Post-treatment surveillance of thyroid cancer

An increased incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) has resulted in an increased population of thyroid cancer survivors requiring ongoing disease surveillance. Our institution's risk-adapted surveillance strategy is based on a contemporary understanding of disease biology, guided by analysis of prognostic factors and balanced application of available surveillance modalities. The goal of this strategy is to detect recurrent disease early, identify patients who would benefit from further treatment and reduce over investigation of low-risk patients. This article describes our center's risk-stratified approach to the postoperative surveillance of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer with reference to the recent 2015 American Thyroid Association management guidelines.

Anti-site-induced diverse diluted magnetism in LiMgPdSb-type CoMnTiSi alloy

The effect of three kinds of anti-site disorder to electronic structure and magnetic properties of the LiMgPdSb-type CoMnTiSi alloy are investigated. It was found the Mn-Ti anti-site disorder can induce the diluted magnetism in CoMnTiSi matrix. The magnetic structure has an oscillation between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic states with the different degree of Mn-Ti anti-site disorder. Two novel characteristics: the diluted antiferromagnetic half-metallicity and the diluted zero-gap half-metallity are found in the different degree range of the Mn-Ti anti-site disorder. The Co-Mn and Co-Ti anti-site disorder have little effect on the magnetic properties. The width of energy gap and the intensity of DOS at the Fermi level can be adjusted by the degree of Co-Mn or Co-Ti anti-site disorder. The independent control to the carrier concentration and magnetization can be realized by introducing the different anti-site disorder.

Blood pressure-to-height ratio as a screening indicator of elevated blood pressure among children and adolescents in Chongqing, China

We aimed to evaluate the performance of blood pressure-to-height ratio (BPHR) and establish their optimal thresholds for elevated blood pressure (BP) among children aged 6 to 17 years in Chongqing, China. Data were collected from 11 029 children and adolescents aged 6-17 years in 12 schools in Chongqing according to multistage stratified cluster sampling method. The gold standard for elevated BP was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ⩾95th percentile for gender, age and height. The diagnostic performance of systolic BPHR (SBPHR) and diastolic BPHR (DBPHR) to screen for elevated BP was evaluated through receiver-operating characteristic curves (including the area under the curve (AUC) and its 95% confidence interval, sensitivity and specificity). The prevalence of elevated BP in children and adolescents in Chongqing was 10.36% by SBP and/or DBP ⩾95th percentile for gender, age and height. The optimal thresholds of SBPHR/DBPHR for identifying elevated BP were 0.86/0.58 for boys and 0.85/0.57 for girls among children aged 6 to 8 years, 0.81/0.53 for boys and 0.80/0.52 for girls among children aged 9 to 11 years and 0.71/0.45 for boys and 0.72/0.47 for girls among adolescents aged 12-17 years, respectively. Across gender and the specified age groups, AUC ranged from 0.82 to 0.88, sensitivity were above 0.94 and the specificities were over 0.7. The positive predictive values ranged from 0.30 to 0.38 and the negative predictive values were ⩾0.99. BPHR, with uniform values across broad age groups (6-8, 9-11 and 12-17 years) for boys and for girls is a simple indicator to screen elevated BP in children and adolescents in Chongqing.

Prediction of protein subcellular multisite localization using a new feature extraction method

A basic problem of proteomics is identifying the subcellular locations of a protein. One factor making the problem more complicated is that some proteins may simultaneously exist in two or more than two subcellular locations. To improve multisite prediction quality, it is necessary to use effective feature extraction methods. Here, we developed a new feature extraction method based on the pK value and frequencies of amino acids to represent a protein as a real values vector. Using this novel feature extraction method, the multi-label k-nearest neighbors (ML-KNN) algorithm and setting different weights into different attributes' ML-KNN, known as wML-KNN, were employed to predict multiplex protein subcellular locations. The best overall accuracy rate on dataset S1 from the predictor of Virus-mPLoc was 59.92 and 86.04% on dataset S2 from Gpos-mPLoc, respectively.

[Topical voriconazole as an effective treatment for fungal keratitis]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of topical voriconazole in patients with fungal keratitis caused by different fungal species.

METHODS

Interventional case series. Eighty-four patients aged 18 years or older from central China with confirmed fungal keratitis who presented at the outpatient department of Henan Eye Institute were enrolled in the study. The patients underwent in vivo confocal scanning laser microscopy examination, coneal scraping and microscopic examination and fungal culture, and then received topical voriconazole, closed curative effects were conducted. The sensitivity of three different diagnostic techniques, spectrum of the fungi, cure rate for fungal corneal infection related to each species were analyzed.

RESULTS

In our study, 84 patients were diagnosed with fungal keratitis based on clinical symptoms, and results of at least one of the examinations of in vivo confocal scanning laser microscopy, conventional smear, and corneal scraping culture and the sensitivity were 92.85%(78/84), 85.71%(72/84), 84.52%(71/84)respectively. In viro confocal scanning laser microscopy. Successful management was achieved in 83.33% of the patients. Topical voriconazole treatment failed in 14 patients(16.67%), who required surgical treatment. In 36 patients with Fusarium corneal infections, 26(72.22%)were successfully treated with topical voriconazole; however, in 18 patients with Aspergillus corneal infections and 7 patients with Alternaria corneal infections, 94.44% and 100.00% of them were successfully treated, respectively. In a case-based dynamic tracking study, in vivo confocal microscopy provided real-time dynamic detection of surviving hyphae. The existence of hyphae was(38.35±17.32)days for Fusarium,(25.00±16.11)days for Aspergillus,(21.00±4.36)days for Alternaria, and(41.50±31.68)days for the focus in the deep stroma. The duration of treatment was similar for all four groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Topical application of voriconazole is on effective method for the freatment of fungal keratitis Topical voriconazole is highly effective for fungal keratitis caused by Alternaria spp. and Aspergillus, however, for Fusarium, it is relatively low effective. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2016, 52: 657-662).

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Liuyang black goat and its phylogenetic relationship with other Caprinae

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Liuyang black goat was investigated, and phylogenetic relationships between the Liuyang black goat and other species of Caprinae were analyzed. The total length of the mitochondrial genome was 16,715 bp, which consisted of 33.50% A, 27.27% T, 25.98% C, and 13.25% G. The mitochondrial genome contained a major non-coding control region (D-loop region), two ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. Neighbor-joining and maximum-parsimony trees of Caprinae constructed using 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes showed that the Liuyang black goat is phylogenetically closest to Hemitragus jemlahicus (the Himalayan tahr) and Blue sheep to form clade A. Tibetan antelopes clustered separately in clade B and so did sheep in clade C.

[Characteristics of HIV infections among over 50-year-olds population in China]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the characteristics on demographical, spatial distribution and transmission mode of HIV infections among 50-year-old population.

METHODS

Related information on demography, spatial distribution, high risk behavioral and history of HIV infections among 50-year-old population were collected and analyzed. Possible time of infection based on their first CD4 testing results right after the HIV diagnoses, was estimated.

RESULTS

Since 2008, the number of new HIV/AIDS cases among the over-50-year-olds was reported increasing annually. The number of aged 50 and above in 2014 was 4.2 times than the number in 2008. 50-year-old or older population were infected mainly through heterosexual behavior (88.0%). Among these cases, 83.9% self-reported as having histories on extramarital sex intercourse and the number was increasing yearly. Among male cases who admitted as having heterosexual experience, 95.1% of them reported as having histories of extramarital sex intercourse while 53.4% of the female cases reported as having the same experiences. 46.6% of spouses of the females or with fixed partners were HIV positive. Through estimating the time of infection and the time interval between infection and diagnosis, we found that the proportion was 15.5%, from infection to diagnosis as 3 years among the 50 and older age groups, but the proportion of 8 years from infection to diagnosis was 43.6%. We estimated that 66.5% of the new HIV cases who were at age 50 and over, were infected when they were at that age span. The average time from infection and being tested was (6.8 ± 2.7) years.

CONCLUSION

The increasing number of being diagnosed on HIV among the 50-year-olds population might be related to both high risk exposure and belated diagnoses among this population, calling for the necessity of deriving the sources of HIV infection and tailoring the HIV prevention strategies in this population.

[Analysis on the ' late diagnosis' (LD) phenomena among newly identified HIV/AIDS cases in China, 2010-2014]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the 'late diagnoses' (LD) phenomena among newly identified HIV/AIDS cases in China from 2010 to 2014.

METHODS

Newly identified HIV/AIDS cases from 2010 to 2014 were selected from the National HIV/AIDS comprehensive information system. Rates related to LD were stratified according to the demographic indicators.

RESULTS

From 2010 to 2014, numbers of newly identified HIV/AIDS cases were reported as 64 338, 74 517, 82 434, 90 119 and 103 501 in China. Among them, proportions of LD were 41.8%, 42.1%, 38.1%, 36.8% and 35.5% respectively. LD proportions appeared high in medical settings, with the minimum proportion as 45% (χ(2)=5 174,P<0.000 1). Proportion of LD among patients who were heterosexually transmitted appeared over 40%, which was significantly higher than that seen among men who have sex with men or injecting drug users (χ(2)=3 066,P<0.000 1). Proportion of LD showed more than 39% in those newly identified cases, and was seen higher in permanent residents than in floating population (less than 30%) (χ(2)=5 265,P<0.000 1).

CONCLUSION

With the expansion testing coverage on HIV, newly identified HIV/AIDS increased year by year. Among the newly identified cases, late diagnosis was high, especially in medical institutions. More effective strategies and measures are needed to promote the early detection of HIV in high risk population.

Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with end-stage renal disease and the development of high-turnover renal osteodystrophy in a Chinese population

Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; TaqI and ApaI) in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene have been identified as risk factors for the progression of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The purpose of our study was to confirm the reported association of these two SNPs with ESRD risk and progression of renal osteodystrophy in a Chinese Han population. A total of 452 ESRD patients and 904 matched-pair controls (based on age, gender, and body mass index) were included. Identification of VDR gene polymorphisms was performed using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method with TaqI and ApaI restriction enzymes. There was no association of the TaqI polymorphism with ESRD risk. However, significant associations were seen between ApaI (rs7975232) polymorphism and ESRD risk in the heterozygote model (AC/ AA; P = 0.002; OR = 1.4, 95%CI = 1.14-1.83), homozygote model (CC/AA; P = 0.007; OR = 1.8, 95%CI = 1.17-2.85) genotypes for rs7975232, allelic model (P < 0.001; OR = 1.4, 95%CI = 1.15-1.64), dominant model (P = 0.001; OR = 1.5, 95%CI = 1.19-1.87), and recessive model (P = 0.046; OR = 0.6, 95%CI = 0.42-1.00) between cases and healthy controls Moreover, we found a significant correlation between the genotype and allele distribution of ApaI and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels, where allele C carriers have increased iPTH levels. The ApaI polymorphism in the VDR gene appears to be a susceptibility locus for ESRD in Chinese individuals, and allele C carriers may have an increased risk of high-turnover renal osteodystrophy.

Effects of nucleotide usage on the synonymous codon usage patterns of biofilm-associated genes in Haemophilus parasuis

To provide a new perspective on the evolutionary characteristics shaping the genetic diversity of Haemophilus parasuis biofilms, the relative synonymous codon usage values, codon usage bias values, effective number of codons (ENC) values, codon adaptation index (CAI) values, and the base components were calculated. Our objective was to implement a comparative analysis to evaluate the dynamic evolution of biofilm-associated genes in H. parasuis. The analysis of genetic diversity provides evidence that some biofilm-associated genes have similar genetic features. However, other genes show some variations in genetic direction. Furthermore, preferential selection of the synonymous codons and amino acids is apparent in biofilm-associated genes. Additionally, the ENC and CAI data from this study all strongly suggested that biofilm-associated genes may depend on deoptimization to adapt to environmental changes, and the mutation effect of biofilm-associated genes in H. parasuis plays an important role in shaping the genetic features. Our results reveal that the mutations of biofilm-associated genes form a set of sophisticated strategies for combating the environmental changes arising from the host cell in the evolution of H. parasuis.

[Application of the dizziness handicap inventory in the patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo]

Objective:This study was designed to observe the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) scores in patients with BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) before and after maneuver repositioning and aimed to discuss the values of DHI scores in the diagnosing and treatment of BPPV. Method:Charts of 72 patients with BPPV diagnosed by positioning test were reviewed. Four DHI scores were used including the total score (DHIT), the functional score (DHIF), the emotional score (DHIE), and the physical score (DHIP). We compared the pre-repositioning DHI scores and post-repositioning scores of patients, and also compared the DHI scores of patients with and without residual dizziness. Result:All of the 72 patients were underwent maneuver repositioning and recorded the DHI scores. The mean post-repositioning scores were dramatically decreased compared with pre-repositioning scores, and the difference was significant (P<0.01). The differences of the DHIP scores between the residual dizziness group and the non-residual dizziness group was not significant, while the DHIF scores, the DHIE scores and the DHIT scores between the two groups were statistically different. Conclusion:After maneuver repositioning the dizziness handicap of BPPV patients could be significantly improved. The next treatment program for residual dizziness patients after successful repositioning could be aimed at the functional and emotional dizziness.

Development of polymorphic microsatellite loci for a new fish species, Chinese sillago (Sillago sinica)

Sillago sinica is a newly identified species belonging to Sillaginidae, Perciforms, and was found along the coast of China in 2011. In the present study, 81 microsatellite loci were isolated from an enriched genomic library, and 24 positive clones containing microsatellite repeats had adequate flanking sequences for the development of PCR primers. Sixteen of these primers were monomorphic or would not amplify. Eight were polymorphic in an examined population with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 2 to 14. The number of observed and expected heterozygosities per locus varied from 0.125 to 0.958 and from 0.120 to 0.904, respectively. The polymorphism information content ranged from 0.110 to 0.721. All loci conformed to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05) after Bonferroni correction. There was no significant linkage disequilibrium between the eight polymorphic loci. These results suggest that these markers may be very useful for the characterization of natural populations of this species.

[Clinical characteristics and prognosis of concurrent positive t(14; 18) and myc gene rearrangement in diffuse large B cell lymphoma]

OBJECTIVE

To study the incidence of positive t(14; 18) and myc gene rearrangement, and the clinical features and prognosis of concurrent positive t(14; 18) and myc gene rearrangement "double-hit lymphoma" (DHL) in diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

METHODS

The positive t(14; 18) and myc gene rearrangement in 106 cases of DLBCL were analyzed using interphase fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique. The expression of myc and bcl-2 proteins was determined by immunohistochemistry. The relationship of positive t(14; 18) and myc gene rearrangement with clinical features, pathogenesis and prognosis for the patients was analyzed. SPSS 16.0 software was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Among the 106 cases, there were 27 (25.5%) cases with positive t(14; 18) and 13 (12.3%) cases with myc gene rearrangement, and 7 cases (6.6%) of DLBCL with concurrent t(14; 18)-positive and myc gene rearrangement. A relationship was observed between positive t(14; 18) and myc gene rearrangement (P=0.019). The follow-up data showed that the 7 DHL patients were in age of 52-84 years, the International Prognostic Index (IPI) scores were 3 in two cases, 4 in four cases and 5 in one case, and the ECOG scores were 3 in all the 7 cases. Four patients had bone marrow involvement and were combined with leukemia. The survival time ranged from 0.5 to 6 months, with a median survival of 4 months. The univariate analysis showed that B symptom, Ann Arbor stage, ECOG score, LDH level, IPI score, immunophenotype, bcl-2 protein expression, myc protein expression, and myc gene rearrangement were all associated with poor prognosis (P<0.05 for all). The multivariate analysis using a COX proportional hazard model confirmed that ECOG score, bcl-2 protein expression, myc protein expression, myc gene rearrangement, and immunophenotype were independent prognostic factors affecting survival (P<0.05 for all), among them, the myc gene rearrangement was the strongest prognostic factor (OR=4.337, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

"Double-hit" DLBCL is rare and can be mainly identified only by molecular detection. Perhaps positive t(14; 18) and myc gene rearrangement play concurrent role in its "double-hit" pathogenesis. DHL are highly invasive, and most of DHL patients have poor prognosis. Further studies of larger case number are required to determine the pathologic features and the therapeutic strategy of this subgroup.

Pioglitazone up-regulates long non-coding RNA MEG3 to protect endothelial progenitor cells via increasing HDAC7 expression in metabolic syndrome

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) maternally expressed 3 (MEG3) is expressed in endothelial cells and involved in angiogenesis and vascular function. It was proposed that MEG3 participates in the process of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) functions in metabolic syndrome (MetS). In this study, the circulating EPCs number and function were decreased in MetS subjects. The MEG3 expression was expressed at a lower level and microRNA-140-5p (miR-140-5p) was expressed at a higher level in circulating EPCs of subjects with MetS. Pioglitazone reversed the alterations of EPCs function and the expression levels of MEG3 and miR-140-5p in EPCs. In bone marrow-derived EPCs exposed to palmitate, down-regulation of miR-140-5p canceled the increase of MEG3 expression level induced by Pioglitazone. Overexpression of MEG3 resulted in the down-regulation of miR-140-5p. The luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay showed that MEG3 targeted miR-140-5p. In addition, the HDAC7 expression levels were regulated by miR-140-5p and MEG3. These findings demonstrated that Pioglitazone up-regulated MEG3 expression to protect EPCs via decreasing miR-140-5p expression and increasing HDAC7 expression in MetS, which may be a novel therapeutic target for preventing and treating MetS.

CXCL5 signaling is a shared pathway of neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier injury contributing to white matter injury in the immature brain

Background

In very preterm infants, white matter injury is a prominent brain injury, and hypoxic ischemia (HI) and infection are the two primary pathogenic factors of this injury. Microglia and microvascular endothelial cells closely interact; therefore, a common signaling pathway may cause neuroinflammation and blood–brain barrier (BBB) damage after injury to the immature brain. CXC chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5) is produced in inflammatory and endothelial cells by various organs in response to insults. CXCL5 levels markedly increased in the amniotic cavity in response to intrauterine infection and preterm birth in clinical studies. The objective of this study is to determine whether CXCL5 signaling is a shared pathway of neuroinflammation and BBB injury that contributes to white matter injury in the immature brain.

Methods

Postpartum day 2 (P2) rat pups received lipopolysaccharide (LPS) followed by 90-min HI. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to determine microglial activation, neutrophil infiltration, BBB damage, and myelin basic protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression. Immunofluorescence experiments were performed to determine the cellular distribution of CXCL5. Pharmacological tests were performed to inhibit or enhance CXCL5 activity.

Results

On P2, predominant increases in microglial activation and BBB damage were observed 24 h after LPS-sensitized HI induction, and white matter injury (decreased myelination and increased astrogliosis) was observed on P12 compared with controls. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed increased CXCL5 expression in the white matter 6 and 24 h after insult. Immunofluorescence experiments revealed upregulated CXCL5 expression in the activated microglia and endothelial cells 24 h after insult. CXCL5 inhibition by SB225002, a selective nonpeptide inhibitor of CXCR2, significantly attenuated microglial activation and BBB damage, increased myelination, and reduced astrogliosis in the white matter after LPS-sensitized HI. In addition, CXCL5-sensitized HI or CXCL5 alone significantly induced BBB damage and white matter injury in association with different neuroinflammation mechanisms. CXCL5-sensitized HI-induced microglial activation and neutrophil infiltration, whereas CXCL5 alone predominately caused neutrophil infiltration.

Conclusions

CXCL5 is a potential biomarker for white matter injury in preterm infants. Pharmacological blockade of CXCL5 signaling that attenuates dysregulated neuroinflammation can be used a therapeutic strategy against white matter injury in the immature brain.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12974-015-0474-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Association between RAGE gene polymorphisms and ulcerative colitis susceptibility: a case-control study in a Chinese Han population

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an immune-related disease with genetic predisposition. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of three polymorphisms in the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) gene with UC risk in a Chinese population. This case-control study involved 72 UC patients and 479 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using the polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction method. Data were analyzed using the Haplo.stats program. There were no significant differences between patients and controls in the allele/genotype distributions of rs1800624 (P(allele)= 0.11; Pgenotype = 0.20), rs1800625 (P(allele) = 0.16; Pgenotype = 0.11), or rs2070600 (P(allele) = 0.37; Pgenotype = 0.65). In addition, no positive haplotypes were identified. To the best of our knowledge, the current study describes polymorphisms of RAGE in Chinese UC for the first time. We found no association between RAGE polymorphisms and the development of UC in the Chinese population.

Molecular characterization, tissue expression profile, and SNP analysis of porcine SLC13A5

Solute carrier family 13 (sodium-dependent citrate transporter member 5, SLC13A5) gene has been recently found to play an important role in intramuscular fat content in pigs. In this study, the full-length cDNA of porcine SLC13A5 was obtained from the longissimus dorsi muscle of Shaziling pigs, using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends technique. Full-length porcine SLC13A5 cDNA was 2118 bp, with a 1665-bp open reading frame encoding 554 amino acids. The porcine SLC13A5 protein was analyzed using bioinformatic methodology, and found to include 18 potential phosphorylation sites (including six serine, nine threonine, and three tyrosine) and eight putative transmembrane domains. One single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site, A251G, was identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism and the associations of this SNP with age at 100 kg and corrected back fat thickness were found to be not significant. Expression of SLC13A5 was evaluated in ten tissues from 25-day-old full-sib Yorkshire and Shaziling piglets (both N = 3), using quantitative PCR analysis. Expression levels of SLC13A5 differed significantly between the breeds in cecum, liver and crureus muscle. In each breed, gene expression levels were significantly different in longissimus dorsi muscle, compared to the nine other tissues. This study has laid the foundation for further investigations of the molecular mechanisms of SLC13A5 in pigs.

Outcomes for patients with papillary thyroid cancer who do not undergo prophylactic central neck dissection

BACKGROUND

The role of prophylactic central neck dissection (CND) in the management of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is controversial. This report describes outcomes of an observational approach in patients without clinical evidence of nodal disease in PTC.

METHODS

All patients who had surgery between 1986 and 2010 without CND for PTC were identified. All patients had careful clinical assessment of the central neck during preoperative and perioperative evaluation, with any suspicious nodal tissue excised for analysis. The cohort included patients in whom lymph nodes had been removed, but no patient had undergone a formal neck dissection. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), central neck RFS and disease-specific survival (DSS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

Of 1798 patients, 397 (22.1 per cent) were men, 1088 (60.5 per cent) were aged 45 years or more, and 539 (30.0 per cent) had pT3 or pT4 disease. Some 742 patients (41.3 per cent) received adjuvant treatment with radioactive iodine. At a median follow-up of 46 months the 5-year DSS rate was 100 per cent. Five-year RFS and central neck RFS rates were 96.6 and 99.1 per cent respectively.

CONCLUSION

Observation of the central neck is safe and should be recommended for all patients with PTC considered before and during surgery to be free of central neck metastasis.

Design of wireless multi-parameter monitoring system for oral feeding of premature infants

Premature infants often cannot successfully and coordinately complete their oral feeding. Mature sucking, swallowing, and respiration activities are crucial indicators for the survival of newborn infants. Due to the vulnerability and unobvious muscle activities of premature infants, current clinical care givers mainly depend on the subjective behavioral observation of infants during oral feeding. There is still lack of an integrated oral feeding monitoring system to objectively and quantifiably monitor the related physiological parameters of premature infants. In this study, a wireless multi-parameter monitoring system for oral feeding of premature infants was proposed to monitor the sucking-swallowing-respiratory activities and the heart rate variability to provide quantitative indices of oral feeding. Here, a novel sucking pressure sensing module was also developed to monitor the premature infant's sucking pressure under oral feeding to avoid the immersion influence of milk. The experimental results showed that the proposed system detected the related physiological parameters of premature infants during oral feeding effectively and may provide an objective clinical evaluation tool for oral feeding ability and safety of premature infants in the future.

Losartan improves the distribution and efficacy of doxorubicin in CT26 tumor

OBJECTIVE

The effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents is impaired by limited delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to the tumor cells. Improving drug penetration in tumor tissues is very important. We tested whether losartan, a selective antagonist against type 1 angiotensin II receptors (AT1R) with noted antifibrotic activity, can enhance the penetration and efficacy of doxorubicin.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

BALB/C mice, which implanted with CT26 tumor cells, were divided into four groups: control, doxorubicin alone, losartan alone and doxorubicin + losartan combination groups. At day 0, the losartan alone and doxorubicin + losartan combination groups received losartan; and at day 8, the doxorubicin alone and doxorubicin + losartan combination groups received doxorubicin i.v. Tumor growth and intratumoral distribution of doxorubicin were evaluated. The mechanism underlying the enhanced anti-tumor effect of the combination of doxorubicin and losartan was investigated by immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTS

Treatment with losartan alone did not suppress tumor growth; In contrast, treatment with doxorubicin alone decreased tumor growth; losartan and doxorubicin were administered in combination, had a synergistic effect that the tumor growth was much more inhibited. The decreased proliferation as indicated by down-regulation of Ki67, and increased apoptosis as indicated by TUNEL and caspase-3 staining. The expression of tumor suppressor gene P53 increased in doxorubicin + losartan combination groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Losartan can increase the therapeutic effectiveness of doxorubicin, yielding more great antitumor benefit. This study provided a rationale for initiating clinical trials using losartan in combination with chemotherapeutic agents to increase their therapeutic effectiveness.

The distribution of Salmonella enterica serovars and subtypes in surface water from five agricultural regions across Canada

Serovar prevalence of the zoonotic pathogen, Salmonella enterica, was compared among 1624 surface water samples collected previously from five different Canadian agricultural watersheds over multiple years. Phagetyping, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and antimicrobial resistance subtyping assays were performed on serovars Enteritidis, Typhimurium, and Heidelberg. Serovars and subtypes from surface water were compared with those from animal feces, human sewage, and serovars reported to cause salmonellosis in Canadians. Sixty-five different serovars were identified in surface water; only 32% of these were isolated from multiple watersheds. Eleven of the 13 serovars most commonly reported to cause salmonellosis in Canadians were identified in surface water; isolates of these serovars constituted >40% of the total isolates. Common phagetypes and PFGE subtypes of serovars associated with illness in humans such as S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium were also isolated from surface water and animal feces. Antimicrobial resistance was generally low, but was highest among S. Typhimurium. Monitoring of these rivers helps to identify vulnerable areas of a watershed and, despite a relatively low prevalence of S. enterica overall, serovars observed in surface water are an indication of the levels of specific S. enterica serovars present in humans and animals.

Search for a light sterile neutrino at Daya Bay

A search for light sterile neutrino mixing was performed with the first 217 days of data from the Daya Bay Reactor Antineutrino Experiment. The experiment's unique configuration of multiple baselines from six 2.9 GW(th) nuclear reactors to six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 m and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls makes it possible to test for oscillations to a fourth (sterile) neutrino in the 10(-3) eV(2)<|Δm(41)(2) |< 0.3 eV(2) range. The relative spectral distortion due to the disappearance of electron antineutrinos was found to be consistent with that of the three-flavor oscillation model. The derived limits on sin(2) 2θ(14) cover the 10(-3) eV(2) ≲ |Δm(41)(2)| ≲ 0.1 eV(2) region, which was largely unexplored.