Catabolism of phenolics from grape peel and its effects on gut microbiota during in vitro colonic fermentation.

BACKGROUND: Grape peels, the main by-products of wine processing, are rich in bioactive ingredients of phenolics, including proanthocyanidins, flavonoids and anthocyanins. Phenolics have the function of regulating intestinal microbiota and promoting intestinal health. From the perspective of the dietary nutrition of grape peel phenolics (GPP), the present study aimed to investigate the influence of GPP on the composition and metabolism of human gut microbiota during in vitro fermentation. RESULTS: The results indicated that GPP could decrease pH and promote the production of short-chain fatty acids. ACE and Chao1 indices in GPP group were lower than that of the Blank group. GPP enhanced the levels of Lachnospiraceae UCG-004, Bacteroidetes and Roseburia, but reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Proteins and Genome enrichment pathways related to phenolic acid metabolism mainly included flavonoid, anthocyanin, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis. Gut microbiota could accelerate the release and breakdown of phenolic compounds, resulting in a decrease in the content of hesperetin-7-O-glucoside, delphinidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside etc. In vitro antibacterial test found that GPP increased the diameters of the inhibition zones of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study revealed that GPP might be a potential prebiotic-like to prevent diseases by improving gut health. The findings could provide a theoretical basis for the potential to exploit GPP as dietary nutrition to maintain intestinal function. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The application and therapeutic effect of botulinum toxin type a (BTX-A) in the treatment of patients with pain after cancer treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) is a potential treatment for cancer pain. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and safety of BTX-A in the treatment of pain after cancer treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Systematic searches of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were conducted. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of BTX-A compared with either placebo or active treatment in patients with pain after cancer treatment were included. The outcomes included pain intensity, quality of life, and adverse events. RESULTS: This systematic review included four studies of which two were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with a placebo, BTX-A injection in patients with pain after cancer treatment had a clinically meaningful reduction in self-reported pain post-treatment [mean difference=-1.79 (95% CI: -2.14--1.43), P <0.00001, I ²=0%]. CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that BTX-A is safe and effective for pain relief in patients with pain after cancer treatment.

Spatio-temporally deciphering peripheral nerve regeneration in vivo after extracellular vesicle therapy under NIR-II fluorescence imaging.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) show potential as a therapeutic tool for peripheral nerve injury (PNI), promoting neurological regeneration. However, there are limited data on the in vivo spatio-temporal trafficking and biodistribution of EVs. In this study, we introduce a new non-invasive near-infrared fluorescence imaging strategy based on glucose-conjugated quantum dot (QDs-Glu) labeling to target and track EVs in a sciatic nerve injury rat model in real-time. Our results demonstrate that the injected EVs migrated from the uninjured site to the injured site of the nerve, with an increase in fluorescence signals detected from 4 to 7 days post-injection, indicating the release of contents from the EVs with therapeutic effects. Immunofluorescence and behavioral tests revealed that the EV therapy promoted nerve regeneration and functional recovery at 28 days post-injection. We also found a relationship between functional recovery and the NIR-II fluorescence intensity change pattern, providing novel evidence for the therapeutic effects of EV therapy using real-time NIR-II imaging at the live animal level. This approach initiates a new path for monitoring EVs in treating PNI under in vivo NIR-II imaging, enhancing our understanding of the efficacy of EV therapy on peripheral nerve regeneration and its mechanisms.

Effect of mulberry leaf or mulberry leaf extract on glycemic traits: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mulberry leaf (ML) and mulberry leaf extract (MLE) have numerous biological properties, such as regulating sugar and lipid metabolism, reducing blood glucose, and increasing insulin secretion. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials to examine the effect of ML/MLE supplementation on glycemic traits in adults, including fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and fasting plasma insulin (FPI). Twelve clinical trials (615 participants) fulfilled the eligibility criteria for the present meta-analysis, which included sensitivity analysis and GRADE (grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation) certainty. Based on the heterogeneity between included studies, a random effects model was applied in the meta-analysis, and the results are expressed as WMD (weighted mean differences) with 95% CI (confidence intervals). Meta-analysis showed that ML/MLE supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in FBG by -0.47 mmol L-1, HbA1c by -2.92 mmol mol-1, and FPI by -0.58 µIU mL-1. In addition, subgroup analysis indicated that long-term supplementation of ML/MLE (≥8 weeks) was more effective for regulation of the glycemic traits in the non-healthy and baseline FPG >6.1 mmol L-1 subgroups. Glycemic regulation by ML/MLE may be attributed to the phytochemicals they contain, which are mainly 1-deoxynojirimycin, flavonoids, phenolics, and polysaccharides.

High-accuracy source-independent radiometric calibration with low complexity for infrared photonic sensors.

Radiometric calibration (RC) is an essential solution to guarantee measurements from infrared photonic sensors with certain accuracy, the main task of which is to determine the radiometric responsivity of sensor and usually be solved by comparing with some radiation source (i.e., blackbody), called source-based RC (SBRC). In addition to the complexity in manufacture, the nonideal characteristics of an available source will inevitably introduce unexpected uncertainties to reduce the final calibration accuracy by around 0.2-0.5 K in SBRC. Therefore, we propose an original source-independent RC (SIRC) principle based on modeling instead of comparing for SBRC, where the incident background radiation to detector, as a dominated factor influencing the responsivity characteristics of a photonic sensor, is modeled to implement RC for both two fundamental types (photoconductive and photovoltaic) of HgCdTe photonic detectors. The SIRC merely requires the temperature information of main components of a sensor other than some complex source and its assembly, and provides a traceable way at lower uncertainty costs relative to the traditional SBRC. The SIRC is being implemented in Fengyun-2 satellites since 2019, which ensures a long-term stable service of Chinese geostationary meteorological satellites for the global observation system under the framework of World Meteorological Organization. Moreover, a 20-year-period traceable Fengyun-2 dataset to be recalibrated with SIRC will benefit the further climate applications.

Immune-related adverse events: promising predictors for efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the correlation between immune-related adverse events (irAEs) of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and corresponding efficacy, and to explore the potential of predicting the efficacy of ICIs via irAEs. METHODS: Electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI and Wanfang were applied to search for relevant studies. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Stratification analyses were conducted according to the type of irAEs and ICIs, region of studies and primary tumors. Furthermore, statistical analyses were realized by means of RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: Altogether, 40 studies with 8,641 participants were enrolled, among which the incidence of irAEs ranged from 15.34 to 85.23% and the major sites reached out to skin, endocrine organ, gastrointestinal tract, liver and lung. The ORR, OS and PFS in irAE group were significantly higher than those in non-irAE group as per pooled analyses and stratification analyses. Importantly, patients with irAEs in skin, endocrine organ or gastrointestinal tract rather than in liver and lung were found to obtain survival benefits (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: IrAEs, especially in skin, endocrine organ or gastrointestinal tract, triggered by ICIs indicate significant survival benefits.

miR-23b Attenuates LPS-Induced Inflammatory Responses in Acute Lung Injury via Inhibition of HDAC2.

Inflammatory responses play significant role in infectious etiology-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Histone deacetylase 2 is found to be essential and stimulated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI by regulating proinflammatory cytokines. miR-23b has been demonstrated to be downregulated in LPS-induced inflammatory injury. In this study, we aimed to explore the interaction between miR-23b and HDAC2 and their function in LPS-induced ALI. LPS treatment was induced on murine alveolar macrophage cell line MH-S. Level of miR-23b and HDAC2 were determined by real-time PCR or Western blot. Proinflammatory cytokines expression and secretion were detected by real-time PCR and ELISA assay. The levels of miR-23b and HDAC2 were manipulated by transient transfection of miRNA mimics, shRNA or overexpression vector. The interaction between miR-23b and HDAC2 were tested by Luciferase reporter assay. LPS treatment inhibited miR-23b expression, while increased HDAC2 level in MH-S cells. Proinflammatory cytokines were stimulated by LPS treatment. Knockdown of HDAC2 or overexpression of miR-23b significantly repressed the expression of proinflammatory cytokines induced by LPS. miR-23b could suppress HDAC2 expression by directly targeting to its mRNA. LPS treatment stimulated the inflammatory responses in macrophages through inhibition of miR-23b, enhanced HDAC2 expression and inducing the expression of its downstream targets TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß. Overexpression of miR-23b was sufficient to suppress inflammatory responses by targeting HDAC2, making it a promising therapeutic target to ALI treatment.

Effects of compression garments on surface EMG and physiological responses during and after distance running.

BACKGROUND: The few previous studies that focused on the effects of compression garments (CG) on distance running performance have simultaneously measured electromyogram, physiological, and perceptual parameters. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of CG on muscle activation and median frequency during and after distance running, as well as blood-lactate concentration and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during distance running. METHODS: Eight healthy male recreational runners were recruited to randomly perform two 40 min treadmill running trials, one with CG, and the other with control garment made of normal cloth. The RPE and the surface electromyography (EMG) of 5 lower extremity muscles including gluteus maximus (GM), rectus femoris (RF), semitendinosus (ST), tibialis anterior (TA), and gastrocnemius (GAS) were measured during the running trial. The blood-lactate levels before and after the running trial were measured. RESULTS: Wearing CG led to significant lower muscle activation (p < 0.05) in the GM (decreased 7.40%-14.31%), RF (decreased 4.39%-4.76%), and ST (decreased 3.42%-7.20%) muscles; moreover, significant higher median frequency (p< 0.05) in the GM (increased 5.57%) and ST (increased 10.58%) muscles. Wearing CG did not alter the RPE values or the blood-lactate levels (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Wearing CG was associated with significantly lower muscle activation and higher median frequency in the running-related key muscles during distance running. This finding suggested that wearing CG may improve muscle function, which might enhance running performance and prevent muscle fatigue.

The Efficiency of Type-Specific High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Models in the Triage of Women with Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of different high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotype models in triaging women with cytological diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 36,679 Chinese women who underwent cytology and HR-HPV genotyping assessments during cervical cancer screening were enrolled in this study. Women with cytology-proven ASCUS were referred for further screening by colposcopy and biopsy. The study endpoint was histological detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) at any of the follow-up visits. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPVs), negative predictive values (NPVs), positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of different HR-HPV genotype combination models were estimated. RESULTS: In all, 1675 (4.9%) women were identified as having ASCUS, 1454 women underwent colposcopy and biopsy, and 6.0% (87/1454) women were identified as having CIN2+ lesions. Among those with ASCUS who were identified as having CIN2+, the HR-HPV infection rate was 97.7%, and the prevalence rates of HPV-16, -18, -31, -33, -35, -39, -45, -51, -52, -56, -58, -59, -66 and -68 were 48.3%, 8.0%, 6.9%, 4.6%, 1.1%, 2.3%, 3.4%, 3.4%, 26.4%, 1.1%, 17.2%, 2.3%, 0.0% and 0.0%, respectively. Compared to other HR-HPV-type combination models, the HPV16/18/31/33/52/58 model achieved a higher sensitivity [93.1 (87.8-98.4)], specificity [73.0 (70.7-75.4)], PPV [18.0 (14.5-21.5)], NPV [99.4 (98.9-99.9)], PLR [3.7 (3.1-3.8)] and NLR [0.06 (0.03-0.18)] for the triage of ASCUS patients, but the colposcopy referral rate (30.9%) was significantly lower than that of the recommended HR-HPV model (44.0%). CONCLUSION: This study confirms that the specific HR-HPV genotype HPV16/18/31/33/52/58 is an alternative strategy for ASCUS triage and can effectively reduce the high burden of colposcopy referrals in China.

Expression of LXR­ß, ABCA1 and ABCG1 in human triple­negative breast cancer tissues.

Previous studies have reported that liver X receptor (LXR), ATP­binding cassette sub­family G number 1 (ABCG1) and ATP­binding cassette transporter number 1 (ABCA1), which are associated with cholesterol metabolism, may be associated with the development and progression of breast cancer. The expression levels of LXR­ß, ABCA1 and ABCG1 in triple­negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues and in non­cancerous mammary tissues were observed by immunohistochemistry, quantum dot­based immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis and reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The present study identified that the expression of ABCA1 in TNBC tissues was higher than that in non­cancerous mammary tissues. A high expression of ABCA1 in the TNBC tissues was significantly associated with the histological grade. However, no significant differences were identified between the expression levels of LXR­ß and ABCG1 in the TNBC tissues compared with the non­cancerous mammary tissues. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that ABCA1 is a specific marker for TNBC.

In Situ Analysis of Growth Behaviors of Cu2O Nanocubes in Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy.

Metal oxides have attracted substantial attention over the years and are commonly used in the semiconductor industry because of their excellent physical and chemical properties. Among the various metal oxides, cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is regarded as a promising material. It is inexpensive, earth-abundant, and nontoxic; therefore, it can be used in catalysis, sensors, solar cells, and p-type semiconductors. However, the redox reaction of Cu2O is still uncertain. The size, morphology, and structure of Cu2O strongly influence its properties. In this work, we developed a new synthesis method of Cu2O that involves reducing the precursor by an electron beam without reducing agent. The growth process of Cu2O nanocubes was observed via in situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (in situ LCTEM). The nucleation kinetics, oscillating growth behavior, and redox reaction of the Cu2O nanocubes in the liquid phase were systematically studied. Cu2O exhibited a round shape at the beginning and transformed into a cubic shape afterward. Interestingly, the Cu2O nanocubes grew clearly under long-term observation; however, their diameters increased and fluctuated during the short-term observation. The electron beam not only stimulated the solution to reduce the nanocubes but also caused electron radiation effect to the nanocubes. During the Cu2O growth and dissolution, the cubic shape evolved with specific planes in the {100} family. Our direct observation sheds light on the preparation of Cu2O by a reduction method, extending the study of reaction kinetics and providing a new way to synthesize metal oxides.

In situ TEM observation of Au-Cu2O core-shell growth in liquids.

Heterogeneous nanoparticles are widely used in catalysis, sensors and biology due to their versatile functions. Among the various heterogeneous nanoparticles, Au-Cu2O core-shell nanoparticles show high stability and short response times for use as sensors and catalysts and have thus attracted much attention. Previous studies show that the properties of Au-Cu2O are mainly related to the shape and size of the Au-Cu2O nanoparticles. However, the forming behavior of heterostructures and the mechanism have not been fully explored. In this work, liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LCTEM) was used to investigate the formation of these interesting Au-Cu2O nanoparticles and their process of aggregation. The electron beam and dispersion of gold nanoparticles are both important parameters for the reduction reaction in in situ LCTEM. The Au-Cu2O core-shell nanoparticles can be synthesized to have two morphologies, multifaceted and cubic. The nanoparticles grew into these different morphologies due to the amount of remaining citrate ligands on the surface of the gold nanoparticles. For the multifaceted nanoparticles, the epitaxy of the two components is confirmed from high-resolution TEM images and electron diffraction patterns with an epitaxial relationship of Au (020)//Cu2O (020) and Au [101]//Cu2O [101]. The growth rate is approximately 210 nm2 s-1. On the other hand, the cubic nanoparticles nucleate and grow independently. The growth kinetics and elemental distributions have been systematically studied. In addition, the nanoclusters would float, rotate, and finally aggregate with the surrounding clusters. This in situ experiment sheds light on the growth mechanisms of nanostructures and will improve the applicability and controllability of heterostructure synthesis.

Norcantharidin inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis via c-Met/Akt/mTOR pathway in human osteosarcoma cells.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor and frequently affects adolescents. Norcantharidin (NCTD), a demethylated derivative of cantharidin, has been reported to exhibit anticancer activity against various types of tumors but not human OS. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of NCTD on OS cell lines (MG63 and HOS) and to explore the underlying mechanisms. In the present study, the proliferation of OS cells decreased significantly, while the apoptosis was accelerated significantly after exposure to NCTD. Meanwhile, our results also indicated that NCTD could suppress the migration and invasion, decrease the colony-forming ability and induce S phase cell cycle arrest of OS cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, our results revealed that the anticancer effects induced by NCTD on OS cells involved autophagy, mitophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress and c-Met pathway. Furthermore, the results of animal experiments showed that NCTD inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft model of human OS. These results provide important new insight into the possible molecular mechanisms of NCTD and highlight its potential use as an antitumor drug for human OS.

A pilot study of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for neuropathic pain caused by spinal cord injury.

This pilot study retrospectively investigated the feasible effect and safety of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for the management of neuropathic pain (NPP) caused by spinal cord injury (SCI).A total of 54 patient cases with NPP after SCI were included. Of these, 27 cases underwent carbamazepine plus NMES treatment, and were assigned to an NMES group; while the other 27 cases received carbamazepine only, and were assigned to a control group. The primary outcome of pain intensity was measured by numerical rating scale (NRS). The secondary outcome of quality of life was measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Scale. Furthermore, adverse events were also documented in this study. All outcomes were measured and analyzed before and after 3-month treatment.After 3-month treatment, the cases in the NMES group neither reduced the pain intensity of NPP, measured by the NRS (P > .05), nor improved the quality of life, measured by the SF-36 (P > .05), compared with cases in the control group. Moreover, both groups had similar adverse events.The results of this study showed that NMES might be not efficacious for NPP caused by SCI after 3 months treatment with quite low intervention dose.

A retrospective study of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for chronic pain following ankylosing spondylitis.

This study investigated the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for the treatment of patients with chronic pain after ankylosing spondylitis (AS).A total of 72 eligible patients with chronic pain following AS were included. All included patients received exercise and were assigned to a treatment group and a control group equally. In addition, patients in the treatment group also underwent TENS therapy. All patients were treated for a total of 6 weeks. The primary outcome of pain intensity was measured by visual analog scale (VAS). The secondary outcomes included degree of functional limitation, as assessed by Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI); and quality of life, as evaluated by Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) questionnaire. All outcomes were assessed before and after 6 weeks treatment. Furthermore, adverse events were also recorded.After 6-week treatment, patients in the treatment group did not show more promising outcomes in pain reduction, as measured by VAS (P = .08); functional evaluation, as evaluated by BASFI (P = .19); as well as quality of life, as assessed by ASQoL (P = .18), compared with patients in the control group. No adverse events occurred in both groups.This study did not exert encouraging outcomes in patients with chronic pain following AS after 6-week treatment.

The promising immune checkpoint LAG-3: from tumor microenvironment to cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy and tumor microenvironment have been at the forefront of research over the past decades. Targeting immune checkpoints especially programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) has made a breakthrough in treating advanced malignancies. However, the low response rate brings a daunting challenge, changing the focus to dig deeply into the tumor microenvironment for alternative therapeutic targets. Strikingly, the inhibitory immune checkpoint lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) holds considerable potential. LAG-3 suppresses T cells activation and cytokines secretion, thereby ensuring immune homeostasis. It exerts differential inhibitory impacts on various types of lymphocytes and shows a remarkable synergy with PD-1 to inhibit immune responses. Targeting LAG-3 immunotherapy is moving forward in active clinical trials, and combination immunotherapy of anti-LAG-3 and anti-PD-1 has shown exciting efficacy in fighting PD-1 resistance. Herein, we shed light on the significance of LAG-3 in the tumor microenvironment, highlight its role to regulate different lymphocytes, interplay with other immune checkpoints especially PD-1, and emphasize new advances in LAG-3-targeted immunotherapy.

System design for a "checkerboard" imager.

In order to solve the problem of uneven spatial frequency sampling and lack of zero frequency sampling in the segmented planar imaging detector for electro-optical reconnaissance (SPIDER), we propose a "checkerboard" imaging system design using a square grid aperture arrangement, show its aperture matching method, and demonstrate that it can achieve the uniform sampling of all integer multiples of fundamental frequency in the highest frequency range with zero frequency in the direction of two orthogonal arrays. Through computer simulation, it is verified that the imaging effect of the "checkerboard" imaging system is superior to that of the SPIDER imaging system and the traditional single aperture imaging system at the same system diameter.

The different functions and clinical significances of caveolin-1 in human adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1), a major structural protein of caveolae, is an integral membrane protein which plays an important role in the progression of carcinoma. However, whether Cav-1 acts as a tumor promoter or a tumor suppressor still remains controversial. For example, the tumor-promoting function of Cav-1 has been found in renal cancer, prostate cancer, tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), lung SCC and bladder SCC. In contrast, Cav-1 also plays an inhibitory role in esophagus adenocarcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma and cutaneous SCC. The role of Cav-1 is still controversial in thyroid cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, breast cancer, pancreas cancer, oral SCC, laryngeal SCC, head and neck SCC, esophageal SCC and cervical SCC. Besides, it has been reported that the loss of stromal Cav-1 might predict poor prognosis in breast cancer, gastric cancer, pancreas cancer, prostate cancer, oral SCC and esophageal SCC. However, the accumulation of stromal Cav-1 has been found to be promoted by the progression of tongue SCC. Taken together, Cav-1 seems playing a different role in different cancer subtypes even of the same organ, as well as acting differently in the same cancer subtype of different organs. Thus, we hereby explore the functions of Cav-1 in human adenocarcinoma and SCC from the perspective of clinical significances and pathogenesis. We envision that novel targets may come with the further investigation of Cav-1 in carcinogenesis.

Quantum dots immunofluorescence histochemical detection of EGFR gene mutations in the non-small cell lung cancers using mutation-specific antibodies.

BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status plays an important role in therapeutic decision making for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Since EGFR mutation-specific antibodies (E746-A750del and L858R) have been developed, EGFR mutation detection by immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a suitable screening test. On this basis, we want to establish a new screening test, quantum dots immunofluorescence histochemistry (QDs-IHC), to assess EGFR gene mutation in NSCLC tissues, and we compared it to traditional IHC and amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: EGFR gene mutations were detected by QDs-IHC, IHC, and ADx-ARMS in 65 cases of NSCLC composed of 55 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens and ten pleural effusion cell blocks, including 13 squamous cell carcinomas, two adenosquamous carcinomas, and 50 adenocarcinomas. RESULTS: Positive rates of EGFR gene mutations detected by QDs-IHC, IHC, and ADx-ARMS were 40.0%, 36.9%, and 46.2%, respectively, in 65 cases of NSCLC patients. The sensitivity of QDs-IHC when detecting EGFR mutations, as compared to ADx-ARMS, was 86.7% (26/30); the specificity for both antibodies was 100.0% (26/26). IHC sensitivity was 80.0% (24/30) and the specificity was 92.31% (24/26). When detecting EGFR mutations, QDs-IHC and ADx-ARMS had perfect consistency (κ  =0.882; P<0.01). Excellent agreement was observed between IHC and ADx-ARMS when detecting EGFR mutations (κ  =0.826; P<0.01). CONCLUSION: QDs-IHC is a simple and standardized method to detect EGFR mutations with its high sensitivity and specificity, as compared with real-time polymerase chain reaction. In addition, the development of specific antibodies against EGFR mutation proteins might be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.

Correlation of electrical conductance in meridian and autonomic nervous activity after auricular acupressure in middle-aged women.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the correlation of heart rate variability (HRV) and meridian electrical conductance among middle-aged women during an 8-week period of auricular acupressure (AA) treatment for weight reduction. METHODS: Sixty (60) subjects were randomized either to a control group (n=30) or to a treatment group with AA (n=30). Anthropometric parameters, HRV indices, and meridian levels were measured before treatment, at the 5th week, and 1 week after the 8-week treatment period. RESULTS: Although no significant changes were observed in body weight (BW) and body-mass index (BMI) from baseline to 1 week after AA treatment, a significant decrease in Waist Circumference (WC) was observed in the acupressure group. In contrast, the subjects' BW, BMI, and WC were significantly increased from baseline to the 9th week in the control group. With adjustment for baseline low frequencies (LF) of HRV, the LF at the 5th and 9th weeks in the acupressure groups was generally lower than that in the control group, with a p-value=0.027 using the mixed linear model. The meridian levels for Spleen, Bladder, and Gallbladder were significantly lower in the group subjected to acupressure than in the control group at the 5th week. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate that AA tends to inactivate the sympathetic nervous activity demonstrated by both HRV and meridian electrical conductance changes. As a result, AA may modulate the autonomic nervous system to exert its physiological effect through the pathway of the meridian system.