[Investigation of serum surface active protein D and clara cell protein levels in workers exposed to silica dust in ferrous metal foundry]

Objective: To investigate the levels of serum surface active protein D (SP-D) and clara cell protein (CCl6) in workers exposed to black silica dust, and analyze its influencing factors. Methods: From July to September 2021, 174 workers in 37 positions exposed to silica dust in 5 ferrous metal foundry were investigated by cross-sectional research method. The exposure concentration of silica dust workers was obtained through occupational health field investigation and detection, and the general situation of the study subjects was obtained through questionnaire survey and peripheral blood was collected. Double antigen sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the concentrations of SP-D and CC16 in serum of workers. The mean values were compared by one-way ANOVA, and the influencing factors of SP-D and CC16 concentrations in serum were analyzed by ordered multiple logistic regression. Results: The time-weighted average concentration (C-TWA) of 174 workers exposed to silica dust (respirable dust) ranged from 0.09 mg/m(3)~3.58 mg/m(3), and the C-TWA overstandard rate of dust exposed workers was 32.18% (56/174) , with differences among workers in different positions (χ(2)=28.85, P<0.001) . The highest concentration of silica dust was (0.82±0.11) mg/m(3). Using C-TWA<50% OEL occupational exposure limit (OEL) as reference, serum SP-D concentration in workers with ≥50% OEL was increased (OR=4.95, 95%CI: 1.86~13.17, P=0.001) , while CC16 concentration was decreased (OR=0.15, 95%CI: 0.05~0.40, P<0.001) ; Serum CC16 concentration decreased in workers exposed to silica dust C-TWA≥OEL (OR=0.46, 95%CI: 0.28~0.98, P=0.043) . Compared with those with low occupational health literacy, the serum SP-D concentration of workers with high occupational health literacy decreased (OR=0.48, 95%CI: 0.25~0.92, P=0.027) and CC16 concentration increased (OR=2.09, 95%CI: 1.10-3.97, P=0.024) . Conclusion: When no abnormality was found in the physical examination of workers, the serum SP-D and CC16 concentration levels changed, and the change was related to the concentration of workers exposed to silica dust.

[Epidemiological characteristics of a local cluster epidemic caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant in Ningbo, 2021]

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics of a local clustered epidemic caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant in Ningbo and provide reference for the improvement of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control. Methods: Case finding was conducted based on case definitions, and field epidemiological investigation of COVID-19 cases was carried out. In which Nasal and oropharyngeal swabs of the cases were collected for pathogen testing, and the results were analyzed with descriptive epidemiological methods. Results: A total of 74 COVID-19 cases were reported in this epidemic, and the cases were mainly mild ones, accounting for 87.84% (65/74), and there were no severe or critical cases. The epidemic curve showed a human-to-human transmission mode, indicating that a transmission for at least six generations had occurred. The age of the COVID-19 patients ranged from 2 years to 80 years, and 27.03% (20/74) of the cases were older than 60 years. The cases were mainly workers (55.41%, 41/74) and housework/the unemployed (27.03%, 20/74). The COVID-19 epidemic was limited, and no further spread to other areas occurred. The transmission chain among the cases was clear, and the gene sequencing results confirmed that the current epidemic was caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant, which was highly homologous to the strains from other province. Conclusion: The local COVID-19 epidemic in Ningbo was caused by imported cases of COVID-19 from other province, and local community spread occurred through daily contacts between cases and contacts.

[Analysis of dust hazard characteristics in 59 ferrous metal foundry enterprises in Ningbo City]

Objective: To analyze the post distribution of dust concentration in ferrous metal foundry enterprises and evaluate the occupational health risks, and provide basis for policies of the formulation of pneumoconiosis prevention and control. Methods: From August to September in 2020, the basic information, dust hazard information and occupational health management information of 59 ferrous metal casting enterprises were investigated, the dust concentration distribution was analyzed, and the risk assessment was carried out by using the quantitative assignment model. The dust concentration is tested by LSD method after logarithmic treatment. The 3 times time weighted average allowable exposure concentration of dust is taken as the peak concentration limit of dust; The time weighted average allowable exposure concentration of dust converted by exposure time is taken as the time weighted average exposure concentration limit of dust, and whether the time weighted average exposure concentration and peak concentration of dust at the same post exceed the limit is taken as the basis for exceeding the limit of dust post concentration to calculate the post exceeding the limit rate. Results: The dust hazards were mainly distributed in the posts of sand treatment, molding, sand falling, sand cleaning and cutting and grinding. Dust exposure time weighted average concentration was 0.44 (0.03, 5.11) mg/m(3), peak exposure concentration was 1.30 (0.18, 10.94) mg/m(3), and the over standard rate of Posts was 38.92% (79/203) . Weighted average exposure concentration of other dust (total dust) in the cutting and grinding post is 1.50 (0.15, 7.40) mg/m(3), peak exposure concentration is 0.90 (0.07, 12.48) mg/m(3), and the post exceedance rate is 4.88% (2/41) . Weighted average exposure concentration of silica dust (exhaling dust) in dust operation posts of investment casting enterprises is 0.43 (0.05, 6.35) mg/m(3), peak exposure concentration is 0.90 (0.12, 8.28) mg/m(3), and the post over standard rate is 35.77% (49/137) ; Weighted average exposure concentration of other dust (total dust) at the cutting and grinding post is 2.00 (11.00, 21.00) mg/m(3), and the post exceedance rate is 2.50% (2/80) . There was no significant difference in the concentration of respirable dust between sand casting and investment casting (P>0.05) . The concentration of respirable dust in sand casting was higher than that in sand treatment, molding and sand cleaning posts (P<0.05) . The concentration of silica dust in investment casting was higher than that in sand treatment and molding posts, and that in sand cleaning posts was higher than that in sand treatment posts (P<0.05) . 98.48% (454/461) of the dust operation posts have an occupational health risk value greater than or equal to 400, and 1.52% (7/461) of the dust operation posts have an occupational health risk value of 200~399. Conclusion: there is a high rate of exceeding the standard in the dust work posts in the ferrous metal foundry enterprises in Ningbo, and the workers have a high occupational health risk of pneumoconiosis or metal and its compound pneumoconiosis. Targeted measures should be taken to reduce the occupational health risk.

[Transmission chains of local epidemic of COVID-19 caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant in Zhenhai district, Ningbo]

Objective: To investigate the local epidemic of COVID-19 caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant in Zhenhai district of Ningbo, identify the transmission chain and provide reference for the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: The incidence data of COVID-19 in Zhenhai from 6 to 18 December, 2021 were collected in field investigation. Field epidemiological investigation was conducted to understand the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 cases and analyze the transmission chains. Results: The first case might be infected with 2019-nCoV through direct or indirect exposure when passing through a medium-risk area, then a family cluster was caused, and the epidemic spread through close contacts of family members with others such as work, daily life, and moxibustion. The epidemic lasted for 14 days, and 74 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported. The median incubation period was 4.0(3.0,5.8)d. All the cases were in a chain of transmission for more than 6 generations, and the intergenerational interval was 3.5(2.0,5.3)d. The gene sequencing result indicated that the pathogen was Delta AY.4 variant of 2019-nCoV. Both the epidemiological investigation and the gene sequencing results supported that the local COVID-19 epidemic in Zhenhai was associated with the COVID-19 epidemic in Shanghai. Conclusions: The transmission chain of this epidemic was clear. Delta AY.4 variant has obvious characteristic to cause case clusters in families, places with poor ventilation, and residential communities. It is suggested to strengthen the health management in key areas and key populations, and increase the frequency of nucleic acid testing.

[Analysis of incidence characteristics and trend of pneumoconiosis in Ningbo City from 1967 to 2019]

Objective: To understand the incidence of pneumoconiosis in Ningbo city from 1967 to 2019, and to analyze the distribution characteristics and change trend of pneumoconiosis. Methods: In February 2021, the data of pneumoconiosis patients in Ningbo city from 1967 to 2019 were sorted out. The data from 1967 to 1987 were from historical case files of Zhejiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the data from 1988 to 2005 were from the historical case files of Ningbo Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the data from 2006 to 2019 were from the pneumoconiosis report card in China Disease Prevention and Control Information System; Followed up and supplement relevant information, including basic information, basic information of employers and information related to pneumoconiosis diagnosis, and comprehensively analyze the composition and development trend, population characteristics and industry characteristics of pneumoconiosis. Results: From 1967 to 2019, a total of 1715 cases of pneumoconiosis were reported in Ningbo City, including 1254 cases of stageⅠpneumoconiosis, 258 cases of stageⅡpneumoconiosis, 172 cases of stage Ⅲpneumoconiosis. 1202 cases of silicosis (70.09%) , 296 cases of asbestosis (17.26%) , 40 cases of welder's pneumoconiosis (2.33%) , 32 cases of graphite pneumoconiosis (1.87%) were reported. There were 1296 male cases (75.57%) and 419 female cases (24.43%) were reported. Silicosis (91.15%, 1102/1209) and welder's pneumoconiosis (100.00%, 40/40) were the most common pneumoconiosis in males, while asbestosis (90.24%, 268/297) and graphite pneumoconiosis (87.50%, 28/32) were the most common pneumoconiosis in females. The average age was (49.71±10.90) years old and the average length of service was (10.98±6.96) years. The top three reported pneumoconiosis cases were construction industry (336 cases, 19.59%) , ferrous metal smelting and rolling industry (317 cases, 18.48%) and non-metallic mineral products industry (315 cases, 18.37%) . The top three reported pneumoconiosis cases were 414 cases (24.14%) in Ninghai County, 294 cases (17.14%) in Yuyao City and 272 cases (15.86%) in Yinzhou District. Conclusion: With the development of industries in Ningbo City, government departments should strengthen supervision and management of enterprises involving silica dust and welding fume to curb the high incidence of pneumoconiosis.

[Study on transmission dynamic of 15 clusters of COVID-2019 cases in Ningbo]

Objective: To describe the basic characteristics of clusters of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, and evaluate the generation time (Tg) and basic reproduction number (R(0)) of COVID-19. Methods: The basic information and onset times of the clusters of COVID-19 cases in Ningbo were investigated, the inter-generational interval of the cases were fitted by using gamma distribution, and the R(0) was calculated based on the SEIR model. Results: In the 15 clusters of COVID-19 cases, a total of 52 confirmed cases, 5 cases of nucleic acid-positive asymptomatic cases. The cases occurred from January 23 to February 4, the cases were mainly women. The incubation period was (6.11±3.38) days, and the median was 5 days. The Tg was (6.93±3.70) days. There were no significant differences in Tg between age group<60 years and age group 60 years and above, and between men and women (P=0.551). According to the Tg calculated in this paper, the R(0) of COVID-19 in Ningbo was 3.06 (95%CI: 2.64- 3.51); according to the reported case transmission interval of 7.5 days in the literature, the R(0) was 3.32 (95%CI: 2.51-9.38). Conclusion: There is no age and gender specific differences in the Tg of clusters of COVID-19 cases in Ningbo, and COVID-19 has high infectivity and spreading power in early phase.

MIR210HG promotes cell proliferation and invasion by regulating miR-503-5p/TRAF4 axis in cervical cancer

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the progression of cervical cancer (CC). However, the roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs in CC remain unclear. In the current study, we discovered a new lncRNA MIR210HG which was upregulated in CC tissues through microarray. The upregulation of MIR210HG was associated with advanced FIGO stage, metastasis, and poor prognosis in CC patients. Function assays showed that MIR210HG inhibition significantly suppressed the proliferation, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes in CC and reduced tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, we identified that MIR210HG might serve as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miR-503-5p to relieve the repressive effect of miR-503-5p on TRAF4 expression in CC cells. In conclusion, we demonstrated that MIR210HG promoted CC progression through regulating the MIR210HG/miR-503-5p/TRAF4 axis, indicating that MIR210HG might act as a novel insight into CC treatment.

Effects of the health belief model following acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a hospital in China

Background

This study aims to investigate the effects of education with health belief model (HBM) on anxiety and fatigue among patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).

Methods

Patients with AECOPD admitted into Taizhou People's Hospital, Jiangsu, China between December 2012 and October 2013 were randomly selected for the present study according to random number table. A total of 99 cases with anxiety were included. These patients were divided into two groups: experimental group educated by HBM (n=47), and control group educated by conventional method (n=52). The scores for anxiety and fatigue were evaluated using the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20).

Results

After educational intervention by HBM, patients achieved a significant decrease in anxiety and fatigue scores, when compared to patients in the control group, who were educated by the conventional method at the time of admission, discharge, and 6 weeks after discharge (P<0.05).

Conclusions

HBM program effectively may alleviate anxiety and fatigue, providing necessary information for symptom management among patients with AECOPD.

Forkhead box P3 gene silencing inhibits the expression of chemokines and chemokine receptors associated with cell growth, migration, and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

The aberrant expression of forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) leads to the formation of malignant tumors. FOXP3 expression levels are also elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of FOXP3 silencing on cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis and chemokine/chemokine receptor expression in the MHCC-97H HCC cell line. Three FOXP3 short hairpin (sh)RNA constructs were designed: Sh-FOXP3-1-pGreenPuro, sh-FOXP3-2-pGreenPuro, and sh-FOXP3-3-pGreenPuro. MHCC-97H cells were transfected with shRNA-FOXP3, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of C-X-C motif chemokine (CXC) ligand 12 (CXCL12), CXCL11, CXC receptor 4 (CXCR4) and CXCR7 were measured. Cell Counting Kit-8, terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and Transwell assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration, respectively. Of the three FOXP3 lentivirus carriers constructed, sh-FOXP3-1 significantly reduced FOXP3 expression levels and was chosen for further experiments. sh-FOXP3-1 inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis and inhibited cell migration compared with the negative control. The mRNA and protein expression levels of CXCL12, CXCL11, CXCR4 and CXCR7 were decreased significantly in response to FOXP3 silencing. FOXP3 silencing may therefore inhibit cell growth, induce apoptosis and inhibit migration in HCC cells, possibly by impairing the chemokine/chemokine receptor axes.

Sleep duration and patterns in Chinese patients with diabetes: A meta-analysis of comparative studies and epidemiological surveys

PURPOSE

A meta-analysis on sleep duration and patterns in patients with diabetes in China.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Two investigators independently carried out a systematic literature search in both international and Chinese databases.

FINDINGS

A total of 47 studies with 98 911 patients were included. The pooled mean sleep duration was 7.15 hours/day in patients with diabetes and 7.49 hours/day in healthy controls. The estimated percentage of short sleep duration of less than 6 hours/day was 23.0% in patients with diabetes and 12.3% in healthy controls, while the proportion of short sleep duration of less than 7 hours/day was 38.0% in patients with diabetes and 14.1% in healthy controls.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Short sleep duration was common in Chinese patients with diabetes.

[Observation on clinical effects of recombinant human growth hormone on the treatment of children with severe burn]

Objective: To observe the clinical effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on children with severe burn. Methods: Clinical data of 94 children with severe burn, hospitalized in our burn unit from April 2012 to December 2016, conforming to the study criteria, were retrospectively analyzed. According to the use of rhGH, children were divided into rhGH group (n=50) and control group (n=44). Children in control group received conventional treatment, while children in rhGH group received both conventional and rhGH treatment. The rhGH treatment was started 3 to 5 days post injury in dosage of 0.2-0.4 U·kg(-1)·d(-1,) by way of subcutaneous injection, and the course of treatment was (11±5) d. The plasma albumin and prealbumin levels, heart rate, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and serum creatinine level in 2 weeks post injury, times of skin grafting operation, hospitalization time, total hospitalization treatment cost, and sepsis and death of children were compared between the 2 groups. Data were processed with independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher's exact test. Results: (1) In 2 weeks post injury, the plasma albumin level [(36±4) g/L] and prealbumin level [(94±34) g/L] of children in rhGH group were significantly higher than those in control group [(33±4) and (73±20) g/L, t=3.666, 3.401, P<0.05]. (2) In 2 weeks post injury, the heart rate of children in rhGH group was (123±11) times per minute, which was slower than (130±14) times per minute of children in control group (t=2.839, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in ALT level of children between the 2 groups (Z=0.868, P>0.05). The blood creatinine levels of children in the 2 groups were within normal range. (3) The times of skin grafting operation of children in rhGH group was 0.3±0.5, which was significantly less than 0.5±0.6 in control group (Z=2.234, P<0.05). The hospitalization time of children in rhGH group was (22±8) days, which was shorter than (28±10) days in control group (t=2.837, P<0.05). The total hospitalization treatment cost of children in rhGH group was (41±15) thousand yuan, which was significantly less than (53±25) thousand yuan in control group (t=2.878, P<0.05). (4) There were 2 cases of sepsis in control group and 1 case of sepsis in rhGH group, with no significant difference between the 2 groups (P>0.05). No children died in the 2 groups. Conclusions: rhGH treatment of children with severe burn can correct post-injury hypoproteinemia, improve cardiac function, reduce the times of skin grafting operation and hospitalization treatment cost, shorten hospitalization time, with no significant effect on kidney and liver function, sepsis, and death.

[A cross-sectional study on the status of tobacco use among junior middle school students in Shaanxi province]

Objective: To understand the rate on tobacco use and associated factors in junior middle school students in Shaanxi province. Methods: We used a multi-stage stratified random sampling method to select students from 30 junior middle schools in 10 areas of Shaanxi province in 2013. All the participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results: A total of 4 633 questionnaires were dispatched and 4 298 were qualified for further analysis. The current smoking rate of junior middle school students in Shaanxi was 6.5%, with rate in male (11.1%) higher than that of female students (1.7%). The current smoking rate of students in grade three (9.3%) was higher than those of students in grade one (3.5%) or in grade two (7.0%). The smoking rate of students with pocket money more than 31 Yuan per week was (10.0%) higher than those of students with pocket money less than 10 Yuan (4.6%) or 10-30 Yuan (6.3%) per week. Results from the logistic regression analysis showed that factors as: male, school located in the city, older age, with more pocket money, having smokers in the family and exposure to second hand smoking were high risk factors for current smoking. Conclusion: Rate on current smoking was high in junior middle schools students in Shaanxi, suggesting that comprehensive intervention programs be developed to reduce the rate of tobacco use in junior middle school students.

Protective effects of beef decoction rich in carnosine on cerebral ischemia injury by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

Inflammation has a role in the cerebral injury induced by ischemia and the present study aimed to determine the mechanism of the protective effect of beef decoction (BD) with carnosine against it. A rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion was established using a suture method in the vehicle and each of the BD groups. In experiment 1, 72 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: Sham, vehicle and BD-treated group. Rats in the BD group were given 600 mg/kg BD by oral gavage for 1, 3 and 7 days. The sham and vehicle group rats received an equivalent amount of normal saline. In experiment 2, 60 SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: Sham-operated I, sham-operated II, vehicle, low-dose BD, medium-dose BD and high-dose BD group. Rats in the low-, medium- and high-dose BD groups were given BD at the dose of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg, respectively, by oral gavage for 7 days. Rats in the sham-operated II group were given 600 mg/kg BD. Rats in the sham-operated I group and vehicle group were given the same volume of normal saline by oral gavage. The body weight, neurological deficits and infarct volume were recorded at 1, 3 and 7 days after the operation. Furthermore, the effect of different doses of BD on interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels in peripheral blood was measured at 7 days. BD-treated rats showed less neurological deficits and a smaller infarct volume at 7 days. BD at 400 and 600 mg/kg significantly decreased the infarct volume in rats. At 600 mg/kg BD, a decline in IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ and an increase in IL-4 expression was observed in the BD groups, while no difference in body weight and neurological dysfunction was detected. In conclusion, BD is a neuroprotective agent that may be used as a supplement treatment of ischemic stroke.

[Incidence and trend of occupational diseases in Ningbo, China, from 2006 to 2015]

Objective: To investigate the incidence, distribution features, and incidence trend of occupational diseases in Ningbo, China, from 2006 to 2015. Methods: In February 2016, the data on occupational disease report cards in the occupational disease and occupational health information system from 2006 to 2015 were collected to perform a comprehensive analysis of the types, incidence trend, population characteristics, and enterprise characteristics of occupational diseases. Results: There were 845 new cases of occupational diseases in Ningbo from 2006 to 2015, among which 596 (70.53%) were pneumoconiosis; there were 445 (74.66%) cases of stage I pneumoconiosis, 73 (12.25%) cases of stage II pneumoconiosis, and 78 (13.09%) cases of stage III pneumoconiosis; silicosis (59.76%) was the most common type of pneumoconiosis. Of all patients with occupational diseases, 84.97% were male, 64.50%were aged 35-55 years, and 63.67% had 5-20 working years. Most of the patients with occupational diseases worked in small and medium-sized private (or foreign) enterprises; the most common industries were black metal smelting and rolling (38.76%) , construction (17.11%) , and non-metallic ore mining (13.09%) . A total of 51.28%, 10.26%, and 7.69% of the patients with occupational poisoning worked in the electric apparatus manufacturing industry, furniture manufacturing industry, and chemical raw material and chemical product manufacturing industry, respectively. The cases of occupational diseases are mainly distributed in Yuyao City (24.62%) , Yinzhou District (23.91%) , and Ninghai County (15.62%) . Conclusion: Pneumoconiosis is the most common type of occupational disease in Ningbo and most of these patients work in small and medium-sized private (or foreign) enterprises. The supervision of small and medium-sized private enterprises should be enhanced to protect workers' health.

[The application of two occupation health risk assessment models in a wooden furniture manufacturing industry]

Objective: To explore the applicability of 2 different models of occupational health risk assessment in wooden furniture manufacturing industry. Methods: American EPA inhalation risk model and ICMM model of occupational health risk assessment were conducted to assess occupational health risk in a small wooden furniture enterprises, respectively. Results: There was poor protective measure and equipment of occupational disease in the plant. The concentration of wood dust in the air of two workshops was over occupational exposure limit (OEL) , and the C_TWA was 8.9 mg/m³ and 3.6 mg/m³, respectively. According to EPA model, the workers who exposed to benzene in this plant had high risk (9.7×10^-6 ~34.3×10^-6) of leukemia, and who exposed to formaldehyde had high risk (11.4 × 10^-6) of squamous cell carcinoma. There were inconsistent evaluation results using the ICMM tools of standard-based matrix and calculated risk rating. There were very high risks to be attacked by rhinocarcinoma of the workers who exposed to wood dust for the tool of calculated risk rating, while high risk for the tool of standard-based matrix. For the workers who exposed to noise, risk of noise-induced deafness was unacceptable and medium risk using two tools, respectively. Conclusion: Both EPA model and ICMM model can appropriately predict and assessthe occupational health risk in wooden furniture manufactory, ICMM due to the relatively simple operation, easy evaluation parameters, assessment of occupational- disease-inductive factors comprehensively, and more suitable for wooden furniture production enterprise.

[Relationship between weather factors and heat stroke in Ningbo city]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the main effects of weather factors on heat stroke.

METHODS

Data from case report on heat stroke was collected in Ningbo city during 2011 to 2014. Temperature threshold, lag effects and interaction of weather factors on heat stroke had been analyzed, using the piecewise regression model, distributed lag non-linear model, response surface model and other methods.

RESULTS

RESULTS showed that temperature and humidity were more correlated with heat stroke than other weather-related factors. Through different models, daily average temperature always presented a better role in predicting the heat stroke, rather than maximum or minimum temperature. Positive association between daily average temperature and heat stroke was obvious, especially at lag 0-1 days, with its threshold as 29.1 (95% CI: 28.7-29.5) ℃ . The cumulative RR of heat stroke at 90(th) percentile of daily average temperature versus 10(th) percentile was 14.05 (95% CI: 7.23-27.31) in lag 0-1 days. The effects of daily relative humidity on heat stroke appeared nonlinear, with low humidity showing a negative effect on heat stroke and could lag for 1-4 days. However, the effect of high humidity was not significant, with the cumulative RR of low humidity and high humidity as 2.35 (95%CI: 1.27-4.33) and 0.86 (95%CI: 0.40-1.85) in lag of 0-4 days, respectively. We also noticed that there was an interactive effect of both temperature and humidity on heat stroke. Under high temperature and low humidity, the risk of heat stroke showed the highest.

CONCLUSIONS

Temperature and humidity showed obvious relationship with heat stroke in Ningbo city, with the threshold temperature as 29.1 ℃. Under high temperature and low humidity, the risk of heat stroke became the highest.

Apoptosis of human gastric carcinoma cells induced by Euphorbia esula latex

AIM: To investigate the effect of Euphorbia esula (E. esula) extract in inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells.

METHODS: E. esula extract at different concentrations was used to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of human gastric carcinoma SGC-7901 cells. Inhibition of proliferation was detected with thiazolyl blue assay, and apoptosis was detected with fluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and flow cytometry. The mechanisms were studied by measurement of caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities and Bax and Bcl2 mRNA expression.

RESULTS: The thiazolyl blue assay showed that SGC-7901 cell viability and proliferation were inhibited significantly by E. esula extract in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that the cell nuclei showed the characteristic changes of apoptosis, such as uneven staining and chromatin marginalization. Some key features of apoptosis were also observed under transmission electron microscopy, which included cellular shrinkage and the foaming or bubbling phenomenon. When the cells were analyzed by flow cytometry, a sub-G1 peak could be seen clearly. Spectrophotometric assay of caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities in the treated cells showed an approximately two-fold increase. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed that Bax mRNA expression was upregulated, while Bcl2 mRNA expression was downregulated.

CONCLUSION: E. esula extract inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells, in a caspase-dependent manner, involving upregulation of Bax and downregulation of Bcl2.

Effect of calcium channels blockers and inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system on renal outcomes and mortality in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The renoprotective effect of inhibitors of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been identified through placebo-controlled trials. However, the effect of calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) on renal system is still controversial. Our current meta-analysis includes available evidences to compare the effect of dihydropyridine CCBs and ACEIs or ARBs on renal outcomes and mortality. We also further investigate whether CCBs can be used in combination with inhibitors of RAS to improve the prognosis of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Electronic databases were searched up to July 2012, for clinical randomized controlled trials, assessing the effect of dihydropyridine CCBs on the incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and all-cause mortality in contrast to ACEIs or ARBs. Eight clinical trials were included containing 25,647 participants. ESRD showed significantly higher frequency with CCBs therapy compared with ACEIs or ARBs therapy, though blood pressure was decreased similarly in both groups in every trial (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.05-1.48; p = 0.01). In contrast, there was no significant difference in the incidence of all-cause mortality between these two groups, though ACEIs or ARBs exhibited better renoprotective effect compared to CCBs (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.89-1.03; p = 0.24).

CONCLUSIONS

CCBs did not increase all-cause mortality incidence in patients with CKD though they displayed weaker renoprotective, compared to ACEIs or ARBs therapy. Our results suggest the combination of a CCB and an ACEI or ARB should be a preferable antihypertensive therapy in patients with CKD, considering their higher effect in decreasing blood pressure and fewer adverse metabolic problems caused.

Tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis regulates the phenotype and cytotoxic activity of goat uterine natural killer cells

Tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) has an important role in the promotion of cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. However, very little is known about the role of TWEAK in modulating uterine natural killer (uNK) cells' comprehensive functions in ruminants. In the present study, the effects of TWEAK on goat uNK cells were investigated by measuring their cytotoxic function and phenotype as well as cytokine expression in vitro. The results showed that TWEAK protein could be detected in the goat endometrium during estrous cycle and pregnancy. However, a significant increase in ( < 0.05) TWEAK protein levels was observed during very early pregnancy when compared with that during mid pregnancy and later pregnancy as well as during different phases of estrous cycle. Tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis did not affect proliferation but did decrease ( < 0.05) the cytotoxic activity of uNK cells in vitro. Furthermore, the percentage of CD56/NKp46 uNK cells incubated with TWEAK-containing medium was greater ( < 0.05) compared with those treated with control medium. In addition, uNK cells incubated with TWEAK medium were associated with lesser ( < 0.05) secretion levels and protein expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) compared to those incubated with control medium. However, no differences ( > 0.05) could be observed for the secretion levels and protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the uNK cells incubated with TWEAK-containing medium compared with those incubated with control medium. The present preliminary observations indicate that TWEAK has a biological effect on phenotype of uNK cells as well as the secretion and expression of IFN-γ by uNK cells in goats. Moreover, TWEAK decreases the cytotoxicity of goat uNK cells in vitro.

Silencing effect of lentiviral vectors encod-ing shRNA of Herp on endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages

Herp, a mammalian protein with a ubiquitin-like domain, can be strongly upregulated by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress during ER-associated protein degradation. However, the other cellular functions of Herp remain unclear. We explored the effect of Herp on ER stress and inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages that had been exposed to tunicamycin or thapsigargin. We successfully constructed recombinant lentiviral vectors for Herp short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression to better understand the contribution made by Herp to other signaling pathways. Western blotting revealed that the recombinant Herp lentiviral shRNA vector significantly inhibited the expression of the Herp protein in the thapsigargin-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that knockdown Herp inhibited the expression of ER stress-related genes during exposure to tunicamycin or thapsigargin. In RAW 264.7 macrophages, knockdown Herp markedly attenuated the expression of inflammatory cytokines when exposed to tunicamycin; however, it strongly enhanced the expression of inflammatory cytokines when exposed to thapsigargin. We concluded that Herp lentiviral shRNA vectors had been successfully constructed; knockdown Herp inhibited ER stress and had a different effect on inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages depending on whether they were exposed to tunicamycin or thapsigargin.

Significance of combined detection of p53 and FHIT in cervical carcinoma diagnosis

PURPOSE

To explore the significance of combined detection of p53 genes and fragile histidine triad (FHIT) genes in cervical carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Specimens taken from 161 cases invasive carcinoma, 23 cases carcinoma in situ or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III (CIN III), 74 cases CIN I - II, 25 cases normal cervical tissue, and 32 cases tumor-adjacent tissues were processed by immunohistochemistry to determine the expression of p53 and FHIT genes. The results of the combined detection were compared for clinical diagnostic value of cervical carcinoma diagnosis.

RESULTS

The p53 gene, FHIT gene and the two genes combined examination of cervical carcinoma diagnostic sensitivity were: 65.8% (121/184), 66.3% (122/184), 90.2% (166/184), respectively. There were no significant differences between the p53 gene and the FHIT gene detected (p > 0.05). Combined detection of the two gene were more sensitivity than single detection, the difference was significant (p < 0.001). Although diagnosis specificity had dropped somewhat, no significant statistical appeared (chi2 = 0.022, p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Combined detection of p53 genes and FHIT genes can increase the sensitivity diagnosis and specificity diagnosis for early cervical carcinoma and precancerous lesions has a positive meaning.

Normal evolution of pregnancy complicated by a giant placental chorioangioma

Placental chorioangioma is a benign vascular tumour of placental origin. Here The authors report a case of a pregnant patient who presented placental chorioangioma measuring 11 cm in the greatest diameter at 37 weeks at term and in labor.

Serum erythropoietin level predicts the prognosis of chronic heart failure with or without anemia

The aim of this study was to explore the correlation of erythropoietin (EPO) with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) or CHF complicated with anemia, in addition to its correlation with the prognosis of the patient. A total of 217 CHF patients were enrolled in this study. The patients were graded according to the cardiac function criteria of the New York Heart Association (NYHA). The serum EPO, NT-proBNP and hs-CRP levels of the patients were determined. The patients were followed up for ≥24 months. The EPO expression level in patients with NYHA II-IV CHF was significantly higher compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). EPO expression increased with the aggravation of CHF, exhibiting significant differences amongst the various NYHA graded groups (P<0.05). The EPO expression level increased significantly with an increase in NHA grade in addition to the severity of the anemia in the patients with CHF complicated by anemia (P<0.05). In the patients who succumbed (mortality group), the expression level of EPO was significantly higher and the hemoglobin level was significantly lower compared with those of the survival group (P<0.05). The EPO expression levels were elevated in CHF patients and patients with CHF and anemia. The level of expression correlated positively with the severity of CHF as well as that of anemia. Serum EPO measurements were successful in predicting the mortality and re-hospitalization rates of CHF patients at the end point, within two years of follow-up.

Celecoxib radiosensitizes the human cervical cancer HeLa cell line via a mechanism dependent on reduced cyclo-oxygenase-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor C expression

OBJECTIVE

The effects of celecoxib, a selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, on HeLa cervical cancer cell growth and radiosensitivity were investigated.

METHODS

Cytotoxicity was quantified using a 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium assay and effects on radiosensitivity were assessed using the lethal dose, quasithreshold dose, fraction surviving after 2 Gy irradiation and the radiosensitization ratio (SER, based on average lethal dose) determined using a single-hit multitarget model.

RESULTS

Celecoxib inhibited HeLa cell proliferation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration at 72 h of 44 μmol/l. Treatment with 20 μmol/l celecoxib for 72 h before irradiation was associated with an SER of 2.01. The SER of irradiated cells was 2.41 when treated with 40 μmol/l celecoxib before irradiation, 1.89 when treated simultaneously and 1.44 when treated after irradiation. Celecoxib downregulated COX-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) expression evaluated immunohistochemically.

CONCLUSION

Celecoxib pretreatment radiosensitizes HeLa cells via a mechanism dependent on down-regulation of COX-2 and VEGF-C.

Stromal-epithelial interactions modulate the effect of ovarian steroids on goat uterine epithelial cell interleukin-18 release

A primary role of epithelial-stromal interactions in mediating steroid hormone action in the uterus has been established. The present study was undertaken to determine the mode of ovarian steroid action in regulating IL-18 release by goat endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) in the presence and absence of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs). Primary and telomerase-immortalized goat EECs grown alone or cocultured with ESCs were treated with two ovarian steroids, 17β-estradiol (E(2)) and progesterone (P(4)). The IL-18 mRNA and protein expression in EECs were studied by reverse transcript (RT) PCR, ELISA, and Western blot assay. The E(2) and/or P(4) treatment of EECs led to a significant increase in both IL-18 mRNA and protein expression either in the primary or in the immortalized EECs compared with that in EECs without the steroid treatment. However, in the presence of ESCs, IL-18 expression by EECs treated with steroids was significantly decreased compared with cells untreated with E(2) and/or P(4). In addition, significantly high abundance of IL-18 mRNA and protein expression by primary and telomerase-immortalized goat EECs was observed in the presence of ESCs compared with those cells without ESCs. These findings suggest that steroids are important for the control of IL-18 expression in goat EECs. Underlying ESCs are needed to mediate the inhibitory effects of steroids on the IL-18 secretory activity of goat EECs in vitro. The IL-18 abundance expressed by goat EECs in vitro are enhanced by underlying ESCs without the treatment of E(2) and/or P(4).

The addition of a pH-sensitive gel improves microemulsion stability for the targeted removal of colonic ammonia

Background

We prepared an oral W/O microemulsion for the removal of colonic ammonia (ME-RCA). The effect of this microemulsion was influenced by the digestion process in the gastrointestinal tract. In this paper, we aim to show that stability was improved by using a microemulsion-based gel for the removal of colonic ammonia (MBG-RCA).

Methods

MBG-RCA was prepared by adding sodium alginate to the ME-RCA. MBG-RCA and ME-RCA were passed through a simulated gastrointestinal environment, and the amount of colonic ammonia present was then determined by titration with a standard solution of hydrochloric acid. The pH of the gastrointestinal fluid was measured using a pH test paper and the size and form of the microemulsions were examined under the microscope. 18 healthy rats were randomly divided into three groups, fasted for 24 hours and allowed to drink normally. Three-way pipes were placed at the gastroduodenal junction in Group I, and at the terminal ileum in Group II. After the intragastric administration of ME-RCA, the stomach contents in Group I, the effluent from the terminal ileum in Group II and discharge from the anus in Group III were collected. The pH values of the gastrointestinal juice were measured by the pH test paper and those of the colon were determined by a universal indicator. These animal experiments were also used to test the effect of MBG-RCA.

Results

MBG-RCA showed a better removal rate of artificial colonic ammonia than ME-RCA (P < 0.05). The decrease in pH value of the artificial small intestinal fluid due to ME-RCA did not occur when MBG-RCA was used. In the simulated gastrointestinal process, MBG-RCA maintained greater stability and released the emulsion (ME-RCA) in the colonic fluid. In the gastrointestinal tract of normal SD rats, ME-RCA decreased in size and lost its stable form after entering the small intestine, while MBG-RCA remained stable and intact emulsion-drops were observed from the anus. Neither substance had any effect on the pH of the stomach or colon of normal rats (partly because normal rats were fasted for 24 hours and allowed to drink normally, which resulted in a low level of ammonia production in the colon). Unlike ME-RCA, MBG-RCA did not reduce the pH of the small intestine.

Conclusions

MBG-RCA was more stable in the gastrointestinal tract and more effective at removing colonic ammonia when a higher concentration of ammonia was present. This made it possible to achieve the targeted removal of colonic ammonia and is a promising method to prevent hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in future studies.

Cross-talk reduction by correcting the subpixel position in a multiview autostereoscopic three-dimensional display based on a lenticular sheet

A method is proposed to alleviate the cross talk in multiview autostereoscopic three-dimensional displays based on a lenticular sheet. We analyze the positional relationship between subpixels on the image panel and the lenticular sheet. According to this relationship, optimal synthetic images are synthesized to minimize cross talk by correcting the positions of subpixels on the image panel. Experimental results show that the proposed method significantly reduces the cross talk of view images and improves the quality of stereoscopic images.

Dietary and supplemental intake of one-carbon nutrients and the risk of type I and type II endometrial cancer: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Type I and II endometrial cancer are biologically and clinically distinct, with type II cancers having a high frequency of p53 mutations and an association with chromosomal instability. This raises the hypothesis that one-carbon nutrients (folate, methionine, and the enzymic cofactors vitamins B2, B6, and B12), which mediate chromosomal stability and DNA methylation, may be protective for type II but not type I endometrial cancer.

METHODS

Using a prospective cohort of 23 356 postmenopausal women followed 20 years, we estimated the relative risks (RRs) of type I (N = 471) and II (N = 71) endometrial cancers according to intake of one-carbon nutrients, adjusting for confounders.

RESULTS

No associations were observed between dietary or supplemental intake of any one-carbon nutrient and risk of type I cancer. For type II cancer, positive associations were due to supplemental, rather than dietary, intake of these nutrients: supplemental folate (RR = 1.80 for >228.6 versus 0 μg/day; P trend = 0.027) and vitamins B2 (RR = 1.94 for >1.70 versus 0 mg/day; P trend = 0.011), B6 (RR = 2.08 for >2.00 versus 0 mg/day; P trend = 0.012), and B12 (RR = 2.10 for >3.43 versus 0 μg/day; P trend = 0.0060).

CONCLUSION

Contrary to our hypothesis, use of supplements containing folate and vitamins B2, B6, and B12 was associated with an increased risk of type II endometrial cancer.

Autostereoscopic display based on two-layer lenticular lenses

An autostereoscopic display based on two-layer lenticular lenses is proposed. The two-layer lenticular lenses include one-layer conventional lenticular lenses and additional one-layer concentrating-light lenticular lenses. Two prototypes of the proposed and conventional autostereoscopic displays are developed. At the optimum three-dimensional view distance, the luminance distribution of the prototypes along the horizontal direction is measured. By calculating the luminance distribution, the crosstalk of the prototypes is obtained. Compared with the conventional autostereoscopic display, the proposed autostereoscopic display has less crosstalk, a wider view angle, and higher efficiency of light utilization.

The distribution of species and susceptibility of amphotericin B and fluconazole of yeast pathogens isolated from sterile sites in Taiwan

To study the demographic changes of yeasts causing invasive infections in Taiwan, especially with respect to species distribution and antifungal susceptibility, we analyzed isolates obtained from four sterile sites of patients in 19 hospitals in 2002 (155 strains) and again from the same hospitals in 2006 (208 strains). Blood was the most common source of the yeasts, accounting for 73.8% of the total isolates, followed by ascites (21.5%), cerebrospinal fluid (3%), and synovia (1.7%). Candida albicans was the most frequently recovered species (50.1% of the total), followed by Candida tropicalis (20.7%), Candida glabrata (11.6%), Candida parapsilosis (8.5%), Cryptococcus neoformans (3.9%), Candida krusei (0.8%), and nine other species (4.3%). There were one (0.3%) and seven (1.9%) isolates with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of amphotericin B > or =2 mg/l after 24 h and 48 h incubation, respectively. In addition, there were 15 (4.3%) and 31 (8.6%) isolates with MICs of fluconazole > or =64 mg/l under the same conditions. The MIC(90) value of amphotericin B was 1 mg/l. The MIC(90) values of fluconazole were 4 mg/l after 24 h incubation and 32 mg/l after 48 h incubation. Interestingly, MICs for fluconazole > or =64 mg/l after 24 h were significantly higher for isolates obtained in 2006 than those in 2002 after 24 h (7.1% vs. 0.7%, p =0.009) and 48 h (13.5% vs. 2%, p =0.0003) incubations. The demographic difference between these two surveys is mainly due to one species, C. tropicalis.

Characterization of yeasts colonizing in healthy individuals

Opportunistic yeast pathogens may switch from harmless commensal to pathogenic relationships with the host under different conditions. They usually cause superficial infections, but may be the agents of more significant infections in immunocompromised patients. To investigate yeast colonization in the oral cavities of clinically healthy individuals, we collected oral swabs from 323 students and staff at the National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan. A total of 49 (15.2%) volunteers were colonized by low levels of yeasts and of these, only 3 (6.1%) were co-colonized by more than one species. Among the 52 isolates, comprising seven fungal genera and 13 species, Candida albicans (57.7%) was the dominant species, followed by Candida parapsilosis (15.4%). There was only one isolate of C. parapsilosis that showed, in vitro, a high (2 μg/ml) minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to amphotericin B. There were six (11.5%) isolates with fluconazole MICs ≥ 64 μg/ml and all of them were non-Candida species. With the exception of Cryptococcus albidus, the remaining five isolates had voriconazole MICs ≥ 4 μg/ml. In addition, there was one C. albicans isolate with relatively high fluconazole (32 μg/ml) and voriconazole (4 μg/ml) MICs.

Experience-dependent plasticity in hypocretin/orexin neurones: re-setting arousal threshold

The neuropeptide hypocretin is synthesized exclusively in the lateral hypothalamus and participates in many brain functions critical for animal survival, particularly in the promotion and maintenance of arousal in animals - a core process in animal behaviours. Consistent with its arousal-promoting role in animals, the neurones synthesizing hypocretin receive extensive innervations encoding physiological, psychological and environmental cues and send final outputs to key arousal-promoting brain areas. The activity in hypocretin neurones fluctuates and correlates with the behavioural state of animals and intensive activity has been detected in hypocretin neurones during wakefulness, foraging for food and craving for addictive drugs. Therefore, it is likely that hypocretin neurones undergo experience-dependent changes resulting from intensive activations by stimuli encoding changes in the internal and external environments. This review summarizes the most recent evidence supporting experience-dependent plasticity in hypocretin neurones. Current data suggest that nutritional and behavioural factors lead to synaptic plasticity and re-organization of synaptic architecture in hypocretin neurones. This may be the substrate of enhanced levels of arousal resulting from behavioural changes in animals and may help to explain the mechanisms underlying the changes in arousal levels induced by physiological, psychological and environmental factors.

[Genetic susceptibility of DNA damage induced by vinyl chloride monomer exposure]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the association between DNA damage induced by vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and polymorphisms of DNA repair genes and xenobiotic metabolism genes of VCM.

METHODS

Comet assay was employed to detect DNA damage. Based on the status of DNA damage, the VCM exposure workers were divided into two groups: DNA damage group (75) and control group (75). Case-control design was used to investigate the association between the genetic polymorphisms and DNA damage induced by VCM. Genotypes of XRCC1 (Arg194Trp, Arg280His and Arg399Gln), XPD (Ile199Met, Asp312Asn and Lys751Gln) and CYP2E1 were identified by the PCR-RFLP. PCR assay was used to detect positive and null genotype of GSTT1 and GSTM1.

RESULTS

Univariate analysis showed that the CYP2E1 c1c2/c2c2 and XPD751 Lys/Gln and Gln/Gln genotypes were significantly associated with the increased levels of DNA damage, XRCCI 339 Arg/Gln and Gln/Gln genotypes were significantly associated with the decreased levels of DNA damage (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively). Logistic regression analysis showed that there was significant association between the genotypes of XRCC1 194, XRCC1 399, XPD 751, CYP2E1 and DNA damages. A prominent risk decreasing of DNA damage was observed for those individuals possessing XRCC1 399Arg/Gln + Gln/Gln genotypes (OR: 0.35, 95%CI: 0.12 approximately 1.01, respectively); The results also showed that there were significant associations between CYP2E1 c1c2/c2c2 and DNA damage both in high and low VCM-exposed groups (OR: 2.57, 95%CI: 1.01 approximately 6.59 and OR: 2.57, 95%CI: 0.99 approximately 6.87).

CONCLUSION

Cumulative exposure dose and genotypes of XRCC1 194, XRCC1 399, XPD 751 and CYP2E1 may modulate the DNA damage induced by VCM exposure.

Characterization, physicochemical properties and biocompatibility of La-incorporated apatites

In this study, the physicochemical properties and biocompatibilities of La-containing apatites were intensively investigated together with their characterizations in terms of composition, structure, valent state and morphology using X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicate that the La(3+) ion can be incorporated into the crystal lattice of hydroxyapatite resulting in the production of La-incorporated apatites (La(x)Ca(10-x)(PO(4))(6)(OH)(2+x-2y)O(y square y-x) (x> or =0.5, y<1+x/2) or La(x)Ca(10-x)(PO(4))(6)O(y square y-x) (0.5<x<2, y=1+x/2)) by high-temperature solid phase synthesis. For La content <20%, the product is composed of the major phase, La(x)-OAP, as well as a small amount of tricalcium phosphate, but for a La content of 20%, the product is pure La-incorporated oxyapatite with the formula La(2)Ca(8)(PO(4))(6)O(2) (La(2)-OAP, x=2, y=2). It is also found that the La content plays important roles in both the physicochemical properties and biocompatibilities of the La-incorporated apatites. In contrast to La-free apatite, La-incorporated apatites possess a series of attractive properties, including higher thermal stability, higher flexural strength, lower dissolution rate, larger alkaline phosphatase activity, preferable osteoblast morphology and comparable cytotoxicity. In particular, the sintered La-incorporated apatite block achieves a maximal flexure strength of 66.69+/-0.98 MPa at 5% La content (confidence coefficient 0.95), increased 320% in comparison with the La-free apatite. The present study suggests that the La-incorporated apatite possesses application potential in developing a new type of bioactive coating material for metal implants and also as a promising La carrier for further exploring the beneficial functions of La in the human body.

Targeted removal of ammonia from the colon using ammonia-removing microemulsion

AIM: To investigate whether ammonia-removing microemulsion (ARM) can specifically remove ammonia from artificial colonic fluid and explore the potential role of ARM in the prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.

METHODS: ARM was mixed with artificial colonic fluid containing different concentrations of ammonia for ten hours. Meanwhile, ARM was successively mixed with artificial gastric juice for 2 h, artificial small intestinal juice for 3 h and artificial colonic fluid for 10 h to mimic gastrointestinal transit and pH environment. Ammonia concentrations in the fluid were then measured using a standard technique, and the ammonia removal rate was calculated. The ammonia removal efficiency achieved using ARM was compared with that achieved using empty microemulsion, water and lactulose.

RESULTS: After mixing with ARM, the ammonia concentrations decreased to 0 g/L in the artificial colonic fluid initially containing 5 g/L or 10 g/L of ammonia, and to 0.521 ± 0.135 g/L in the fluid containing 20 g/L of ammonia. The ammonia removal rate achieved in artificial colonic fluid containing 10 or 20 g/L of ammonia was significantly higher than that in the artificial gastric juice and small intestinal juice containing enzymes (100% ± 0.00% vs 96.41% ± 0.84%, and 97.29% ± 2.67% vs 86.42% ± 2.63%, respectively; both P < 0.05). ARM achieved a higher ammonia removal efficiency than empty microemulsion, water and lactulose.

CONCLUSION: ARM shows a very good ammonia-removing effect and thus provides a new approach for removal of colonic ammonia. However, the digestive fluids in the stomach and small intestine may weaken such ammonia-removing effect.

A new cell culture system for infection with hepatitis B virus that fuses HepG2 cells with primary human hepatocytes

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection exhibits a very narrow host range and shows a strong tropism for liver parenchymal cells, however none of the previously established experimental models can reproduce the natural process of HBV infection. In the present study, primary human hepatocytes were fused with HepG2 cells to establish the hybrid HepCHLine-4 cell line with high susceptibility to HBV. The HepCHLine-4 cells expressed HBV-specific antigen when co-incubated with HBV-positive serum from a hepatitis B patient. Post-infection, HBV relaxed circular DNA and covalently closed circular DNA were detected in HepCHLine-4 cells using a nested polymerase chain reaction, and HBV-specific particles were visualized by electron microscopy of the culture media of HepCHLine-4 cells. HepG2 cells were not susceptible to HBV infection under the same conditions. The HepCHLine-4 cells can be sub-cultured for > 12 months while maintaining susceptibility to HBV and may, therefore, be useful for studying HBV infection and the viral life cycle in human hepatocytes.

Relationship of age-related concentrations of serum FSH and LH with bone mineral density, prevalence of osteoporosis in native Chinese women

BACKGROUND

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) may play an important role in bone mass regulation in postmenopausal women.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of 699 healthy Chinese women, aged 20 to 82 y, was conducted. Serum FSH and LH and BMD were measured at the posteroanterior (PA) spine, lateral spine, total hip, and distal forearm.

RESULTS

The geometric mean values (+/-SD) of serum FSH and LH in premenopausal women were 3.94 +/- 2.08 and 7.51 +/- 2.58 IU/l, respectively, and in postmenopausal women were 28.8 +/- 1.88 and 25.6 +/- 1.95 IU/l, respectively. The correlation of FSH to BMD at different skeletal regions (r = -0.597 - -0.492, P = 0.000) was higher than that of LH to BMD (r = -0.452 - -0.332, P = 0.000). The prevalences of osteoporosis for the quartiles of FSH at various skeletal sites were 0.57%, 0.43%, 27.1%, and 30.9%, respectively; and of LH were 2.14%, 4.43%, 19.5%, and 26.0%, respectively. The prevalence of osteoporosis in 3rd and 4th quartile was more significantly increased than the 1st and 2nd quartile.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that FSH and LH levels in circulation are associated with BMD changes and osteoporosis occurrence in Chinese women.

[The medical cost of diabetic patients with foot problems due to peripheral artery disease]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the medical cost of diabetic patients with foot problems and peripheral artery disease.

METHODS

Type 2 diabetic patients with foot problems admitted into the endocrinology departments of 14 teaching hospitals from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2004 were surveyed for their type and phase of foot ulcers, diabetic complications, medical cost and general personal characteristics.

RESULTS

The average medical cost of the hospitalization of these patients was RMB yen 14,906 +/- 7072 (about US $ 1640 +/- 873); medication and examination cost was separately 56% and 19% of the total cost. There was obviously higher medical cost for these patients with longer diabetes duration of over 20 years and with the occupation of laborer and retired worker. Patients with kidney disease had significantly higher medical cost than those without (RMB yen 11 690.7 vs yen 9493.0; P = 0.0013), even if the hospital stay was nearly the same (21 days vs 20 days). The medical cost increase with the severity of diabetic foot problems based on the classification of Wagner System or Texas System. Patients with infection, ischemic foot and gangrene foot stayed in the hospitals longer and had much higher medical cost.

CONCLUSION

The medical cost is higher for diabetic patients with foot problems and is related with the presence of complicating kidney disease, infection and ischemia as well as the severity of foot ulcers.

Image segmentation feature selection and pattern classification for mammographic microcalcifications

Since microcalcifications in X-ray mammograms are the primary indicator of breast cancer, detection of microcalcifications is central to the development of an effective diagnostic system. This paper proposes a two-stage detection procedure. In the first stage, a data driven, closed form mathematical model is used to calculate the location and shape of suspected microcalcifications. When tested on the Nijmegen University Hospital (Netherlands) database, data analysis shows that the proposed model can effectively detect the occurrence of microcalcifications. The proposed mathematical model not only eliminates the need for system training, but also provides information on the borders of suspected microcalcifications for further feature extraction. In the second stage, 61 features are extracted for each suspected microcalcification, representing texture, the spatial domain and the spectral domain. From these features, a sequential forward search (SFS) algorithm selects the classification input vector, which consists of features sensitive only to microcalcifications. Two types of classifiers-a general regression neural network (GRNN) and a support vector machine (SVM)--are applied, and their classification performance is compared using the Az value of the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve. For all 61 features used as input vectors, the test data set yielded Az values of 97.01% for the SVM and 96.00% for the GRNN. With input features selected by SFS, the corresponding Az values were 98.00% for the SVM and 97.80% for the GRNN. The SVM outperformed the GRNN, whether or not the input vectors first underwent SFS feature selection. In both cases, feature selection dramatically reduced the dimension of the input vectors (82% for the SVM and 59% for the GRNN). Moreover, SFS feature selection improved the classification performance, increasing the Az value from 97.01 to 98.00% for the SVM and from 96.00 to 97.80% for the GRNN.

Relationship of serum leptin with age, body weight, body mass index, and bone mineral density in healthy mainland Chinese women

BACKGROUND

Serum leptin concentration is associated with age, fat and bone mineral density (BMD), and there are ethnic differences in physique and BMD values. The relationship between serum leptin concentration and BMD in Chinese women is presently unknown. We examined the relationship of serum leptin concentration with age, body weight, BMI and BMD in mainland Chinese women.

METHODS

Serum leptin concentration in a population of 676 Chinese females, aged 20-80 years (45.4+/-14.8 years, mean+/-S.D.), was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). BMD values were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at a number of sites: the posteroanterior lumbar spine (PA, L1-L4), lateral lumbar spine (Lat, L2-L4), hip (including the femoral neck (FN) and total hip (T-hip)), and forearm (one-third region (RU1/3) and total region (RUT)). The relationship between changes in serum leptin concentration with age, body weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and BMD values at six sites were analyzed using 10 different regression models, and the models giving the best fit were selected.

RESULTS

The cubic regression model best described the changes in serum leptin concentration with age (R(2)=0.048, p<0.001) and body weight (R(2)=0.352, p<0.001), while the quadratic regression model was best for serum leptin concentration changes with BMI (R(2)=0.410, p<0.001); serum leptin concentration was not correlated with height. Serum leptin concentration was significantly higher in postmenopausal than premenopausal women (p<0.001). Serum leptin concentration was correlated with Lat BMD (R(2)=0.012, p<0.018), FN BMD (R(2)=0.006, p<0.041) and T-hip BMD (R(2)=0.013, p<0.004) in the whole population. In premenopausal women, leptin was positively associated with BMD except for Lat (R(2)=0.029-0.055, p<0.008); in postmenopausal women, leptin was also positively associated with AP, FN, T-hip BMD (R(2)=0.026-0.042, p<0.007). However, after adjusting for BMI not for body weight, there was no association between serum leptin concentration and age. Meanwhile, after adjustment for age, body weight and BMI, there was no association between serum leptin concentration and BMD values in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

CONCLUSIONS

Age-related changes in serum leptin concentration is dependent on BMI, but not a direct determinant of BMD in Chinese females.

Class II histone deacetylases: structure, function, and regulation

Acetylation of histones, as well as non-histone proteins, plays important roles in regulating various cellular processes. Dynamic control of protein acetylation levels in vivo occurs through the opposing actions of histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases (HDACs). In the past few years, distinct classes of HDACs have been identified in mammalian cells. Class I members, such as HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3, and HDAC8, are well-known enzymatic transcriptional corepressors homologous to yeast Rpd3. Class II members, including HDAC4, HDAC5, HDAC6, HDAC7, and HDAC9, possess domains similar to the deacetylase domain of yeast Hdal. HDAC4, HDAC5, and HDAC7 function as transcriptional corepressors that interact with the MEF2 transcription factors and the N-CoR, BCoR, and CtBP corepressors. Intriguingly, HDAC4, HDAC5, and probably HDAC7 are regulated through subcellular compartmentalization controlled by site-specific phosphorylation and binding of 14-3-3 proteins; the regulation of these HDACs is thus directly linked to cellular signaling networks. Both HDAC6 and HDAC9 possess unique structural modules, so they may have special biological functions. Comprehension of the structure, function, and regulation of class II deacetylases is important for elucidating how acetylation regulates functions of histones and other proteins in vivo.

Effects of polyamines on the thermal stability and formation kinetics of DNA duplexes with abnormal structure

The effects of ions (i.e. Na+, Mg2+ and polyamines including spermidine and spermine) on the stability of various DNA oligonucleotides in solution were studied. These synthetic DNA molecules contained sequences that mimic various cellular DNA structures, such as duplexes, bulged loops, hairpins and/or mismatched base pairs. Melting temperature curves obtained from the ultraviolet spectroscopic experiments indicated that the effectiveness of the stabilization of cations on the duplex formation follows the order of spermine > spermidine > Mg2+ > Na+ > Tris-HCl buffer alone at pH 7.3. Circular dichroism spectra showed that salts and polyamines did not change the secondary structures of those DNA molecules under study. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) observations suggested that the rates of duplex formation are independent of the kind of cations used or the structure of the duplexes. However, the rate constants of DNA duplex dissociation decrease in the same order when those cations are involved. The enhancement of the duplex stability by polyamines, especially spermine, can compensate for the instability caused by abnormal structures (e.g. bulged loops, hairpins or mismatches). The effects can be so great as to make the abnormal DNAs as stable as the perfect duplex, both kinetically and thermodynamically. Our results may suggest that the interconversion of various DNA structures can be accomplished readily in the presence of polyamine. This may be relevant in understanding the role of DNA polymorphism in cells.

Mechanism of product chain length determination and the role of a flexible loop in Escherichia coli undecaprenyl-pyrophosphate synthase catalysis

The Escherichia coli undecaprayl-pyrophosphate synthase (UPPs) structure has been solved using the single wavelength anomalous diffraction method. The putative substrate-binding site is located near the end of the betaA-strand with Asp-26 playing a critical catalytic role. In both subunits, an elongated hydrophobic tunnel is found, surrounded by four beta-strands (betaA-betaB-betaD-betaC) and two helices (alpha2 and alpha3) and lined at the bottom with large residues Ile-62, Leu-137, Val-105, and His-103. The product distributions formed by the use of the I62A, V105A, and H103A mutants are similar to those observed for wild-type UPPs. Catalysis by the L137A UPPs, on the other hand, results in predominantly the formation of the C(70) polymer rather than the C(55) polymer. Ala-69 and Ala-143 are located near the top of the tunnel. In contrast to the A143V reaction, the C(30) intermediate is formed to a greater extent and is longer lived in the process catalyzed by the A69L mutant. These findings suggest that the small side chain of Ala-69 is required for rapid elongation to the C(55) product, whereas the large hydrophobic side chain of Leu-137 is required to limit the elongation to the C(55) product. The roles of residues located on a flexible loop were investigated. The S71A, N74A, or R77A mutants displayed 25-200-fold decrease in k(cat) values. W75A showed an 8-fold increase of the FPP K(m) value, and 22-33-fold increases in the IPP K(m) values were observed for E81A and S71A. The loop may function to bridge the interaction of IPP with FPP, needed to initiate the condensation reaction and serve as a hinge to control the substrate binding and product release.

Histone deacetylase 4 possesses intrinsic nuclear import and export signals

Nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) plays an important role in regulating its function, and binding of 14-3-3 proteins is necessary for its cytoplasmic retention. Here, we report the identification of nuclear import and export sequences of HDAC4. While its N-terminal 118 residues modulate the nuclear localization, residues 244 to 279 constitute an authentic, strong nuclear localization signal. Mutational analysis of this signal revealed that three arginine-lysine clusters are necessary for its nuclear import activity. As for nuclear export, leucine-rich sequences located in the middle part of HDAC4 do not function as nuclear export signals. By contrast, a hydrophobic motif (MXXLXVXV) located at the C-terminal end serves as a nuclear export signal that is necessary for cytoplasmic retention of HDAC4. This motif is required for CRM1-mediated nuclear export of HDAC4. Furthermore, binding of 14-3-3 proteins promotes cytoplasmic localization of HDAC4 by both inhibiting its nuclear import and stimulating its nuclear export. Unlike wild-type HDAC4, a point mutant with abrogated MEF2-binding ability remains cytoplasmic upon exogenous expression of MEF2C, supporting the notion that direct MEF2 binding targets HDAC4 to the nucleus. Therefore, HDAC4 possesses intrinsic nuclear import and export signals for its dynamic nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, and association with 14-3-3 and MEF2 proteins affects such shuttling and thus directs HDAC4 to the cytoplasm and the nucleus, respectively.