[Comparison of three different measurement methods to determine resting energy expenditure in patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis]

Objective: To compare the differences to determine resting energy expenditure (REE) measured with indirect calorimetry and REE predicted by formula method and body composition analyzer in patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis, so as to provide theoretical guidance for the implementation of precision nutrition intervention. Methods: Patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis who were admitted to Henan Provincial People's Hospital from April 2020 to December 2020 were collected. REE was determined by the body composition analyzer and the H-B formula method. Results: were analyzed and compared to REE measured by the metabolic cart. Results A total of 57 cases with liver cirrhosis were included in this study. Among them, 42 were male, aged (47.93 ± 8.62) years, and 15 were female aged (57.20 ± 11.34) years. REE measured value in males was (1 808.14 ± 201.47) kcal/d, compared with the results calculated by the H-B formula method and the measured result of body composition, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.002 and 0.003, respectively). REE measured value in females was (1 496.60 ± 131.28) kcal/d, compared with the results calculated by the H-B formula method and the measured result of body composition, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.016 and 0.004, respectively). REE measured with the metabolic cart had correlation with age and area of visceral fat in men (P = 0.021) and women (P = 0.037). Conclusion: Metabolic cart use will be more accurate to obtain resting energy expenditure in patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis. Body composition analyzer and formula method may underestimate REE predictions. Simultaneously, it is suggested that the effect of age on REE in H-B formula should be fully considered for male patients, while the area of visceral fat may have a certain impact on the interpretation of REE in female patients.

[Treatment of oligoprogression to immunotherapy resistance in advanced non-small cell lung cancer]

In recent years, the incidence of lung cancer has been increasing year by year. Traditional treatments have limited clinical effects in advanced, driver-gene-negative non-small cell lung cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have dramatically changed the treatment landscape of advanced non-small cell lung cancer. However, most patients are suffered from primary and acquired resistance inevitably. Oligoprogression is one of the main progression patterns of acquired resistance. Therefore, it is essential to further understand treatment of oligoprogression to immunotherapy resistance. This article aimed to conduct a systematic review of the treatment of oligoprogression to immunotherapy resistance.

[Status and related factors on the drinking behavior among primary and secondary students in China rural middle and western regions in 2019]

Objective: To analyze the daily drinking behavior and related factors of primary and middle school students in the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students (NIPRCES) pilot regions. Methods: Multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select one to three national pilot counties in 22 provinces in central and western China where the NIPRCES was implemented in 2019. According to different feeding patterns, two primary schools and two middle schools were selected as key monitoring schools. One or two classes were selected from grade 3 to grade 9. The student questionnaire was used to collect the basic information and daily drinking behavior. Taking whether the drinking water ≥5 cups every day as the dependent variable, multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors of drinking behavior among students. Results: A total of 27 374 students were included. On average, primary and middle school students in the regions where NIPRCES was implemented had 3.9 cups of water every day. Logistic regression model showed that boys (OR=1.230, P<0.001), primary school students (OR=1.379, P<0.001), father worked outside the home (OR=1.169, P<0.001), both parents worked outside the home (OR=1.228, P<0.001), non-resident students (OR=1.142, P<0.001), the school in the village (OR=1.638, P<0.001) or township (OR=1.358, P<0.001), school feeding (OR=1.252, P<0.001), the school building with flush toilets (OR=1.384, P<0.001) and the central regions (OR=1.300, P<0.001) students were more likely to drink ≥5 cups water every day. Conclusion: The water consumption of primary and middle school students in the pilot regions of NIPRCES is low, and their drinking behaviors are affected by many factors.

[Advances of tight junction damage in the corneal epithelial barrier in the pathogenesis of corneal diseases]

The cornea is a transparent tissue with significant refractive and barrier functions. Corneal epithelium constitutes the first line of defense against foreign pathogens. Corneal epithelial cells interact to form a functionally selective permeability barrier. Dysfunction of this barrier leads to corneal impairment followed by a series of ocular surface diseases and even blindness. Tight junctions (TJ), located at the top of the intercellular space of corneal epithelial superficial cells, play a critical role in establishing and maintaining the barrier function. Previous studies have shown that destruction of the TJ acts as a crucial step of the occurrence and progression of multiple ocular surface diseases. Understanding the fundamental features and functions of the TJ, noticing the risk factors of TJ disruption, and clarifying the key role of TJ in the pathogenesis of various ocular surface diseases will help to better understand and treat ocular surface diseases.

[Overweight and obesity status and its associated factors among primary and secondary school students in China rural middle and western regions]

Objective: To analyze the overweight and obesity status of students in the national pilot counties of the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2019 and its associated factors. Methods: In 2019, a multi-stage cluster random sampling method was used to select about 40 students from each grade in primary and secondary schools in China's central and western regions where the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students was implemented. The height and weight of the children were measured using height or weight scales. The school questionnaire and county questionnaire were used to investigate the associated factors. A Chi-square test was used for comparison between groups. The logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the associated factors. Results: In 2019, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among rural primary and secondary school students aged 6-15 years in central and western China 2019 was 11.5%. It was higher for boys (13.1%) than that for girls (9.8%), higher in central (14.3%) than that in the west (9.9%) and higher for elementary school students (12.4%) than that for secondary school students (9.5%, all P<0.001). The logistic regression showed that boys (OR=1.388), primary school students (OR=1.271), students without other dietary subsidies(OR=1.037), schools in rural areas (OR=1.133), schools with enterprise-based feeding mode (OR=1.043), schools without the provision of lunch (OR=1.143), schools without the provision of dinner (OR=1.122), and schools without providing drinking water (OR=1.015) were positively associated with overweight and obesity among students (P<0.05). Schools with snack shops (OR=0.952) were negatively associated with overweight and obesity among students (P<0.001). Conclusion: A certain proportion of primary and secondary school students in rural areas of central and western China are overweight and obese. The prevalence is not only related to children's gender, school section and county area but also related to school meals, whether schools provide drinking water and other factors.

[Anemia prevalence and its influencing factors among students involved in the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2019]

Objective: To analyze anemia prevalence and its influencing factors of students involved in the Nutritional Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2019. Methods: From the 2019 surveillance system of the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students, 47 297 primary and middle school students aged 6-17 were included in the study. Hemoglobin level was tested according to the criteria of WHO 2011. Anemia prevalence of different genders, ages, and regions was analyzed. Results: The average hemoglobin level was 135.19 g/L, with the prevalence of anemia as 8.7% in the children aged 6-17. The prevalence of anemia was 10.0% in girls, higher than that in boys (7.4%). The prevalence rates in western and central areas were 9.8% and 7.1%, respectively. From northwest, southwest, central and south, east, north to northeast areas of China, the anemia rate appeared gradually decreasing (10.2%, 9.7%, 8.3%, 7.5%, 5.7% and 3.5%). The anemia prevalence rates were 8.0%, 8.3%, and 10.9% in children from the 6-, 11-, and 14-17 years age groups, respectively. Logistic regression models revealed that students from schools not using catering software (OR=1.482, 95%CI:1.296-1.694,P<0.001), schools not serving lunch (OR=1.241, 95%CI:1.103-1.395,P<0.001), and from relatively low-income families (OR=1.297, 95%CI:1.211-1.389, P<0.001) showed as risk factors for anemia. After supplementing students' dietary factors, the results showed that students who ate meat three or more times a week had a lower risk of anemia (OR=0.907, 95%CI:0.832-0.989, P=0.026). Conclusions: The Nutritional Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students had an essential impact on improving the anemia prevalence of primary and middle school students. Family income, school location, economic factors, school feeding, and students' diet programs all impacted the prevalence of anemia.

[Growth retardation of children and its influencing factors in the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2019]

Objective: To understand the growth retardation among primary and secondary school students in areas covered by the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students and its influencing factors to provide evidence for improving the nutrition status of rural students in China. Methods: The multi-stage cluster random sampling method selected 1 550 969 primary and secondary school students aged 6-15 years from China's central and western regions. The ratio of male and female students was balanced. The height was measured, and the growth retardation of students was determined according to the Screening Criteria for School-age Children and Adolescents malnutrition (WS/T 456-2014), from the school and county questionnaire survey related factors. The number of cases and percentages described the growth retardation of students, and the χ² test was used for comparison between groups. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze students' growth retardation factors. Results: In 2019, the growth retardation rate of primary and secondary school students in areas covered by the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students was 5.7% (88 631/1 550 969), the growth retardation rate in the western part (7.1%, 66 167/927 954) was higher than that in the central part (3.7%,19 511/533 973) with difference statistically significant (P<0.001). The growth retardation rate of the boys (6.3%,50 665/803 851) were higher than that of girls (5.1%, 37 966/747 118), the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The growth retardation rate of primary school students in central China was 3.9%(14 914/380 598), higher than that of junior middle school students (3.0%,4 597/153 375, P<0.001). In contrast, the growth retardation rate of the western junior high school students (7.2%, 21 494/297 217) were higher than that of elementary school students (7.1%, 44 673/630 737), with a difference statistically significant (all P=0.009). Multi-factor logistic regression results showed that, in high income area (OR=0.829, 95%CI: 0.816-0.842, P<0.001), parents providing part of the meal cost (OR=0.948, 95%CI: 0.931-0.965, P<0.001), enterprises providing meals (OR=0.845, 95%CI: 0.805-0.887, P<0.001), schools providing milk (OR=0.780, 95%CI: 0.767-0.793, P<0.001), health education courses (OR=0.702, 95%CI: 0.682-0.723, P<0.001) and other local nutrition improvement efforts (OR=0.739, 95%CI: 0.720-0.758, P<0.001) were negatively correlated with the occurrence of growth retardation, The growth retardation rate of the students was lower. Conclusions: There appeared significant regional, gender, and age differences in the growth retardation rate of primary and middle school students in areas covered by the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students. Appropriate food supply in schools, health education courses, and parental participation in nutritional improvement was related to children's lower growth retardation rate.

[Status and influencing factors on the leftover school meals among students the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2019]

Objective: To analyze the situation and influencing factors of school meals leftover among primary and secondary school students in the area of the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students, improve the quality of school meals, develop healthy dietary behavior, and reduce food waste. Methods: In 2019, among the 50 monitoring counties that implemented the Compulsory Education Student Nutrition Improvement Program, two primary schools and two junior schools were randomly selected according to different food supply patterns.This study randomly selected one or two classes from grade 3 to grade 9. Basic information and school meals of 26 778 students were collected by using a student questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of leftovers rate. Results: 54.93% (14 709) of students wasted school meals, in which the highest rate was the staple food, with the main reason as "not in favor". 11.87% (1 743) of the students wasted school meals 6-7 days a week, with 54.20% (7 957) of students wasted but in less amount. The leftover rate of staple food was the highest (29.78%), followed by vegetables and meat. The main reason of leftovers was that they didn't like this kind of food (33.52%). The rate of school meal waste was higher for girls (OR=1.19,95%CI:1.13-1.25), junior high school students (OR=1.17, 95%CI: 1.11-1.25), resident students (OR=1.06, 95%CI: 1.00-1.12), lower economic level (OR=1.06, 95%CI: 1.00-1.12), parents working outside their houses (OR=1.22, 95%CI: 1.13-1.30), health education classes (OR=1.70, 95%CI: 1.40-2.06), company-based meals (OR=1.89, 95%CI: 1.71-2.07) and school meals were not as good as home food(OR=1.89, 95%CI: 1.78-2.00)(P<0.05). Conclusions: It is common for poor rural primary and middle school students in central and western China to waste school meals, and the reasons were affected by many factors. Reducing food waste requires the joint efforts of individuals, families, schools and society.

[Research advances in contact lens-associated dry eye]

Dry eye is the most common disease in ophthalmic clinics besides refractive error, which seriously affects the life quality of patients and has become an important public health problem in China. Dry eye as a kind of multifactorial disease can be induced or accelerated by contact lens wear, which is considered as one of the risk factors of dry eye. Studies have shown that the incidence of dry eye is higher in contact lens wearers than in normal people. In 2017, the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society included contact lens-associated dry eye (CLADE) in the iatrogenic dry eye for the first time, and its importance is evident. However, ophthalmologists mostly used to focus on serious complications such as keratitis caused by contact lens wear, and CLADE has not been well valued and understood. This article reviews the latest studies on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of CLADE.

Visual Analysis of the External Characteristics and Research Hotspots of Literatures in International Forensic Science

Abstract

Objective To analyze the forensic science-related literature included in the Web of Science database in the recent decade through bibliometric methods, to provide reference for relevant research. Methods Literatures were searched in 3 ways： Subject search, Journal search and Institution search. The annual distribution, national （regional） distribution, institution distribution, journal distribution and the research hotspots of the related literatures were analyzed through Thomson Data Analyzer （TDA）, Ucinet, VOSviewer, and so on. Results A total of 49 469 related literatures were included in the recent decade. The number of literatures continued to climb year by year. The top 15 countries （regions） accounted for 78.52% of the total number of published literatures, and China ranked 5th, but ranked 12th in terms of the proportion of high-cited papers; Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, etc. had high comprehensive influence. The number of countries （regions） that cooperated with China were 129, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. The Institute of Forensic Science of Saint Mary's University, University of Sydney and Netherlands Forensic Institute had high comprehensive influence, and the related literatures were published on 6 357 journals. According to high-frequency co-occurrence network and high-cited papers, brain injury, health policy, assessment scales and models and medical imaging were selected as research hotspots. Conclusion The total number of literatures in forensic science included in international SCI increased significantly, and the influence of China's achievements needs to be greatly enhanced; the research institutions were scattered, and China's research power needs to be continuously condensed; the research hotspots in international fields are extensive, and the international participation of China in top level research needs to be strengthened.

[Clinicopathological features of notochordal tumors: a study of 48 cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of notochordal tumors. Methods: The clinical, radiologic and pathologic data of 48 notochordal tumors were collected from 2008 to 2019 at Shanghai Jiaotong University Sixth People's Hospital. Expression of cytokertin, S-100 protein, vimentin, brachyury and INI1 was detected by immunohistochemistry. The pathologic differential diagnoses and biologic behavior of various types of notochordal tumors were analyzed using the new standard in the 5th edition of WHO tumor classification. Results: Four cases of benign notochordal cell tumor were confined to vertebral body. Histopathologically, they lacked lobular architecture and extracellular myxoid matrix. The tumor cells were vacuolated and had centrally or peripherally located round to oval nuclei, with small nucleoli, without atypia, mimicking mature adipocytes. No mitotic figures were seen. Two cases of poorly differentiated chordoma, from patients aged 12 years and 21 years respectively, were located in cervical vertebra, and were composed of cohesive sheets or nests of epithelioid cells, with focal rhabdoid morphology. There was relatively abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm and scattered cytoplasmic vacuoles. The moderately pleomorphic nuclei were round to ovoid with vesicular chromatin and mitotic figures could be seen. Extracellular myxoid stroma was observed focally. Forty cases of conventional chordoma and two cases of extra-axis chordoma had similar histologic features. All 48 cases expressed cytokeretin, 45 cases expressed brachyury, and two poorly differentiated tumors showed loss of INI1/SMARCB1. Conclusions: There are four subtypes of chordomas: conventional, dedifferentiated, poorly differentiated and extra-axis. Chondroid chordoma is no longer thought to be a distinct entity. Each type has its unique clinicopathological characteristics. Brachyury is highly specific and sensitive for the diagnosis of various notochordal tumors. Poorly differentiated chordoma shows distinct clinicopathological features, including young age and loss of immunohistochemical expression of INI1/SMARCB1, and its diagnosis requires the combined detection of brachyury and INI1/SMARCB1.

Virtual Histology of Cortical Thickness and Shared Neurobiology in 6 Psychiatric Disorders

IMPORTANCE

Large-scale neuroimaging studies have revealed group differences in cortical thickness across many psychiatric disorders. The underlying neurobiology behind these differences is not well understood.

OBJECTIVE

To determine neurobiologic correlates of group differences in cortical thickness between cases and controls in 6 disorders: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Profiles of group differences in cortical thickness between cases and controls were generated using T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. Similarity between interregional profiles of cell-specific gene expression and those in the group differences in cortical thickness were investigated in each disorder. Next, principal component analysis was used to reveal a shared profile of group difference in thickness across the disorders. Analysis for gene coexpression, clustering, and enrichment for genes associated with these disorders were conducted. Data analysis was conducted between June and December 2019. The analysis included 145 cohorts across 6 psychiatric disorders drawn from the ENIGMA consortium. The numbers of cases and controls in each of the 6 disorders were as follows: ADHD: 1814 and 1602; ASD: 1748 and 1770; BD: 1547 and 3405; MDD: 2658 and 3572; OCD: 2266 and 2007; and schizophrenia: 2688 and 3244.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Interregional profiles of group difference in cortical thickness between cases and controls.

RESULTS

A total of 12 721 cases and 15 600 controls, ranging from ages 2 to 89 years, were included in this study. Interregional profiles of group differences in cortical thickness for each of the 6 psychiatric disorders were associated with profiles of gene expression specific to pyramidal (CA1) cells, astrocytes (except for BD), and microglia (except for OCD); collectively, gene-expression profiles of the 3 cell types explain between 25% and 54% of variance in interregional profiles of group differences in cortical thickness. Principal component analysis revealed a shared profile of difference in cortical thickness across the 6 disorders (48% variance explained); interregional profile of this principal component 1 was associated with that of the pyramidal-cell gene expression (explaining 56% of interregional variation). Coexpression analyses of these genes revealed 2 clusters: (1) a prenatal cluster enriched with genes involved in neurodevelopmental (axon guidance) processes and (2) a postnatal cluster enriched with genes involved in synaptic activity and plasticity-related processes. These clusters were enriched with genes associated with all 6 psychiatric disorders.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this study, shared neurobiologic processes were associated with differences in cortical thickness across multiple psychiatric disorders. These processes implicate a common role of prenatal development and postnatal functioning of the cerebral cortex in these disorders.

Progress in Research on Biomarkers of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy

Abstract

Post traumatic epilepsy （PTE） is a serious complication of traumatic brain injury and a difficult problem in forensic justice practice. In recent years, many biomarkers have been applied to the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of injuries and diseases. There have been many studies on the biomarkers of PTE in the field of epilepsy. This paper reviews the progress in research on biomarkers of PTE in recent years in order to provide reference for the forensic identification of PTE.

[Analysis on drug resistance-associated mutations of multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis based on whole-genome sequencing in China]

Objective: To analyze the resistance mutational profiles of multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in China and the correlation between major mutation types and genotypes based on the whole-genome sequencing data. Methods: Search and download of the genome-wide sequencing data of M. tuberculosis published in China by August 2019 on NCBI database were conducted. Mutation frequency of drug resistance-related gene loci based on whole-genome sequencing was used to predict the molecular susceptibility of strains, and the correlation between mutation types and genotypes was analyzed. Results: According to the results of molecular resistance and susceptibility profiles, 1 024 MDR strains were identified from 2 019 M. tuberculosis strains. The major mutation types of resistance-related genes to common drugs were katG S315T (73.2%, isoniazid), rpoB S450L (63.1%, rifampicin), rpsL K43R (70.0%, streptomycin), embB M306V (37.4%, ethambutol), pncA_promoter T (-11)C (7.9%, pyrazinamide), gyrA A90V (32.3%, fluoroquinolones), rrs A1401G (67.7%, second-line injection drugs), fabG1_promoter C (-15) T (87.0%, Ethionamide), folC I43T (30.4%, P-aminosalicylic acid). Among them, the frequencies of katG S315T, embB M306V, rpsL K43R, gyrA A90V in lineage 2 were significantly higher than those in lineage 4, and folC I43T was only found in lineage 2. The proportion of katG S315T was significantly higher in the ancient Beijing genotype compared to the modern genotype, in contrast, the proportion of rpsL K43R was significantly higher in modern Beijing genotype, the differences were significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The results showed the main mutation types of resistance-related genes of MDR strains to many commonly used anti-tuberculosis drugs in China based on whole-genome sequencing, providing a basis for the development of sensitive and specific rapid molecular detection methods. At the same time, it was also found that the major mutation types of MDR-related genes were related to the genotype of the strains.

P5396CRISPR/Cas9 mediated miR-29b editing restores muscle atrophy and exercise capacity in mice

Background

Muscle atrophy is the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength in response to diversity catabolic stimuli, such as heart failure. At present, no effective treatment except exercise is validated on reducing multiple muscle atrophy clinically. We have recently reported that microRNA-29b (miR-29b) promotes multiple types of muscle atrophy.

Purpose

The goal of this study was to assess whether genome editing using a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system can efficiently introduce loss-of-function mutations into the endogenous miR-29b in vivo and as a potential therapy by treating muscle atrophy.

Methods

We used lentivirus to express CRISPR-associated 9 and a CRISPR guide RNA targeting miR-29b. Mutagenesis rate of miR-29b and off-target mutagenesis were detected by T7 Endonuclease I (T7EI) Assay. The expression level of miR-29b were measured in vitro and vivo after administration of the virus by using qRT-PCR. After intramuscular administration of the virus, the angiotensin II (AngII), immobilization and denervation-induced muscle atrophy were performed. Then muscle function was assessed in exercise capacity, the appearance and weight of muscle, the size of the muscle fibers, molecular and cellular detection.

Results

Here, we report that CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing through intramuscular administration efficiently targeting the biogenesis processing sites in pre-miR-29b. No off-target mutagenesis was detected in 10 selected sites. This CRISPR-based treatment resulted in decreased miR-29b levels specifically. In vivo, this CRISPR-based treatment could ameliorate the muscle atrophy induced by angiotensin II (AngII), immobilization and denervation via activation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway and protect against AngII-induced apoptosis in mice. Moreover, the exercise capacity is also significantly enhanced.

Conclusion

Our work establishes CRISPR/Cas9 based gene targeting on miRNA as a potential durable therapy for treatment of muscle atrophy and expands the strategies available interrogating miRNA function in vivo.

Acknowledgement/Funding

The grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (81722008, 91639101 and 81570362 to JJ Xiao)

[The study of the value of H3F3A G34W immunohistochemical staining in the diagnosis of giant cell tumor of bone]

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic role of H3F3A G34W immunohistochemistry in giant cell tumor of bone. Methods: A total of 275 tumors were collected from 2016 to 2018 at Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, including 136 giant cell tumors of bone, 31 general osteosarcomas, 3 osteoclast-rich osteosarcomas, 3 brown tumors, 34 chondroblastomas, 29 giant cell tumors of tendon sheath, 20 primary arteromatoid bone cysts and 19 non-ossifying fibromas. Results: Among the 136 cases of giant cell tumor of bone,82 patients were male and 54 were female. The age ranged from 15 to 72 years (median age 38 years). Nuclear positivity for H3F3A G34W was seen in 119/136(87.5%) giant cell tumors of bone and 1/31(3.2%) general osteosarcoma,while all osteoclast-rich osteosarcomas, brown tumors, chondroblastomas, giant cell tumors of tendon sheath, primary arteromatoid bone cysts and non-ossifying fibroma were negative. Conclusions: The monoclonal antibody against the G34W mutated site of H3F3A is a specific biomarker for giant cell tumor of bone and useful for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of giant cell tumor of bone. Meanwhile,for those cases in which giant cell tumor of bone are diagnosed basing on clinical,pathologic and radiographic features but are negative for H3F3A G34W,should be tested for rare mutations or H3F3A wild type.

[Research Progress on Postmortem Interval Estimation by Vitreous Humor]

Postmortem interval （PMI） estimation is one of the most challenging problems in the field of forensic science. Vitreous humor is a hotspot which has been used for PMI estimation and postmortem chemical analysis in forensic pathology. In order to provide novel perspectives for the future research of PMI estimation using vitreous humor, the comparison between vitreous humor with other common body fluids, the effect of temperature on vitreous humor, vitreous humor detection method and data fitting method have been reviewed in this paper.

[Role of sleep apnea monitoring management platform in the treatment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome]

Objective:To investigate the clinical significance and value of the sleep apnea monitoring management platform in the treatment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) by comparing with the traditional continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) card reader mode.Method:A total of 48 severe adult OSAHS patients from Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery-Sleep Medical Center of the Third People's Hospital of Honghe during the period of Nov. 2015 to Aug. 2016 were collected in this prospective study. All of them were diagnosed by PSG and treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure. They were randomly divided into group A (n=24) and group B (n=24). Group A and B were treated with the traditional CPAP card reader mode and the sleep apnea monitoring management platform respectively. During the follow-up, the compliance, mean blood oxygen saturation, titration pressure, Epworth sleepiness scale after 1, 3, 6 and 12 month treatment were compared between two groups. Ttest was used to analyze the difference. Statistical significance was set at P <0.05.Result:Statistical analysis showed that there were significant difference in the compliance of using CPAP, mean blood oxygen saturation and Epworth sleepiness scale score between the two groups (P < 0.05), but the titration pressure had no difference between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion:Compared the sleep apnea monitoring management platform with traditional CPAP card reader mode in the treatment of OSAHS patients, the former could solve the problems during the CPAP use in time, improve the compliance of using CPAP, and which could increase the efficacy of CPAP. Thus, the sleep apnea monitoring management platform is of more clinical value and deserve promotion.

[Study on breakfast consumption of children aged from 6-17 in China in 2010-2012]

Objective: To investigate breakfast status and influencing factors among children aged 6-17 in China in 2010-2012. Methods: Data were collected from China National Nutrition and Health Surveillance in 2010-2012. By using multi-stage stratified sampling and population proportional stratified random sampling method, the research objects were 29 393 children, who aged 6 to 17 y from 150 sites in 31 provinces in mainland China. The information of breakfast frequency and the numbers of breakfast dinning out (in restaurant and at schools) in the past week with seven days were collected by questionnaire; and compared by different ages, genders and areas. Results: During the past week, 91.1% (26 776/29 393) of the children aged 6 to 17 y had their breakfast daily, and 94.6% (13 457/14 221) of children aged 6 to 11 y was higher than 87.8% (13 319/15 172) of children aged 12 to 17 y, the highest proportion of the children never eat breakfast (0 time in the past week) found in poor rural areas was 3.6% (189/5 261), the ratio of big cities, small-medium cities and normal rural areas was 1.1% (77/7 104), 0.6% (51/8 361), and 0.6% (54/8 667), respectively (P<0.001). The rate of boys and girls ate their breakfast daily in the past week were 91.3% (13 481/14 761), and 90.9% (13 295/14 632), respectively (P>0.05). Totally 42.2% (12 398/29 393) of children ate breakfast outside-home (the restaurant and the school) in the past week, the percentage of children aged 12 to 17 y and poor rural areas was higher, 50.9% (7 722/15 172), and 52.4% (2 756/5 261), respectively (P<0.001). 42.1% (6 208/14 761) boys and 42.3% (6 190/14 632) girls ate their breakfast outside-home (P>0.05). The place of most school-age children eat outside-home was school, the ratio was 32.2% (9 477/29 393). Conclusion: It was common for school-aged children in China to skip breakfast during their daily lives, especially in poor rural areas and older children, lots of school-aged children ate breakfast outside-home, and most of them ate breakfast in school.

[Repairmen of the rabbit's oral mucosa by tissue engineering technology]

Objective:This experiment proposed to complicate BMMSCs and PLLA/SF scaffolds, to study its repairing ability for rabbit oral mucosa wound, and try to evaluate the most potential mixed proportion of PLLA and SF for tissue engineering. Method:Separating,cultivating and identifying BMMSCs. Observing cell phenotype of BMMSCs after cultivating BMMSCs in P70S30 PLLA/SF scaffold for one week.Observing the structure change of BMMSCs and P70S30PLLA/SF scaffold complexes after oral mucosa transplantation experiment for a week；Comparing the wound healing rate of composite of BMMSCs and PLLA/SF scafold，PLLA/SF scaffold and nature repair. Result:①There wasn't a significant effect of PLLA/SF scaffold on cell phenotype of BMMSCs.②The wounds fused well with the oral mucosa transplanted composite of BMMSCs and P70S30 PLLA/SF scaffold after a week.③The healing rate of composite of BMMSCs and P70S30 scaffold was the highest.The average healing rate of composite of BMMSCs and P70S30 scaffold was 94.8%,whose difference was statistically significant compared with natural healing and pure scaffold(P<0.01). Conclusion:①The complex composed of BMMSCs and PLLA/SF scaffolds has the potential as an ideal scaffold for tissue engineering oral mucosa.②The complex composed of BMMSCs and P70S30 PLLA/SF scaffolds is the most beneficial to wound healing of oral mucosa,and has the greatest potential for constructing tissue engineering oral mucosa.

Peripheral telomere length and hippocampal volume in adolescents with major depressive disorder

Several studies have reported that adults with major depressive disorder have shorter telomere length and reduced hippocampal volumes. Moreover, studies of adult populations without major depressive disorder suggest a relationship between peripheral telomere length and hippocampal volume. However, the relationship of these findings in adolescents with major depressive disorder has yet to be explored. We examined whether adolescent major depressive disorder is associated with altered peripheral telomere length and hippocampal volume, and whether these measures relate to one another. In 54 unmedicated adolescents (13-18 years) with major depressive disorder and 63 well-matched healthy controls, telomere length was assessed from saliva using quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods, and bilateral hippocampal volumes were measured with magnetic resonance imaging. After adjusting for age and sex (and total brain volume in the hippocampal analysis), adolescents with major depressive disorder exhibited significantly shorter telomere length and significantly smaller right, but not left hippocampal volume. When corrected for age, sex, diagnostic group and total brain volume, telomere length was not significantly associated with left or right hippocampal volume, suggesting that these cellular and neural processes may be mechanistically distinct during adolescence. Our findings suggest that shortening of telomere length and reduction of hippocampal volume are already present in early-onset major depressive disorder and thus unlikely to be only a result of accumulated years of exposure to major depressive disorder.

Outbreak of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli transmitted through breast milk sharing in a neonatal intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

Routine surveillance in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) showed an increased detection of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-E. coli) in August 2012, following nearly a year without detection.

AIM

To describe the investigation and interventions by a hospital infection control team of an outbreak of ESBL-E. coli in a NICU.

METHODS

Six neonates with positive cultures of ESBL-E. coli (five with respiratory colonization, one with a urinary tract infection), control infants who were negative for ESBL-E. coli during the study period, and mothers who donated their breast milk were included. A case-control study was performed to identify possible risk factors for positive ESBL-E. coli cultures and molecular typing of isolated strains by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

FINDINGS

The odds ratio for ESBL-E. coli infection after receiving shared unpasteurized breast milk during the study period was 49.17 (95% confidence interval: 6.02-354.68; P < 0.05). The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern showed that all strains were identical, and the same pathogen was detected in freshly expressed milk of a particular donor. After ceasing the breast milk sharing, the outbreak was successfully terminated.

CONCLUSION

This outbreak indicates that contamination of milk packs can result in transmission of a drug-resistant pathogen to newborn infants. Providers of human breast milk need to be aware of the necessity for low-temperature pasteurization and bacterial cultures, which should be conducted before and after freezing, before prescribing to infants.

Abstract P6-10-05: First-line chemotherapy versus first-line endocrine therapy in hormone receptor positive HER2 negative patients with metastatic breast cancer in China: Results of the study of breast cancer group of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO)

Background: The primary objective for metastatic breast cancer is to prolong the patients survival. So the appropriate choice of the first-line therapy strategy is very important. For the HR-positive metastatic breast cancer, we haven't strong data to head-to-head compare the chemotherapy with endocrine therapy as the first-line treatment.

Methods: Two hundreds patients with HR-positive metastatic breast cancer were enrolled at 47 cancer centers in China from 2009 to 2012. Investigators decided to give chemotherapy or endocrine therapy according to their clinical judgements. Chemotherapy and endocrine therapy regimens followed the NCCN guildline. All the patiens haven't take any treatment after relapse or metastasis. All the patients were estrogen- receptor positive and/or progesterone-receptor positive,HER2 negative. Chemotherapy or endocrine therapy was continued in the progressive disease(PD) or unacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival(PFS), second endpoints were time to failure(TTF), response rate.

Results: According to the investigator judgements, one hundred patient took chemotherapy(CT arm), another one hundreds patients took endocrine therapy(ET arm). Pt characteristics were balanced between the two arms: median age 49y/50y, median disease-free survival(DFS) 40m/30m, visceral/non-visceral metastatic 52%/40%. There was more patients with ≥2 metastatic sites in CT arm than ET arm (50% vs 32%). Following up to Dec 2012, reasons for early treatment discontinuation were : PD 25 pts, toxicity 38 pts in CT arm, PD 82 pts, toxicity 2 pts in ET ram. The median PFS was 52 weeks(95% CI 23.2-80.8 weeks) and 48 weeks(95% CI 38.9-57.0 weeks) for CT arm and ET arm(P = 0.589),respectively. The median TTF was 20 weeks and 48 weeks for CT arm and ET arm,respectively(P = 0.025). Response rate was 63% and 22% for CT arm and ET arm,respectively(P&lt;0.001). But clinical benefit rate(CR+PR+SD≥6months) was 67% and 69% for CT arm and ET arm,respectively(P = 0.333). Subgroup analysis showed TTF were 48 weeks in ET arm and 15 weeks in CT arm(p = 0.038) for patients who had more than 2 years DFS. TTF results also indicated significant difference in single metastatic site pts and non-visceral metastatic pts between two arms. ET arm was superior to CT arm.

Conclusions: Our results indicate first-line chemotherapy has higher response rate than first-line endocrine therapy for HR-positive meatstatic breast cancer, but chemotherapy has shorter maintaining therapy time. First-line endocrine therapy was more suitable than first-line chemotherapy for pts with DFS≥2y, single metastatic site and non-visceral metastatic.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P6-10-05.

Stimulatory effect of allantoin on imidazoline I₁ receptors in animal and cell line

Allantoin is known as the agonist of imidazoline receptor, especially the I₂ subtype. Effect of allantoin on imidazoline I₁ receptor (I₁R) relating to reduction of blood pressure and its merit in steatosis are still obscure. Also, farnesoid X receptor (FXR) plays an important role in lipid homeostasis related to I₁R activation. Thus, we administered allantoin into high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice showing hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia. Allantoin significantly improved hyperlipidemia in HFD mice after 4 weeks of administration. Pretreatment with efaroxan, at a dose sufficient to inhibit I₁R activation, attenuated the action of allantoin. In addition, in cultured HepG2 cells, allantoin increased the expression of farnesoid X receptor (FXR). The allantoin-induced FXR expression was blocked by efaroxan. Similar changes were observed in the expressions of FXR-targeted genes. Otherwise, allantoin also lowered systolic blood pressure (SBP) in HFD mice that can be blocked by efaroxan. Taken together, allantoin has an ability to activate I₁R for improvement of metabolic disorders.

Improvement of hyperphagia by activation of cerebral I(1)-imidazoline receptors in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Imidazoline I1-receptors (I1R) are known to regulate blood pressure and rilmenidine, an agonist, is widely used as antihypertensive agent in clinic. However, the role of I1R in feeding behavior is still unclear. In the present study, we used the agonist of I1R to investigate the effect on hyperphagia in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Rilmenidine decreased the food intake of STZ-diabetic mice in a dose-dependent manner. The reduction of food intake was abolished by pretreatment with efaroxan at the dose sufficient to block I1R. Intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of rilmenidine into STZ-diabetic mice also significantly reduced hyperphagia, which was reversed by icv administration of efaroxan. In addition, similar results were observed in STZ-diabetic mice, which received chronic treatment with rilmenidine 3 times daily (t.i.d.) for 7 days. Moreover, the hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) level was reduced by rilmenidine that was also reversed by pretreatment with efaroxan. In conclusion, the obtained results suggest that rilmenidine can decrease food intake in STZ-diabetic mice through an activation of I1R to lower hypothalamic NPY level.

Activation of imidazoline I-2B receptors by allantoin to increase glucose uptake into C₂C₁₂ cells

Allantoin, an active principle of the yam, belongs to the group of guanidinium derivatives and has been reported to lower plasma glucose in diabetic animals. Recent evidence indicates that activation of the imidazoline I(2B) receptor (I(2B)R) by guanidinium derivatives also increases glucose uptake; however, the effect of allantoin on I(2B)R is still unknown. Glucose uptake into cultured C₂C₁₂ cells was determined using 2-[¹⁴C]-deoxy-D-glucose as a tracer. The changes in 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) expression were also identified by Western blotting analysis. The allantoin-induced glucose uptake action was dose-dependently blocked by BU224, a specific I₂R antagonist, in C₂C₁₂ cells. Moreover, AMPK phosphorylation by allantoin was found to be dose-dependently increased in C₂C₁₂ cells using AICAR treatment as a reference. In addition, both actions of allantoin, the increases in glucose uptake and AMPK phosphorylation, were dose-dependently attenuated by amiloride in C₂C₁₂ cells. Moreover, compound C at concentrations sufficient to inhibit AMPK blocked the allantoin-induced glucose uptake and AMPK phosphorylation. Thus, we suggest that allantoin can activate I(2B)R to increase glucose uptake into cells, and propose I(2B)R as a new target for diabetic therapy.

Seasonal variation and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Miaoli city, Taiwan

The ambient PAHs levels in the downtown area of a traditional small city were analyzed for winter and summer seasons. A total of 16 PAHs in gaseous and particulate phase were quantified. The average gaseous PAHs were 2,189 ± 1,194 and 623.8 ± 545.1 ng/m(3) in winter and summer seasons, respectively. For the PAHs in particulate phase, they were 40.32 ± 12.15 and 11.99 ± 5.63 ng/m(3) in winter and summer seasons, respectively. These values were comparable to those reported for large cities or even higher. The estimated BaPeq was 12.32 ± 6.34 ng/m(3). As low-molecular-weight PAHs primarily existed in gaseous phase, high-molecular-weight PAHs in particulate phase became a significant fraction of total particulate phase PAHs. Particulate phase PAHs was significantly inversely associated with the ambient temperature for each individual PAHs species. However, this relationship did not exist for high-molecular-weight PAHs in gaseous phase. The results indicated the photo-degradation of high-molecular-weight PAHs should warrant a further thoughtfully investigation.

Characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions of particles of various sizes from smoldering incense

Release of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in particles of various sizes from smoldering incenses was determined. Among the three types of incense investigated, yielding the total PAH emission rate and factor ranges for PM0.25 were 2,139.7-6,595.6 ng/h and 1,762.2-8,094.9 ng/g, respectively. The PM0.25/PM2.5 ratio of total PAH emission factors and rates from smoldering three incenses was greater than 0.92. This study shows that total particle PAH emission rates and factors were mainly <0.25 μm. Furthermore, the total toxic equivalency emission rates and factors of PAHs for PM0.25 were 241.3-469.7 and 198.8-576.2 ng/g from the three smoldering incenses. The benzo[a]pyrene accounted for 65.2%-68.0% of the total toxic equivalency emission factor of PM2.5 for the three incenses. Experimental results clearly indicate that the PAH emission rates and factors were influenced significantly by incense composition, including carbon and hydrogen content. The study concludes that smoldering incense with low atomic hydrogen/carbon ratios minimized the production of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of both PM2.5 and PM0.25.

AP2 protein expression as a diagnostic marker in soft tissue tumours

Purpose/Methods: The aP2 gene product (aP2 protein) is known to be expressed by preadipocytes and other immature fat cells in vitro. A mouse monoclonal antibody raised against an 18 amino acid segment of the aP2 protein was found to react with lipoblasts and fetal fat cells in paraffin sections of soft tissue tumours of adipose differentiation. In this immunohistochemical study, we have further examined the diagnostic utility of aP2 expression in distinguishing tumours of adipose differentiation from other benign and malignant soft tissue tumours.

Result and discussion aP2 was strongly expressed by lipoblasts in lipoblastomas and all types of liposarcoma as well as brown fat cells in hibernomas. Optimal conditions for immunohistochemical identification of lipoblasts in tumours of adipose differentiation was noted when the antibody was diluted 1:30 to 1:50. Small lipoblast-like fat cells in pleomorphic lipoma and spindle cell lipoma also showed variable staining for aP2 at this dilution of the antibody. Most benign and malignant soft tissue tumours were distinguished by their absence of staining for aP2 protein, but some cases of myxoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, synovial sarcoma and leiomyosarcoma contained tumour cells which reacted for aP2. aP2 protein expression is likely to prove a useful means of distinguishing lipoblasts in liposarcoma but it should be used as part of a tumour panel to exclude expression in other forms of mesenchymal tumour.

Opening of ATP-sensitive potassium channel by insulin in the brain-induced insulin secretion in Wistar rats

Cerebral insulin can regulate glucose homeostasis via activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which results in the reduction of hepatic glucose output. However, the precise mechanism(s) through which cerebral insulin directly exerts an effect on insulin secretion remains unclear. In the present study, we found that cerebral administration of insulin caused an increase of plasma insulin concentration and a concomitant decrease in plasma glucose levels within one hour. These effects were blocked by vagotomy or intraperitoneal injection of 1,1-dimethyl-4-diphenylacetoxypiperidinium iodide, a specific M (3) antagonist. The mediating influence of parasympathetic activation can thus be considered. The adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (K-ATP) channel is a key mediator of the cerebral action of insulin. The plasma glucose-lowering action of insulin was abolished by cerebral administration of glibenclamide or repaglinide at concentrations sufficient to block K-ATP channels. In conclusion, our findings suggest that cerebral insulin may induce insulin release by stimulating the opening of K-ATP channels, which in turn activate parasympathetic tone in pancreatic tissue.

White matter integrity in adolescents with histories of marijuana use and binge drinking

Structural brain abnormalities have been observed in adolescents with alcohol use disorders but less is known about neuropathological brain characteristics of teens with sub-diagnostic binge drinking or the common pattern of binge drinking combined with marijuana use. The goal of this study was to examine white matter integrity in adolescents with histories of binge drinking and marijuana use. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was conducted with 42 adolescents (ages 16-19) classified as controls, binge drinkers, or binge drinkers who are also heavy marijuana users. Tract based spatial analysis identified shared fiber structure across individuals and facilitated voxelwise comparisons of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between groups. Significant between group differences were found in FA in eight white matter regions (ps < or = .016) between the binge drink-only group and controls, including superior corona radiata, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. Interestingly, in 4 of these same regions, binge drinkers who are also heavy marijuana users had higher FA than binge drinkers who did not use marijuana (ps<.05). MD did not differ between groups. Findings are largely consistent with research suggesting less neuropathology in adolescents without histories of substance use. However, binge drinkers who also use marijuana did not show as consistent a divergence from non-users as did the binge drink-only group. Detection of white matter alterations may have implications in identifying early cognitive dysfunction in substance using adolescents.

Determination of particulate-bound formaldehyde from burning incense by solid phase microextraction

This work studied the feasibility of using a solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber for sampling and analysis of gaseous formaldehyde as well as particulate-bound formaldehyde from burning Chinese incense. The SPME fiber with PDMS/DVB coating were partially coated with o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)-hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA), and used for sampling formaldehyde. The sampling rate for formaldehyde and its dependence on temperature, relative humidity and sampling time were observed. The same PFBHA treated fibers were, in parallel, exposed to incense burning smoke with pre-filtration and without pre- filtration for 0.5-1 min. The NIOSH method 2541 using an XAD-2 tube at a flow rate of 0.1 Lpm was also applied for sampling simultaneously. The results demonstrate that commercially available PDMS/DVB fibers partially coated with PFBHA are capable of sampling the gas phase of formaldehyde as well as particulate-bound formaldehyde. The determined level of formaldehyde was close to the result obtained by the NIOSH method 2541. However, a reduction of the fiber's formaldehyde loading capacity in the aerosol sampling in comparison with gas sampling was noticed. This indicates that the particulate characteristics, and their bound chemicals other than formaldehyde may influence the maximum loading capacity of formaldehyde, and some characteristic particulates in high concentrations may even deteriorate the fiber coating.

Oral immunization with a live recombinant attenuated Salmonella typhimurium protects mice against Toxoplasma gondii

The natural site of infection for T. gondii is the mucosal surface of the intestine, so the protective immunity obtained after natural infection with T. gondii points to the importance of developing a vaccine that stimulates mucosal defences. In this study, an aroA- and aroD- attenuated strain of Salmonella typhimurium (BRD509) has been used to deliver the recombinant eukaryotic plasmid pSAG(1-2)/CTA2/B expressing a multi-antigenic gene encoding SAG1 and SAG2 of T. gondii linked to A2/B subunits of cholera toxin as a candidate oral T. gondii vaccine. Immunoblot analysis showed compound gene expression in HeLa cells in vitro and intragastric immunization of mice with the recombinant salmonella resulted in the induction of humoral and Th1 type cellular immune responses and afforded protection against RH strain T. gondii challenge. Anti-T. gondii IgG values increased markedly in the BRD509/pSAG(1-2)-CTA2/B immunized group; these values were significantly higher than those in the negative controls (P = 0.008). With CTA2/B genetic adjuvant, the T. gondii-specific response was predominantly Th1, indicating that the CTA(2)/B genetic adjuvant was able to overcome the strong Th2-bias of the antigen (IgG2a >> IgG1). Antigen-specific T cell proliferative responses and CTL activity were significantly enhanced when cholera toxin CTA2/B genetic adjuvant was used (P = 0.009; P = 0.006). Culture supernatants from antigen-stimulated splenocytes from mice in these groups were also examined by ELISA for Th1- and Th2-type cytokines; mean IFN-gamma levels produced after oral immunization with BRD509/pSAG(1-2)-CTA2/B were about nine-fold higher than after immunization with BRD509/pSAG(1-2) (P = 0.007). On the other hand, the levels of IL-4 were low for all groups and no increase was seen in the presence of CTA2/B genetic adjuvant. When the immunized mice were intraperitoneally challenged with 10(3) tachyzoites of the highly virulent RH strain, the survival time of the mice immunized with BRD509/pSAG(1-2)-CTA2/B was markedly longer than other groups (P = 0.003) and a 40% survival rate was achieved. This is the first report that demonstrates that an oral attenuated salmonella DNA vaccine can induce protective immunity against the acute phase of T. gondii infection.

Comparison of fMRI activation at 3 and 1.5 T during perceptual, cognitive, and affective processing

Previous studies comparing fMRI data acquired at 1.5 T and higher field strengths have focused on examining signal increases in the visual and motor cortices. No information is, however, available on the relative gain, or the comparability of data, obtained at higher field strengths for other brain regions such as the prefrontal and other association cortices. In the present study, we investigated fMRI activation at 1.5 and 3 T during visual perception, visuospatial working memory, and affect-processing tasks. A 23% increase in striate and extrastriate activation volume was observed at 3 T compared with that for 1.5 T during the visual perception task. During the working memory task significant increases in activation volume were observed in frontal and parietal association cortices as well as subcortical structures, including the caudate, globus pallidus, putamen, and thalamus. Increases in working memory-related activation volume of 82, 73, 83, and 36% were observed in the left frontal, right frontal, left parietal, and right parietal lobes, respectively, for 3 T compared with 1.5 T. These increases were characterized by increased activation at 3 T in several prefrontal and parietal cortex regions that showed activation at 1.5 T. More importantly, at 3 T, activation was detected in several regions, such as the ventral aspects of the inferior frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal gyrus, and lingual gyrus, which did not show significant activation at 1.5 T. No difference in height or extent of activation was detected between the two scanners in the amygdala during affect processing. Signal dropout in the amygdala from susceptibility artifact was greater at 3 T, with a 12% dropout at 3 T compared with a 9% dropout at 1.5 T. The spatial smoothness of T2* images was greater at 3 T by less than 1 mm, suggesting that the greater extent of activation at 3 T beyond these spatial scales was not due primarily to increased intrinsic spatial correlations at 3 T. Rather, the increase in percentage of voxels activated reflects increased sensitivity for detection of brain activation at higher field strength. In summary, our findings suggest that functional imaging of prefrontal and other association cortices can benefit significantly from higher magnetic field strength.

Human mesenchymal tumour-associated macrophages differentiate into osteoclastic bone-resorbing cells

The cellular mechanisms which account for the formation of osteoclasts and bone resorption associated with enlarging benign and malignant mesenchymal tumours of bone are uncertain. Osteoclasts are marrow-derived, multinucleated, bone-resorbing cells which express a macrophage phenotype. We have determined whether tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) isolated from benign and malignant mesenchymal tumours are capable of differentiating into osteoclasts. Macrophages were cultured on both coverslips and dentine slices for up to 21 days with UMR 106 osteoblastic cells in the presence of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) or, in the absence of UMR 106 cells, with M-CSF and RANK ligand.

In all tumours, the formation of osteoclasts from CD14-positive macrophages was shown by the formation of tartrate-resistant-acid-phosphatase and vitronectin-receptor-positive multinucleated cells which were capable of carrying out lacunar resorption. These results indicate that the tumour osteolysis associated with the growth of mesenchymal tumours in bone is likely to be due in part to the differentiation of mononuclear phagocyte osteoclast precursors which are present in the TAM population of these lesions.

Human mesenchymal tumour-associated macrophages differentiate into osteoclastic bone-resorbing cells

The cellular mechanisms which account for the formation of osteoclasts and bone resorption associated with enlarging benign and malignant mesenchymal tumours of bone are uncertain. Osteoclasts are marrow-derived, multinucleated, bone-resorbing cells which express a macrophage phenotype. We have determined whether tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) isolated from benign and malignant mesenchymal tumours are capable of differentiating into osteoclasts. Macrophages were cultured on both coverslips and dentine slices for up to 21 days with UMR 106 osteoblastic cells in the presence of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) or, in the absence of UMR 106 cells, with M-CSF and RANK ligand. In all tumours, the formation of osteoclasts from CD14-positive macrophages was shown by the formation of tartrate-resistant-acid-phosphatase and vitronectin-receptor-positive multinucleated cells which were capable of carrying out lacunar resorption. These results indicate that the tumour osteolysis associated with the growth of mesenchymal tumours in bone is likely to be due in part to the differentiation of mononuclear phagocyte osteoclast precursors which are present in the TAM population of these lesions.

Drug delivery performance of the mometasone furoate dry powder inhaler

The mometasone furoate dry powder inhaler (MF-DPI) is a multiple-dose, breath-actuated inhaler that uses agglomerates of micronized MF and lactose. In vitro analyses evaluated dose uniformity, variability, and particle size distribution of the MF-DPI. Tests of first, middle, and end doses from 10 inhalers each of the 200-microg MF/inhalation and 400-microg MF/inhalation dose sizes found that delivered doses (doses emitted from the inhaler) ranged from 91% to 112% of claimed doses for all tested DPIs. The mean MF doses delivered at 28.3 L/min were 100% and 94% of the doses delivered at 60 L/min for the 200-microg and 400-microg dose sizes, respectively; the relative standard deviation of doses was < or = 6.1% within this range of inhalation rates. At a flow rate of 60 L/min, the mean delivered doses, compared to claimed doses for inspiration times of 1-3 sec, were 102-104% for the 200-microg dose size and 98.8-102% for the 400-microg dose size. The mean cumulative fraction of dose delivered at 60 L/min for 2 sec which consisted of particles of <6.5 microm in diameter was 39.9% (+/-2.5 SD; n = 9) for the 200-microg dose size and 35.6% (+/-3.4 SD; n = 9) for the 400-microg dose size. All MF-DPI inhalers tested were well within U.S. and European compendial standards and regulatory guidelines for dose uniformity. An appropriate and reproducible fraction of the delivered dose was within the optimal particle size range for therapeutic effectiveness.

Chinese green tea lowers cholesterol level through an increase in fecal lipid excretion

Lung Chen Tea, a Chinese green tea, has been found to lower serum and liver cholesterol. In this study, its dose response and mechanisms of action on cholesterol lowering in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated. The activities of three major lipid metabolizing enzymes, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-Co A) reductase, cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase and fatty acid synthase (FAS), as well as fecal excretion of bile acids and cholesterol were examined. Lung Chen Tea administration for eight weeks significantly lowered the serum cholesterol in the 2% and 4% groups. The activities of the three enzymes were not affected by Lung Chen Tea, but the fecal bile acids and cholesterol excretions were significantly increased. These results demonstrated that Lung Chen Tea lowered plasma cholesterol by increasing fecal bile acids and cholesterol excretion. Further investigation is required to evaluate the exact mechanisms of action of Lung Chen Tea.

Inhibitory effect of Chinese green tea on endothelial cell-induced LDL oxidation

Green tea has been shown to inhibit Cu(2+)-induced LDL oxidation and suppress lipoxygenase activity. Since LDL oxidation is a characteristic feature of atherogenesis and lipoxygenase is involved in the disease process, the effect of Lung Chen Tea, a non-fermented Chinese green tea, on LDL oxidation induced by human umbilical cord vascular endothelial cell was investigated in the present study. Lung Chen Tea was extracted with methanol and the dried powder was redissolved in water before extraction with chloroform and then ethyl acetate. Lung Chen Tea, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions dose-dependently reduced LDL oxidation and decreased its relative electrophoretic mobility (P<0.001) when compared to the oxidized LDL. The lipid peroxidation products, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and cellular cholesterol were also significantly lowered by 5 and 10 microg/ml Lung Chen Tea (P<0.001) in a dose-dependent manner. The remaining aqueous layer, which was devoid of catechins after chloroform and ethyl acetate extractions, did not prevent LDL oxidation. The results of this study demonstrated that Lung Chen Tea and catechin-rich fractions significantly prevented endothelial cell induced LDL oxidation. The consumption of Lung Chen Tea may therefore lower the risk of coronary heart diseases.

Thyrotropin regulates c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity through two distinct signal pathways in human thyroid cells

c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) participate in cellular responses to mitogenic stimuli and environmental stresses. We investigated whether and how TSH, which promotes the proliferation and differentiation of thyroid cells, regulates JNK activity in primary cultured human thyroid cells. TSH stimulated JNK activity in cytosolic fractions of thyroid cells measured by in vitro kinase assay. A low concentration of TSH (10(-11) M) stimulated JNK activity but at a higher dose (10(-8)-10(-7) M), TSH suppressed JNK activity without any change of JNK protein level. Activation of JNK by TSH was also observed in CHO cells stably transfected with TSH receptor complementary DNA (cDNA), suggesting a ligand-receptor specific interaction. TSH stimulated JNK activity through a pertussis toxin-sensitive pathway. We next elucidated the signal transduction pathways in TSH-induced JNK activation by examining the involvement of four distinct intracellular signal molecules; protein kinase C (PKC), cAMP, Ca2+, and PI3-kinase. The stimulation of JNK by TSH was blocked by two PKC inhibitors and suppressed by 8-bromo-cAMP or forskolin. These findings demonstrate that TSH regulates JNK activity biphasically in human thyroid cells through an interaction between Gi-PKC and cAMP-PKA pathways.

Therapeutic usefulness of wild-type p53 gene introduction in a p53-null anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cell line

Anaplastic thyroid carcinomas very often harbor the mutations in the tumor suppressor gene p53. We have previously shown that wild-type (wt) p53 gene introduction led to cell growth arrest, but not apoptosis, in p53-null anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells. The present studies were designed to evaluate other therapeutic effects of wt-p53 gene introduction on p53-null thyroid carcinoma cells, as chemo- and radiosensitization and inhibition of angiogenesis have also been described recently as additional therapeutic advantages of wt-p53 gene introduction in tumor cells with p53 mutations. A p53-null anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cell line, FRO, and a FRO subline stably expressing a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant of p53 (p53Val138), tsFRO, were used. ts-p53 functions as mutant and wt at nonpermissive (37 C) and permissive (32 C) temperatures, respectively. tsFRO showed a prolonged cell doubling time compared to parental FRO when cultured at 32 C, but the cell growth rate was similar between FRO and tsFRO at 37 C. The cytotoxic and clonogenic assays demonstrated that although the sensitivity to three different anticancer agents (cisplatin, 5-fluorocytosine, and doxorubicin) was unaltered, radiosensitivity was enhanced in tsFRO compared to FRO at 32 C. Unexpectedly, in studies on angiogenesis, expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (an angiogenic factor) messenger ribonucleic acid were similar between FRO and tsFRO, and thrombospondin-1 (an antiangiogenic factor) messenger ribonucleic acid and protein levels were about 2.5-fold lower in tsFRO than FRO at 32 C, although any difference could not be detected in their ability to inhibit in vitro angiogenesis with the culture medium conditioned by tsFRO and FRO at 32 C. These results suggest that p53-defective thyroid carcinomas may benefit from the combination of p53 gene therapy and radiotherapy. However, further study will be necessary to clarify the pathological significance of thrombospondin-1 in angiogenesis and thyroid tumor growth.

Improved fluorescence and dual color detection with enhanced blue and green variants of the green fluorescent protein

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria is a versatile reporter protein for monitoring gene expression and protein localization in a variety of systems. Applications using GFP reporters have expanded greatly due to the availability of mutants with altered spectral properties, including several blue emission variants, all of which contain the single point mutation Tyr-66 to His in the chromophore region of the protein. However, previously described "BFP" reporters have limited utility, primarily due to relatively dim fluorescence and low expression levels attained in higher eukaryotes with such variants. To improve upon these qualities, we have combined a blue emission mutant of GFP containing four point mutations (Phe-64 to Leu, Ser-65 to Thr, Tyr-66 to His, and Tyr-145 to Phe) with a synthetic gene sequence containing codons preferentially found in highly expressed human proteins. These mutations were chosen to optimize expression of properly folded fluorescent protein in mammalian cells cultured at 37 degreesC and to maximize signal intensity. The combination of improved fluorescence and higher expression levels yield an enhanced blue fluorescent protein that provides greater sensitivity and is suitable for dual color detection with green-emitting fluorophores.

Ionizing radiation activates c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK/SAPK) via a PKC-dependent pathway in human thyroid cells

Thyroid gland is known to be higher sensitive to carcinogenic effects of external ionizing radiation (IR) than other tissues. To clarify the cell-specific response following irradiation, activations of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNKs), which is one of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) family members, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were examined in primary cultured human thyroid cells in comparison with human diploid fibroblast cells, WI-38. Although UV exposure strikingly induced JNK activity in both cells, the dose-response increase following IR exposure was observed in thyroid cells with the maximal JNK activity (3.5 fold induction) obtained at 10 Gy exposure, but no increase in WI-38 cells. The JNK activity was reached a maximum of 2.2 fold induction at 30 min after 5 Gy exposure and then sustained for at least 12 hr. On the other hand, ERK activity was not stimulated in thyroid cells following irradiation. The effects of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol beta-acetate (TPA) mimicked those of radiation on JNK cascade and 1-(5-isoquinolinesulphonyl)-2,5-dimethylpiperazine 2HCl (H7) and pretreatment with TPA blocked JNK activation following irradiation. Our results demonstrate that IR stimulates JNK activity in cultured human thyroid cells but not in fibroblasts indicating distinct activation and regulation mechanisms of JNK cascade. The JNK activation following IR exposure is mediated at least partially through a PKC-dependent pathway.