[Expression and Clinical Significance of LINC00475 in Multiple Myeloma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relative expression level and clinical significance of LINC00475 in serum of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). METHODS: The expression of LINC00475 in serum of 108 MM patients and five MM cell lines including RPMI 8226, NCI-H929, U266, OPM2 and CAG were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The diagnostic value of LINC00475 in MM was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The correlation of LINC00475 with patients' characteristics was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with control groups, the expression of LINC00475 was up-regulated in serum of MM patients and MM cell lines (all P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value of LINC00475 was 262.4, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.924(95%CI : 0.884-0.964), and sensitivity and specificity was 83.3% and 91.7%, respectively, which indicated that LINC00475 had good evaluation value in MM patients. Compared with low-LINC00475 expression group, patients in high-LINC00475 expression group had higher levels of ß2microglobulin (ß2-MG) and Cystatin C (Cys-C) but lower albumin (ALB) (all P < 0.05). Compared with MM patients with International Staging System (ISS) stage I, the expression level of LINC00475 was significantly higher in patients with stage II and III (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LINC00475 is helpful to distinguish MM patients from healthy adults, which is correlated with the prognostic indicators such as ß2-MG, ALB, and ISS stage.

DBU-Promoted Demethoxylative Thioannulation of Alkynyl Oxime Ethers with Sulfur for the Synthesis of Bisisothiazole-4-yl Disulfides.

An efficient synthesis of bisisothiazole-4-yl disulfides via the demethoxylative thioannulation of alkynyl oxime ethers with odorless elemental sulfur has been first developed. This transformation involves the N-O bond cleavage, the formation of multiple C-S and N-S bonds, providing an efficient way for constructions of both isothiazoles and disulfides. Straightforward elaboration of the products to isothiazole thioethers expands the synthetic utility of this reaction.

Copper-Catalyzed Tandem Sulfuration/Annulation of Propargylamines with Sulfur via C-N Bond Cleavage.

Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative sulfuration and annulation of propargylamines with elemental sulfur is described. The tandem reaction involves C-N bond cleavage and the formation of multiple C-S bonds, affording 1,2-dithiole-3-thiones in good to excellent yields with good functional group tolerance.

[Effects of Emission Reductions of Key Sources on the PM2.5 Concentrations in the Yangtze River Delta].

The effects of emission reductions of key sources (eight key industries and transportation) on the PM2.5 concentrations in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) were investigated using the weather research forecast-chemistry (WRF-Chem) model in 2013 combined with two normal and enhanced emission reduction scenarios. The SO2, NOx, PM2.5, and NMVOC emissions in the YRD decrease by 36.3%, 26.3%, 32.0%, and 14.6% and by 51.4%, 39.6%, 37.6%, and 28.4% under the normal and enhanced emission reduction scenarios, respectively. The simulation results show that the annual mean PM2.5 concentrations over the national environmental monitoring sites in the YRD decline by 1.4-26.7 µg·m-3 and 2.1-32.3 µg·m-3, reflecting a decrease of 2.7%-23.1% and 3.9%-27.5%, under the two emission reduction scenarios, respectively. The nitrate in secondary inorganic aerosols contributes the most to the reduction of the annual mean PM2.5 concentration. The seasonal variation characteristics of the PM2.5 and secondary inorganic aerosol concentrations reflect that the smallest and largest declining rates occur in winter and summer, respectively. With increasing emission reduction, the declining rates of PM2.5 and the secondary inorganic aerosol concentrations in summer increase more compared with those in other seasons, resulting in a greater seasonal variation of the rates. The PM2.5 concentrations decrease by~20% in Shanghai and the Jiangsu Province under the enhanced emission scenario in summer. The analysis of the atmospheric oxidation shows that the atmospheric oxidation capacity is enhanced to different degrees by emission reductions of key sources in all seasons; it is further enhanced with increasing emission reduction. The enhanced oxidation capacity favors the formation of secondary PM2.5, thereby hindering the reduction of the PM2.5 concentration. The strongest hindrance occurs in winter, resulting in the worst PM2.5 pollution improvement. The atmospheric oxidation capacity is less affected by emission reductions of key sources in summer, making PM2.5 pollution improvement most effective. Furthermore, the negative effects of the enhancement of the atmospheric oxidation capacity on the reduction of the PM2.5 concentration in spring and autumn cannot be ignored.

[Characteristics of and Factors Affecting Atmospheric CO2 Concentration in Hangzhou].

In situ measurement of CO2 concentration(volume fraction) was carried out in both urban and rural areas of Hangzhou from August 2015 to September 2016. The characteristics of CO2 concentration at the urban site were compared to those at the rural site, and the factors affecting CO2 concentration in Hangzhou were analyzed via wind direction, weekday-weekend difference in CO2 concentration, and evolution of CO2 concentration during the G20 summit. The results revealed that the diurnal variation of CO2 concentration in both the urban and rural areas presented a single peak curve most of the time, which resulted from the daily evolution of plant photosynthesis/respiration and atmospheric transport conditions. The diurnal variation of the difference in CO2 concentration observed at the urban and rural sites showed a bimodal peak curve, because anthropogenic emissions played a more important role. The diurnal amplitude of CO2 concentration in rural area was higher than that in urban area in spring and summer, but lower in autumn. The seasonal variation of CO2 concentration in both the urban and rural areas showed the same trend, with higher values appearing in winter and spring and lower values in summer. The difference in CO2 concentration observed at the urban and rural sites reached its highest level in winter, and dropped to its lowest in summer. The wind direction induction of high CO2 concentration was consistent with the location of the surrounding urban areas. A weekday-weekend difference in CO2 concentration was observed in Hangzhou, especially in urban area, as traffic emissions had an impact on the weekday-weekend difference in diurnal distribution of CO2 concentration. The average volume fraction of CO2 in urban area of Hangzhou was 9.3×10-6 higher than that in rural area, and the reduction of anthropogenic emissions during the G20 summit reduced the atmospheric CO2 concentration effectively, especially in urban area.

[Characteristics and Source Analysis of Atmospheric Carbonaceous Aerosols in the Cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo].

To investigate the seasonal variations and sources of carbonaceous aerosols in the cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo, field PM2.5 sampling was conducted at four representative sites (two urban, one suburban, and one rural) in this region from December 2014 to November 2015. A thermal/optical carbon analyzer was employed to analyze both organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) contents in PM2.5 by identifying eight different carbon fractions, including OC1, OC2, OC3, OC4+OPC, EC1-OPC, EC2, and EC3. Based on these fractions, OC and EC were defined as OC1+OC2+OC3+OC4+OPC and EC1+EC2+EC3-OPC, respectively; total carbon (TC) was calculated as the sum of OC and EC; and total carbonaceous aerosols (TCAs) were quantified via the sum of organic aerosols (OAs; converted from OC) and EC. The results showed the following. ①The annual average level of TC in this region was (14.3±4.1) µg·m-3, accounting for (26.2±6.5)% of the annual average PM2.5 concentration. The annual average OC and EC concentrations were (11.3±3.4) µg·m-3 and (3.0±0.9) µg·m-3, respectively. The highest TC level was observed in winter among the four seasons. ②The annual average TCA concentration in this region was (25.6±7.5) µg·m-3, contributing (42.2±10.0)% of PM2.5. In addition, secondary organic carbon (SOC) was also estimated by the commonly applied EC method. It was found that SOC contributed (41.1±5.5)% to OC on an annual average basis. ③The sources of carbonaceous aerosols were determined using the correlation between OC and EC, OC/EC mass ratio, and different carbon fraction characteristics. The annual average OC/EC ratio in this region was 4.7±1.7, which falls in the diagnostic ratio range for vehicular emissions, coal combustion, and biomass burning, indicating these sources are probably the major contributors of the regional carbonaceous aerosols. Moreover, a higher char-EC/soot-EC ratio was observed during winter and autumn at all sites, possibly implying the enhanced biomass burning activities during these two seasons.

Temporal and spatial variation in major ion chemistry and source identification of secondary inorganic aerosols in Northern Zhejiang Province, China.

To investigate the seasonal and spatial variations of ion chemistry of fine particles in Northern Zhejiang Province (NZP), China, one year-long field sampling was conducted at four representative sites (two urban, one suburb, and one rural sites) in both cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo from December 2014 to November 2015. Twelve water soluble inorganic ions (WSII) were characterized in this comprehensive study. The annual average of PM2.5 concentration in NZP as overall was 66.2 ± 37.7 µg m-3, and urban sites in NZP were observed with more severe PM2.5 pollution than the suburban and rural sites. The annual average concentration of total WSII at four sampling sites in NZP was 29.1 ± 19.9 µg m-3, dominated by SO42- (10.3 µg m-3), and followed by NO3- (8.9 µg m-3), NH4+ (6.6 µg m-3), Cl- (1.3 µg m-3) and K+ (0.7 µg m-3). Among all cations, NH4+ was the predominant neutralizing ion with the highest neutralization factor (NF), while the remaining cations showed limited neutralization capacity. The highest and lowest sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) values in this region were found in summer and winter, respectively; while the seasonal patterns for nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) were opposite to that of SOR. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the significant sources of WSII in NZP were industrial emissions, biomass burning, and formation of secondary inorganic aerosols. In addition, contribution from transboundary transport of polluted aerosols was also confirmed from the assessment through air mass backward trajectory analysis.

[Exposure Level of Population and Economy in Zhejiang Province Considering the Background of PM2.5 in East China].

Using the satellite-derived Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) data of global high-precision products during 1998-2012, detailed characteristics of PM2.5 distribution over East China and its change are given, and the PM2.5 exposure levels for population and economy in Zhejiang is further analyzed in this context. The results show that the overall variability of the regional average value of PM2.5 concentration exhibits an increasing trend followed by a decrease during 1998-2012, which is consistent in both the East China and Zhejiang provinces; the turning point occurs around 2007-2009. In the initial years (1998-2000), annual average PM2.5 concentrations are below 50 µg·m-3 in the southern part of East China and eastern part of Shandong, while it is 50-75 µg·m-3 in other areas. During this period, 51.8% of the area in East China and 21.1% of the area in Zhejiang have PM2.5 concentrations larger than 35 µg·m-3 (Air quality standard value in China). The rising trend in PM2.5 concentration is extremely obvious in 1998-2009; the mean linear trend over East China is 2.58 µg·(m3·a)-1, while it is 1.43 µg·(m3·a)-1 over Zhejiang province. PM2.5 concentration reaches its maximum during 2007-2009. The area where PM2.5 concentration is larger than 35 µg·m-3 reaches 82.1% in East China and 65.9% in Zhejiang province. After that, the PM2.5 concentration begins to decrease in each region, and the average change trend in East China and Zhejiang are -1.75 µg·(m3·a)-1 and -1.58 µg·(m3·a)-1, respectively. The regional area in which PM2.5concentrations aregreater than 35 µg·m-3 displays a slight decline during 2010-2012, which suggests that the energy conservation and emission reduction plan proposed by the Chinese government and associated measures may play a vital role in improving air quality of East China. In 2010, the proportion of the population and GDP for which the PM2.5 exposure level exceeded 35 µg·m-3 were 74.0% and 70.8%, respectively, of which 38.1% of the population lives in an environment where annual average PM2.5 concentrations are more than 50 µg·m-3. In addition, 38.9% of the GDP is produced in an environment with annual average PM2.5 concentrations more than 50 µg·m-3.

[Composition and Regional Characteristics of Atmosphere Aerosol and Its Water Soluble Ions over the Yangtze River Delta Region in a Winter Haze Period].

To investigate the pollution characteristics of water soluble ions in fine atmospheric particles in Yangtze River Delta during the haze period from 18th to 24th Jan 2013, a joint sampling campaign using Andersen sampler was conducted at five cities (including Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Lin'an and Ningbo). The analysis of size distribution of these ionic species coupled with the local meteorological conditions may shed some insightful light on the haze formation mechanism in this region. The result has shown: firstly, during the observation period, when Yangtze River Delta located at high pressure or in the front of high pressure, and has a large pressure gradient, the lower atmosphere has a significant airflow divergence in favor of pollutant dispersion; while located in weak low pressure and weak high pressure, the equalizing pressure field is not favorable for pollutant dispersion, especially accompanied with lower atmosphere convergence airflow. Secondly, during the hazy period, the concentration of fine particles and total water-soluble inorganic ions (TWSS) has increased dramatically; the increasing proportions of TWSS in fine particles are: Hangzhou 0. 9%, Lin'an 4. 2%, Nanjing 8. 1%. The particle size of secondary ions of SO(4)2-, NO3-, NH4+ complies fine mode(particle size <2. 1 µm), whose peaks migrates from 0. 43-0. 65 µm to 0. 65-1. 1 µm during the observation period, the peak of particle size of Ca2+ , Mg2+ appears at 4.7-5. 8 µm, while the ions of Na+, Cl-, K+ show a bimodal distribution. Moreover, secondary inorganic ions play a significant role in the formation of haze pollution, where the concentrations of secondary inorganic ions of NH4+, SO2- and NO3 have higher increasing rates; their relative proportions of increasing from each monitoring points are: Hangzhou 3%, Lin'an 55% and Nanjing 64.9%. Finally, SO(4)2- has the highest mass contribution to SNA, up to 45% ; also, the NO-/SO- ratios in each monitoring points are always higher than a fair 0. 5, which could indicate the significant contribution of mobile source towards this particle pollution.

Mucous membrane pemphigoid.

Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is chronic and frequently associated with exacerbations and remissions of clinical signs and symptoms. Clinicians should use pathologic and immunonologic techniques to help diagnose patients. Multidisciplinary collaboration is often necessary for the diagnosis and proper treatment of MMP. Systemic adjuvant immunosuppressive therapy is necessary for patients with progressive disease. In spite of the advances in available immunosuppressive medications and biologics, scarring is a significant complication in many cases. Surgical intervention is not curable; however, it may be necessary for restoring function and improving quality of life.

[Impacts of meteorological factors on atmospheric methane mole fractions in the background area of Yangtze River delta].

Impacts of surface wind direction, surface wind speed, surface air temperature and sunshine hours on the CH4 concentration at Lin'an regional atmospheric background station were studied based on the results from Jan. 2009 to Dec. 2011. The results revealed that the diurnal variation of atmospheric CH4 concentration presented a single-peak curve at Lin'an regional background station. The diurnal amplitude varied from 19.0 x 10(-9) to 74.7 x 10(-9), with the lowest value observed in the afternoon and the highest at dawn. The monthly mean CH4 concentrations varied from 1955.7 x 10(-9) to 2036.2 x 10(-9), with the highest concentration observed in autumn and the lowest in spring. The wind directions NE-SSE could induce higher CH4 concentrations while SW-NNW wind directions had negative effects on the observed results. The CH4 concentration turned out to be lower with higher surface wind speed. With the increase of surface air temperature or sunshine hours, the CH4 concentration went up first till reaching a peak, and then decreased.

A retrospective study of q-switched alexandrite laser in treating nevus of ota.

BACKGROUND: The Q-switched alexandrite laser (QSAL) has been clinically proven to be effective in treating nevus of Ota, but a large-scale retrospective study with long-term follow-up has never been performed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of the QSAL in treating nevus of Ota, the laser's long-term side effects, complications associated with the treatments, and the recurrence rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight hundred six patients (651 female, 155 male) with a diagnosis of nevus of Ota who had received a series of QSAL (wavelength 755 nm) treatments were recruited. The typical settings were fluences of 3.8 to 4.8 J/cm(2) and a spot size of 3 mm. Follow-ups were conducted via questionnaire with 590 patients who had completed the treatment at least 3 years earlier. RESULTS: Overall, 93.9% of patients achieved complete clearance after an average of 5.2 sessions. All recurrences (0.8%) appeared beyond the previously treated sites. No long-term adverse effects, including hypopigmentation, hyperpigmentation, textural changes, and malignant transformation, were observed. CONCLUSION: The QSAL is a safe and effective modality for treating nevus of Ota. Recurrence was rare and appeared beyond the previously treated sites. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.

[Characteristics of atmospheric CO2 concentration and variation of carbon source & sink at Lin'an regional background station].

Characteristics of Atmospheric CO2 concentration obtained by Flask measurements were analyzed at Lin'an regional background station from August 2006 to July 2009. According to the simulation results of carbon tracking model, the impact of carbon sources and sinks on CO2 concentration was evaluated in Yangtze River Delta. The results revealed that atmospheric CO2 concentrations at Lin'an regional background station were between 368.3 x 10(-6) and 414.8 x 10(-6). The CO2 concentration varied as seasons change, with maximum in winter and minimum in summer; the annual difference was about 20.5 x 10(-6). The long-term trend of CO2 concentration showed rapid growth year by year; the average growth rate was about 3.2 x 10(-6)/a. CO2 flux of Yangtze River Delta was mainly contributed by fossil fuel burning, terrestrial biosphere exchange and ocean exchange, while the contribution of fire emission was small. CO2 flux from fossil fuel burning played an important role in carbon source; terrestrial biosphere and ocean were important carbon sinks in this area. Seasonal variations of CO2 concentration at Lin'an regional background station were consistent with CO2 fluxes from fossil fuel burning and terrestrial biosphere exchange.

A Chinese experience of fractional ultrapulsed CO2laser for skin rejuvenation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The ablative fractional CO2 laser has been successfully used in treating photoaged skin in the Caucasian population. However, its application in Asian skin has not been widely reported. The purpose of this study is to observe the efficacy and safety of the protocol 'ActiveFX' for photodamaged facial skin in Chinese patients. METHODS: A non-sequential fractional ultrapulsed CO2 laser with specific settings is used in addition to a new computer pattern generator (CPG). Twenty patients received a single-session, single-pass, ablative fractional treatment on a split face. The patients were evaluated at baseline, and 1 and 3 months (M1, M3) after the treatment using a quartile grading scale. They were also asked to assess their overall satisfaction using a 4-point scale. The improvement of the coarse wrinkles was also quantitatively analyzed with a 3D in vivo imaging system. RESULTS: At M1 and M3, the blinded investigator rated global improvement as 2.8 ± 0.95 and 3.00 ± 0.73, which was consistent with the patients' assessment (2.55 ± 0.83 at M1 and 3.15 ± 0.88 at M3). The roughness analysis (Rz) demonstrated a significant decrease in periorbital wrinkles (p < 0.0001). Minimal and reversible adverse side effects and rapid healing were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Non-sequential fractional ultrapulsed CO2 laser resurfacing (ActiveFX) is considered an excellent treatment modality for photodamaged Chinese facial skin.

[Concentrations and size distributions of water soluble ions of atmospheric aerosol at the summit of mount Tai].

In order to research on the air pollutants' long-range transportation in North China, aerosol samples were collected with Andersen cascade sampler at the summit of mount Tai during June 2006, in Shandong Province. The water soluble ionic concentrations were analyzed by IC. It shows that there are three types of size distribution: 1) ions whose mass resided mainly within the accumulation mode with the peak at 0.43-0.65 microm (SO4(2-), NH4+, K+); 2) Ions whose mass resided mainly within coarse particles with the peak at 4.7-5.8 microm (Ca2+, Mg2+); 3) Ions which were two modes with the peak at 0.43-0.65 microm and 4.7-5.8 microm (NO3-, NO3-,Cl-). The mass median diameter of SO4(2-) with high concentration is between 0.5 microm and 0.8 microm, and belongs to the "drop mode". The concentration of ions such as SO4(2-), NO3-, NH4+ and K+ has a huge variety and the sulfate has the most great variety with the lowest concentration which is 4.0 microg x m(-3) and the highest concentration which is 42.3 microg x m(-3). The ions (SO4(2-), NO3-, NH4+) reach the high value when the humid air mass comes from the south.