Manipulating Selective Metal-to-Metal Electron Transfer to Achieve Multi-Phase Transitions in an Asymmetric [Fe2 Co]-Assembled Mixed-Valence Chain.

Manipulation of multi-functions in molecular materials is promising for future switching and memory devices, although it is currently difficult. Herein, we assembled the asymmetric {Fe2 Co} unit into a cyanide-bridged mixed-valence chain {[(Tp)Fe(CN)3 ]2 Co(BIT)} ⋅ 2CH3 OH (1) (Tp=hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate and BIT=3,4-bis-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)thiophene), which showed reversible multi-phase transitions accompanied by photo-switchable single-chain magnet properties and a dielectric anomaly. Variable-temperature X-ray structural studies revealed thermo- and photo-induced selective electron transfer (ET) between the Co and one of the Fe ions. Alternating-current magnetic susceptibility studies revealed that 1 displayed on and off single-chain magnet behavior by alternating 946-nm and 532-nm light irradiation. A substantial anomaly in the dielectric constant was discovered during the electron transfer process, which is uncommon in similar ET complexes. These findings illustrate that 1 provided a new platform for multi-phase transitions and multi-switches adjusted by selective metal-to-metal ET.

Simultaneous Photo-Induced Magnetic and Dielectric Switching in an Iron(II)-Based Spin-Crossover Hofmann-Type Metal-Organic Framework.

Molecular materials possessing photo-tunable polarization switching is promising for optical switches, smart sensors, and data storage devices. However, it is challenging to devise a molecular material featuring simultaneous switchable magnetic and dielectric properties with regard to non-invasive and convenient light stimulus. Herein, we report a new Hofmann-type metal-organic framework (MOF) {Fe(bpt)[Pt(CN)4 ]} ⋅ 0.5anth (1, bpt=2,5-bis(4-pyridyl)thiophen; anth=anthracene), which displays thermo- and photo-switchable magnetic and dielectric properties. Photo-monitored structural analyses revealed that it was the photo-induced deformation of FeII coordination sphere and relative movement of guest anthracene that resulted in the variation of the local electric dipoles. These findings provide a new strategy to realize polarization switching through the light-induced spin crossover, and would be of fundamental significance for future photo-switchable and multifunctional materials.

Muramyl dipeptide promotes Aß1-42 oligomer production via the NOD2/p-p38 MAPK/BACE1 signaling pathway in the SH-SY5Y cells.

The relationship between chronic bacterial colonization in the brain and Alzheimer's disease is attracting extensive attention. Recent studies indicated that the components of bacterial biofilm drive the amyloid-ß production. Muramyl dipeptide, the minimal bioactive peptidoglycan motif common to all bacteria, contributes to the development of many central inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders. However, the involvement of Muramyl dipeptide in amyloid-ß production is not completely defined. In our present study, wild type mice received an intracerebroventricular injection of normal saline or Muramyl dipeptide. Data showed that the production of Aß1-42 oligomers was significantly increased after Muramyl dipeptide injection in the wild type mice or incubation of the SH-SY5Y cells with Muramyl dipeptide. Moreover, the action of Muramyl dipeptide was dose- and time-dependent. The above results suggested a possibility that the Muramyl dipeptide-induced Aß1-42 oligomer production might be related to the NOD2/p-p38 MAPK/BACE1 pathway. To confirm this, the SH-SY5Y cells were transfected with siRNA NOD2. Data showed that the transfected SH-SY5Y cells exhibited decreased expression of Aß1-42 oligomer, NOD2, p-p38 MAPK, and BACE1 after treatment with Muramyl dipeptide. Finally, SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with SB203580, an inhibitor of the p-38-MAPK pathway. The results indicated that these pretreated SH-SY5Y cells exhibited decreased expression of Aß1-42 oligomer, p-p38 MAPK, and BACE1 after treatment with Muramyl dipeptide. In conclusion, these results suggested that Muramyl dipeptide was the trigger factor for Aß1-42 oligomer production, which probably acts via the NOD2/p-p38 MAPK/BACE1 signaling pathway.

A Mixed-Valence {Fe13 } Cluster Exhibiting Metal-to-Metal Charge-Transfer-Switched Spin Crossover.

It is promising and challenging to manipulate the electronic structures and functions of materials utilizing both metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) and spin-crossover (SCO) to tune the valence and spin states of metal ions. Herein, a metallocyanate building block is used to link with a FeII -triazole moiety and generates a mixed-valence complex {[(Tp4-Me )FeIII (CN)3 ]9 [FeII 4 (trz-ph)6 ]}⋅[Ph3 PMe]2 ⋅[(Tp4-Me )FeIII (CN)3 ] (1; trz-ph=4-phenyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole). Moreover, MMCT occurs between FeIII and one of the FeII sites after heat treatment, resulting in the generation of a new phase, {[(Tp4-Me )FeII (CN)3 ][(Tp4-Me )FeIII (CN)3 ]8 [FeIII FeII 3 (trz-ph)6 ]}⋅ [Ph3 PMe]2 ⋅[(Tp4-Me )FeIII (CN)3 ] (1 a). Structural and magnetic studies reveal that MMCT can tune the two-step SCO behavior of 1 into one-step SCO behavior of 1 a. Our work demonstrates that the integration of MMCT and SCO can provide a new alternative for manipulating functional spin-transition materials with accessible multi-electronic states.

18F-FDGPET/CT in fever of unknown origin and inflammation of unknown origin: a Chinese multi-center study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical value of 18F-FDG-PET/CT for the diagnosis of fever of unknown origin (FUO) and inflammation of unknown origin (IUO) in Chinese population, as well as the characteristics of PET/CT in different category of etiological disease. METHODS: A total of 376 consecutive patients with FUO/IUO who underwent FDG-PET/CT at 12 hospitals were retrospectively studied. FDG uptake was quantitatively and visually evaluated, by using SUVmax and a 4-grade scale respectively. A questionnaire survey to the clinicians was used to evaluate the significance of PET/CT in diagnosing of FUO/IUO. Data analysis included the etiological distribution in the study population, image characteristics in different category of diseases, and clinical significance of PET/CT. RESULTS: In 376 studied patients, the infectious diseases accounted for 33.0% of patients, rheumatologic diseases for 32.4%, malignancies for 19.1%, miscellaneous causes for 6.6%, and cause unknown for 8.8%. However, the etiological distribution among hospitals was varied. In addition, the etiological disease composition ratio has changed over time in China. On PET/CT examinations, 358 (95.2%) of the patients had a positive finding. Within them, local high uptake lesion was found in 219 cases, and nonspecific abnormal uptake (NAU) was found in 187 cases. FDG uptake in malignant diseases was significantly higher than in other category diseases both on SUVmax and visual scores (t-value range from 4.098 to 5.612, all P value < 0.001). Based on a clinical questionnaire survey, PET/CT provided additional diagnostic information for 77.4% of patients, and 89.6% of patients benefited from PET/CT examination. CONCLUSIONS: FDG PET/CT is a valuable tool for clinical diagnosis of FUO/IUO, and it is of great significance in further investigating the usefulness of PET/CT in non-neoplastic diseases.

Inhaled antibiotics in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of inhaled antibiotics for the treatment of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). METHODS: Pubmed, Cochrane library, Embase, Elsevier, OVID, Springerlink, Web of knowledge and NEJM were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on inhaled antibiotics in treatment of NCFB from inception until April 2015. Meta-analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of inhaled antibiotics in the treatment of NCFB. RESULTS: Twelve RCTs involving 1154 participants were included. They showed that inhaled antibiotics were more effective in reduction of sputum bacterial density, eradication of P. aeruginosa, prolonged time to exacerbation and reduction of new pathogens emergence with no significant difference in adverse events compared with control groups. However, we did not find significant benefits of inhaled antibiotics in reducing the risk of acute exacerbation, improving health-related quality of life and reduction of P. aeruginosa resistance. Moreover, inhaled antibiotics exerted a statistically significant reduction in FEV1%. CONCLUSIONS: Inhaled antibiotics may be an alternative pathway to inhibit airway inflammation with no more adverse events in patients with NCFB.

GeSi modulator based on two-mode interference.

A GeSi modulator based on two-mode interference is designed in this study. A GeSi layer with a height of 0.22 µm is introduced to decrease the optical power overlap of the two modes. A doping region in which the free carrier plasma dispersion effect exists to change the oscillation period for on- and off-state switching is identified. A doping concentration of 1×10¹8 cm⁻³ for both n and p type is selected. The single modulation arm for 3 V operation is 1416.3 µm long. The extinction ratio and insertion loss are 15 and 5 dB, respectively. The traveling electrode design shows 3 dB bandwidth as large as 50 GHz.

[Ginkgo leaves tablet improved the memory quotient of patients with mild cognitive impairment: a clinical observation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Ginkgo Leaves Tablet (GLT) on memory quotient (MQ) of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. METHODS: One hundred and thirteen patients were randomly assigned to the control group (55 cases) and the treatment group (58 cases). Patients in the control group received dietetic therapy and physical exercises, while those in the treatment group additionally took GLT, 19.2 mg each time, three times daily. The treatment course was 12 months for all. The MQ of all the patients was assessed by WMS-RC before treatment,at 6-month of treatment, and 12-month of treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the improvement of MQ increased in the treatment group 0.5 and 1 year after treatment (P < 0.05). The clinical efficiency of MQ obviously increased in the treatment group (48.28% and 50.00%), showing statistical difference when compared with the control group (30.91% and 27.27%, P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was statistical difference in added scores of recognition, regeneration, understanding, and recitation test at 6-month of treatment and 12-month of treatment between the treatment group and the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: GLT was effective in improving MQ of MCI patients, especially in improving recognition, regeneration, understanding, and recitation test.

The impact of verbal behavior on audience engagement in Chinese talk shows: Based on a novel mediation model.

This study employs the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model to construct a new mediation framework, examining the impact of Chinese stand-up comedians' language on audience engagement from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Statistical analysis of data from 415 online viewers of stand-up comedy shows revealed that comedians' humorous language significantly enhanced audience engagement by positively influencing their enjoyment. Based on this, in-depth interviews were conducted with 8 viewers to understand their specific perceptions of different types of humor. The analysis results showed that Chinese audiences had a higher acceptance of affiliative humor, self-deprecating humor, and humor incorporating traditional cultural elements, while they had lower acceptance or even rejection of aggressive humor, political satire, and vulgar humor. This study enriches the research on the relationship between Chinese stand-up comedy shows and audience engagement, providing insights for improving the production of Chinese stand-up comedy shows and for Western entertainment programs entering the Chinese market.

[Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract in improving episodic memory of patients with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial].

BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment is a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. It is important in terms of recognizing memory loss in older people as well as identifying a group of individuals at high risk of developing dementia and who may benefit from preventive strategies. Ginkgo biloba extract has been shown to possess polyvalent properties, such as anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammation. Ginkgo biloba extract appears to have a neuroprotective effect against neurodegenerative diseases. OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy of Ginkgo biloba leaf tablet in improving episodic memory of mild cognitive impairment. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This is a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. The authors enrolled generally healthy, ambulatory or ambulatory-aided amnestic subjects with MCI, 60 to 85 years old, who expressed a memory complaint from Huadong Hospital, seven Community Health Centers in Shanghai, and Shanghai First Welfare Institution. A total of 120 MCI patients were randomly assigned to the Ginkgo biloba leaf tablet group (treatment group, 60 cases) and control group (60 cases). The patients in the treatment group took Ginkgo biloba leaf tablets 3 times a day, 19.2 mg each dose. The control group did not receive any intelligence-promoting or vasodilator reflex treatment except some health care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The patients were tested with nonsense picture recognition of the clinical memory scale and the logical memory test based on the Wechsler memory scale before and after treatment. RESULTS: After 6 months of treatment, the scores of the logical memory test and nonsense picture recognition were increased significantly in the treatment group (P<0.01, P<0.05), while the scores of the two tests from the control group had no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). After treatment, the positive rate of nonsense picture recognition was 55.17% in the treatment group, which was significantly higher than that of the control group at 32.73% (P<0.05). The efficacy rate of logical memory was 58.62% in the treatment group, also higher than 38.18% in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Ginkgo biloba leaf tablet showed good efficacy in promoting episodic memory function in MCI patients.

Bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation of differentially expressed genes in mouse articular chondrocytes treated with IL-1ß using microarray data.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent chronic degenerative disease that affects the health of the elderly. The present study aimed to identify significant genes involved in OA via bioinformatics analysis. A gene expression dataset (GSE104793) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Bioinformatics analysis was then performed in order to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between untreated chondrocytes and chondrocytes cultured with interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) for 24 h. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using Metascape. A protein-protein interaction network of DEGs was constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using GSEA software. Furthermore, chondrocytes were extracted and treated with IL-1ß (10 ng/ml) for 24 h, and reverse-transcription quantitative PCR was used to confirm differential expression of hub genes. Patient samples were also collected to verify the bioinformatic analysis results. Based on the cut-off criteria used for determination of the DEGs, a total of 844 DEGs, including 498 upregulated and 346 downregulated DEGs, were identified. The DEGs were mainly enriched in the GO terms and KEGG pathways 'inflammatory response', 'negative regulation of cell proliferation', 'ossification', 'taxis', 'blood vessel morphogenesis', 'extracellular structure organization', 'mitotic cell cycle process' and 'TNF signaling pathway'. The majority of the PCR results, namely the differential expression of kininogen 2, complement C3, cyclin B1, cell division cycle 20, cyclin A2, 1-phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase, BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase, kinesin family member 11, cyclin B2 and BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase B were consistent with the bioinformatics results. Collectively, the present observations provided a regulation network of IL-1ß-stimulated chondrocytes, which may provide potential targets of OA therapy.

Novel Predictors of Stroke-Associated Pneumonia: A Single Center Analysis.

Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is a common cause of disability or death. Although the researches on SAP have been relatively mature, the method that can predict SAP with great accuracy has not yet been determined. It is necessary to discover new predictors to construct a more accurate predictive model for SAP. We continuously collected 2,366 patients with acute ischemic stroke, and then divided them into the SAP group and non-SAP group. Data were recorded at admission. Through univariate analyses and multivariate regression analyses of the data, the new predictive factors and the predictive model of SAP were determined. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) were used to measure their predictive accuracy. Of the 2,366 patients, 459 were diagnosed with SAP. International normalized ratio (INR) (odds ratio = 37.981; 95% confidence interval, 7.487-192.665; P < 0.001), age and dysphagia were independent risk factors of SAP. However, walking ability within 48 h of admission (WA) (odds ratio = 0.395; 95% confidence interval, 0.287-0.543; P < 0.001) was a protective factor of SAP. Different predictors and the predictive model all could predict SAP (P < 0.001). The predictive power of the model (AUC: 0.851) which included age, homocysteine, INR, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dysphagia, and WA was greater than that of age (AUC: 0.738) and INR (AUC: 0.685). Finally, we found that a higher INR and no WA could predict SAP in patients with acute ischemic stroke. In addition, we designed a simple and practical predictive model for SAP, which showed relatively good accuracy. These findings might help identify high-risk patients with SAP and provide a reference for the timely use of preventive antibiotics.

Likely Common Role of Hypoxia in Driving 18F-FDG Uptake in Cancer, Myocardial Ischemia, Inflammation and Infection.

First introduced in 1976, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has become an indispensable tool for diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of tumors, heart disease, as well as other conditions, including inflammation and infection. Because 18F-FDG can accurately reflect the glucose metabolism level of organs and tissues, it is known as a "century molecule" and is currently the main agent for PET imaging. The degree of 18F-FDG uptake by cells is related to both the rate of glucose metabolism and glucose transporter expression. These, in turn, are strongly influenced by hypoxia, in which cells meet their energy needs through glycolysis, and 18F-FDG uptake increased due to hypoxia. 18F-FDG uptake is a complex process, and hypoxia may be one of the fundamental driving forces. The correct interpretation of 18F-FDG uptake in PET imaging can help clinics make treatment decisions more accurately and effectively. In this article, we review the application of 18F-FDG PET in tumors, myocardium, and inflammation. We discuss the relationship between 18F-FDG uptake and hypoxia, the possible mechanism of 18F-FDG uptake caused by hypoxia, and the associated clinical implications.

Predictors of urinary tract infection in acute stroke patients: A cohort study.

Patients with stroke have a high risk of infection which may be predicted by age, procalcitonin, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, National Institute of Health stroke scale (NHSS) score, diabetes, etc. These prediction methods can reduce unfavourable outcome by preventing the occurrence of infection.We aim to identify early predictors for urinary tract infection in patients after stroke.In 186 collected acute stroke patients, we divided them into urinary tract infection group, other infection type groups, and non-infected group. Data were recorded at admission. Independent risk factors and infection prediction model were determined using Logistic regression analyses. Likelihood ratio test was used to detect the prediction effect of the model. Receiver operating characteristic curve and the corresponding area under the curve were used to measure the predictive accuracy of indicators for urinary tract infection.Of the 186 subjects, there were 35 cases of urinary tract infection. Elevated interleukin-6, higher NIHSS, and decreased hemoglobin may be used to predict urinary tract infection. And the predictive model for urinary tract infection (including sex, NIHSS, interleukin-6, and hemoglobin) have the best predictive effect.This study is the first to discover that decreased hemoglobin at admission may predict urinary tract infection. The prediction model shows the best accuracy.

[Enhancement for Anaerobic Digestion of Waste Activated Sludge Based on Microwave Pretreatment Combined with Zero Valent Iron].

In this study, we investigated the enhanced performance after addition of zero valent iron (ZVI) under different dosages (low range of 5.19-41.51 g·kg-1 TS and high range of 83.35-853.46 g·kg-1 TS), combined with microwave (MW) pretreatment for anaerobic digestion (AD) of waste activated sludge (WAS). The results demonstrated that the methane production potential of WAS could be increased by 17%-24% with the addition of ZVI combined with MW pretreatment, and especially the methane production rate was enhanced in the initial days (1-4d). ZVI addition could further improve the enhanced performance of AD under MW pretreatment. Compared with the performance of AD with only MW pretreatment, the methane production potential was increased by 7.42%, and methane production flow rate at 2 d was increased by 11.02% with 31.13 g·kg-1 TS of ZVI addition. However, the higher dosage of added ZVI did not show further enhanced performance. It was concluded that ZVI addition promoted the release of dissolved organics at the initial stage of AD. For instance, soluble proteins were increased by 21.16% with the ZVI addition of 31.13 g·kg-1 TS compared with pretreated WAS without ZVI addition. Furthermore, ZVI addition accelerated the degradation of acetic acid, iso-butyric acid, and iso-valeric acid, and led to a significant reduction of orthophosphate and sulfate in the supernatant of the digested sludge. The concentration of iron in the supernatant decreased even with a high dosage of ZVI. Thus, the formation of precipitate that occurred due to reactions between iron and orthophosphate or sulfate, may be the main reason for the lack of enhanced performance even with high dosage of ZVI addition.

[Effects of the Physical Structure of Activated Sludge on Respiration Processes].

Physical properties and bioactivity are two important aspects of the activated sludge process. To solve the contradiction between these two aspects in the operation control process, the physical structure and respiration processes of sludge in different activated sludge systems were analyzed. Sludge from seven different activated sludge systems was used for the experiments, and the particle size, microscopic morphology, fractal dimension, compression settling performance, adsorption performance, and respirogram were studied and analyzed. The results showed that the correlations between physical performance indicators and respiration rate were very good. Sludge particle size (d) was negatively correlated with the endogenous specific respiration rate (SOURe) and maximum specific respiration rate (SOURt) (R2>0.9); fractal dimension (Df) was linearly and negatively correlated with SOURe and SOURt (R2>0.8); sludge compression index (SCI) and sludge volume index (SVI) were positively correlated with SOURe (R2>0.9); equilibrium adsorption (Qmax) was linearly and negatively correlated with the quasi-endogenous specific respiration rate (SOURq) and SOURe (R2>0.9). In addition, the optimal physical properties and bioactivity range of activated sludge under normal operating conditions were obtained as follows:SVI of 50-120 mL·g-1, SOURe of 6.27-7.55 mg·(g·h)-1, d of 205.80-228.12 µm, Df of 1.56-1.60, Rn/t of 0.02-0.03, and Qmax of 508-636 mg·g-1.

A simpler diagnostic formula for screening nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

OBJECTIVE: To increase the accuracy of non-invasive diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), clinical and laboratory NAFLD indicators were integrated into a diagnostic formula. METHODS: A total of 141 patients with clinically diagnosed NAFLD and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. We collected case history, body weight, height and mass index (BMI), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, blood urea nitrogen and blood uric acid (UA), serum creatinine, plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein, glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, ultrasonic tests, Fibroscans, and other data. Linear correlation, multiple linear regressions, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve methods were used to process and analyze the collected data. The performance of Fibroscan and our diagnostic formula was compared in reference to the findings of liver biopsy. RESULTS: The identified NAFLD diagnostic indices consisted of BMI, ALT, AST and UA. A regression formula was proposed as: CAP = 113.163 + 0.252 * ALT + 6.316 * BMI. Diagnosis of the area under the ROC curve was 0.927, the sensitivity was 87.68%, and specificity was 90%. The cutoff was 277.67 (p < 0.01). The accuracy of the NAFLD diagnosis with the proposed formula was significantly higher than FibroScan (82.6% vs 69.6%; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: NAFLD diagnosis with the proposed formula demonstrated both high sensitivity and specificity, and its accuracy was significantly higher than FibroScan. This formula only utilized non-invasive clinical and laboratory findings and the calculation was simple. It can be conveniently used for clinical diagnosis of NAFLD.

Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer in China (2017 Edition).

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (about 85-90% of primary liver cancer) is particularly prevalent in China because of the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection. HCC is the fourth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of tumor-related deaths in China. It poses a significant threat to the life and health of Chinese people. SUMMARY: This guideline presents official recommendations of the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China on the surveillance, diagnosis, staging, and treatment of HCC occurring in China. The guideline was written by more than 50 experts in the field of HCC in China (including liver surgeons, medical oncologists, hepatologists, interventional radiologists, and diagnostic radiologists) on the basis of recent evidence and expert opinions, balance of benefits and harms, cost-benefit strategies, and other clinical considerations. KEY MESSAGES: The guideline presents the Chinese staging system, and recommendations regarding patients with HCC in China to ensure optimum patient outcomes.

[Performance of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the detection of primary breast cancer and staging of the regional lymph nodes].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the detection of primary breast cancer, and the staging of regional lymph nodes. METHODS: Twenty four females with highly suspected breast cancer, underwent PET/CT imaging of the breast preoperatively. All the patients received no treatment at admission. Three nuclear medicine physicians analyzed the image and made the diagnosis. 32 breast lesions were evaluated by histology, revealing 25 breast carcinomas and 7 benign pathological changes. 23 patients had histological diagnosis of the breast tumor and regional lymph nodes. RESULTS: 20 of 25 breast carcinomas were successfully diagnosed by FDG-PET/CT. The sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 71.4%. No Tis breast carcinoma was detected. 75.0% of T1 breast carcinomas were detected, and with 85.7% of stage T2, 100.0% of T3. 10 patients were proved to have lymph node metastasis, and PET/CT got a sensitivity of 60.0%. As to a suspicious distant metastasis, PET/CT convinced the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: As a noninvasive technique, FDG PET/CT appears to be a useful method in staging patient with breast cancer, especially in cases in which the lesion is hard to predict by routine examination. But the accuracy of FDG PET/CT seems to be not high enough to identify patients who might avoid axillary lymph nodes dissection. In the detection of breast lesions, PET/CT doesn't seem to have a high sensitivity, especially in early stage breast cancers. The high cost and the space resolution limit its use as a routine diagnostic method of breast cancer.

The effects of chitosan oligosaccharides on OPG and RANKL expression in a rat osteoarthritis model.

PURPOSE:: To investigate the effect of chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) against osteoarthritis (OA) and preliminarily discuss the osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and RANK expression in a rat OA model. METHODS:: Thirty-six 6-week-old Male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operated group(CON), OA-induction group(OA), COS intervention group(n=12/group). At 4 weeks after the operation, COS (50 ul) intervention weekily for consecutive 5 weeks. The OA and CON groups received an injection of 50 ul physiological saline. At death, 11 weeks following surgery, cartilage was harvested and total RNA and protein were extracted. Both the morphological changes of the cartilage were observed and harvested the total RNA and protein. Meanwhile, the expression of OPG, RANKL and RANK in cartilage were determined. RESULTS:: The expression of OPG and RANKL were both enhanced in the cartilage of the OA model. Compared with the OA group, COS treatment improved the cartilage damage (both extent and grade). Furthermore, the COS group showed highly OPG and lower RANKL. Simultaneously, COS treatment upregulated the ratio of OPG/RANKL and downregulated the RANKL/RANK. CONCLUSION:: Chitosan oligosaccharides may be used as a unique biological agent to prevent and treat osteoarthritis, and this effect is associated with modulation of the expression of osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand.