Current treatment of sacral giant cell tumour of bone: a review

Sacral giant cell tumour of bone has an insidious onset and slow growth rate, making early diagnosis difficult. The tumour has a high recurrence rate and is often fatal. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography (CT), including CT-guided fine-needle biopsy, are useful for early diagnosis. Although therapy for sacral giant cell tumour often involves surgical resection and reconstruction challenges, improvements in various treatment modalities, including arterial embolization and radiotherapy, have widened the effective treatment options. The current surgical and adjuvant treatment modalities available for the management of sacral giant cell tumour are systematically reviewed and a suggested treatment algorithm is provided. En bloc excision remains the surgical procedure of choice, with functional reconstruction important in cases where the lesion is high in the sacrum. The use of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy remains controversial and should be studied further. Determination of the optimum treatment for sacral giant cell tumour will require randomized controlled trials. Early diagnosis, complete surgical resection with tumour-free margins and comprehensive treatment are important for local tumour control and improved outcome.

[Effects of rainfall on nitrogen and phosphorus loss from courtyard compost and its risk of nonpoint source pollution]

The in situ 120 days experiment was conducted to investigate effects of rainfall on nitrogen and phosphorus loss from courtyard composting with four kinds of coverage, involving no coverage, rice straw, thin film and soil, and their risks of nonpoint source pollution were discussed. The results showed that, with decomposing of the manure and increasing of runoff, the concentration of total nitrogen (TN), ammoniac nitrogen (NH4(+)-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3(-)-N), total phosphorus (TP) and dissolved phosphorus (DP) from courtyard composting decreased. Especially, the concentration variation of TN, NH4(+)-N, NO3(-)-N with time fit for I kinetic equation, while TP and DP fit for linear equation. The concentration order of nitrogen and phosphorus in runoff observed as follows: no coverage > coverage by rice straw > coverage by soil > coverage by thin film. As a result, the coverage by thin film could be used as a recommended mode to decrease the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus in runoff resulting from its low risks for nonpoint source pollution.

A green approach to the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets under UV irradiation

We present a totally green approach towards the synthesis and stabilization of aqueous graphene dispersions through UV-irradiated reduction of exfoliated graphene oxide (GO). Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) is used to enhance the dispersibility of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) by one-step functionalization. The proposed method is low cost and easy without using any photocatalysts or reducing agents, which can open up a new possibility for green preparation of stable RGO dispersions in large-scale production.

[Matching study on treatment of sewage from highway service area by ecological soil system in Chongqing]

The osmotic coefficient by clear water and sewage, static adsorption, dynamic and water penetration tests were conducted to determine the parameters, which including materials matching, hydraulic loading, and wet to dry ratio, in the treatment of sewage from highway service area (SHSA) in Chongqing by ecological soil system. The results showed that, according to principles of easier getting, high and stable hydraulic load, large decontamination capability, the materials matching of working layer SHSA was made of 30.67% soil, 61.33% sand and 8.00% cinder in Chongqing, and the supporting layer was consisted of 0.20 m cable and 0.10 m broken stone (height). The total height of the ecological soil system was 1.6 m, at which 1.00, 1.20, 1.40, 1.60 m department of hydraulic loading were 0.344, 0.322, 0.307, 0.298 m x d(-1), respectively. The flooding period of working layer was 1 d and the drying period 1.5 d, i. e, the ratio of wet to dry was 1:1.5.

[Effects of acute lymphoblastic leukemia children bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on drug resistance of K562/A02 cell line]

The aim of study was to investigate the effect of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) children bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) on resistance of K562/A02 cells and its mechanism. MSC obtained from bone marrow of AL children were cultured and identified. The co-culture of MSC and K562/A02 and the culture of K562/A02 cell suspension alone was performed, of which 2 kinds of cells were treated with same concentration of adriamycin (ADM), and the rate of apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, bcl-2 and bax of K562/A02 were detected by RT-PCR, while mdr1 gene level was detected by FQ-PCR. The results indicated that the MSC separation and proliferation were viable and steady. The apoptosis rate of the K562/A02 cells co-cultured with MSC was 1.97 ± 0.11%, while apoptosis rate of the K562/A02 cells cultured alone was 8.38 ± 0.29%, there was significant difference (p < 0.05). As compared with the K562/A02 cells cultured alone, the bcl-2 gene expression in K562/A02 cells co-cultured with MSC obviously increased; ratio of bcl-2/bax was obviously enhanced. The mdr1 gene level in K562/A02 co-cultured with MSC was no statistical different from K562/A02 cultured alone (p > 0.05), which suggested that adhesion co-cultured with MSC did not induce mdr1 expression higher than the culture of suspension. It is concluded that the MSC of ALL children can escape the leukemia cells from proapoptotic effect of drugs, the resistance of K562/A02 to ADM may be involved in enhancement of bcl-2 gene expression of K562/A02 cells co-cultured with MSC, but not in relation to mdr1 gene in K562/A02 cells themselves.

An efficient compact 300 mW narrow-linewidth single frequency fiber laser at 1.5 microm

An efficient single frequency fiber laser by using a newly-developed Er(3+)/Yb(3+) co-doped single mode phosphate glass fiber with the net gain coefficient of 5.2 dB/cm and propagation loss coefficient of 0.04 dB/cm has been demonstrated. Over 300 mW stable continuous -wave single transverse and longitudinal mode seed lasering at 1.5 microm has been achieved from a 2.0 cm-long active fiber. The measured slope efficiency and the calculated quantum efficiency of laser emission are found to be 30.9% and 0.938 +/- 0.081, respectively. It is found that the linewidth of the fiber laser is less than 2 kHz, and the measured relative intensity noise (RIN) is around -120 dB/Hz in the frequency range of 50 to 500 kHz.

Enhanced 2.0 microm emission and gain coefficient of transparent glass ceramic containing BaF2: Ho3+,Tm3+ nanocrystals

Transparent glass ceramic containing BaF(2):Ho(3+),Tm(3+) nanocrystals has been prepared by melt quenching and subsequent thermal treatment. The precipitation of BaF(2) nanocrystals was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Intense 2.0 microm fluorescence originating from Ho(3+): (5)I(7) --> (5)I(8) transition was achieved upon excitation with 808 nm laser diode. A large ratio of forward Tm(3+) --> Ho(3+) energy transfer constant to that of backward process indicated high efficient energy transfer from Tm(3+)((3)F(4)) to Ho(3+)((5)I(7)), benefited from the reduced ionic distances of Tm(3+)-Tm(3+) and Tm(3+)-Ho(3+) pairs and low phonon energy environment with the incorporation of rare-earth ions into the precipitated BaF(2) nanocrystals. The results indicate that glass ceramic is a promising candidate material for 2.0 microm laser.

Analytical investigation on transient thermal effects in pulse end-pumped short-length fiber laser

The transient heat conduction and thermal effects in pulse end-pumped fiber laser are modeled and analytically solved. For the arbitrary temporal shape of pump pulse, a three-dimensional (3D) temperature expression is derived via an integral transform method, and the thermal stress field is deduced through solving the Navier displacement equations. The results show that pulse shape has an important influence on the peak thermal stress and transient phase shift induced by heating of the fiber. Reasonable design for pulse duration and period can reduce thermal effects and optimize the performance of high-power fiber laser.

Inhibition of fengycins on the production of fumonisin B1 from Fusarium verticillioides

AIM

To understand the role of fengycins in regulating the fumonisin B1 (FB1)production of Fusarium verticillioides.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The mass ratio of FB1 to mycelia was determined in order to identify the effect of fengycins on FB1 production. It was shown that the amount of FB1 produced by unit mass mycelia decreased to 28% of the control. Results from mycelia resuspension with fengycins also demonstrated that fengycins had a potent impact on FB1 production. Gene expression patterns using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) revealed that the transcriptional levels of both FUM1 and FUM8 (coding enzymes for the generation of FB1) were down-regulated with fengycin treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Fengycins could down-regulate the transcription of some key genes involved in the production of FB1, and impair FB1 synthesis by F. verticillioides.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

These results further improved our understanding of fengycins as the potential candidates to control FB1 contamination in crops and food.

3-Dimensional heat analysis in short-length Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped phosphate fiber laser with upconversion

A 3-dimenstional (3D) heat flow model of laser diode (LD) pumped short-length Er(3+)/Yb(3+) heavily co-doped phosphate fiber laser that includes the energy-transfer upconversion (ETU) effects has been developed. The fully 3D analytical solution with the consideration of longitudinal heat flow has been given to describe the temperature distribution in phosphate fiber. The calculated results show that both ETU processes and longitudinal heat conduction have a great influence on the fiber laser performance. Finally, we have validated the analytical expression by measuring the temperature distribution of an end-pumped short-length Er(3+)/Yb(3+) co-doped fiber laser, which was placed into the copper tube.

Thermal stability and spectroscopic properties of Er3+-doped antimony-borosilicate glasses

This paper reports on the optical spectroscopic properties and thermal stability of Er3+-doped antimony-borosilicate glasses for developing 1.5 microm optical amplifiers. Upon excitation at 980 nm laser diode, an intense 1.5 microm infrared fluorescence has been observed with the maximum full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 90 nm for Er3+-doped antimony-borosilicate glasses. The emission cross-section and the lifetime of the 4I13/2 level of Er3+ ions are 6.3 x 10(-21) cm2 and 0.30 ms, respectively. It is noted that the product of the emission cross-section and FWHM of the glass studied is as great as 567 x 10(-21) cm2 nm, which is comparable or higher than that of bismuthate and tellurite glasses.

Regulation of tomato lateral root development by carbon monoxide and involvement in auxin and nitric oxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an endogenous gaseous molecule in organisms. Despite its reputation as a lethal gas, recent studies have shown that it is one of the most essential cellular components regulating a variety of biological processes. However, whether CO regulates physiological processes of morphological or developmental patterns in plants is largely unknown. In this paper, the observation that exogenous CO was able to promote the formation of tomato lateral roots (LR) is described. The CO stimulation of LR development was supported by analysis of tomato haem oxygenase-1 (LeHO-1), an enzymatic source of intracellular CO. It is shown that the amount of LeHO-1 proteins and transcripts increased parallel to the LR development. In addition, LeHO-1 loss-of-function tomato mutant yg-2 showed a phenotype of impaired LR development. The phenotype of yg-2 could be restored by treatment with CO. Since auxin is required for LR initiation and NO is shown to be a mediator for LR development, the correlation of CO with auxin and NO was tested. Our analysis revealed that the action of CO was blocked by the auxin transport inhibitor N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid and the NO scavenger cPTIO, respectively. Furthermore, the whole seedling assays of IAA show that treatment with CO increased the overall IAA levels in various tissues of tomato. Exposure of tomato roots to CO also enhanced intracellular NO generation. These results indicate that CO plays a critical role in controlling architectural change in tomato roots.

Uterine expression of implantation serine proteinase 2 during the implantation period and in vivo inhibitory effect of its antibody on embryo implantation in mice

The aim of the present study was to examine the uterine expression pattern of implantation serine proteinase 2 (ISP2) protein during early pregnancy in mice and the effects of anti-ISP2 antibody on embryo implantation. Expression of ISP2 protein was found to be specifically up-regulated in mouse uterine endometrial glands following the initiation of embryo implantation. Similarly, ISP2 protein expression was observed during pseudopregnancy, indicating that its expression is not embryo dependent. In other experiments, rabbit anti-ISP2 IgG was infused into the mouse uterine lumen on Day 3 or 4 of pregnancy to examine its effects on embryo implantation, whereas vehicle (saline) or unspecific rabbit IgG served as controls. The mean number of implanted embryos from anti-ISP2-IgG-treated mice was significantly lower than that from control mice. These results suggest that ISP2 may play an important role during embryo implantation.

Acrosome-specific gene AEP1: identification, characterization and roles in spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis is a tightly regulated process leading to the development of spermatozoa. To elucidate the molecular spermatogenic mechanisms, we identified an acrosome-specific gene AEP1 in spermatids, which is located in rat chromosome 17p14 with a transcript size of 3,091 bp encoding a signal peptide, zinc finger-like motif, coiled-coil region, several predicted glycosylation and phosphorylation sites. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses revealed the restricted expression of AEP1 to the testis only. In postnatal rat testes, AEP1 mRNA became detectable from postnatal 25 dpp (round spermatids) and onwards. By using in situ hybridization (ISH) and flow cytometry-fluorescent ISH, only the haploid spermatids yielded the positive AEP1 signal. Immunohistochemistry showed that AEP1 was expressed in the acrosomal cap of late-staged germ cells in rat testis, and co-localized with the acrosomal marker, peanut agglutinin. The spatial expression of AEP1 immunoreactivity in testis was conserved among diverse mammalian species (rat, pig, monkey, human). To further study its roles in spermatogenesis, we showed AEP1 and beta-actin was associated together in complex by co-immunoprecipitation in adult germ cells and by immunofluorescence assay in isolated spermatozoon. In human testes diagnosed with hypospermatogenesis, lower expression of AEP1 was observed, whereas there was no detectable signal in undescended testes. In short, AEP1 is an evolutionary-conserved acrosome-specific gene and likely functions in acrosome-cap formation.

[Plant sulfate assimilation and regulation of the activity of related enzymes under cadmium stress]

The complexation and sequestration of heavy metal ions (e.g. Cd) by the cysteine-rich polypeptides known as phytochelatins (PC) are thought to confer heavy metal hyperaccumulation and tolerance in some plant species. PC is synthesized enzymatically from glutathione. The tripeptide glutathione is a product of primary sulfur metabolism. A variety of enzymes or proteins are involved in sulfur assimilation including sulfate transporters (STs), ATP sulfurylase (ATPS), APS reductase (APSR), sulfite reductase (SiR), glutathione synthetase (GS) and phytochelatin synthesis (PCS). These enzymes or proteins are upstream-regulated by Cd at either the metabolic or the genetic level under metal stress. Increasing evidence shows that enhancement of sulfate uptake and reduction occurs with the production of PC in plants under heavy metal stress. In this article, the key aspects of our recent understanding of regulatory mechanisms involved in the relation between the sulfate assimilation and phytochelatin synthesis are described.

Differential expression of prostaglandin E receptor subtype EP2 in rat uterus during early pregnancy

PGE2 is essential for mammalian female reproduction. This study was to examine the expression of EP2 gene in the rat uterus during early pregnancy, delayed implantation and artificial decidualization by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. There was no detectable EP2 mRNA expression in the uterus from days 1 to 4 of pregnancy (day 1 = day of vaginal sperm). A low level of EP2 immunostaining was observed in the luminal and glandular epithelium from days 1 to 4 of pregnancy. Both EP2 mRNA and protein expression were highly detected in the luminal epithelium at implantation sites on day 6 of pregnancy. EP2 expression decreased from day 7 of pregnancy and was undetectable on days 8 and 9 of pregnancy. After delayed implantation was terminated by estrogen treatment and the embryo implanted, both EP2 mRNA and protein expression were strongly observed in the luminal epithelium at the implantation site. There was no detectable EP2 expression in both control and decidualized uteri. In conclusion, these data suggest that EP2 expression at implantation site may play an important role during embryo implantation in rats.

Effect of dissolved organic matter on the toxicity of chlorotoluron to Triticum aestivum

Response of two wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum cv. YM 158 and NM 9) to the herbicide chlorotoluron and the effect of two forms of dissolved organic matter on the chlorotoluron toxicity to the plants were characterized. Treatment with chlorotoluron at 10-50 microg/ml inhibited the seed germination and a dose-response was observed. The inhibition of seed germination was correlated to the depression of alpha-amylase activities. To identify whether chlorotoluron induced oxidative damage to wheat plants, the malondlaldehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage were measured. Results showed that both MDA content and electrolyte leakage in the chlorotoluron-treated roots significantly increased. Activities of several key enzymes were measured that operate in citric acid cycle and carbohydrate metabolic pathway. Inhibited activities of citrate synthase and NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase were observed in the chlorotoluron-treated roots as compared to control plants. We also examined malate dehydrogenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in wheat roots exposed to 30 gg/ml chlorotoluron. However, none of the enzymes showed significant changes in activities. Application of 160 microg/ml dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracted from non-treated sludge (NTS) and heat-expanded sludge (HES) in the medium with 30 microg/ml chlorotoluron induced an additive inhibition of seed germination and plant growth. The inhibition of growth due to the DOM treatment was associated with the depression of activities of alpha-amylase, citrate synthase and NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase, as well as the increase in malondlaldehyde content and electrolyte leakage. These results suggested that the presence of DOM might enhance the uptake and accumulation of chlorotoluron, and thus resulted in greater toxicity in wheat plants. The two forms of DOM exhibited differences in regulation of chlorotoluron toxicity to the wheat plants. Treatments with DOM-NTS induced greater toxicity to plants as compared to those with DOM-HES. In addition to DOM affecting chlorotoluron-induced toxicity to wheat plants, the cultivars could have also contributed to differences. Generally, NM-9 showed a higher sensitivity to chlorotoluron than YM 158 either in the absence or in the presence of DOM.

Nitric oxide reduces aluminum toxicity by preventing oxidative stress in the roots of Cassia tora L

Nitric oxide (NO) as a key signaling molecule has been involved in mediation of various biotic and abiotic stress-induced physiological responses in plants. In the present study, we investigated the effect of NO on Cassia tora L. plants exposed to aluminum (Al). Plants pre-treated for 12 h with 0.4 mM sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an NO donor, and subsequently exposed to 10 microM Al treatment for 24 h exhibited significantly greater root elongation as compared with the plants without SNP treatment. The NO-promoted root elongation was correlated with a decrease in Al accumulation in root apexes. Furthermore, oxidative stress associated with Al treatment increased lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species, and the activation of lipoxygenase and antioxidant enzymes was reduced by NO. Such effects were confirmed by the histochemical staining for the detection of peroxidation of lipids and loss of membrane integrity in roots. The ameliorating effect of NO was specific, because the NO scavenger cPTIO [2-(4-carboxy-2-phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylinidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide] completely reversed the effect of NO on root growth in the presence of Al. These results indicate that NO plays an important role in protecting the plant against Al-induced oxidative stress.

Role of fascin in the proliferation and invasiveness of esophageal carcinoma cells

Fascin, an actin-bundling protein, induces membrane protrusions and increases cell motility in various transformed cells. The overexpression of fascin in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has been described only recently, but the roles and mechanism still remained unclear. Here, by using RNA interference (RNAi), we have stably silenced the expression of the fascin in EC109 cells, an ESCC cell line. Down-regulation of fascin resulted in a suppression of cell proliferation and as well as a decrease in cell invasiveness. Furthermore, we revealed that fascin might have functions in regulating tumor growth in vivo. The effect of fascin on cell invasiveness correlated with the activation of matrix metalloproteases such as MMP-2 and MMP-9. We examined that fascin down-expression also led to a decrease of c-erbB-2 and beta-catenin at the protein level. These results suggested that fascin might play crucial roles in regulating neoplasm progression of ESCC.

A retrospective study on clinical features of and treatment methods for 77 severe cases of SARS

In this retrospective study, clinical data including clinical manifestations, routine blood tests, chest radiographic imaging from 77 severe cases of SARS treated with integrated Chinese and Western medicine were collected and statistically analyzed. Twenty-nine (37.6%) patients were admitted to the intensive care unit, non-invasive ventilation was used in 40 (51.9%) cases, and invasive ventilatory procedure was performed in eight (10.3%) cases. Seventy (90.9%) patients were clinically cured and seven (9.0%) died. The duration of defervescence was 8.3 +/- 5.0 days after admission. In the early stage, normal leucocyte count was seen in 46 (75.4%) of the 61 patients tested, decreased leucocyte count in 13 (21.3%) and elevated leucocyte count in only two (3.2%) cases. A decreased lymphocyte count was also seen in 23 (37.7%) cases of the 61 patients tested on admission, and by day 14, the number of patients with decreased lymphocyte count (1.11 +/- 0.66 x 10(9)) increased to 32 (47.7%) in 67 cases examined. Neutral granulocyte count was normal or decreased in 58 (95.0%) patients on admission, but elevated from the 7th day onward and peaked on day 21 in 32 (65.3%) of the 49 cases tested. All of the blood abnormalities returned to normal in the convalescent stage. Twenty-nine (37.6%) of the 77 severe cases of SARS patients demonstrated an extensive lung involvement. In comparison with the non-severe SARS cases, this group of patients showed significantly more pneumonic air-space opacities and ground glass-like changes on the chest radiographs (p < 0.05, chi2 test). The role Chinese medicine played in the treatment of SARS was discussed.

Synthetic studies on nonthrombogenic biomaterials 14: synthesis and characterization of poly(ether-urethane) bearing a Zwitterionic structure of phosphorylcholine on the surface

A new Zwitterionic compound of the phosphorylcholine analogue, 4-hydroxylbutyl phosphorylcholine (HBPC), was synthesized and characterized. HBPC was chemically tethered onto the surface of poly(ether-urethane) (PEU) films with hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as a coupling agent. The existence of a phosphorylcholine structure on the PEU surface was demomstrated by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurements. The nonthrombogenicity of the modified films was evaluated by platelet-rich plasma (PRP) assay. The results showed that films grafted with HBPC have excellent platelet adhesion resistance.