[Current situation and thoughts on precision medicine about the treatment of tumor in China]

With United States starting"precision medical plan", it is widespread all over the world and opens a new direction to the development of medicine. Our country also starts the plan, trying to take the opportunity. At present, tumor threats human health with high incidence and mortality. In China, the incidence and mortality of tumor has been on the rise.So the tumor has become one of the most important fields of precision medicine.Precision medicine, hoping to reveal the Chinese characteristics of precision medicine, and getting the personal and social maximize health benefits are discussed in the paper.

[The influence of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 on palmitic acid-induced hepatocyte apoptosis]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the influence of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) on palmitic acid (PA)-induced hepatocyte apoptosis and its mechanism.

METHODS

Human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 cells were transfected with PNPLA3(WT)-pcDNA3.1 (PNPLA3(WT) group) and PNPLA3(I148M)-pcDNA3.1 (PNPLA3(I148M) group) plasmids respectively to overexpress wild type or mutant type PNPLA3, and cells transfected with empty vector pcDNA3.1 (NC group) were set as control group.After 24 h PA incubation, Oil red staining was used to determine lipid deposition, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay (TUNEL) was used to measure apoptosis.Western blot was used to detect the protein level of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and associated apoptosis.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to test lysolecithin (LPC) levels in the cellular supernatant.

RESULTS

After 24 h PA incubation, there was no significant difference in lipid deposition among three groups.Compared to NC group, the cell apoptosis rates of PNPLA3(WT) and PNPLA3(I148M) groups were increased by 2 times and 3 times respectively.The levels of ER stress PRKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) pathway associated proteins, immunoglobulin-binding protein (BIP), p-PERK, p-eIF2α, and ER stress associated apoptosis pathway proteins, CCAAT/enhancer binding homologous protein (CHOP), p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), Bax, caspase-3 were higher, and were more significant in PNPLA3(I148M) group.The LPC level in the supernatant of PNPLA3(WT) and PNPLA3(I148M) groups were about 5 times and 1.5 times of NC group respectively after PA incubation.

CONCLUSION

PNPLA3 may be involved in palmitic acid-induced apoptosis mediated by hepatocyte ER stress through regulating LPC metabolism.

Facile Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly toward Enantiomeric Poly(lactide) Stereocomplex Coated Magnetite Nanocarrier for Highly Tunable Drug Deliveries

A highly tunable nanoparticle (NP) system with multifunctionalities was developed as drug nanocarrier via a facile layer-by-layer (LbL) stereocomplex (SC) self-assembly of enantiomeric poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(d-lactic acid) (PDLA) in solution using silica-coated magnetite (Fe3O4@SiO2) as template. The poly(lactide) (PLA) SC coated NPs (Fe3O4@SiO2@-SC) were further endowed with different stimuli-responsiveness by controlling the outermost layer coatings with respective pH-sensitive poly(lactic acid)-poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PLA-D) and temperature-sensitive poly(lactic acid)-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PLA-N) diblock copolymers to yield Fe3O4@SiO2@SC-D and Fe3O4@SiO2@SC-N NPs, respectively, while the superparamagnetic properties of Fe3O4 were maintained. TEM images show a clearly resolved core-shell structure with a silica layer and sequential PLA SC co/polymer coating layers in the respective NPs. The well-designed NPs possess a size distribution in a range of 220-270 nm and high magnetization of 70.8-72.1 emu/g [Fe3O4]. More importantly, a drug release study from the as-constructed stimuli-responsive NPs exhibited sustained release profiles and the rates of release can be tuned by variation of external environments. Further cytotoxicity and cell culture studies revealed that PLA SC coated NPs possessed good cell biocompatibility and the doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded NPs showed enhanced drug delivery efficiency toward MCF-7 cancer cells. Together with the strong magnetic sensitivity, the developed hybrid NPs demonstrate a great potential of control over the drug release at a targeted site. The developed coating method can be further optimized to finely tune the nanocarrier size and operating range of pHs and temperatures for in vivo applications.

Analysis of Road Traffic Injuries by Road User Type in Chongqing, China

Objective

Road traffic injuries are caused by many different factors. This study aimed to analyse road user type information in Chongqing, China in order to develop prevention strategies as well as treatment protocols.

Methods

Data from road traffic crashes from Chongqing, China were collected prospectively over a seven-year period (2000 to 2006). The data included the road user type, description of the injury, mortality and Abbreviated Injury Scale. Prevalence and cross-tabulations were included in the analysis.

Results

Forty-nine percent of deaths were pedestrians and 27.84% of deaths were drivers. Head injuries (26.49%) of pedestrians were higher than those of drivers and passengers. Thoracic injuries (22.78%) and spinal injuries (4.44%) of injured passengers were higher than those of drivers and pedestrians. There were significant differences in road user types in both injury severity and injury regions.

Conclusions

The distribution of road traffic injuries in Chongqing, China is different from that in developed countries and other developing countries. In managing traffic injuries, it is necessary to examine other regions besides the head according to the road user type, such as facial injuries of drivers and passengers, and chest and spinal injuries of passengers.

Dean-flow-coupled elasto-inertial three-dimensional particle focusing under viscoelastic flow in a straight channel with asymmetrical expansion-contraction cavity arrays

In this paper, 3D particle focusing in a straight channel with asymmetrical expansion-contraction cavity arrays (ECCA channel) is achieved by exploiting the dean-flow-coupled elasto-inertial effects. First, the mechanism of particle focusing in both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids was introduced. Then particle focusing was demonstrated experimentally in this channel with Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids using three different sized particles (3.2 μm, 4.8 μm, and 13 μm), respectively. Also, the effects of dean flow (or secondary flow) induced by expansion-contraction cavity arrays were highlighted by comparing the particle distributions in a single straight rectangular channel with that in the ECCA channel. Finally, the influences of flow rates and distances from the inlet on focusing performance in the ECCA channel were studied. The results show that in the ECCA channel particles are focused on the cavity side in Newtonian fluid due to the synthesis effects of inertial and dean-drag force, whereas the particles are focused on the opposite cavity side in non-Newtonian fluid due to the addition of viscoelastic force. Compared with the focusing performance in Newtonian fluid, the particles are more easily and better focused in non-Newtonian fluid. Besides, the Dean flow in visco-elastic fluid in the ECCA channel improves the particle focusing performance compared with that in a straight channel. A further advantage is three-dimensional (3D) particle focusing that in non-Newtonian fluid is realized according to the lateral side view of the channel while only two-dimensional (2D) particle focusing can be achieved in Newtonian fluid. Conclusively, this novel Dean-flow-coupled elasto-inertial microfluidic device could offer a continuous, sheathless, and high throughput (>10 000 s(-1)) 3D focusing performance, which may be valuable in various applications from high speed flow cytometry to cell counting, sorting, and analysis.

Poly(ethylene glycol) conjugated poly(lactide)-based polyelectrolytes: synthesis and formation of stable self-assemblies induced by stereocomplexation

A series of pH-responsive amphiphilic poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(D-lactic acid)-block-poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) conjugated with poly(ethylene glycol) (D-PDLA-D@PEG) and D-PLLA-D@PEG copolymers were synthesized using a combination of ring-opening polymerization and atom-transfer radical polymerization followed by sequential quaternization of PDMAEMA chains and azide-alkyne click reaction with alkyne-end PEG. Gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results demonstrate the successful synthesis of the copolymers, and the conjugated PEG percentages in the copolymers can be tuned by the feeding ratios in the quaternization reaction. Conjugating PEG onto the PDMAEMA segments also successfully facilitated the D-PDLA-D@PEG, D-PLLA-D@PEG, and its corresponding 1:1 D/L mixtures to be dissolved directly in aqueous solution at the desired concentration range without using any organic solvents unlike the copolymers without PEG conjugation (D-PDLA-D and D-PLLA-D). We demonstrate control over micellar size, charge, and stability via three different preparation pathways, i.e., solution pH, percentages of PEG conjugation in the copolymers, and formation of PLA stereocomplex in micellar core. Static and dynamic light scattering studies demonstrate that the size of the core-shell micelles increases when the solution pH is reduced due to the protonation of the PDMAEMA segments that caused the osmotic pressure within the micelle to increase until the micelles reached a maximum size. It is interesting to note that the micelles formed by 1:1 D/L mixtures have larger swelling ratios as well as aggregation number and hydrodynamic radius that do not change significantly with pH and dilution, respectively, as compared to micelles formed from individual D or L forms of the copolymers. The enhanced stability of the pH-responsive micelles prepared by direct dissolution of the 1:1 D/L mixtures of the PEG conjugated PLA-based polyelectrolytes in aqueous medium is attributed to the stereocomplex formation between PLLA and PDLA in the micellar core as confirmed by wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements.

Characterization, tissue distribution and regulation of neuropeptideY in Schizothorax prenanti

In this study, the full-length neuropeptide Y (npy) complementary (c)DNA was cloned in ya fish Schizothorax prenanti. npy cDNA was composed of 789 nucleotides with a 288 nucleotide open reading frame encoding a protein of 96 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequences contained a 28 amino acids signal peptide followed by a 36 amino acids mature neuropeptide Y (NPY). The npy mRNA was expressed mainly in the brain and eye as detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction RT-PCR (rt-qPCR). The S. prenanti NPY was detectable from blastulation to hatch, suggesting that npy might be involved in the late embryonic development of S. prenanti. An experiment was conducted to determine the expression profile of npy during feeding of a single meal and during long-term fasting. The expression level of npy in fed fish was significantly decreased at 0.5, 1.5, 3 and 9 h post-feeding (hpf) than in fasting fish. Fasting for 14 days induced an increase in npy messenger (m)RNA expression in the brain. Overall, the results suggest that NPY is a conserved peptide that might be involved in the regulation of feeding and other physiological function in S. prenanti.

Characterization of Schizothorax prenanti cgnrhII gene: fasting affects cgnrhII expression

In this study, the role of chicken gonadotropin-releasing hormone II (cgnrhII) in feeding regulation was investigated in Schizothorax prenanti. First, the full-length S. prenanti cgnrhII cDNA consisted of 693 bp with an open reading frame of 261 bp encoding a protein of 86 amino acids. Next, cgnrhII was widely expressed in the central and peripheral tissues. Last, there were significant changes in cgnrhII mRNA expression in the fasted group compared to the fed group in the S. prenanti hypothalamus during 24 h fasting (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the cgnrhII gene expression presented a significant decrease in the fasted group compared with the fed group (P < 0.05) on days 3, 5 and 7, after re-feeding, there was no significant changes in cgnrhII mRNA expression level between refed and fed group on day 9 (P > 0.05). Thus, the results suggest that cGnRH II expression is influenced by fasting and the gene may be involved in feeding regulation in S. prenanti.

Novel linear-dendritic-like amphiphilic copolymers: synthesis and self-assembly characteristics

Tailoring the self-assembly of linear-dendritic-like amphiphilic copolymers via stereocomplexation.

Amphiphilic conetworks and gels physically cross-linked via stereocomplexation of polylactide

Amphiphilic conetworks (APCNs), consisting of hydrophilic poly[poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ester acrylate] (PPEGMEA) and hydrophobic stereocomplex of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(D-lactide) (PDLA), were prepared by free radical copolymerization of PEGMEA with acrylate macromonomer of the PLA stereocomplex. The effects of stereocomplexation and the amount of PLA stereocomplex on the rheology properties of APCNs were investigated. The results indicated that the APCNs was stronger in the presence of stereocomplexation compared with the that of nonstereocomplex system, and the strength of the APCNs increased with the increasing of the amount of PLA stereocomplex. The storage modulus of the APCNs could be easily tuned from 1200 to 4300 Pa by incorporating 2-10% of stereocomplex PLA. On the other hand, the swelling behavior of APCNs decreased with the increasing content of hydrophobic PLA cross-linker.

Regulation of selenoprotein P concentration and expression by different sources of selenium in broiler breeders and their offspring

An 8-wk experiment using 180 Lingnan Yellow broiler breeders was conducted to investigate the effect of different sources of Se on the concentration and gene expression of selenoprotein P (SEPP1) in broiler breeders and their offspring. After receiving a low-Se basal diet for 8 wk, broiler breeders were randomly allocated to 3 treatments (6 replicates per treatment) and fed corn-soy-based diets supplemented with 0.15 mg/kg of Se from sodium selenite (SS), Se-enriched yeast (SY), and selenomethionine (SM), respectively. Fertile eggs from different replicates were collected during the last week of the experiment and then incubated in different incubator trays in the same incubator. The concentrations and mRNA levels of SEPP1 were determined in liver and kidney of broiler breeders and their offspring, as well as the serum SEPP1 concentration. Compared with SS, both SY and SM significantly increased (P < 0.05) the concentration and mRNA level of SEPP1 in 1-d-old chicks. In broiler breeders, the serum and liver SEPP1 concentrations were notably increased by the use of organic Se (P < 0.05), whereas no differences were found in the kidney. Moreover, the SEPP1 mRNA level in the liver was remarkably elevated (P < 0.05) in organic Se treatments, but also no differences were observed in the kidney. Results of this study indicate that the use of organic Se (SY or SM) in maternal diets is very effective for increasing the concentration and mRNA level of SEPP1, especially in their offspring. No differences between SY and SM were observed.

Polymer nanocomposite hydrogels exhibiting both dynamic restructuring and unusual adhesive properties

Polymer nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels exhibiting both dynamic restructuring and unusual adhesive properties in wet and dry states have been prepared in an efficient and straightforward way via free radical polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEG) in the presence of silane-modified sodium montmorillonite (NaMMT). The dynamic restructuring of the NC gel has been demonstrated by almost instant recovery of mechanical properties, such as storage modulus, loss modulus, and damping tan δ (at 0.025 strain) by 60-110% after being stressed to the point of gel failure. Furthermore, the dry NC gel showed exceptional thermal and mechanical stability during a heating and cooling cycle between 25 and 110 °C, with only slightly decreases followed by at least 30% increases in both moduli, while tan δ remained nearly unchanged. The NC gel in dry state could repeatedly adhere to various surfaces such as steel, glass, plastic, etc., and detach from the surface without being broken and leaving little contamination behind. This unique adhesive characteristic was characterized by high storage modulus, loss modulus (kPa), and tan δ (>0.6) corresponding to high cohesive, adhesive, and tacking properties of pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs). Finally, a reversible network structure formed by PEO interpenetrating within 3-dimentional (3-D) silica network was proposed to be responsible for the dynamic restructuring and the unique adhesive behaviors observed in the NC gel, and the 3-D network structure was investigated by XRD, FTIR, and DSC measurements. For this 3-D network structure, we suggest that the flexibility of PEO could allow PEO side chains to contact with various surfaces by either PEO segments or methoxy end groups via weak physical interactions, such as van der Waals interactions or hydrogen bonding, whereas the reversible network structure contributes to the recovery of strength and shape after the gel failure.

Effect of selenium sources on the expression of cellular glutathione peroxidase and cytoplasmic thioredoxin reductase in the liver and kidney of broiler breeders and their offspring

In total, 180 Lingnan Yellow broiler breeders were used to investigate the effect of different sources of selenium (Se) on the expression of cellular glutathione peroxidase (GPx1) and cytoplasmic thioredoxin reductase (TrxR1) in the liver and kidney of broiler breeders and their offspring by quantitative real-time PCR. There were 6 replicates of 3 dietary treatments. Broiler breeders were fed corn-soy-based diets supplemented with 0.15 mg/kg of Se from sodium selenite, Se-enriched yeast (SY), or selenomethionine (SM). At the end of the feeding trial, liver and kidney mRNA levels of GPx1 and TrxR1 were determined by quantitative real-time PCR, as well as the activity of GPx1 and TrxR1 in liver and kidney of breeders and their offspring. The results showed that, compared with sodium selenite, SY or SM significantly increased (P < 0.05) the activity of TrxR1 in the liver and kidney of broiler breeders and their offspring but not the GPx1 activity. The liver GPx1 and TrxR1 mRNA levels in SY or SM groups were higher (P < 0.05) than that in the sodium selenite group. And the kidney TrxR1 mRNA levels were also significantly increased (P < 0.05) by using SY or SM, whereas there was no significant difference in the kidney GPx1 mRNA levels between the organic or inorganic sources of Se used.

Differences between karyotypically normal and abnormal human embryonic stem cells

OBJECTIVES

To compare different biological characteristics of human embryonic stem cells (HESCs) between those with normal and those with abnormal karyotype.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Culture-adapted HESCs (chHES-3) with abnormal karyotype were compared with karyotypically normal cells, with regard to pluripotency and differentiation capacity, ultrastructure, growth characteristics, gene expression profiles and signalling pathways.

RESULTS

We found a new abnormal karyotype of HESCs. We observed that chHES-3 cells with normal and abnormal karyotypes shared similarities in expression markers of pluripotency; however, karyotypically abnormal chHES-3 cells had a tendency for differentiation towards ectoderm lineages and were easily maintained in suboptimal culturing conditions. Abnormal chHES-3 cells displayed relatively mature cell organelles compared to normal cells, and karyotypically abnormal chHES-3 cells had increased survival and population growth. Genes related to cell proliferation and apoptosis were up-regulated, but genes associated with genetic instability (p53, Rb, BRCA1) were down-regulated in the karyotypically abnormal cells.

CONCLUSION

Karyotypically abnormal chHES-3 cells had a more developed capacity for proliferation, resistance to apoptosis and less genetic stability compared to normal chHES-3 cells and may be an excellent model for studying and characterizing initial stages that determine transition of embryonic stem cells into cancer stem cells.

Protein phosphatase-1 regulates Akt1 signal transduction pathway to control gene expression, cell survival and differentiation

AKT pathway has a critical role in mediating signaling transductions for cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. Previous studies have shown that AKT activation is achieved through a series of phosphorylation steps: first, AKT is phosphorylated at Thr-450 by JNK kinases to prime its activation; then, phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 phosphorylates AKT at Thr-308 to expose the Ser-473 residue; and finally, AKT is phosphorylated at Ser-473 by several kinases (PKD2 and others) to achieve its full activation. For its inactivation, the PH-domain containing phosphatases dephosphorylate AKT at Ser-473, and protein serine/threonine phosphatase-2A (PP-2A) dephosphorylates it at Thr-308. However, it remains unknown regarding which phosphatase dephosphorylates AKT at Thr-450 during its inactivation. In this study, we present both in vitro and in vivo evidence to show that protein serine/threonine phosphatase-1 (PP-1) is a major phosphatase that directly dephosphorylates AKT to modulate its activation. First, purified PP-1 directly dephosphorylates AKT in vitro. Second, immunoprecipitation and immunocolocalization showed that PP-1 interacts with AKT. Third, stable knock down of PP-1alpha or PP-1beta but not PP-1gamma, PP-2Aalpha or PP-2Abeta by shRNA leads to enhanced phosphorylation of AKT at Thr-450. Finally, overexpression of PP-1alpha or PP-1beta but not PP-1gamma, PP-2Aalpha or PP-2Abeta results in attenuated phosphorylation of AKT at Thr-450. Moreover, our results also show that dephosphorylation of AKT by PP-1 significantly modulates its functions in regulating the expression of downstream genes, promoting cell survival and modulating differentiation. These results show that PP-1 acts as a major phosphatase to dephosphorylate AKT at Thr-450 and thus modulate its functions.

Risk factors of biliary complications following liver transplantation: retrospective analysis of a single centre

BACKGROUND

Despite improvements that have been achieved in surgical techniques and organ preservation, biliary complications remain one of the most serious morbidities following liver transplantation. However, factors related to biliary complications after liver transplantation are not completely understood. The objective of this study was to identify retrospectively possible risk factors of biliary complications following liver transplantation.

METHODS

Data on 279 patients who underwent liver transplantation between January 1999 and November 2005 were collected retrospectively. Selected variables from preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data were first analysed using univariate logistic regression. Filtered factors with p<0.1 in the first step were further investigated to identify factors independently associated with biliary complications following liver transplantation.

RESULTS

The overall incidence of biliary complications was 22.6%. Multivariate regression revealed that biliary cirrhosis (p = 0.038), anhepatic phase time (p = 0.04), and incidence of hepatic artery abnormality (p = 0.001) after transplantation were factors that were significantly related to biliary complications. Use of a T tube for biliary reconstruction and living grafts were not associated with biliary complications following liver transplantation.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that further technical refinement-namely, shortening the anhepatic phase duration, shielding the hepatic artery, and refining biliary duct reconstruction-can reduce the incidence of biliary complications following liver transplantation.

Estimation of standard liver volume for liver transplantation in the Chinese population

INTRODUCTION

The accurate assessment of standard liver volume (SLV) is necessary for the safety of both the donor and the recipient in living donor liver transplantation. However, the accuracy of SLV formulas relates to cohorts or races. This study examined the accuracy of a simple linear formula versus previous formulas of SLV for Chinese adults.

METHODS

Among 112 patients with normal liver, we created a new formula for SLV with stepwise regression analysis using the following variables: age, gender, body weight, body height, body mass index, and body surface area. The agreement between the actual liver volume (LV) and calculated LV using various formulas was prospectively evaluated among 63 living donors by paired-sample student's t-test and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

A new formula was developed SLV (mL) = 949.7 x BSA (m(2)) - 48.3 x age - 247.4 where age was counted as 1 for those <40, 2 if 41-60, and 3 if >60 years old. The calculated LV using our formula showed no significant difference from the actual LV using the paired-samples student's t-test (P = .653). Lin's concordance correlation coefficient showed substantial agreement between estimated LV using our formula and actual LV. Furthermore, this study also observed an almost perfect agreement between our formula and the Yoshizumi et al formula.

CONCLUSION

Our formula, which accurately estimated LV among Chinese adults, may be applicable to adults of other ethnicitis.

RNA interference-mediated silencing of the polo-like kinase 1 gene enhances chemosensitivity to gemcitabine in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells

Gemcitabine is the first-line chemotherapeutic agent for advanced adenocarcinoma of the pancreas; however, chemoresistance to gemcitabine remains a major cause of failure for the clinical treatment of this disease. Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk-1) is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer cell lines and pancreatic tumour tissues, and is involved in a wide variety of cell cycle processes. Nevertheless, its biological role and implication for gemcitabine resistance are not clearly defined. In this study, we used RNA-interference (RNAi)-mediated depletion of Plk-1 to determine its potential for sensitizing pancreatic tumour cells to gemcitabine. We showed that the level of Plk-1 protein was correlated significantly with gemcitabine resistance in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells and that overexpression of Plk-1 reduced sensitivity to gemcitabine in these cells. In addition, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of Plk-1 caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M and the reduction of cellular proliferation. More importantly, the treatment of pancreatic cancer cells with Plk-1 siRNA followed by exposure to gemcitabine dramatically decreased cell viability and increased cellular apoptosis, as compared with treatment with either agent alone. These observations indicate that down-regulation of Plk-1 expression by RNAi enhances gemcitabine sensitivity and increases gemcitabine cytotoxicity in pancreatic tumour cells. This is the first demonstration that the combination of Plk-1 gene therapy and gemcitabine chemotherapy has synergistic anti-tumour activity against pancreatic carcinoma in vitro. This combination treatment warrants further investigation as an effective therapeutic regimen for patients with resistant pancreatic cancer and other tumours.

Ion source and low energy injection line for a central region model cyclotron

At CIAE, a 100 MeV H(-) cyclotron (CYCIAE-100) is under design and construction. A central region model (CRM) cyclotron was built for various experimental verifications for the CYCIAE-100 project and for research and development of high current injection to accelerate milliampere H(-) beam. The H(-) multicusp source built in 2003 has been improved recently to make the source operation more stable. A new injection line for axial low energy high current injection has been designed and constructed for the CRM cyclotron.

Off-line ion source terminal for ISAC at TRIUMF

The off-line ion source (OLIS) terminal consists of a microwave cusp ion source, either a surface ion source or a hybrid surface-arc discharge ion source and an electrostatic switch that allows selecting any one of the sources without mechanical intervention. These sources provide variety of beams to ISAC experiments, for commissioning the accelerators, for setting up the radioactive experiments, and for tuning the beam lines. The microwave ion source has been operational since 1995 and provides singly and doubly charged beams from various stable isotopes for many ISAC experiments at high and low energy areas. Originally its prime goal was to provide beams from gaseous elements, but later two ovens and a sputtering system were added in order to provide beams from liquids and from solids. The surface ion source installed in 2002 can provide low energy spread beams from alkali and semialkali elements. It also has three separate ovens and an ionizer. Therefore, it can provide three different temperature regions simultaneously to provide different beams to ISAC. It is mainly used for laser spectroscopy experiments and other experiments, which require a finite beam quality. A hybrid surface-arc discharge ion source was also developed and installed in order to meet specific demands from experiments. This source terminal is now automated for start up and for mass selection. It is capable of providing stable beams for months without maintenance and it is also capable of providing negative ion beams if required. To date, over 40 different isotopes including many rear isotopes were delivered to various experiments from the OLIS source terminal. Performances of the ion sources and some of the results are discussed.

Metal ion reduction and resultant deposition on viologen-functionalized LDPE films and viologen-containing microporous membranes

Photo-induced reduction of gold and platinum metal salt solutions was carried out using viologen graft copolymerized on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films and viologen-containing poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF-PVBV) microporous membranes. The effects of the UV irradiation time and concentration of the metal salt solutions on the metal ion reduction process and the resultant metal deposition on the polymeric substrates were investigated. The metal-polymer composites were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The amount of metal uptake, the state of the metal, and the size of the metal particles were found to be strongly dependent on the UV irradiation time and the type and concentration of the metal salt solution. The microporous structure and the high viologen content of the PVDF-PVBV membrane constitute an effective matrix for metal ion reduction and preparation of metal nanoparticles.

The effect of electro-acupuncture on motor function recovery in patients with acute cerebral infarction: a randomly controlled trial

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of electro-acupuncture treatment in acute phase of cerebral infarction on the motor functions. In this randomly controlled trial, 86 patients were allocated to two groups, the experimental group given clinical and electro-acupuncture treatments for a period of 4 weeks, and the control group given clinical treatment plus active and/or passive functional exercise. The result showed that the level of impairment and disability in both groups were improvement according to the Chinese Stroke Scale, Brunnstrom-Fugl-Meyer score, and Barthel Index throughout the study and 3 months after. The motor functions and the activities of daily living (ADL) were improved significantly in the electro-acupuncture group as compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Also, the results showed greater reduction of neurological deficit in the electro-acupuncture group than in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Early acupuncture treatment for acute stroke patients may improve motor functions, and consequently the activities of daily living.

Pulsed tissue Doppler imaging to assess myocardial viability by quantification of regional myocardial functional reserve

Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is used widely to evaluate myocardial viability, but is limited by the subjective nature of test interpretation. Assessment of systolic function by pulsed tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) during dobutamine stimulation may allow a more objective evaluation of myocardial functional reserve and, thus, myocardial viability. In 30 patients (58 +/- 9 years) with prior myocardial infarction, pulsed TDI with low dose dobutamine stress (10 microg/kg/min) was performed to assess myocardial viability. Qualitative assessment of two-dimensional (2-D) DSE and positron emission tomography (PET) were used for comparison. Peak systolic myocardial velocity was measured for each left ventricular segment (16 segments) at baseline and low dose dobutamine stress using pulsed TDI. The absolute and relative increases of peak systolic velocity from rest to low dose dobutamine stress were calculated. Three hundred sixty-four segments with adequate pulsed TDI tracing were divided according to either 2-D DSE or PET findings into normal, viable (mismatch), and nonviable (match) segments. The increase of peak systolic myocardial velocity from baseline to low dose dobutamine was significantly different between segments defined as normal, viable, and nonviable by 2-D DSE (2.71 +/- 1.91 cm/sec, 1.86 +/- 2.15 cm/sec, and 0.99 +/- 1.16 cm/sec, respectively; P < 0.001). The increase of peak systolic myocardial velocity from rest to low dose dobutamine for normal, mismatch, and match segments defined by PET was 2.72 +/- 1.96, 1.01 +/- 0.96 and 0.80 +/- 1.07 cm/sec, respectively (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the increase of peak systolic myocardial velocity during low dose dobutamine stimulation determined by pulsed TDI distinguishes between different myocardial viability states. It complements the standard interpretation of stress echocardiograms.

IFN-gamma-dependent and -independent initiation of switch recombination by NK cells

We have examined the effect of IL-2-propagated NK or NK-T cells on each of the steps required for B cell switch recombination leading to IgG2a production. The results indicate that NK cells, on their own and in the absence of IFN-gamma, can induce germline transcription in resting, IgG(-) B lymphocytes from the gamma2a locus as well as mRNA for activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) via a process that requires cell-cell interactions. The results also show that, in contrast to induction by T cells, activation by NK cells does not involve CD40-CD40 ligand interactions and does not extend to the induction of Igamma1 transcription. Furthermore, in contrast to stimulation by LPS and IFN-gamma or by T cells, the activation events initiated by NK cells do not result in significant synthesis of functional gamma2a mRNA in resting B lymphocytes even in the presence of IFN-gamma. Thus, induction of germline and AID transcripts are necessary but not sufficient events for functional switching to IgG2a. These experiments, showing that NK cells themselves cannot induce IgG2a production but can polyclonally program B lymphocytes so that they preferentially switch to this isotype may explain how activated NK cells can skew the Ag-specific immune response toward IgG2a. The findings also provide further demonstration of the definitive yet limited extent of how a non-Ag-specific component of the innate system can modulate the direction of the adaptive immune response.