66%, was fixed with an FRC intramedullary nail of either type. The contralateral intact femur served as the control. This model simulated surgical stabilization of bone metastasis. After 12 weeks of follow-up, the femurs were harvested and analyzed by torsional testing, micro-CT and hard tissue histology. Healed undisplaced peri-implant fractures were noticed in half of the animals irrespective of the type of FRC implant. Torsional testing showed no significant differences between the implantation groups. The torsional strength of the bones stabilized by either type of FRC implant was 83% of that of the contralateral femurs. In histological analysis, no implant debris and no adverse tissue reactions were observed. While the mechanical properties of the modified FRCs were suboptimal, the FRC intramedullary nails supported the femurs without structural failure, even in the cases of peri-implant fractures., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

High-resolution electron microscopy was applied to analyze the continuous precipitated particles of the gamma-Mg(17)Al(12) phase with Pitsch-Schrader OR in the heat-treated AZ91 alloy at 473 K for 8 h. The existence of a continuous precipitated particle with the Pitsch-Schrader OR including the selection of the habit plane and the growth direction in Mg-Al system is rationalized by the constrained coincidence site lattice/constrained complete pattern shift lattice (CCSL/CDSCL) model and the O-lattice theory.

Fiber-reinforced composites (FRC) have the potential for use as load-bearing orthopaedic implants if the high strength and elastic modulus of FRC implant can be matched with local requirements. This study tested the in vivo performance of novel FRC implants made of unidirectional glass fibers (E-glass fibers in Bis-GMA and TEGDMA polymeric matrix). The implant surface was covered with bioactive glass granules. Control implants were made of surface-roughened titanium. Stress-shielding effects of the implants were predicted by finite element modelling (FEM). Surgical stabilization of bone metastasis in the subtrochanteric region of the femur was simulated in 12 rabbits. An oblong subtrochanteric defect of a standardized size (reducing the torsional strength of the bones approximately by 66%) was created and an intramedullary implant made of titanium or the FRC composite was inserted. The contralateral femur served as the intact control. At 12 weeks of healing, the femurs were harvested and analyzed by radiography, torsional testing, micro-CT imaging and hard tissue histology. The functional recovery was unremarkable in both groups, although the final analysis revealed two healed undisplaced peri-implant fractures in the group of FRC implants. FEM studies demonstrated differences in stress-shielding effects of the titanium and FRC implants, but the expected biological consequences did not become evident during the follow-up time of the animal study. Biomechanical testing of the retrieved femurs showed no significant differences between the groups. The torsional strength of the fixed bones had returned the level of contralateral intact femurs. Both implants showed ongrowth of intramedullary new bone. No adverse tissue reactions were observed. Based on these favorable results, a large-scale EU-project (NewBone, www.hb.se/ih/polymer/newbone) has been launched for development of orthopaedic FRC implants.

This work evaluates the concept of a double enzyme-catalyzed microreactor using capillary electrophoresis (CE). Migrating in a capillary under electrophoresis conditions, plugs of substrate and two enzymes are injected separately in buffer and allowed to react. Extent of reaction and product ratios were subsequently determined by CE. This concept is demonstrated using two model systems: the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) by hexokinase (HK, EC 2.7.1.1) and apyrase (APY, EC 3.6.1.5), respectively, in the conversion of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate and inorganic phosphate, respectively, and the conversion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form (NADH), to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and back to NADH by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, EC 1.1.1.27) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH, EC 1.1.1.49), respectively, in the conversion of pyruvate to lactate and glucose-6-phosphate (glc-6-P) to 6-phosphogluconate, respectively. These procedures illustrate the use of the capillary as a double microreactor and the ease of quantitation of reaction products under conditions of electrophoresis.

The trace elements Zn, Cu, Fe, and ordinary elements K, Na, Ca, Mg in serum of 711 patients with heart disease (HD) were determined with GGX-II atomic absorption spectrophotometer and flame photometer. It was found that the contents of K, Ca/Mg in HD were significantly lower than those in the control, while the content of Na, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Zn/Cu, Na/K were significantly higher than those in the control. There was a significantly negative correlation between K, Ca/Mg and blood pressure (BP), between Zn/Cu and HDL-ch, and a significantly positive correlation between Na, Zn, Fe, Zn/Cu, Na/K and BP, between Fe and Hct, between Zn/Cu and Hct, TG, VLDL-ch.