[Short-term substitution of calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) with recombinant humanized anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody (Basiliximab) as aGVHD prophylaxis in CNI intolerant patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of short-term substitution of recombinant humanized anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody (Basiliximab) as acute GVHD (aGVHD) prophylaxis in calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) intolerant patients following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) . Methods: This study included 17 patients with refractory malignant hematological disorders who underwent salvage allo-HSCT at the Bone Marrow Transplantation Department of Shanghai Zhaxin Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital from August 2021 to August 2022 and were treated with Baliximab to prevent aGVHD due to severe adverse reactions to CNI. There were seven men and ten women, with a median age of 43 years (18-67). Following the discontinuation of CNI, Basiliximab was administered at a dose of 1 mg/kg once weekly until CNI or mTOR inhibitors were resumed. Results: Basiliximab was started at an average of 5 (1-32) days after HSCT. The median duration of substitution was 20 (7-120) days. All had neutrophil engraftment within a median of 12 (10-17) days. Thirteen patients had platelet engraftment after a median of 13 (11-20) days. Four patients did not develop stable platelet engraftment. Eight patients (47.1% ) developed Grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD, while four (23.6% ) developed Grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ aGVHD. Only one patient died from aGVHD. Before the end of the followup period, seven of 17 patients died. The longest followup period of the survivors was 347 days, and the median survival rate was not met. The overall survival (OS) rate at six months was 62.6%. Among the 17 patients, 13 (76.4% ) experienced cytomegalovirus reactivation, 7 (41.2% ) experienced EB virus activation, and no cytomegalovirus disease was observed. Conclusions: When CNI intolerance occurs during allo-HSCT, short-term replacement with Baliximab can be used as an alternative to prevent aGVHD.

[Impact of immunosuppression intensified conditioning regimen for patients with strong positive pre-transplantation donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSAs) undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]

Objective: To explore the efficacy of immunosuppression intensified conditioning regimen in patients who have strongly positive donor-specific Anti-HLA antibodies (DSAs) and received a haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) . Methods: Clinical data of 10 patients with strongly positive pretransplant DSAs (defined as MFI ≥10000) were retrospectively analyzed in this study. All of them received a haplo-HSCT in the Hematology Department of Shanghai Zhaxin Traditional Chinese & Western Medicine Hospital. Results: ① Of all ten patients, three were males, and seven were females, with a median age of 53.5 (36-64) years. Of the 10 patients, three were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, two were myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), two were chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), two were in an accelerated phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-AP), and one was primary myelofibrosis (PMF). ② Conditioning regimen consisted of fludarabine (Flu) /busulfan (Bu) combined with whole-body irradiation (TBI) /cyclophosphamide (Cy). ③ On the seventh day after transplantation, the median pretransplant DSA level was MFI 15 999 (10 210-23 417) and 10 787 (0-22 720). ④ Eight patients acquired hematopoietic reconstitution; the median time of neutrophil engraftment was 14 (10-16) days; and 18 (14-20) days for platelet engraftment. After a median follow-up of 12.5 (1.5-27) months, primary graft failure was found in one patient and another with poor graft function. Seven patients remained in a disease remission state, and all were DSA-negative. Conclusions: An intensified immunosuppression conditioning regimen can efficiently decrease the level of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSAs), leading to good short-term efficacy.

Rhodojaponin VI indirectly targets Cav2.2 channels via N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein to alleviate neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is a chronic disease that severely afflicts the life and emotional status of patients, but currently available treatments are often ineffective. Novel therapeutic targets for the alleviation of neuropathic pain are urgently needed. Rhodojaponin VI, a grayanotoxin from Rhododendron molle, showed remarkable antinociceptive efficacy in models of neuropathic pain, but its biotargets and mechanisms are unknown. Given the reversible action of rhodojaponin VI and the narrow range over which its structure can be modified, we perforwmed thermal proteome profiling of the rat dorsal root ganglion to determine the protein target of rhodojaponin VI. N-Ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion (NSF) was confirmed as the key target of rhodojaponin VI through biological and biophysical experiments. Functional validation showed for the first time that NSF facilitated trafficking of the Cav2.2 channel to induce an increase in Ca²⁺ current intensity, whereas rhodojaponin VI reversed the effects of NSF. In conclusion, rhodojaponin VI represents a unique class of analgesic natural products targeting Cav2.2 channels via NSF.

[The effect of occupational stress on anxiety of nursing staff in a third-grade general hospital and mediating effect of job burnout]

Objective: To explore the mediating effect of job burnout of nursing staff in clinical departments on occupational stress and anxiety, and to provide scientific basis for the formulation of intervention measures to relieve anxiety. Methods: From November 2020 to January 2021, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the basic situation, occupational stress, job burnout and anxiety of 653 nursing staff in a third class A general hospital in Hebei Province. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the relationship between occupational stress, job burnout and anxiety, stepwise regression and mediating effect model were used to verify the mediating effect of job burnout on the relationship between occupational stress and anxiety. Results: 551 valid questionnaires were collected with effective recovery of 84.38%. The incidence of high occupational stress was 68.06% (375/551) , the incidence of job burnout was 63.70% (351/551) [high, moderate and moderate were 11.07% (61/551) and 52.63% (290/551) respectively], and the incidence of anxiety was 55.72% (307/551) [mild, moderate and severe were 38.11% (210/551) , 8.53% (47/551) and 9.08% (50/551) respectively]. Occupational stress was positively correlated with job burnout and anxiety (r=0.545, 0.479) , and job burnout was positively correlated with anxiety (r=0.542, P<0.05) . The mediating effect analysis showed that occupational stress had a statistically significant effect on anxiety (c=0.509, P<0.001) , and the mediating effect of job burnout on the relationship between occupational stress and anxiety accounted for 44.99% of the total effect. Conclusion: The anxiety level of the nursing staff in this third-class A general hospital was relatively high. Job burnout has a mediating effect between occupational stress and anxiety, and anxiety of nursing staff can be alleviated by reducing occupational stress or job burnout.

[The characteristics of spatial-temporal evolvement of pneumoconiosis in Hebei Province from 2009 to 2018]

Objective: To explore the temporal and spatial characteristics of pneumoconiosis in Hebei Province from 2009 to 2018, and to provide evidence for the policy development of pneumoconiosis prevention and control. Methods: In February 2019, a database of pneumoconiosis incidence from 2009 to 2018 in Hebei Province was built. The spatial-temporal distribution of pneumoconiosis in Hebei Province was displayed based on barycenter migration technology and spatial autocorrelation analysis. Results: A total of 6099 cases of pneumoconiosis were reported in Hebei Province from 2009 to 2018, the top 5 pneumoconiosis were silicosis(4399, 72.13%) , coal worker pneumoconiosis (1298 , 21.28%) , ceramics pneumoconiosis (224, 3.67%) , welding worker's pneumoconiosis(76, 1.25%) , and casting worker's pneumoconiosis(48, 0.79%). The focus of pneumoconiosis from 2009 to 2014 moved from Tangshan in the northeast to Zhangjiakou in the northwest, and moved to Chengde in the north from 2015 to 2017, and moved back to Tangshan in 2018. The incidence of pneumoconiosis was globally autocorrelation (P <0.05) from 2009 to 2011 and 2014 to 2018. The high-high gathering areas were located in Zhangjiakou, Chengde and other areas. Conclusion: The barycenter of pneumo- coniosis in hebei province from 2009 to 2018 is relatively stable, mainly locates in the northern part of Hebei Province over the years. There is an obvious regional aggregation, and the aggregation type is mainly high-high aggregation, which indicates that relevant departments should focus on strengthening the prevention and treat- ment of aggregation areas on the basis of overall planning.

Coupled plasmon-phonon modes in monolayer MoS2

We present a theoretical study of the plasmon-phonon coupling in a suspended monolayer MoS₂ and a MoS₂ substrate system using a diagrammatic self-consistent field theory. The four coupled plasmon-phonon modes and the four plasmon-surface phonon modes are observed due to the spin-orbit and electron-optic phonon interactions. The two of coupled plasmon-phonon and plasmon-surface phonon modes are optic-like and the other two are acoustic-like. The plasmon are strongly coupled with the optic-phonon in MoS₂ and the surface optic-phonon in the substrates as the electron density or wave-vector increases. The strong plasmon-phonon coupling shows that the optoelectronic properties of monolayer MoS₂ are evidently modulated by electron-phonon interactions. The hybrid plasmon-phonon polaritons can be achieved by strong light-mater interactions. This study is relevant to the application of MoS₂ as novel plasmonic and nanophotonic devices.

[Occurrence of injuries among left-behind children from 27 poor rural areas in 12 provinces of China, 2016]

Objective: To understand the injuries among 16 459 left-behind children from 27 poor rural areas in 12 provinces of China, 2016. Methods: Data were collected from the survey of 'Health Service Needs Assessment' (HSNA) program on left-behind children, from poor rural areas in the middle and western parts of China. Factors including causes, types, locations, related activities, ways of treatment and outcomes among left-behind children with injuries in 2016, were described and analyzed by gender and age groups. Results: In 2016, per-person and person-time incidence rates of injuries were 8.88% and 11.21%, among the 16 459 left-behind children from 27 poor rural areas in 12 provinces of China, both higher in boys, than in girls. Most injuries were unintentional with its proportion higher in older children. The main types of injuries were seen as falls, blunt and sharp injuries, with burns and animal injuries more common in younger children. Injuries among left-behind children mainly took place at home, kindergarten/school, and on the highways/streets/roads, during playing. Most common ways of treatment would include at the emergency settings, self-treated, with older children more likely to treat by themselves. Most injuries were cured. Conclusions: In programs on prevention and control of injuries targeting the left-behind children in poor rural areas, special attention should be given to older boys, on falls and blunt/sharp injuries, at home or kindergarten/school. Education programs should pinpoint on self-rescue skills and guidance on kids by the parents, with behavioral norms and social support included. Related comprehensive prevention and control mechanism should be developed in families, schools and communities, with medical resources and insurance mechanism explored to serve these population and districts, including those left-behind children.

Activity-based protein profiling reveals that secondary-carbon-centered radicals of synthetic 1,2,4-trioxolanes are predominately responsible for modification of protein targets in malaria parasites

Endoperoxide-containing antimalarials, such as artemisinin and the synthetic trioxolane OZ439, are prodrugs activated by heme to generate primary and secondary carbon-centered radicals. We employed activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) to show that the secondary-carbon-centered radical of 1,2,4-trioxolanes is primarily responsible for protein labeling in malaria parasites.

Optical properties of surface states in two-dimensional topological insulators

We present a simple and tractable approach to investigate the optical properties of surface states in two-dimensional (2D) topological insulators (TIs). The analytic expression of optical conductivity of surface states in 2D TIs are obtained based on the kinetic equations. It is found that universal optical conductance can be observed in the high frequency region, which does not depend on the temperature, the chemical potential, or the bandgap of the systems. This universal optical conductance is similar to that in graphene. However, the optical absorption edge of such surface states strongly depend on the chemical potential and the bandgap of the systems. There are obvious optical absorption peaks at low temperature in the low frequency region, which are very different from that in graphene. The bandgaps in surface states can be accurately experimentally measured by the optical absorption edges or the peaks. We expect that our theoretical results offer transparent understandings for the experimental results and applications of 2D TIs.

[Health literacy level and influence factors of occupational population in one province]

Objective: To understand health literacy (HL) status of occupational population in work place and provide the basis of developing for HL standards and specific intervention strategies. Methods: Being selected by stratified cluster sampling, 3507 employees in 13 companies wthin Hebei Province were investigated by questionnaire. Results: The survey was conducted with 3507 questionnaires, the valid rate was about 97.83%. There were a total of 2629 men (76.62%) and 802 women (23.38%) . The overall level of HL was 32.24%. Health literacy level (HLL) of three aspects are: basic knowledge and concepts 52.03%, healthy life-style and behavior 26.00%, and health related skills 40.25%, the HL rate of six health issues as scientific view of health, prevention of communicable diseases, prevention of chronic diseases, safety and first aid, basic medical care and health information are 61.59%, 28.62%, 21.95%, 75.20%, 32.99% and 49.17% respectively. The group aged 25-34 had the highest HLL (43.95%) ; the higher culture degree, the higher the level of health literacy (P<0.05) . The HLL of the occupational population in Hebei province was 32.24%, which was close to the HLL of the national occupational population, but higher than that of general population in Hebei province and in the whole country. Conclusions: The HLL of the occupational population in Hebei province which was close to the HLL of the national occupational population. HLL of basic knowledge and concepts is higher than that of healthy life-style and behavior and health related skills, the health literacy rate of prevention of communicable diseases and chronic diseases were low. Age, culture degree and type of industry are important influence factors.

[Application of occupational hazard risk index model in occupational health risk assessment in a decorative coating manufacturing enterprises]

Objective: To evaluate the occupational health risk of decorative coating manufacturing enterprises and to explore the applicability of occupational hazard risk index model in the health risk assessment, so as to provide basis for the health management of enterprises. Methods: A decorative coating manufacturing enterprise in Hebei Province was chosen as research object, following the types of occupational hazards and contact patterns, the occupational hazard risk index model was used to evaluate occupational health risk factors of occupational hazards in the key positions of the decorative coating manufacturing enterprise, and measured with workplace test results and occupational health examination. Results: The positions of oily painters, water-borne painters, filling workers and packers who contacted noise were moderate harm. And positions of color workers who contacted chromic acid salts, oily painters who contacted butyl acetate were mild harm. Other positions were harmless. The abnormal rate of contacting noise in physical examination results was 6.25%, and the abnormality was not checked by other risk factors. Conclusion: The occupational hazard risk index model can be used in the occupational health risk assessment of decorative coating manufacturing enterprises, and noise was the key harzard among occupational harzards in this enterprise.

[Effectiveness of integrated early childhood development intervention on nurturing care for children aged 0-35 months in rural China]

Objective: To explore whether Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) program has effectively improved the nurturing care for children aged 0-35 months in rural China. Methods: IECD has been implemented by the government of China with support from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in four poverty-stricken rural counties since 2014. The interventions targeting the five key components of nurturing care (i.e. child and caregiver health, child nutrition, early learning support, child protection and social security) were delivered through the IECD program to children aged 0 to 35 months and their caregivers. A population-based intervention trial was designed to evaluate intervention effectiveness with data collected in 2013 (baseline) and 2016 (mid-term). The changes of nurturing care in the intervention and control group were analyzed by using a difference-in-differences (DID) model. This approach provided adjustment for sociodemographic and other confounding factors. Results: The baseline and mid-term survey enrolled 1 468 and 1 384 children in the intervention group, and 1 485 and 1 361 in the control group. After two years of implementation, the prevalence of caregiver's depression in the intervention group showed a decrease of 9.1% (mid-term 34.8% (479/1 377) vs. baseline 43.9% (621/1 414)), whereas that in control group showed a decrease of 1.6% (mid-term 34.3% (464/1 353) vs. baseline 35.9% (509/1 419)). With the confounding adjusted in the difference-in-differences model, the decrease of the caregiver's depression prevalence in the intervention group was 7.0% greater than that in the control group (P=0.008). The qualified rate of minimum meal frequency in the intervention group showed an increase of 10.4% (mid-term 69.0% (532/771) vs. baseline 58.6% (481/821)), whereas the qualified rate in the intervention group showed an increase of 2.9% (mid-term 66.4% (469/706) vs. baseline 63.5% (508/800)). With the confounding adjusted in the difference-in-differences model, the increase of the qualified rate in the intervention group was 8.2% greater than that in the control group (P=0.021). The proportion of violent discipline by caregivers in the intervention group showed a decrease of 6.2% (mid-term 49.1% (478/973) vs. baseline 55.3% (554/1 001)), whereas the proportion in control group showed an increase of 4.5% (mid-term 58.4% (560/959) vs. baseline 53.9% (558/1 036)), and with the confounding adjusted in the difference-in-differences model, the difference in increase rate between two groups was 11.0% (P=0.001). The proportion of families with three or more children's books in the intervention group showed an increase of 12.7% (mid-term 42.7% (588/1 378) vs. baseline 30.0% (432/1 440)), whereas the proportion of the control group showed an increase of 4.2% (mid-term 25.7% (349/1 357) vs. baseline 21.5% (298/1 388)), and with the confounding adjusted in the difference-in-differences model, the difference in increase rate between two groups was 6.1% (P=0.007). Conclusions: The IECD intervention strategy implemented in rural China effectively improved the mental health of caregivers, optimizes families' child feeding and early stimulation behaviors, while reducing violent discipline and other risk factors. IECD provides better nurturing care for the early development of children aged 0-35 months in rural China.

LBP gene methylation involved in mRNA expression and resistance to E. coli F18 in weaned piglets

Lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) plays an important role in recognizing and regulating endotoxin. In this study, we aimed at clarifying the relationship between the methylation of LBP gene and it's expression, to identify mechanisms involved in resistance to E. coli F18 in Sutai weaned piglets. LBP expression was detected by real-time PCR in duodenum and jejunum tissues from E. coli F18-sensitive or -resistant piglets. The LBP methylation status of the regions with many CG sites upstream of the transcription start site was analyzed by Bbisulfite Sequencing PCR (BSP) +Miseq in jejunum and duodenum tissue. The results showed that LBP expression was significantly higher in the sensitive group than the resistant group in duodenum tissue (p<0.05). There was a negative correlation between the methylation of CpG islands upstream of the LBP transcription start site and its expression; the methylation at two CpG sites in particular was significantly correlated with reduced LBP expression (CpG-1 and CpG-2; p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). These indicated that the methylation of CpG-1 and CpG-2 sites in the LBP region is involved in the regulation of LBP expression, and may provide key contributions to resisting E. coli F18 in Sutai weaned piglets.

Nramp1 gene expression in different tissues of Meishan piglets from newborn to weaning

Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein gene 1 (Nramp1) plays an important role in the innate immune response of swine, and is believed to influence disease resistance. In this study, a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique was used to investigate Nramp1 expression in 12 different tissues in newborn and 7-, 14-, 21-, 28-, and 35-day-old Meishan piglets. Results indicated that Nramp1 was expressed to varying degrees in all sample tissues, although expression differed among growth stages. For example, Nramp1 was highly expressed in the spleen, but minimally expressed in heart, liver, and muscle tissues among the various piglet age classes. Overall, Nramp1 expression increased with age, reaching significant levels in 21- and 28-day-old animals. Nramp1 was expressed in all 12 tissues tested; however, expression in spleen, lung, kidney, and thymus tissues was highest among newborns, which is consistent with this gene's role in innate immunity improvement. Before and after weaning, Nramp1 was highly expressed in digestive (stomach) and intestinal (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) tissues, further indicating a genetic role in both immune regulation to compensate for weaning stress and enhanced development of intestinal immunity.

[Application of means of surfaces with nonhomogeneity in estimating the incidence of pneumoconiosis]

Objective: To investigate the value of means of surfaces with nonhomogeneity (MSN) in esti-mating the incidence of pneumoconiosis. Methods: Based on the principal component analysis, all counties (districts) of Hebei Province, China, were divided into three categories according to the degree of pneumoconiosis hazards and the MSN model was used to estimate the incidence rate of pneumoconiosis and the number of pneu-moconiosis cases using the data of the incidence of pneumoconiosis in 2010. Results: With reference to the appli-cation requirements of the MSN model, results of the principal component analysis, and expert experience, the 172 counties (districts) in Hebei Province were divided into three categories with mild, moderate, and severe pneumoconiosis hazards. There were 74, 61, and 49 counties in the above categories, respectively, and 12, 12, and 25 counties were selected from them, respectively. The estimated number of pneumoconiosis cases in Hebei Province was 2105, and the incidence rate was 261.5 per hundred thousand, with a standard error of esti-mation of 389.9 per hundred thousand. Conclusion: The MSN model provides a new thought and method for es-timating the number of pneumoconiosis cases.

[Effect of occupational lead exposure on the blood pressure of lead-exposed workers]

Objective: To investigate the effect of occupational lead exposure on blood pressure and pro-vide supportive evidence of health protection on lead - exposed workers. Methods: 612 workers (452 lead - ex-posed workers, 160 workers as control) were recruited in the battery factory. The blood lead concentration and blood pressure were detected by occupational health examination and biological monitoring. The relationship of blood lead concentration and blood pressure wasanalyzed. Results: The blood lead concentration in the exposed group (249.84±137.74) μg/L was higher than that of the control group (117.25±70.15) μg/L, and the differ-ence was statistically significant (P<0.01) . The difference of abnormal blood pressure and diastolic pressure among the exposed and the control group was statistically significant (P<0.05) . The abnormal blood pressure rate, systolic pressure rate and diastolic pressure rate in the 400~726 μg/L group was higher than that of the 6~199 μg/L and 200~399 μg/L group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01) . Multiple lin-ear regression analysis showed that the influencing factors of the systolic pressure followed by sex, age, length of service and blood lead concentration, diastolic pressure followed by sex, age, smoke and blood lead concen-tration. Conclusion: These findings suggest that long - term occupational lead exposure may result in the in-crease of blood lead concentration.

[Application of principal component analysis in comprehensive indicator screening for pneumoconiosis in different regions]

Objective: To investigate the application of principal component analysis in comprehensive indicator screening for pneumoconiosis in different regions. Methods: A principal component analysis was performed for the data of 11 factors associated with the prediction of pneumoconiosis hazard and collected in the investigation on occupational health status conducted in 172 counties (districts) in Hebei, China. The degree of pneumoconiosis hazard in different regions was obtained and intuitively presented by GIS. Results: The eigenvalues of 5 principal components of pneumoconiosis were 4.103, 2.341, 0.981, 0.943, and 0.726, respectively, and the contribution values were 37.299%, 21.286%, 8.919%, 8.572%, and 6.596%, respectively. According to the comprehensive value of principal components, GIS Natural Breaks was used to divide the degree of pneumoconiosis hazard in 172 counties (districts) in Hebei into mild, moderate, and severe grades. Of all the counties, 46 had severe pneumoconiosis hazard, 69 had moderate pneumoconiosis hazard, and 57 had mild pneumoconiosis hazard, and the ranges of the score of principal components were 0.30-1.15, -0.24 to 0.27, and -0.69 to -0.25, respectively. Conclusion: Principal component analysis can optimize the comprehensive indicators for the evaluation of regional pneumoconiosis. The comprehensive score of principal components can quantify and intuitively show the degree of pneumoconiosis hazard in different regions. Tangshan, Chengde, Shijiazhuang, and Handan have the most severe pneumoconiosis hazard.

[Application of benchmark dose on renal injury in people chronically exposed to lead]

Objective: To screen sensitive indicators of renal injury in lead workers using benchmark dose method. Methods: Of the 486 subjects,116 did not occupationally contact to lead as a control. The blood lead was considered as exposure biomarker, while Uβ₂-MG and UNAG as effect biomarkers for renal injury. The BMD and BMDL of blood lead were estimated at the 10% benchmark response using BMDS Version 2.6. Results: There was statistical rise in blood lead between the lead group and control group (P<0.05) ; and the blood lead level was divided into four groups by quarterback spacing method, among which UNAG was statistically different (P<0.05) . There was an increased prevalence of abnormal rates of Uβ₂-MG and UNAG with increasing blood lead concentration (P<0.05) , after trend chi-square test. BMD and BMDL of UNAG and Uβ₂-MG were 602.784/431.838 μg/L and 130.398/100.981 μg/L caculated by Log-Probit model, respectively. Conclusions: Occupational lead exposure may cause kidney damage, and UNAG could be as a more sensitive marker for monitoring early renal injury than Uβ₂-MG.

Multilayer photo-aligned thin-film structure for polarizing photonics

In this Letter, an advanced multilayer photo-aligned liquid crystal polymer (LCP) thin-film structure with multiple optical functions is introduced. Within each LCP layer, a spatially distribution of local optical axes can be controlled by a patterned photo-alignment layer. As an embodiment of the proposed structure, a two-layer structure with pixelated controlled light-propagation directions and polarizations has been studied, which has shown the potential to be used as a photomask for generating multi-domain photo-alignment structures with a single exposure step. The combination of the multilayer structure with patterned photo-alignment technology provides a new perspective of designing optical structures for polarizing photonics applications.

8q24 rs4242382 polymorphism is a risk factor for prostate cancer among multi-ethnic populations: evidence from clinical detection in China and a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Evidence supporting an association between the 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism and prostate cancer (PCa) risk has been reported in North American and Europe populations, though data from Asian populations remain limited. We therefore investigated this association by clinical detection in China, and meta-analysis in Asian, Caucasian and African-American populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Blood samples and clinical information were collected from ethnically Chinese men from Northern China with histologically- confirmed PCa (n=335) and from age-matched normal controls (n=347). The 8q24 (rs4242382) gene polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-high-resolution melting analysis. We initially analyzed the associations between the risk allele and PCa and clinical covariates. A meta-analysis was then performed using genotyping data from a total of 1,793 PCa cases and 1,864 controls from our study and previously published studies in American and European populations, to determine the association between PCa and risk genotype.

RESULTS

The incidence of the risk allele was higher in PCa cases than controls (0.222 vs 0.140, P=7.3?10-5), suggesting that the 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism was associated with PCa risk in Chinese men. The genotypes in subjects were in accordance with a dominant genetic model (ORadj=2.03, 95%CI: 1.42-2.91, Padj=1.1?10-4). Presence of the risk allele rs4242382-A at 8q24 was also associated with clinical covariates including age at diagnosis ≥65 years, prostate specific antigen >10 ng/ml, Gleason score <8, tumor stage and aggressive PCa, compared with the non-risk genotype (P=4.6?10-5-3.0?10-2). Meta-analysis confirmed the association between 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism and PCa risk (OR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.39-1.88, P=1.0?10-5) across Asian, Caucasian and African American populations.

CONCLUSIONS

The replicated data suggest that the 8q24 rs4242382-A variation might be associated with increased PCa susceptibility in Asian, Caucasian and African American populations. These results imply that this polymorphism may be a useful risk biomarker for PCa in multi-ethnic populations.

Susceptibility loci associations with prostate cancer risk in northern Chinese men

BACKGROUND

KLK3 gene products, like human prostate-specific antigen (PSA), are important biomarkers in the clinical diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa). G protein-coupled receptor RFX6, C2orf43 and FOXP4 signaling plays important roles in the development of PCa. However, associations of these genes with PCa in northern Chinese men remain to be detailed. This study aimed to investigate their impact on occurrence and level of malignancy.

METHODS

All subjects were from Beijing and Tianjin, including 266 cases with prostate cancer and 288 normal individuals as controls. We evaluated associations between clinical covariates (age at diagnosis, prostate specific antigen, Gleason score, tumor stage and aggressive) and 6 candidate PCa risk loci, genotyped by PCR- high resolution melting curve and sequencing methods.

RESULTS

Case-control analysis of allelic frequency of PCa associated with PCa showed that one of the 6 candidate risk loci, rs339331 in the RFX6 gene, was associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) =0.57-0.94, P = 0.013) in northern Chinese men. In addition, subjects with CX (CC+TC) genotypes had a decreased risk for prostrate cancer compared to those carrying the TT homozygote (OR =0.64, 95% CI = 0.45- 0.90, P = 0.008). The TT genotype of 13q22 (rs9600079, T) was associated with tumor stage (P=0.044, OR=2.34, 95% CI=0.94-5.87). Other SNPs were not significantly associated with clinical covariates in prostate cancer (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS. rs339331 in the RFX6 gene may be associated with prostate cancer as a susceptibility locus in northern Chinese men.

Association of six susceptibility Loci with prostate cancer in northern chinese men

BACKGROUND/AIM

Six prostate cancer (PCa) susceptibility loci were identified in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in populations of European decent. However, the associations of these 6 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with PCa has remained tobe clarified in men in Northern China. This study aimed to explore the loci associated with PCa risk in a Northern Chinese population.

METHODS

Blood samples and clinical information of 289 PCa patients and 288 controls from Beijing and Tianjin were collected. All risk SNPs were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-high resolution melting curve technology and gene sequencing. Associations between PCa and clinical covariates (age at diagnosis, prostate-specific antigen [PSA], Gleason score, tumor stage, and level of aggressiveness) and frequencies of alleles and genotypes of these SNPs were analyzed using genetic statistics.

RESULTS

Among the candidate SNPs, 11p15 (rs7127900, A) was associated with PCa risk (P = 0.02, odds ratio [OR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-2.46). Genotypes showed differences between cases and controls on 11p15 (rs7127900, A), 11q13 (rs7931342, T), and HNF1B (rs4430796, A) (P = 0.03, P = 0.01, and P = 0.04, respectively). The genotype TG on 11q13 (rs7931342, T) was positively associated with an increased Gleason score (P = 0.04, OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.02-4.55). Patients carrying TG on 17q24 (rs1859962, G) were negatively associated with an increased body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.03, OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.21-0.92) while those with AG on HNF1B (rs4430796, A) were more likely to have PSA increase (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that 11p15 (rs7127900, A) could be a susceptibility locus associated with PCa in Northern Chinese. Genotype TG on 11q13 (rs7931342, T) could be related to an increased Gleason score, AG on HNF1B (rs4430796, A) could be associated with PSA increase, and TG on 17q24 (rs1859962, G) could be negatively associated with an increased BMI in Chinese men with PCa.

Association of 8 loci on chromosome 8q24 with prostate carcinoma risk in northern Chinese men

Multiple genetic studies have confirmed association of 8q24 variants with susceptibility to prostate cancer (PCa). As PCa risk SNPs may also influence disease outcome, we studied here eight 8q24 risk alleles, and evaluated their role in PCa clinical covariates in northern Chinese men. Blood samples and clinical information were collected from ethnically Chinese men from Northern China with histologically-confirmed PCa (n=289) and from age-matched normal controls (n=288). Eight 8q24 SNPs were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction- high-resolution melting analysis in 577 subjects. We examined the prevalence distribution of 8q24 risk alleles and analyzed the associations between the risk allele and PCa and clinical covariates to infer their impact on aggressive PCa. Three of the eight SNPs were associated with PCa risk in northern Chinese men, including rs16901966 (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.01-1.70, p=0.042), rs1447295 (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.09-1.98, p=0.011) and rs10090154 (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.14-2.12, p=0.005). Haplotype analysis based association with the risk alleles revealed significant differences between cases and controls (OR 1.43, 95%CI 0.99-2.06, p=0.049). The risk alleles rs16901966, rs1447295 and rs10090154 were associated with age at diagnosis and tumor stage as compared with controls, while rs16901966 was associated with aggressive PCa (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.01-2.03, p=0.042). The evidence for 8q24 SNPs with PCa risk in northern Chinese men showed rs16901966, rs1447295 and rs10090154 at 8q24 (region 1, region 2) to be strongly associated with PCa and clinical covariates. The three SNPs at 8q24 could be PCa susceptible genetic markers in northern Chinese men.

Microstructure change of ZnO nanowire induced by energetic x-ray radiation and its effect on the field emission properties

The changes in the microstructure of ZnO nanowire were studied after exposure to different radiation doses of energetic x-rays. Detailed structural, composition and optical analyses were carried out. It was found that the surface composition changed and defects were formed in the irradiated ZnO nanowires. The structural change of ZnO nanowires after thermal treatment was also studied and similar defects were observed. It is proposed that phonon-induced localized heating is the main reason for the observed changes in microstructure. Finally, the field emission properties of ZnO nanowires before and after x-ray radiation were studied. It was found that the increase of work function and change in morphology induced by the irradiation were the reasons for the observed change in field emission properties.

Antileukaemia immunity: effect of exosomes against NB4 acute promyelocytic leukaemia cells

Exosomes are a family of bioactive vesicles and play important roles in antigen presentation. A recent phase I clinical trial with an exosome vaccine derived from colorectal cancer has shown minor clinical benefit. Exosomes derived from leukaemia cell lines have been little studied so, in the present study, the immunoprotective effect of exosomes secreted by NB4 cells, a human acute promyelocytic leukaemia cell line, was investigated. NB4-derived exosomes expressed the proteins retinoic acid receptor α and interstitial cell adhesion molecule 1 and contained heat shock protein 70, as demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy and Western blotting. Cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) induced by dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with exosomes were significantly more effective in killing target NB4 cells than CTLs induced by DCs alone. Exosome-based vaccines may be a promising means of prolonging disease-free survival in acute promyelocytic leukaemia patients after induction therapy.

Generation of (E)-silylketene acetals in a Rhodium-DuPhos catalyzed two-step reductive aldol reaction

[reaction: see text]. Mechanistic studies employing in situ NMR analysis implicate intermediate silicon enolates as reactive intermediates in the Rh-DuPhos catalyzed two-step reductive aldol reaction with Cl(2)MeSiH. These enolates undergo noncatalyzed reaction with a variety of aldehydes to give the derived syn-aldol adduct in high yields and diastereoselection.

Enantio- and diastereoselective reductive aldol reactions with iridium-pybox catalysts

[see reaction]. A catalytic amount of [(cod)IrCl]2 and indane-pybox converts diethylmethylsilane, methyl acrylate, and certain aldehydes to the derived reductive aldol adduct with good enantio- and diastereocontrol.

[Analyse of the site of lesion in auditory neuropathy]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinic signs, the site of lesion and terminology of a kind of hearing loss which is characterized by speech hearing loss.

METHOD

The data of 11 patients were collected and analyzed including the clinic symptoms, pure tone audiometry, acoustic impedance audiometry, auditory brainstem response (ABR), electrocochleogram(ECochG), distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), CT/MRI.

RESULT

All these cases had following contradictory phenomena: Pure tone audiograms were low-frequency hearing loss; ABRs were absent or seriously abnormal, and ABR response threshold was worse than pure tone threshold and click subjective threshold; ECochG could be recorded in some patients; The stapes muscle reflex was absent; DPOAEs were normal or near normal, the average amplitude of low-frequency was higher than normal hearing group, but the average amplitude of high frequency was lower than normal hearing group; The imaging examination did not show any abnormality.

CONCLUSION

All data of this group show that the sites of lesion in most patients may be in lower brainstem, but the sites of lesion in some patients may be in the spiral ganglion of cochlea. The research of this disease should be continued.

[Forensic pathology analysis of factors in causing trouble by schizophrenics]

We analyzed the data of different schizophrenics. The data of those who caused trouble were compared to those who did not cause trouble and to data of other mental patients. It was found that schizophrenics had a higher rate to cause trouble and commit murder. Schizophrenics who made trouble got worse therapeutic efficacy. They seldom got married and were not supported by their family. It is suggest that keeping strict supervision and providing good treatment to schizophrenics be positive ways to secure our society.

Acupuncture treatment at Ang Mo Kio Community Hospital--a report on our initial experience

BACKGROUND

We report our initial experience with acupuncture treatment at the Ang Mo Kio Community Hospital's Acupuncture Research Clinic.

PATIENTS

One thousand one hundred and twenty-eight patients received a total of 12,172 acupuncture treatment sessions during the period between September 1995 and December 1996. The majority were Chinese (94%), between 40-70 years (70%) with either dialect or Mandarin (68%) as the main spoken language. However, one third of the patients were English speaking, and educational level did not seem to be a factor among our patients accepting acupuncture treatment. Most had either painful conditions (58%) or stroke-related dysfunction (23%). Amongst the painful conditions, arthritis (25%), low back pain (22%) and other musculo-skeletal pain (12%) were the most common.

RESULTS

Prior to treatment, about three-quarter of patients believed acupuncture would benefit them while 40% had tried acupuncture before. After completion of treatment, 70% of all patients considered acupuncture safe, 54% were satisfied with the overall result, 51% felt acupuncture was beneficial, while 54% would recommend acupuncture to others with similar conditions. In a subgroup of patients treated for painful conditions, > 90% reported improvement. Near-syncope occurred in 2 patients (0.18%) or during 2 treatment sessions (0.02%). There was no other acupuncture-related complication.

CONCLUSION

Our preliminary experience showed that acupuncture is safe, and appears to be beneficial to patients with painful conditions. An overview of acupuncture treatment is presented, and the issues of safety, efficacy and a need to conduct randomised controlled clinical trials are discussed.

[Effect of pasta ulmi on malaria parasites]

The extract of Pasta ulmi was examined in vivo and in vitro for antimalaria effect. During animal experiments lipophil extract appeared to have a stronger effect than whole extract, whereas the water diluted extract had no therapeutic effect. In the cell culture the isolated fraction of lipophil extract C1, C2 and C4 showed no inhibitory effect on P. falciparum, but the fraction C0 and C3 with a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml medium demonstrated a totally parasiticidal effect on parasites on the 5th day of culture.