Expression of DNA Damage Response Proteins and Associations with Clinicopathologic Characteristics in Chinese Familial Breast Cancer Patients with BRCA1/2 Mutations

Purpose

The characteristic expression of DNA damage response proteins in familial breast cancers with BRCA1, BRCA2, or non-BRCA1/2 mutations has not been analyzed in Chinese patients. Our study aimed to assess the differential expression of microcephalin 1 (BRIT1), ATM serine/threonine kinase (ATM), checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2), BRCA1, RAD51 recombinase (RAD51), and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) and establish the profile of Chinese familial breast cancers with different mutation status.

Methods

We constructed five tissue microarrays from 183 familial breast cancer patients (31 with BRCA1 mutations; 14 with BRCA2 mutations, and 138 with non-BRCA1/2 mutations). The DNA response and repair markers used for immunohistochemistry analysis included BRIT1, ATM, CHEK2, BRCA1, RAD51, and PARP-1. The expressions of these proteins were analyzed in BRCA1/2 mutated tumors. The association between pathologic characteristics with BRCA1/2 mutation status was also analyzed.

Results

In familial breast cancer patients, BRCA1 mutated tumors were more frequent with high nuclear grade, estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative, low Ki-67, and positive CK5/6. BRCA1 mutated tumors had lower CHEK2 and higher cytoplasmic BRIT1 expression than BRCA2 and non-BRCA1/2 mutation tumors. BRCA2-associated tumors showed higher CHEK2 and cytoplasmic RAD51 expression than those in other groups. Nuclear PARP-1 expression in BRCA1/2-associated tumors was significantly higher than in non-BRCA1/2 mutation tumors. Moreover, we found quite a few of negative PARP-1 expression cases in BRCA1/2 mutated groups.

Conclusion

The clinicopathologic findings of BRCA1-associated Chinese familial breast cancers were similar to the results of other studies. Chinese familial breast cancer patients with BRCA1/2 mutations might have distinctive expression of different DNA damage response proteins. The reduced expression of PARP-1 in Chinese BRCA1/2 mutated breast cancer patients could influence the therapeutic outcome of PARP-1 inhibitors.

[A review of the effectiveness and long-term stability of the functional appliance]

The orthopedic treatment of the orthodontics is a typical and crucial technique and method that uses functional appliances to fully work out the potentials of the jaws and muscles, and accordingly to correct the functional or mild skeletal malocclusions in pre-pubertal children and adolescents. A successful orthopedic treatment involves its short-time effectiveness and its long-term stability. For many years, however, the effectiveness of the functional appliance is controversial and the long-term stability of the functional appliance has always been overlooked. Thus, with an aim of presenting guidelines on orthopedic treatment, the effectiveness and the long-term stability of the functional appliance are discussed in this article.

Measurement of the Dynamical Structure Factor of a 1D Interacting Fermi Gas

We present measurements of the dynamical structure factor S(q,ω) of an interacting one-dimensional Fermi gas for small excitation energies. We use the two lowest hyperfine levels of the ^{6}Li atom to form a pseudospin-1/2 system whose s-wave interactions are tunable via a Feshbach resonance. The atoms are confined to one dimension by a two-dimensional optical lattice. Bragg spectroscopy is used to measure a response of the gas to density ("charge") mode excitations at a momentum q and frequency ω, as a function of the interaction strength. The spectrum is obtained by varying ω, while the angle between two laser beams determines q, which is fixed to be less than the Fermi momentum k_{F}. The measurements agree well with Tomonaga-Luttinger theory.

[Comparison of spontaneous correction in thoracic curves after anterior versus posterior selective fusion in Lenke type 5C adolescent idiopathic scoliosis]

Objective: To analyze the long-term results and the influence factors of spontaneous correction of unfused thoracic curves in anterior and posterior selective fusions in Lenke type 5C adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Methods: From January 2005 to December 2011, 89 Lenke type 5C AIS patients with a minimum of 5-year follow-up who underwent thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) selective fusion in Spine Surgery of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital were reviewed.Forty-six patients underwent anterior fusion (anterior group), while 46 underwent posterior fusion (posterior group). The following radiological parameters were measured and analyzed at pre-operation, post-operation, and latest follow-up: curve magnitude of primary thoracolumbar/lumbar and secondary thoracic curve, trunk shift, thoracic apical vertebral translation, upper instrumented vertebra tilt, thoracic kyphosis, proximal junctional angle, sagittal vertical axis. Independent sample t test was used to compare the above parameters between the two groups. Results: Compared with those in posterior group, anterior group were found with less fusion levels (5.4±0.6 vs 5.9±0.8, t=3.318, P=0.001) and longer operation time[(276±28)min vs (186±36)min, t=13.101, P<0.001]. Immediately after surgery, the spinal deformity was significantly corrected in the two groups. The mean spontaneous correction rates of the minor curve were 50%±21% and 56%±20% in anterior and posterior groups, respectively (t=1.489, P=0.140). After a mean follow-up of (6.8±1.7) years in anterior group and (6.3±1.3) years in posterior group, the spontaneous correction rate of minor curve was maintained at 46%±22% and 49%±19%, respectively (t=0.703, P=0.484), with no significant correction loss. Other radiographic parameters were also stably maintained. According to the correlation analysis, the spontaneous correction rate was significantly correlated with upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) tilt in both groups (anterior: r=-0.526, posterior: r=-0.399, both P<0.05). Conclusions: Both anterior and posterior selective fusion can achieve satisfactory spontaneous correction of unfused thoracic curves in Lenke type 5C AIS, with no significant difference between the two surgical approaches. UIV tilt is a key influence factor of spontaneous correction of thoracic curves.

Heavy metal pollution in reservoirs in the hilly area of southern China: Distribution, source apportionment and health risk assessment

Reservoirs play more and more important role in providing potable water in many developing countries, including the China. In the present study, pollution characteristics, source and health risk of dissolved heavy metals in 19 representative reservoirs in the hilly area of southern China were investigated. The results presented great spatial heterogeneity in heavy metal concentrations among the studied reservoirs due to the disturbances by different anthropogenic activities. Several reservoirs had significantly higher concentrations of heavy metals compared with others, FengTan (FT) reservoir (0.34μg/L in dry season), Cr in reservoirs of HuangShi (HS) and ZheLin (ZL) with values of 4.16μg/L and 3.45μg/L in dry season respectively, and Al in reservoirs of JiaoKou (JK), GuTian (GT) and DouShui (DS) with values of 1011μg/L, 1036μg/L and 1001μg/L in wet season, respectively. Furthermore, there was a great difference in the seasonal variation of heavy metals, especially for Al and Pb in wet season characterized with relatively high values of 643μg/L and 0.67μg/L, respectively. Accordingly, Al was identified with a great health risk to living beings in view of its mean value in wet season, which greatly exceeded the criteria for drinking water of China, WHO and US EPA. Furthermore, As might be the greatest concern of health risk in this region considering its high carcinogenic risk to the local residents around the reservoirs of OuYangHai (OYH), DS, ZhiXi (ZX) and HS. Multivariate statistical analysis suggested that there was great heterogeneity in the sources of these heavy metals in the hilly area of southern China. Therefore, specific measures, such as controls on point source pollution control and tailings, should be taken for maintaining drinking water safety and aquatic ecosystem health.

Spatial variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments from rivers in hilly regions of Southern China in the wet and dry seasons

Seasonal variations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface sediments from 13 rivers in hilly regions of southern China were studied. Concentrations of PAHs analyzed in the wet season were higher than those analyzed in the dry season, with residues ranging from 74.3 to 1930.9 ng g^-1 dw in the wet season and from 96.9 to 1388.9 ng g^-1 dw in the dry season. The primary contributors were 3- and 4-ringed congeners accounting for 59.8% ± 10.1% and 58.3% ± 9.3% of the identified PAHs in the wet and the dry seasons, respectively. Proximity to sources and locations susceptible to high atmospheric depositional inputs results in high concentrations of PAH. Diagnostic ratios have indicated that the sources of PAHs in different seasons make no apparent difference. Furthermore, a principal component analysis and multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR) studies indicate that combustion sources such as vehicle emissions and coal combustion are the primary sources of PAHs. Toxicological risk assessments based on TEQ^care suggested that Benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene could pose high ecological risks in this area.

[Effects of ubiquitin-specific proteases 2-69 on proliferation of breast cancer cells]

Objective: To investigate the expression and significance of ubiquitin-specific proteases 2-69(USP2-69) in invasive ductal carcinoma of breast. Methods: Twenty-four cases of human breast tissue with invasive ductal carcinoma diagnosed at Huanshan Hospital, Fudan University from 2013 to 2015 were collected, and the expression of USP2-69 mRNA and protein was detected by molecular hybridization, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. USP2-69 was over-expressed in cultured human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 by USP2-69 plasmid transfection. The cellular proliferative activity was investigated in vitro. Results: The USP2-69 mRNA and protein were highly expressed in breast invasive ductal carcinoma, compared to adjacent normal tissues (P<0.01). Ki-67 protein expression was also increased in cases with high USP2-69 protein level. Western blot showed significantly higher USP2-69 protein level in cancer tissue compared to the adjacent normal tissue. In the cultured tumor cells, there was increased S phase fraction, cellular proliferation rate, flat positive clones, cyclin D1 expression and decreased p27 expression in USP2-69-transfected MCF-7 cells. Conclusions: USP2-69 is over-expressed in breast invasive ductal carcinoma, and is closely related to proliferation promoting effects. The data provide an important experimental basis for further study on the molecular mechanism of breast cancer cell proliferation.

Large trees are surrounded by more heterospecific neighboring trees in Korean pine broad-leaved natural forests

Negative conspecific density dependence is one of the principal mechanisms affecting plant performance and community spatial patterns. Although many studies identified the prevalence of density dependent effects in various vegetation types by analyzing conspecific spatial dispersal patterns (spatial patterning) of forest trees, interactions between individuals and heterospecific neighboring trees caused by density-dependent effects are often neglected. The effects of negative density dependence lead us to expect that neighbourhood species segregation would increase with increasing tree size and that larger trees would be surrounded by more heterospecific neighbours than would smaller trees. We studied four mapped 1-Ha plots on Changbaishan Mountain in North-eastern China and used marked point pattern analysis to explore whether trees of different sizes exhibited differences in neighbourhood species segregation; we also determined whether larger trees were more likely to have heterospecific neighbours than smaller trees were. Our results show that bigger trees generally have higher species mingling levels. Neighborhood species segregation ranged from lower than expected levels to random or nearly random patterns at small scales as tree size classes increased under heterogeneous Poisson null model tests. This study provides some evidence in support of negative density dependent effects in temperate forests.

Coexistence of myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome in a small cell lung cancer patient: A case report

RATIONALE

Myasthenia gravis (MG) and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) are both neuromuscular junction diseases, and some controversy exists whether the 2 diseases occur at the same time.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We report a case that a patient with presentation of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody positive MG and LEMS associated with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

DIAGNOSES

The patient firstly suffered from fluctuant symptoms, including slurred speech, double eyelid ptosis, and weakness of limbs. His clinical characteristics were consistent with the diagnosis of MG and were effective with the treatment of pyridostigmine bromide and corticosteroids. After 8 months, the performance of repeated electrical stimulation suggested presynaptic lesion, which supported the patient with LEMS. After further examination, malignant tumors were found in the liver and right lung, and the pathology proved small cell carcinoma.

INTERVENTIONS

His clinical characteristics were effective with the treatment of pyridostigmine bromide and corticosteroids. Right hilar lesion and multiple metastatic tumors in liver shrunk after chemotherapy.

OUTCOMES

The patient's condition improved gradually. He was followed up for 17 months without tumor progression.

LESSONS

The case report illustrates that MG and LEMS may be coexisted in the same patient. In MG and LEMS, clinicians should consider the possibility of malignant tumors as early detection and treatment may significantly improve the patient's prognosis.

Metagenomic analysis revealed the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in the gut and living environment of freshwater shrimp

Antibiotic resistance disseminating from animals and their environments is a public issue that poses significant threats to human health. In the present study, the diversity and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in 15 samples from the guts and related aquaculture environments (water and sediment) of shrimp were investigated. In total, 60 ARGs, 102 ARGs and 67 ARGs primarily belonging to 13, 15 and 15 different types were detected in the shrimp gut, pond water and sediment samples, respectively. Efflux pump and target modification were the predominant resistance mechanisms in all samples. It was found that Aeromonas, Yersinia and Clostridium XlVb were significantly correlated with the distribution of the ARGs. Besides, the relative abundance of ARGs was positively correlated with the levels of mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Moreover, variation partitioning analysis showed that MGEs, contributing to 74.46% of the resistome variation, played an important role in the affecting of the antibiotic resistome than the bacterial communities and their joint effects. Collectively, this study provides comprehensive information to better understand the ARG dissemination in aquaculture environments and to improve the ecological management of aquatic ecosystems.

Editor's Highlight: Transgenic Zebrafish Reporter Lines as Alternative In Vivo Organ Toxicity Models

Organ toxicity, particularly liver toxicity, remains one of the major reasons for the termination of drug candidates in the development pipeline as well as withdrawal or restrictions of marketed drugs. A screening-amenable alternative in vivo model such as zebrafish would, therefore, find immediate application in the early prediction of unacceptable organ toxicity. To identify highly upregulated genes as biomarkers of toxic responses in the zebrafish model, a set of well-characterized reference drugs that cause drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in the clinic were applied to zebrafish larvae and adults. Transcriptome microarray analysis was performed on whole larvae or dissected adult livers. Integration of data sets from different drug treatments at different stages identified common upregulated detoxification pathways. Within these were candidate biomarkers which recurred in multiple treatments. We prioritized 4 highly upregulated genes encoding enzymes acting in distinct phases of the drug metabolism pathway. Through promoter isolation and fosmid recombineering, eGFP reporter transgenic zebrafish lines were generated and evaluated for their response to DILI drugs. Three of the 4 generated reporter lines showed a dose and time-dependent induction in endodermal organs to reference drugs and an expanded drug set. In conclusion, through integrated transcriptomics and transgenic approaches, we have developed parallel independent zebrafish in vivo screening platforms able to predict organ toxicities of preclinical drugs.

A new hepatitis B virus e antigen-negative strain gene used as a reference sequence in an animal model

Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) e-antigen (HBeAg)-negative strains is increasingly prevalent. Currently, detailed information of the obtained natural HBV strain is not available except for the B genotype and HBeAg-negative. The aim of the present study was to characterize the natural genetic variation of the HBeAg-negative strain and investigate its function. The genic sequence was determined using Sanger sequencing, and compared to related sequences using alignment and phylogenetic analysis. In vivo, virus-specific serum markers were investigated in CBA/CaJ mice. The sequence had a full genome length of 3215 nucleotides. Sites 122, 125, 127, and 160 in S regions were identified as lysine, threonine, proline, and lysine respectively. The main four point variants including A1762T, G1764A, G1896A, and G1899A were detected in the full-length genome. The genotype of the sequence was B, with sub-genotype B2 and serological subtype adw2. The characterize of the natural genetic variation strain showed no reported drug-resistant variant in P region and no reported immune escape site in S region. The strain will increase viral replication and infection for mutations A1762T and G1764A in the basal core promoter region, and mutations G1896A and G1899A in the pre-core region. The G1896A variant resulted in a premature stop codon and abolished HBeAg expression. HBsAg persisted for 26 weeks and HBeAg was still negative in CBA/CaJ mice. The present sequence is representative of the HBeAg-negative genome and may serve as a valuable reference for studying HBeAg-negative strains. The present findings were successfully verified in CBA/CaJ mice, demonstrating good applicability of the sequence.

Heavy metal contamination in surface sediments of representative reservoirs in the hilly area of southern China

A study on the characteristics of heavy metals in surface sediments of typical reservoirs in the hilly area of southern China was carried out. The results showed that contents of heavy metals had great temporal and spatial heterogeneity among studied reservoirs. Zn, Pb, and As presented significant enrichment ratio in reservoirs of Dou Shui (DS) and Feng Tang (FT), as well as Ti in reservoirs of DZ and GT. The content of Cd in reservoir of FT reservoirs was characterized with high health risk with the significantly highest value of 52.43 mg/kg. Furthermore, Pb was identified with high health risk in reservoirs of SFM, Ouyang Hai (OYH), FT, and DS, and As was in OYH and ZX. Multivariate statistical analysis suggested high consistency in the variations of Cr, Ni, and Cu; moreover, Cd, Zn, and Pb were characterized with great homogeneity in their sources. In addition, agricultural activities might exert less effect on variations of heavy metals in studied reservoirs, considered that there was a weak relationship between heavy metals and nutrients. These results could improve our understanding of the spatial variations of heavy metals and their potential sources in reservoirs in this ecologically fragile region.

The influence of land use on source apportionment and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in road-deposited sediment

The pollution load of urban runoff is boosted due to the washing away of road-deposited sediment (RDS). Therefore, a source-oriented mitigation strategy is essential to integrated stormwater management. This study showcases the influence of land use dependent source apportionment and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in RDS. Samples were collected from areas of different land uses, including commercial city centre, highway, residential rural and campus areas. According to the positive matrix factorisation (PMF) receptor model, different primary sources were identified at different land use areas. Generally, potential sources of gasoline- and diesel-powered engine emissions and other pyrogenic sources of biomass, coal, and wood combustions were identified as main sources of PAH content in RDS. The source specific risks posed by PAHs at different land uses were further estimated by the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). This shows that the mean ILCRs of the total cancer risk for children and adults at the given land uses were lower than the baseline value of an acceptable risk. However, the potential exposure risk to RDS adsorbed PAHs for children was considerably higher than that for adults. Vehicular emissions and wood combustion were the major contributors to the cancer risk with average contributions of 57 and 29%, respectively.

PCDD/F formation during thermal desorption of chlorobenzene contaminated soil

Unintentional formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) is observed and investigated during the thermal desorption in an airflow of a sandy soil, doped artificially with either 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DiCBz) or hexachlorobenzene (HCBz) using a lab-scale experimental set-up. At all temperatures investigated (200, 250, 300, 350 and 400 °C), this thermal treatment creates significant amounts of PCDD, PCDF and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), starting from 1,2-DiCBz. The highest yield of PCDD/F formed from 1,2-DiCBz occurs at 250 °C, with a total (gas + residual soil) output of 117 and 166 pg/g PCDD and PCDF, respectively. Most output reports to the gas phase and the PCDD/F signature is significantly different for residue and gas phase. Also PCB are formed, at a scale of 224 ng/g (300 °C). Compared with 1,2-DiCBz, HCBz converts into PCDD/F even more actively at 350 and 400 °C: the total PCDD/F output created attains 967 pg/g PCDD and 465 pg/g PCDF at 350 °C. As a precursor, 1,2-DiCBz favours formation of PCDF, while PCDD predominates, when the HCBz contaminated soil is treated.

CTLA-4 positive breast cancer cells suppress dendritic cells maturation and function

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), a potent immunoregulatory molecule, can down-regulate T-cell activation and inhibit anti-tumor immune response. This study showed that LPS-stimulated human dendritic cells (DCs) decreased the expression of HLA-DR, CD83 and costimulatory molecules (CD40, CD80 and CD86) following coculturing with CTLA-4⁺ breast cancer cells. Moreover, the suppressed DCs further inhibited proliferation of allogeneic CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T-cells, differentiation of Th1 and function of cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs). However, CTLA-4 blockade in breast cancer cells could recover DC maturation and cytokine production, elevate antigen-presenting function of DCs, reverse Th1/CTLs response and cytokine secretion. Subsequent study demonstrated that the activation of extracellular-signal regulated kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 of DCs caused by CTLA-4⁺ breast cancer cells were the predominant mechanism of DC suppression. In addition, CTLA-4 blockade treatment also directly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of CTLA-4⁺ breast cancer cells. Collectively, CTLA-4 was expressed and functional on human breast cancer cells through influencing maturation and function of DCs in vitro, and CTLA-4 blockage not only recovered the antigen-presenting function of DCs and T-cells activation but also suppressed the biological activity of breast cancer cells themselves. This study highlights the clinical application of CTLA-4 blockade therapy in breast cancer.

[Research on the natural history of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease should be taken seriously]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multi-system disease, and metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and NAFLD interact as both cause and effect. Deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases and malignant tumors are the adverse outcome of patients with NAFLD and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and increased deaths caused by liver disease is mainly seen in NASH patients. There is a causal relationship between NASH and hepatocellular carcinoma, and almost 50% of patients with NASH-associated hepatocellular carcinoma do not have liver cirrhosis. At present, cohort studies on the natural history of NAFLD in China should be enhanced in order to provide a basis for the development of health strategies and prevention and treatment measures. This editorial elaborates on the association of NAFLD with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma from the perspective of clinical epidemiology, in order to emphasize the importance of the natural history of NAFLD.

[Invisible orthodontics: clear aligners and customized lingual appliances]

In recent years, invisible orthodontics has been one of the concerns of both orthodontists and patients. As two types of invisible orthodontics, clear aligners fit for cases that have high demand for living quality, need distalization of molars or intrusion of incisors, suffer from severe periodontitis, or that have non-abundant time for visits. While customized lingual appliances fit for cases that have high demand for aesthetics, have deep overbite or complex malocclusion, need maxillary expansion or retraction of incisors, or that have low compliance and good economic conditions. Based on aspects of clinical application, this article presents the characteristics of these two types of invisible orthodontics, in order to provide reference for individualized options according to different situations.

[Clinical application of three-dimensional O-arm navigation system in treating patients with dystrophic scoliosis secondary to neurofibromatosis type Ⅰ]

Objective: To investigate the clinical outcomes and the accuracy of O-arm-navigation system assisted pedicle screw insertion in dystrophic scoliosis secondary to neurofibromatosis type Ⅰ(NF-1). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 41 patients with dystrophic NF-1-associated thoracic scoliosis who were surgically treated at Department of Orthopaedics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School between June 2012 and October 2014 with more than 18 months follow-up. The patients were then divided into two groups: 18 patients were under the assistance of O-arm-navigation-based pedicle screw insertion (O-arm group) and the remaining 23 patients' pedicle screws insertion were conducted by free-hand (free-hand group). The X-ray and CT were analyzed to investigate the correction rate and safety of pedicle insertion. t-test was used to analyze measurement data and χ(2) test was used to analyze accuracy of screw insertion between the two groups. Results: The mean coronal Cobb angle was 63.2°±8.7° in the O-arm group and 66.9°±7.4° in the free-hand group (P>0.05), which was then corrected into 23.1°±6.8° and 30.2°±7.6°(t=2.231, P=0.031) after surgery respectively.Operation time was (265.0±70.3)minutes and estimated blood loss was (1 024±465)ml in the O-arm group. Operation time and estimated blood loss was (243.0±49.6)minutes and (1 228±521)ml respectively in the free-hand group, which had no significant difference between the two groups. However, the implant density was higher in the O-arm group than that in the free-hand group ((64.1±10.8)% vs.(44.3±15.3)%)(t=4.652, P=0.000). The O-arm group comprised 122 screws, of which 72.9% were excellent, 22.1% were good and 4.9% were bad. The free-hand group comprised 136 screws and 48.5% of them were excellent, 33.8% were good and 17.6% were bad.Accuracy of pedicle screw insertion was higher in the O-arm group than that in the free-hand group(χ(2)=10.140, P<0.05). By June 2016, the average follow-up period was (20.9±3.4)months(ranging from18 to 26 months), including (20.3±3.1)months in the O-arm group and (21.4±5.5)months in the free-hand group. At last follow-up point, coronal correction loss was significantly higher in the free-hand group than that in the O-arm group (6.3°±2.6° vs. 4.4°±1.6°)(t=2.719, P=0.009). Conclusions: Compared with free-hand technique, O-arm-navigation technique could enhance accuracy of pedicle insertion and implant density of dystrophic region in dystrophic NF-1-associated scoliosis patients, which result in a better correction rate and less correction loss. Besides, the advantage of O-arm-navigation do not increase operative time and estimate blood loss.

Spatial correlation analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sediments between Taihu Lake and its tributary rivers

The residues of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface sediments from Taihu Lake basin (THB) and Taihu Lake body (THL) were investigated. Higher concentrations of both PAHs and OCPs were observed for THB than THL. The concentrations of PAHs ranged from 12.1 to 2281.1ngg^-1 dw for THB and from 11.4 to 209.9ngg^-1 dw for THL, while OCPs ranged from 16.3 to 96.9ngg^-1 dw and from 16.8 to 61.9ngg^-1 dw for THB and THL, respectively. Spatial distribution of PAHs and OCPs showed a high correspondence with the land use of THB and surrounding anthropogenic activity. Additionally, the Kriging interpolation plots demonstrated that the major upper reaches were more polluted than the lower reaches, indicating the transport of pollutants with the water flow direction. The organic matter contents were responsible for OCP distribution other than PAHs due to the biodegradation capacity difference of chemicals. Similar compositions of pollutants were observed with 3- and 4-ringed PAHs accounting for a total of 78.3% for THB and 85.8% for THL, respectively. HCHs and DDTs were predominant OCPs, which contributed to 31.8% and 21.7% for THB, and 33.6% and 21.9% for THL, respectively. The isomeric and parent substance/metabolite ratios implied fresh inputs of DDTs and chlordanes, while HCHs and endosulfans were mainly from old usage. PAH source identification performed by diagnostic ratios demonstrated the mixed sources of petrogenic and pyrogenic ones dominated by grass, wood and coal combustion. Furthermore, the hazard quotient (HQ) based on the consensus-based sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) was used to evaluate the ecological risks of sediments. Although no frequently adverse effects were observed, potential ecological risks induced by Ant, BaA, γ-HCH, dieldrin, p,p'-DDT and chlordanes should also be paid attention to considering the continuous inputs of such pollutants.

Clinical implications of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 in breast cancer

Tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family. Its high expression and oncogenic roles have been reported in several types of tumors in previous years. However, the clinical implication of TNFR2 in breast cancer (BC) tissue (i.e., not soluble TNFR2 in blood or genetic variation of TNFR2) has not been reported. In the present study, TNFR2 expression was detected in BC tissue using immunohistochemistry and, to the best of our knowledge, it was confirmed for the first time that TNFR2 was positively associated with increased tumor size, advanced clinical stage and higher pathological grade. Survival analysis revealed that TNFR2 was positively associated with shorter overall survival (OS) time and disease-free survival (DFS) time. In addition, univariate regression analysis demonstrated that TNFR2 expression (P=0.045), tumor size (P<0.0001), clinical stage (P<0.0001), pathological grade (P=0.002), estrogen and progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) triple-status (P=0.001) all had a significant impact on the OS rate of patients with BC. TNFR2 expression (P=0.017), age (P=0.011), menopausal status (P<0.0001), tumor size (P=0.016), clinical stage (P=0.005), pathological grade (P=0.002) and estrogen/progesterone receptor and HER2 triple-status (P=0.008) were all shown to significantly impact the DFS rate of patients with BC. Multivariate regression analysis showed that only clinical stage (P=0.024), estrogen and progesterone receptor status and HER2 status (P=0.009) had a significant impact on the OS rate of patients with BC, while TNFR2 expression (P=0.043) and menopausal status (P=0.033) were shown to significantly impact the DFS rate of patients with BC. These data indicated that TNFR2 may perform important roles in the progression and prognosis of BC. This enriches previous understanding about TNFR2 in BC.

PCDD/F formation during thermal desorption of p,p'-DDT contaminated soil

Thermal treatment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contaminated soil was shown in earlier work to generate polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF). In this study, the PCDD/F were studied arising during the remediation of p,p'-DDT contaminated soil by thermal desorption. Three kinds of soil (sandy, clayey and lateritic soil) were tested to investigate the effect of soil texture on PCDD/F formation. Those soils were artificially polluted with p,p'-DDT, obtaining a concentration level of 100 mg/kg. Thermal desorption experiments were conducted for 10 min at 300 °C in an air atmosphere. The total concentration of PCDD/F generated for three soils were 331, 803 and 865 ng/kg, respectively, and TeCDD and TeCDF were dominant among all PCDD/F congeners. After thermal desorption, the total amount of PCDD/F generated both in soil and in off-gas correlated positively with the amount of DDT added to soil. In addition, a possible pathway of the formation of PCDD/F was presented.

[Application on the quantitative perfusion parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the pathological subtype of uterine leiomyoma]

Objective: To analyze the value of the quantitative perfusion parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI(DCE-MRI) in the pathological subtype of uterine leiomyoma. Methods: A total of 35 cases of uterine leiomyoma confirmed by surgery and pathology were retrospectively analyzed in Shaoxing People's Hospital from October 2015 to May 2016.All cases underwent DCE-MRI. Quantitative perfusion parameters were prospectively measured and analyzed, including transfer constant (K(trans)) , efflux rate constant (K(ep)), extravascular extracellular space volume ratio (V(e)), blood plasma volume ratio (V(p)), permeability surface area product (PS) and plasma flow (F(p)) , using signal-input two-compartment tracer kinetic models (Extended Tofts model and Exchange model) in 35 leiomyoma cases.After the operation, the 35 cases were divided into three groups according to the pathological classfication , the ordinary, the cellular and the degeneration type.To analyze the differences among the three groups about the quantitative perfusion parameters of uterine leiomyoma. Compared with the gold standard of pathological findings, the ROC curves were drawn to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of different quantitative perfusion parameters. Results: In the ordinary, cellular and degeneration type of uterine leiomyoma, K(trans) value were respectively(0.684±0.341), (1.897±0.458), (0.554±0.514)/min; K(ep) were respectively(1.004±0.685), (2.362±1.001), (1.274±1.093)/min; V(e) were respectively 0.789%±0.186%, 0.806%±0.203%, 0.537%±0.314%; V(p) were respectively 0.145%±0.196%, 0.502%±0.338%, 0.062%±0.106% and F(p) were respectively(0.792±0.461), (2.426±0.509), (0.628±0.551)ml/min.Among three groups, the value of K(trans), K(ep), V(e), V(p) and F(p) had statistical difference(all P<0.05), the value of PS didn't have statistical difference. The value of K(trans), K(ep), V(p) and F(p) in cellular type were higher than the ordinary type(all P<0.01); the value of K(trans), V(p) and F(p) in cellular type were higher than the degeneration type(all P<0.01); the value of V(e) in ordinary type was higher than the degeneration type(P<0.05). The area under ROC curve was 0.981 for K(trans), 0.904 for K(ep), 0.622 for V(e), 0.840 for V(p) and 0.994 for F(p). Conclusion: The quantitative perfusion parameters of DCE-MRI , especially the value of K(trans), K(ep), V(p) and F(p) have a great diagnostic efficacy in the pathological classfication of uterine leiomyoma which will become a predictive factor of pathological classfication in uterine leiomyoma.