[Association between the time of neutrophils to the lowest and prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with non-operative therapy]

Objective: To investigate the association between the time of neutrophils to the lowest and prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with non-operative therapy. Methods: The clinical data of 325 non-operative treated ESCC patients were collected in this study. The X-title software was applied to establish optimal threshold of neutrophil reduction to the lowest value. According to the optimal threshold, the patients were divided into early group (115 cases) and late group (210 cases). The clinical features and survival time of the two groups were compared, and the factors of prognosis were analyzed by Cox regression model with univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: The X-title software demonstrated the optimal cutoff values for the time of neutrophils to the lowest was 39 days. The median overall survival time was 21.0 months in the early group which was significantly higher than that in the late group (16.0 months). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the treatment methods and the time of neutrophils to the lowest were independent factors for overall survival of patients with ESCC treated by non-surgical therapy. Compared with radiotherapy alone, concurrent chemoradiation could benefit the survival (HR=0.64, P=0.026). The prognosis of patients in the late group of neutrophils to the lowest (HR=1.38, P=0.038) was poor compared with the early group. Furthermore, stratified by treatment methods, the overall survival of two groups showed statistically significant difference only in patients received concurrent chemoradiation. The mortality risk in the late group was higher than that in the early group (HR=3.53, P=0.010). Conclusion: The time of neutrophils to the lowest is an independent prognosis factor for non-operative treated ESCC patients. The prognosis of patients in the early group is better than that in the late group.

Upconversion luminescence of CdTe nanocrystals by use of near-infrared femtosecond laser excitation

We study the steady-state and time-resolved luminescent properties of CdTe nanocrystals by one- and two-photon excitation with a femtosecond laser. We observe that 1208 nm excitation causes a shift of the emission peak of about 20 nm to the infrared compared with 400 nm laser excitation. It is found that upconversion luminescence is composed of a photoinduced trapping and a band edge excitonic state and produces the observation of biexponential decay kinetics. We conclude that the redshift of the emission peak is caused by the relative change in luminescence intensity between excitonic and trapping states.

[Prokaryote expression and western analysis of BcpLH gene of Chinese cabbage]

BcpLH gene preferentially expressed in folding leaf of Chinese cabbage contains dsRNA-binding domains. The cDNA of BcpLH gene was cloned into a His-fusion expression vector pET-28a (+) and was induced to express in E. coli strain BL21 (DE3). Then, the specific protein was partially purified and the rabbit was immunized to prepare the anti-serum. Meanwhile BcpLH cDNA was cloned into the pMAL-c2 containing the solubizing partner, and then the soluble protein generated. It was demonstrated from Western dot assay that the BcpLH protein was specific. The BcpLH active protein and its anti-serum made it possible to study RNA-binding activity and regulation mechanism in plant development.

Trichroic prism assembly for separating and recombining colors in a compact projection display

A trichroic prism assembly design, believed to be new, is proposed and demonstrated. This new design has the advantages of low s- and p-polarization dependence in the reflectance spectra of the optical coatings. Hence it can be used for both color separation and color recombination with polarization change. This new trichroic prism assembly is especially useful in a compact color projector employing reflective liquid-crystal light valves.

Analysis of the bifurcation diagram of a hybrid bistable system with feedback controls of chaos

Based on the dynamic equation of a hybrid bistable system with a delayed feedback, we have studied changes of the bifurcation diagram of its output oscillation under chaos suppression and delayed feedback control of chaos, respectively, and the physical origin of these changes. The result clearly shows that, in this case, the input intensity of the system is replaced by a smaller effective input intensity. So the bifurcation diagram is shifted to its right side, and a certain part of the chaotic oscillation becomes periodic oscillation.

[Pathological study of bronchio-alveolitis induced by xinkang short-fiber chrysotile asbestos in rats]

Eighty-four rats were exposed intratracheally to 25 mg of locally produced Xinkang short-fiber chrysotile asbestos (98% of the fibers are less than 5 microns in length). In 1 to 3 d after instillation, the pathological changes in rat lungs demonstrated that the affection was mainly acute bronchio-alveolitis characterized by acute inflammatory exudation and injuries of the small airways and alveolar structural units. The four main manifestations of alveolitis induced by the chrysotile asbestos were of the neutrophilic, serous, alveolar macrophages and granulomatous varieties. Three types of pulmonary fibrosis developed gradually from 7 to 90 d following the exposure to the asbestos, i.e. the intraluminal, murally incorporated, and interstitial fibrosis. Findings showed the complete process from the acute inflammatory exudation and the damage to lung tissue, with the following repair and proliferation of injuried lung tissue and organization of exudate, to the final fibrosis and destruction of the lung. The results suggested that the persistent and irreversible damage to the epithelial cells of respiratory bronchioles and pneumocytes, and denudation and destruction of the basement membrane played an important role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis by forming a channel for the inflammatory exudates and fibroblasts migrating into the bronchioalveolar spaces. Therefore, the experimental results have proved that Xinkang chrysotile asbestos fibers less than 5 microns in length certainly have a fibrogenic effect.

[Pathogenic effects of titanium dioxide dust on the lung of dogs--a histopathological and ultrastructural study]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) dust has generally been regarded as a "nuisance dust" in experimental animals and men. In this experiment, 16 dogs were exposed intratracheally to TiO2 dust for 9-15 months. The scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (SEM-EDAX), performed to identify the elemental composition of dust particles used in the study and in the focal lesions of the lungs, showed that dust particles were nearly pure titanium. Dust in the lung deposited mainly in the respiratory bronchioles and adjacent alveoli, with many alveoli filled by compacted dust particles. The pulmonary responses consisted of slight alveolitis, centrilobular emphysema, focal collapse of alveoli, and fibroblast hyperplasia with a few collagen fibres surrounding some of the TiO2-dust foci. Electron microscopically, many alveolar macrophages with intact nuclei contained a great amount of dust particles in their lysosomes, and in the dust foci, most of type I pneumocytes disappeared and type I pneumocytes showed hyperplasia. The alveolar subepithelial basement membrane were markedly thickened and bundles of collagen fibres were formed in the interstice. These findings suggest that TiO2 dust is one of the sorts which probably induce mild lung fibrosis in case a large amount is deposited in the lung tissue.

[Preliminary pathological observation on bone injury after inhalation of trifluoromethyl hypofluoride in rats]

This paper reports the relation between fluoride contents and pathologic changes of skeletal system in Wistar rats after inhalation of organofluoride compound-trifluoromethyl hypofluoride. The trifluoromethyl hypofluoride (CF3OF), purity greater than 95%, used in this study was produced and provided by the Chenguang Chemical Industrial Institute. Twenty-four Wistar rats, weighing between 200 and 250g, were divided into three groups: a control group and two test groups. They were exposure to the trifluoromethyl hypofluoride gas at a dosage of 0, 0.067 and 0.1 ppm respectively, in 1 m3 Plexiglass chamber, two hours a day, five days a week. The results showed that the fluoride levels of ilia in 0.067 and 0.1 ppm group rats were significantly higher than those in the control group (P less than 0.05). The osteogenic effect of CF3OF was confirmed by the histopathological examination of the skeletal tissues. The lesions were also mainly limited to the 0.1 ppm CF3OF group. A very marked osteogenic reaction was found in the periosteum and Haversian canals of ilia in the rats including focal active periosteous osteoblastic proliferations and bone or osteoid tissues forming with a little osteoclastic reactions. for 23 weeks.