Environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: An underestimated risk factor for systemic lupus erythematosus onset and progression.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the link between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) incidence and exposure to environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). METHODS: A case-control study (ChiCTR2000038187) involving 316 SLE patients and 851 healthy controls (HCs) was executed. Environmental exposure was assessed via a questionnaire, stratified by gender and age (females <35 and ≥35 years, males). Blood samples collected from 89 HCs, 85 inactive, and 95 active SLE patients were used to measure serum benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide -albumin (BPDE-Alb) adducts and PAH concentrations, indicating long-term and short-term exposure respectively. Intergroup comparisons and statistical analyses were conducted using R version 4.3.1. RESULTS: Diverse patterns were found in how environmental factors affect SLE onset across different demographics. Lifestyle exposure factors were found to be a stronger determinant of SLE onset than occupational exposure factors in women under 35. Indoor air pollution had a significant impact on SLE incidence, potentially comparable to outdoor air pollution. Lifestyle-related PAH exposure had a greater impact on SLE than occupational PAH exposure. PAH exposure levels progressively increase from HCs to inactive and active SLE patients. Active SLE patients show markedly higher BPDE-Alb levels than HCs. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental PAH, particularly lifestyle-related, are significant, yet under-recognized, risk factors for SLE. STATEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: We examined the relationship between exposure to environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and the incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). PAH, prevalent in sources such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, and charred food, pose significant health hazards. This study is the first to investigate specific PAH exposure levels in SLE patients. We determined actual PAH exposure levels in both SLE patients and healthy individuals and indicated that long-term PAH exposure biomarker is more reliable for evaluating exposure in non-occupationally exposed groups like SLE, compared to short-term markers. These findings provide valuable insights for future research on similar non-occupationally exposed populations.

Analysis of Microbial Diversity and Community Structure of Rhizosphere Soil of Three Astragalus Species Grown in Special High-Cold Environment of Northwestern Yunnan, China.

Astragalus is a medicinal plant with obvious rhizosphere effects. At present, there are many Astragalus plants with high application value but low recognition and resource reserves in the northwestern area of Yunnan province, China. In this study, metagenomics was used to analyze the microbial diversity and community structure of rhizosphere soil of A. forrestii, A. acaulis, and A. ernestii plants grown in a special high-cold environment of northwestern Yunnan, China, at different altitudes ranging from 3225 to 4353 m. These microbes were taxonomically annotated to obtain 24 phyla and 501 genera for A. forrestii, 30 phyla and 504 genera for A. acaulis, as well as 39 phyla and 533 genera for A. ernestii. Overall, the dominant bacterial phyla included Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria, while the dominant fungal ones were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. At the genus level, Bradyrhizobium, Afipia, and Paraburkholderia were the most prevalent bacteria, and Hyaloscypha, Pseudogymnoascus, and Russula were the dominant fungal genera. Some of them are considered biocontrol microbes that could sustain the growth and health of host Astragalus plants. Redundancy analysis revealed that pH, TN, and SOM had a significant impact on the microbial community structures (p < 0.05). Finally, triterpene, flavonoid, polysaccharide, and amino acid metabolisms accounted for a high proportion of the enriched KEGG pathways, which possibly contributed to the synthesis of bioactive constituents in the Astragalus plants.

Sphingosine 1 phosphate receptor-1 (S1PR1) signaling protects cardiac function by inhibiting cardiomyocyte autophagy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and its receptors in cardiomyocyte autophagy, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and cardiac function. METHODS: Cardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal Vista rats. Autophagy and hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes were induced via starvation culture and phenylephrine (PE), respectively, and S1P was used to treat the cardiomyocytes. The effect of S1P on cardiomyocyte autophagy was evaluated by the number of autophagosomes, the expression of autophagy-related proteins and autophagic marker genes in cardiomyocytes. The effect of S1P on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was evaluated by examining the surface area of cardiomyocytes and the expression of hypertrophic genes. Subsequently, different small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were used to knockdown the expression of the three types of S1P receptors on cardiomyocytes and to analyze the type of receptor that mediates S1P signaling in cardiomyocytes. Finally, sphingosine 1 phosphate receptor-1 (S1PR1) was knockout in the mouse cardiomyocytes using the Cas9 technique. The effect of S1PR1 on cardiac autophagy and cardiac hypertrophy was examined by assessing cardiomyocyte autophagy, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and cardiac function. RESULTS: Starvation-induced cardiomyocyte autophagy and PE-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy were significantly attenuated by S1P. The results showed that the formation of autophagosomes was decreased, the autophagy-associated protein LC3II/I and the expression of autophagic marker genes Atg5, Atg12, Beclin1 and LC3B decreased after S1P treatment. The surface area of the cardiomyocytes was decreased, and the expression of hypertrophic genes, including atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), skeletal muscle and cardiac actin (SKA), myosin heavy chain (ß-MHC) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were all decreased after S1P treatment. The autophagy and hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes in the S1PR1 knocked-down group were significantly increased compared to those in the control group, the S1PR2 and the S1PR3 knocked-down groups. In vivo, the knockout of S1PR1 in cardiomyocytes exacerbated stress-induced cardiac autophagy, cardiac hypertrophy and the impairment of cardiac function. CONCLUSION: S1P could inhibit cardiomyocyte autophagy, thereby inhibiting cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and protecting cardiac function by activating S1PR1 in pressure-overloaded cardiomyocytes in mice.

Asperosaponin VI promotes angiogenesis and accelerates wound healing in rats via up-regulating HIF-1α/VEGF signaling.

Wound therapy remains a clinical challenge due to the complexity of healing pathology and high demand of achieving functional and aesthetically satisfactory scars. Newly formed blood vessels are essential for tissue repair since they can support cells at the wound site with nutrition and oxygen. In this study, we investigated the effects of Asperosaponin VI (ASA VI) isolated from a traditional Chinese medicine, the root of Dipsacus asper Wall, in promoting angiogenesis, as well as its function in wound therapeutics. Treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with ASA VI (20-80 µg/mL) dose-dependently promoted the proliferation, migration and enhanced their angiogenic ability in vitro, which were associated with the up-regulated HIF-1α/VEGF signaling. Full-thickness cutaneous wound model rats were injected with ASA VI (20 mg·kg-1·d-1, iv) for 21 d. Administration of ASA VI significantly promoted the cutaneous wound healing, and more blood vessels were observed in the regenerated tissue. Due to rapid vascularization, the cellular proliferation status, granulation tissue formation, collagen matrix deposition and remodeling processes were all accelerated, resulting in efficient wound healing. In summary, ASA VI promotes angiogenesis of HUVECs in vitro via up-regulating the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway, and efficiently enhances the vascularization in regenerated tissue and facilitates wound healing in vivo. The results reveal that ASA VI is a potential therapeutic for vessel injury-related wounds.

Rearing Light Intensity Affects Inner Retinal Pathology in a Mouse Model of X-Linked Retinoschisis but Does Not Alter Gene Therapy Outcome.

Purpose: To test the effects of rearing light intensity on retinal function and morphology in the retinoschisis knockout (Rs1-KO) mouse model of X-linked retinoschisis, and whether it affects functional outcome of RS1 gene replacement. Methods: Seventy-six Rs1-KO mice were reared in either cyclic low light (LL, 20 lux) or moderate light (ML, 300 lux) and analyzed at 1 and 4 months. Retinal function was assessed by electroretinogram and cavity size by optical coherence tomography. Expression of inward-rectifier K+ channel (Kir4.1), water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were analyzed by Western blotting. In a separate study, Rs1-KO mice reared in LL (n = 29) or ML (n = 27) received a unilateral intravitreal injection of scAAV8-hRs-IRBP at 21 days, and functional outcome was evaluated at 4 months by electroretinogram. Results: At 1 month, no functional or structural differences were found between LL- or ML-reared Rs1-KO mice. At 4 months, ML-reared Rs1-KO mice showed significant reduction of b-wave amplitude and b-/a-wave ratio with no changes in a-wave, and a significant increase in cavity size, compared to LL-reared animals. Moderate light rearing increased Kir4.1 expression in Rs1-KO mice by 4 months, but not AQP4 and GFAP levels. Administration of scAAV8-hRS1-IRBP to Rs1-KO mice showed similar improvement of inner retinal ERG function independent of LL or ML rearing. Conclusions: Rearing light conditions affect the development of retinal cavities and post-photoreceptor function in Rs1-KO mice. However, the effect of rearing light intensity does not interact with the efficacy of RS1 gene replacement in Rs1-KO mice.

Preoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization cannot improve the long term outcome of radical therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Combinations of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radical therapies (pretransplantation, resection and radiofrequency ablation) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been reported as controversial issues in recent years. A consecutive sample of 1560 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A/B HCC who underwent solitary Radiofrequency ablation (RFA), resection or liver transplantation (LT) or adjuvant pre-operative TACE were included. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates and tumor-free survival rates were comparable between the solitary radical therapy group and TACE combined group in the whole group and in each of the subgroups (RFA, resection and LT) (P > 0.05). In the subgroup analysis, according to BCLC stage A or B, the advantages of adjuvant TACE were also not observed (P > 0.05). A Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) more than 4, multiple tumor targets, BCLC stage B, and poor histological grade were significant contributors to the overall and tumor-free survival rates. In conclusions, our results indicated that preoperative adjuvant TACE did not prolong long-term overall or tumor-free survival, but LT should nevertheless be considered the first choice for BCLC stage A or B HCC patients. Radical therapies should be performed very carefully in BCLC stage B HCC patients.

[Bone substitutes augmentation combined with internal fixation versus internal fixation alone in treating proximal femoral fractures in the elderly: a meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the effectiveness of bone substitute augmentation combined with internal fixation versus internal fixation alone in treating proximal femoral fractures in the elderly. METHODS: Subject term and keywords were searched from Pubmed, Cochrane databases and CNKI from database foundation to August 2015. Randomized controlled studies and qusi-randomized controlled studies on bone substitutes augmentation combined with internal fixation versus internal fixation alone for the treatment of proximal femoral fractures in the elderly were chosen. Postoperative re-displacement, re-operation rate, complications (infection and bone ununion), functional outcome, quality of life scores and muscle strength were seen as outcome indicators. Enumeration data were statistical analyzed by risk difference and 95% confidence interval. Measurement data were analyzed by standardized mean difference and 95% confidence interval. If the same measurement data were evaluated by different standards in different studies, standardized mean differences and 95% confidence interval were used. The methods of statistical analysis were used by Cochrane databases. RESULTS: Eleven RCTs (677 patients) were included. Meta-analysis results indicated that bone substitutes augmentation combined with internal fixation occurred fewer re-displacement [SMD = -0.75, 95% CI (-1.03, -0.47)] and obtained better function [SMD = 0.40, 95% CI (0.20, 0.59)]. While there were no significant differences in reoperation rate [RD = 0.02, 95% CI (-0.05, -0.09)], pain at 1 week after operation [MD = -1.79, 95% CI (-13.55, -9.96)], pain ranged from 6 to 8 weeks [MD = -7.24, 95% CI (-20.07, -5.59)], postoperative pain at 12 weeks [MD = -0.32, 95% CI (-4.9, -3.55)], muscle strength [MD = 1.25, 95% CI (-6.98, -9.48)], bone ununion [RD = 0.02, 95% CI (-0.01, -0.05)] and postoperative complications [MD = 0.01, 95% CI (-0.03, -0.04)]. CONCLUSION: Compared with single internal fixation, bone substitutes augmentation combined with internal fixation for the treatment of proximal femoral fractures in the elderly less occur re-displacement and could obtain better functional recovery.

Comparison of Pediatric Forearm Fracture Fixation Between Single- and Double-Elastic Stable Intramedullary Nailing.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the outcome of single- and double-elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) for the treatment of pediatric both-bone forearm fractures. We retrospectively analyzed 49 children with both-bone forearm fractures treated with ESIN. Twenty-four patients were treated with single-ESIN (S-ESIN) to fixate the radius only, and the other 25 patients were treated with double-ESIN (D-ESIN) to fixate the radius and ulna. The duration of surgery, times of fluoroscopy, cost of hospitalization, period of castoff, union time, radiographic outcomes, clinical results, and postoperative complications were compared. The duration of surgery, times of fluoroscopy, and cost of hospitalization were significantly lower in the S-ESIN group; however, the average period of castoff was longer in the S-ESIN group. The incidence of delayed union of the ulna was significantly higher in the D-ESIN than in the S-ESIN group. Although the mean angulation deformity of the ulna in the S-ESIN group was significantly larger than in the D-ESIN group, both of them were acceptable (<10 degrees). Despite this, there was no difference in the loss of forearm motion and complication rates between the 2 groups. In conclusion, our data suggest that S-ESIN to fixate the radius alone remains an equally effective fixation method in the pediatric population compared with both-bone fixation and is our treatment of choice.

[Advances in Raman Spectroscopy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Tissue].

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a unique malignant tumor that has a distinct geographic and racial distribution, with a high incidence in southeast Asia and southern China. High degree of malignancy, poor prognosis and difficulty in early diagnosis remain a problem in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Raman spectroscopy technique based on inelastic scattering is a rapid and nonivasive detection method, which is capable of providing the information of biochemical components at molecular vibration level.This article reviewed the recent research progress of nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on Raman spectroscopy. It mainly introduces the study of detecting nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue by using Raman spectroscopy as well as surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy (SERS). The emphasis is put on the latest works by our research group, including high wavenumber Raman spectroscopy of tissue, Raman spectroscopy of tissue smears, and a specially designed endoscopic device combined with Raman spectroscopy for in vivo nasopharyngeal cancerous tissue detection, which was firstly developed by our group. Finally, the prospects of the development of Raman spectroscopy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma were discussed.

[Studies of Male Fertility with Raman Spectroscopy].

Raman spectroscopy which belongs to scattering spectroscopy obtained molecular vibrational and rotational information to achieve detection and analysis of molecular structure and corresponding changes through recording the frequency shift when light interacted with materials. Compared with routine biochemical analysis, Raman spectroscopy has the advantage of non-invasive, label-free and no sample requirement. Raman spectroscopy has been widely applied in biomedical field such as human tissue, organs, cells and human body fluids for disease diagnosis. This article mainly focuses on recent research advances of Raman spectroscopy in human semen. Firstly, Raman spectroscopy(including surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, SERS) employed in forensic science for semen analysis, and some related data processing methods were introduced, then Raman spectroscopy involved investigations of male fertility was highlighted, more specifically, the Raman-based qualitative and quantitative analysis which assist the objective detection and evaluation of male fertility. Furthermore, studies of single sperm cell based on micro-Raman system to characterize and evaluate sperm quality and the preliminarily obtained Raman biomarkers which indicate high-quality sperm cell were introduced. Finally, the potential development of Raman spectroscopy involved in reproduction and fertility field was also discussed.

Mutation analysis of CACNA1S and SCN4A in patients with hypokalemic periodic paralysis.

Mutations in CACNA1S (calcium channel, voltage­dependent, L type, alpha 1S subunit) and SCN4A (sodium channel, voltage­gated, type IV, alpha subunit) are associated with hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HPP). The aim of the current study was to investigate CACNA1S and SCN4A mutations in patients with HPP. Mutations in CACNA1S and SCN4A were detected in three familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis (FHPP) pedigrees and in two thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis (THPP) pedigrees using polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing and sequence alignment with GenBank data. A single base mutation from cytosine to guanine at site 1582 was identified in exon 11 of CACNA1S in one FHPP pedigree, resulting in an arginine to glycine (R528G) substitution. A single base mutation from thymine to cytosine at site 2012 was identified in exon 12 of SCN4A in one THPP pedigree, resulting in a phenylalanine to serine (F671S) substitution. No mutations in CACNA1S or SCN4A were identified in the remaining three pedigrees. The present study indicated that CACNA1S and SCN4A mutations are relatively rare in patients with HPP, and further studies are required to determine whether these mutation­associated substitutions are representative of patients with HPP.

Barcelona clinic liver cancer stage B hepatocellular carcinoma: transarterial chemoembolization or hepatic resection?

According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) guidelines, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is recommended for BCLC stage B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, an investigation of the use of resection for BCLC stage B is needed. Therefore, we compared the efficacy and safety of hepatic resection (HR) with that of TACE in treating intermediate HCC.We retrospectively enrolled 923 patients with BCLC stage B HCC who underwent TACE (490 cases) or HR (433 cases). The baseline characteristics, postoperative recoveries, and long-term overall survival rates of the patients in these 2 groups were compared. Subgroup analyses and comparisons were also performed between the 2 groups.The baseline demographic and tumor characteristics, in-hospital mortality rate, and 30-day mortality rate were comparable between the 2 groups. However, the patients in the resection group suffered from more serious complications compared with those in the TACE group (11.1% vs 4.7%, respectively, P < 0.01) as well as longer hospital stays (P < 0.05). The resection patients had significantly better overall survival rates than the TACE patients (P < 0.01). In the TACE group, patients with Lipiodol retention showed much higher 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates than those in the noncompact Lipiodol retention group (P < 0.01). Subgroup analyses revealed that patients with 1 to 3 tumor targets showed much better 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates in the resection group (P < 0.01), but no difference was observed for the patients with >3 targets.Our clinical analysis suggests that patients with BCLC stage B HCC should be recommended for resection when 1 to 3 targets are present, whereas TACE should be recommended when >3 targets are present.

[Delayed union or nonunion of the ulna after intramedullary nailing for pediatric forearm fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the causes of delayed union or nonunion of the ulna after intramedullary nailing in pediatric forearm fractures. METHODS: From February 2005 to February 2010,5 patients with forearm fractures who were treated with titanium elastic nailing (TEN) were identified to fulfill the criteria of having developed a delayed union or nonunion of the ulna. The causes of delayed union or nonunion were investigated according to mechanism of injury, fracture location, treatments methods and postoperative management. All patients were male and the age was 3 to 14 years old with an average of 9.4 years. All fractures were located on the mid-third part of forearm. Two cases had a re-fracture. Among them, 3 cases caused by high-energy injury and 2 cases by falling down. Open reduction were performed in 4 cases while the other one was treated with closed reduction. Four patients were immobilized in an above-elbow cast, postoperatively. RESULTS: All patients were followed up from 7 to 19 months with an average of 11.4 months. There were 4 delayed union and 1 nonunion. Three patients healed after the removal of the nail and avoidance of weight-bearing. Two patients healed by replacing another fixation. No patients had soft-tissue irritation or nail-entry-site infections.. The clinical effect was evaluated according to Daruwalla and Price scores with 3 excellent and 2 good of the results. CONCLUSIONS: Using titanium elastic nailing for the treatment of pediatric both-bone forearm fractures is a good method. However,strict indication selection should be followed to avoid delayed union or nonunion.

[Quantitative analysis of Cu in water by collinear DP-LIBS].

The purpose of this research is to study the influence of double pulse laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (DP-LIBS) on the sensitivity of Cu in water. The water solution of Cu was tested by collinear DP-LIBS in this article. The results show that spectral intensity of Cu can be enhanced obviously by DP-LIBS, compared with single pulse laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (SP-LIBS). Besides, the experimental results were significantly impacted by delay time between laser pulse and spectrometer acquisition, delay time of double laser pulse and energy of laser pulse and so on. The paper determined the best conditions for DP-LIBS detecting Cu in water. The optimal acquisition delay time was 1 380 ns. The best laser pulse delay time was 25 ns. The most appropriate energy of double laser pulse was 100 mJ. Characteristic analysis of spectra of Cu at 324.7 and 327.4 nm was done for quantitative analysis. The detection limit was 3.5 microg x mL(-1) at 324.7 nm, and the detection limit was 4.84 microg x mL(-1) at 327.4 nm. The relative standard deviation of the two characteristic spectral lines was within 10%. The calibration curve of characteristic spectral line, established by 327.4 nm, was verified with 500 microg x mL(-1) sample. Concentration of the sample was 446 microg x mL(-1) calculated by the calibration curve. This research shows that the detection sensitivity of Cu in water can be improved by DP-LIBS. At the same time, it had high stability.

MicroRNA-21 accelerates hepatocyte proliferation in vitro via PI3K/Akt signaling by targeting PTEN.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in controlling hepatocyte proliferation during liver regeneration. In this study, we established the miRNAs-expression patterns of primary hepatocytes in vitro under stimulation of epidermal growth factor (EGF), and found that microRNA-21 (miR-21) was appreciably up-regulated and peaked at 12h. In addition, we further presented evidences indicating that miR-21 promotes primary hepatocyte proliferation through in vitro transfecting with miR-21 mimics or inhibitor. We further demonstrated that phosphatidylinositol 3'-OH kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling was altered accordingly, it is, by targeting phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10, PI3K/Akt signaling is activated by miR-21 to accelerate hepatocyte rapid S-phase entry and proliferation in vitro.

[Prevalence of dyslipidemia and borderline dyslipidemia in aging residents from Beijing communities].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence characters of dyslipidemia and borderline dyslipidemia in aging residents from Beijing communities and to evaluate the relative risk of cardiovascular risk factor (CRF) to dyslipidemia. METHODS: The samples were selected by random cluster multistage method. Serum lipid level and CRF were determined through questionnaire, physical examination and biochemical detection for 1974 subjects who was 65 and over 65 years old in Beijing communities. RESULTS: Age- and sex-adjusted standardized incidence of dyslipidemia and borderline dyslipidemia in ≥ 65 yrs was 35.11% (693/1974) and 28.57% (564/1974) respectively, optimal lipid was 36.32% (717/1974).Vs optimal status 3 borderline factors(BF) , 1 major CRF, 2 CRFs, and 3 CRFs to have dyslipidemia, the relative risks are OR = 1.537, 95%CI 0.597-3.959, OR = 1.898, 95%CI 0.993-3.628, OR = 2.441, 95%CI 1.268-4.698, and OR = 4.256, 95%CI 2.104-8.608 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of major CRFs of ≥ 65 yrs resident from Beijing communities are higher than the average level of China. The risk is higher while the number of borderline and major CRFs much more.

[Analysis of Cr in soil by LIBS based on conical spatial confinement of plasma].

The present study is to improve the sensitivity of detection and reduce the limit of detection in detecting heavy metal of soil by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The Cr element of national standard soil was regarded as the research object. In the experiment, a conical cavity with small diameter end of 20 mm and large diameter end of 45 mm respectively was installed below the focusing lens near the experiment sample to mainly confine the signal transmitted by plasma and to some extent to confine the plasma itself in the LIBS setup. In detecting Cr I 425.44 nm, the beast delay time gained from experiment is 1.3 micros, and the relative standard deviation is below 10%. Compared with the setup of non-spatial confinement, the spectral intensity of Cr in the soil sample was enhanced more than 7%. Calibration curve was established in the Cr concentration range from 60 to 400 microg x g(-1). Under the condition of spatial confinement, the liner regression coefficient and the limit of detection were 0.997 71 and 18.85 microg x g(-1) respectively, however, the regression coefficient and the limit of detection were 0.991 22 and 36.99 microg x g(-1) without spatial confinement. So, this shows that conical spatial confinement can/improve the sensitivity of detection and enhance the spectral intensity. And it is a good auxiliary function in detecting Cr in the soil by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy.

[Experimental study on chromium in gannan navel orange by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy].

It is a relatively new task to apply the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to fruit samples. To apply LIBS technique in the field related to analysis of trace heavy metal element in fruits samples, we have done primary experiments using Gannan navel orange samples. The authors put the samples into different concentration gradient K2Cr2O7 solution and left it for 30 hours, and then we did the LIBS experiment, discriminated characteristic spectra of chromium element and recorded the peak intensity information. Weighing three grams of sample and determined chromium concentration in the samples by atomic absorption spectrophotometer using wet digestion. The calibration curve of the line intensities versus the concentrations of the Cr element was acquired by the Origin software. The authors found that the linear correlation coefficient is 0. 981 66. The calibration curve can be used for the quantitative analysis of chromium element with an unknown concentration in Gannan navel orange. The LIBS detection limit of Cr in the solution was 11.64 mg x g(-1) from the measured calibration curve. Experiment results showed that LIBS technique is a valid means for measuring and quantitatively analyzing the content of heavy metal elements in fruit samples.

The effect of postoperative TACE on prognosis of HCC with microscopic venous invasion.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with microscopic venous invasion. METHODOLOGY: Data from 76 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy with or without postoperative adjuvant TACE between July 2005 and August 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare survival between the groups and prognostic factors were evaluated by Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: The 1-, 3- and 5-year disease- free survival rates were 76.3%, 44.5% and 31.8%, respectively, for the adjuvant TACE group (35 patients) and 60.1%, 39.3% and 21.5%, respectively, for the control group (41 patients). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 88.6%, 67.2% and 42.3%, respectively, for the TACE group and 77.5%, 58.0% and 40.5%, respectively, for the control group. Although improving trends of both disease-free survival and overall survival were observed in adjuvant TACE group, there was no significant difference between the two groups (p>0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed that tumor size and differentiation were significant independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative adjuvant TACE may improve 1, 3 and 5 year disease-free and overall survival rates of HCC patients with microscopic venous invasion but no statistical significance was found. It can be used as a preventative treatment but not a routine procedure for such patients.