[Traditional Chinese medicine may reduce the risk of readmission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis complicated with elevated platelet count: a matched cohort study].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment with the risk of readmission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated with elevated platelet count. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the data of inpatients diagnosed with RA in our hospital from 2013 to 2021. The patients with elevated platelet count receiving TCM treatment were matched to those without TCM treatment using propensity score matching at the 1∶1 ratio, and the confounding factors were adjusted including gender, age, Chinese patent medicine, and external application. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) of the risk of readmission, and a Kaplan-Meier curve was generated to assess the incidence of readmission in these patients. RESULTS: A total of 1176 RA patients with elevated platelet count were included in this study, including 842 patients in the TCM group and 334 patients in the non-TCM group, and after 1∶1 propensity score matching, 334 patients were included in each group. The Cox proportional hazards model showed that the readmission rate was significantly lower in TCM group than in non-TCM group (HR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.48-0.73, P<0.001), and TCM was a protective factor against readmission in RA patients with elevated platelet count. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that long-term use of TCM helped to decrease the risk of readmission (Log-rank P<0.001). Association rules showed that the use of several Chinese herbal medicines and the Chinese patent medicine Xinfeng Capsule had a strong correlation with improvement of such clinical indicators as rheumatoid factor, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein. CONCLUSION: In RA patients with elevated platelet count, the use of TCM, as a protective factor against readmission, is strongly associated with a lowered risk of readmission with a long-term association.

[Chaihu Guizhi Decoction plus or minus formula combined with capecitabine inhibits IL-6/STAT3 signaling to suppress triple-negative breast cancer xenografts in nude mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Chaihu Guizhi Decoction (CHGZD) combined with capecitabine on growth and apoptosis of subcutaneous triple-negative breast cancer xenografts in nude mice and explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: Nude mouse models bearing subcutaneous triple-negative breast cancer xenografts were randomized into 6 groups (n=10) for treatment with distilled water (model group), low (10.62 g/kg), medium (21.23 g/kg) and high (42.46 g/kg) doses of CHGZD, capecitabine (0.2 mg/kg), or the combination of CHGZD (42.46 g/kg) and capecitabine (0.2 mg/k) once daily for 21 consecutive days. The general condition of mice was observed, and after 21-day treatments, the tumors were dissected for measurement of tumor volume and weight and histopathological examination with HE staining. Serum IL-6 levels of the mice were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression levels of IL-6, STAT3, p-STAT3, Bax, Bcl-2 and cyclin D1 in the tumor tissues were detected using real-time PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with those in the model group, the tumor-bearing mice receiving treatments with CHGZD showed significantly increased food intake with good general condition, sensitive responses, increased body weight, and lower tumor mass (P < 0.01). Compared with capecitabine treatment alone, treatment with CHGZD alone at the medium and high doses and the combined treatment all resulted in significantly higher tumor inhibition rates (P < 0.01), induced obvious tumor tissue degeneration and reduced the tumor cell density. Treatments with CHGZD, both alone and in combination with capecitabine, significantly decreased serum IL-6 level, lowered the mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and STAT3, the protein expressions of IL-6, STAT3 and P-STAT3 (P < 0.05), and the mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2 and cyclin D1 (P < 0.05), and increased the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax in the tumor tissues (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CHGZD combined with capecitabine can significantly inhibit tumor growth in nude mice bearing triple-negative breast cancer xenografts, the mechanism of which may involve the inhibition of IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway and regulation of Bax, Bcl-2 and cyclin D1 expressions to suppress tumor cell proliferation and differentiation and induce cell apoptosis.

Identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic target candidates for stasis-heat symptom pattern of acute intracerebral hemorrhage by quantitative plasma proteomics.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the novel biomarkers and therapeutic target candidates related to the stasis-heat syndrome of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (AICH). METHODS: Applying an isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantitation-(iTRAQ-) based quantitative proteomic approach, plasma samples from AICH patients with stasis-heat, and AICH patients with non-stasis-heat and healthy control subjects were collected and analyzed to distinguish differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) correlated to AICH with stasis-heat in this block design. The standard Western blot was applied to verify DEPs. Additionally, DEPs were analyzed via bioinformatic platforms and further approved via Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). RESULTS: A total of 26 DEPs were found among AICH with the stasis-heat, AICH with non-stasis-heat, and healthy control group. The seven DEPs compared with the non-stasis-heat group are closely related to the pathogenesis of stasis heat. These proteins showed three different protein expression patterns. The alpha-1-b glycoprotein (A1BG) and copper-protein (CP) were up-regulated in the stasis-heat group, but down-regulated in the non-stasis-heat group. Compared with the non-stasis-heat group, the expression abundance of actinin, alpha 1 (ACTN1), carbonic anhydrase I (CA1), peroxiredoxin 2 (PRDX2), and vinculin (VCL) is higher in the stasis-heat group, while the CD44 is the opposite. These differences reflect that stasis-heat syndrome has more severe inflammatory immune response, coagulation disorders and damage. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that a wide variety of cellular and metabolic processes and some signaling pathways were involved in the pathophysiology of AICH with stasis-heat. AICH with stasis-heat syndrome showed more severe inflammatory reactions, tissue damage, and coagulation disorders than non-stasis heat syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences in the protein expression patterns between the stasis-heat syndrome and non-stasis-heat syndrome. These differences reflect that stasis-heat syndrome has more severe damage. CD44, CP, ACTN1, CA1, VCL, PRDX2, and A1BG could be the potential biomarkers and therapeutic target candidates of the stasis-heat subtype. This study provides a reasonable explaination for Liangxue Tongyu decoction through anti-inflammatory and brain protection treatment.

[Study on the relationship between ABCB1 gene polymorphism and hemorrhage risk after thrombolysis of cerebral ischemic stroke in Shangqiu area].

Using a cross-sectional study, 246 patients with hemorrhage and transformation after cerebral ischemic stroke(CIS) thrombolysis who were admitted to Shangqiu First People's Hospital, Shangqiu Municipal Hospital, and Shangqiu Liangyuan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from March 2018 to May 2020 were selected as the observation group, 246 patients with no hemorrhage transformation after CIS thrombolysis during the same period were selected as the control group with a ratio of 1∶1. Polymerase chain reaction and pyrosequencing methods were used to detect the single nucleotide polymorphisms of the two groups of ABCB1 genes. The frequency distribution of each genotype of the two groups of ABCB1 gene polymorphism sites was counted. The conditional logistic regression equation was used to analyze the CIS after thrombolysis. Related influencing factors of hemorrhage transformation, and compare the single nucleotide polymorphisms of ABCB1 gene in patients with different prognosis in the observation group. The results showed that the CC genotype frequency of rs1045642 in the observation group was 34.55% higher than that of the control group 25.02%, the CT genotype frequency was 12.20%, and the TT genotype frequency 3.25% was lower than that of the control group 14.63% and 9.35% (χ2=21.527, P<0.05); GG genotype frequency at rs2032582 locus in observation group was 17.89%, GT genotype frequency 21.54% was lower than control group 37.60%, 93.96%, TT genotype frequency 10.57% higher than control group 2.44%, the difference was statistically significant (χ2=80.427, P<0.05); TT genotype at rs1045642 is a protective factor for hemorrhage transformation, and TT genotype at rs2032582 is a risk factor for hemorrhage transformation (OR=2.903, P<0.05). The risk of bleeding after thrombolysis in CIS patients in Shangqiu area may be related to the TT genotype at the ABCB1 rs1045642 locus and the TT genotype at the rs2032582 locus.

Alcohol, coffee and tea intake and the risk of cognitive deficits: a dose-response meta-analysis.

AIMS: Lifestyle interventions are an important and viable approach for preventing cognitive deficits. However, the results of studies on alcohol, coffee and tea consumption in relation to cognitive decline have been divergent, likely due to confounds from dose-response effects. This meta-analysis aimed to find the dose-response relationship between alcohol, coffee or tea consumption and cognitive deficits. METHODS: Prospective cohort studies or nested case-control studies in a cohort investigating the risk factors of cognitive deficits were searched in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane and Web of Science up to 4th June 2020. Two authors searched the databases and extracted the data independently. We also assessed the quality of the studies with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Stata 15.0 software was used to perform model estimation and plot the linear or nonlinear dose-response relationship graphs. RESULTS: The search identified 29 prospective studies from America, Japan, China and some European countries. The dose-response relationships showed that compared to non-drinkers, low consumption (<11 g/day) of alcohol could reduce the risk of cognitive deficits or only dementias, but there was no significant effect of heavier drinking (>11 g/day). Low consumption of coffee reduced the risk of any cognitive deficit (<2.8 cups/day) or dementia (<2.3 cups/day). Green tea consumption was a significant protective factor for cognitive health (relative risk, 0.94; 95% confidence intervals, 0.92-0.97), with one cup of tea per day brings a 6% reduction in risk of cognitive deficits. CONCLUSIONS: Light consumption of alcohol (<11 g/day) and coffee (<2.8 cups/day) was associated with reduced risk of cognitive deficits. Cognitive benefits of green tea consumption increased with the daily consumption.

Pectin nanoemulsions in multiple emulsions: Stability and encapsulation efficiency.

Pectin nanocapsules were obtained by gelling the inner droplets, in situ, in a multiple emulsion of the water in oil in water (W/O/W) type, using the enzyme Pectin methyl esterase. The inner phase was tested for its encapsulation efficiency by addition of brilliant blue or magnesium chloride. Rheological measurements and light scattering showed similarities for gelled and non gelled droplets containing high methoxy pectin. After one month of storage, the gelled nanocapsules showed a population of larger droplets, not appearing in the other W/O/W emulsions: the non gelled pectin droplets or control with no pectin. Confocal microscopy observations demonstrated the presence of the inner water droplets in all emulsions after one month of storage at 4 °C. Brilliant blue was retained in the inner droplets containing pectin, and the retention was not affected by the gelled inner phase. Magnesium ions were retained in all treatments, even in the case of control W/O/W emulsions, not containing pectin. With both systems studied, the presence of gelled nanocapsules did not cause significant differences in the encapsulation efficiency or stability of the W/O/W emulsions.

[Medical viewpoints of Foshuo Wenshi Xiyu Zhongseng Jing].

Foshuo Wenshi Xiyu Zhongseng Jing (, Sutra on Bathing the Sangha in the Bathhouse) as an early Scripture of Han Buddhism, introduced the concept, methods and medical & health care function of bathhouse bathing in detail.The most prominent feature of it, was its distinct medical viewpoints. The medical thoughts were closely related to famous ancient Indian physician Jivaka and Buddhism's thoughts "Mahabhuta(■, great element)" and "Nidana (■, cause, motivation or occasion)" .It focused on the good concept of personal life, physical and mental health, objectively benefited human health.Even from the viewpoints of modern medicine, it is also very reasonable.In particular, its noble medical ethics and benevolence, is instructive for the return of humanistic spirit in the medical profession today.

Heterogeneous health profiles and healthcare utilization of the middle-aged and elderly with multiple health insurance schemes in China.

OBJECTIVES: China is facing an escalating demand of healthcare services from the middle-aged and elderly. Compared with the traditional view of health on symptoms and diseases, this study aimed to assess the heterogeneous health profiles of middle-aged and elderly Chinese by a person-centered approach. Furthermore, this study examined the effects of health profiles and associated factors on healthcare utilization within the context of China's multiple health insurance schemes. STUDY DESIGN: The study used the 2015 data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a nationwide population-based sample of people aged 45 years and older. METHODS: Latent class analysis (LCA) was adopted to identify the heterogeneous health profiles. Two-part models were adopted to assess the effects of associated factors on healthcare utilization. RESULTS: Among 15,250 Chinese aged 45 years and older, six heterogeneous health profiles were identified and labeled as 'Quite Healthy', 'Relatively Healthy', 'Comprehensive Comorbidities', 'Functional Impairment', 'Severe Disability', and 'Relatively Frail'. The Relatively Frail profile was the heaviest healthcare user. The Severe Disability profile took the least use of outpatient services but had relatively high utilization of inpatient services and outpatient expenditure. The Comprehensive Comorbidities profile tended to have the smallest effect on the frequency of visits for both inpatient and outpatient services, but its effect on outpatient expenditure was high. After controlling for health profiles, the significant effects of different health insurance programs on healthcare utilization were discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Introducing health profiles by the person-centered approach of LCA has provided a holistic understanding of complex healthcare demands for middle-aged and elderly Chinese. It is valuable for policy makers to improve healthcare resource allocation targeted for the middle-aged and elderly.

[Health economic evaluation of bivalent human papilloma virus vaccine in China: based on the dynamic model].

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the prevention effect and cost-effectiveness of a prophylactic bivalent human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine. Methods: A multiple health status dynamic model was developed, including natural history of diseases and prevention strategies. We built 19 prevention strategies including visual inspection with acetic acid/lugol's iodine (VIA/VILI) and/or 3 does prophylactic bivalent HPV vaccine administered to adolescent girls at the age of 15 years old every year under the assumption that vaccine coverage and screening coverage were 70%. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), optimal price of 3 does vaccine and cost-effectiveness frontier of these strategies were analyzed compared with no-intervention. The ICER threshold is 152 087 CNY. Results: Compared with no-intervention, Routine vaccination reduced the incidence of cervical cancer by 69.5%, superior to 5 strategies including VIA/VILI screening only. The range of effect was between 9.0% and 69.2%, and the effect of strategy increased significantly with the increase of screening frequency. Combination vaccination with screening at ages of 35 reduced the incidence of cervical cancer by 72.0%, and the effect increased with the increase of screening frequency. Combination vaccination with screening every 3 years between (35-64) years old reduced the incidence by 89.4%. Compared with no-intervention, the ICER of combination vaccination with screening twice between 35 years and 64 years was 121 292 CNY/life-year, which was cost-effective. The price of vaccine had a significant impact on the ICER of the strategy; when the vaccine price was less than 600 CNY, only routine vaccination or supplementary vaccination between 16-39 years old after routine vaccination was cost-effective; when the vaccine price was less than 1 200 CNY, supplementary vaccination between 16-19 years old plus VIA/VILI was cost-effective. Conclusion: Ther prevention strategy was cost-effective, which could effectively reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by implementation of HPV vaccination combined with VIA/VILI in suitable aging females.

Hyperhomocysteinemia Is Associated with Vitamin B-12 Deficiency: A Cross-sectional Study in a Rural, Elderly Population of Shanxi China.

OBJECTIVES: To report the association of lifestyle factors and plasma vitamin B-12 with hyperhomocysteinemia in a large sample of men and women living in a region of China where there is an increased risk of NTDs. DESIGN: Community-based, cross-sectional study of Lvliang City, Shanxi Province, China. SETTING: Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a sensitive marker of vitamin B-12 and folate deficiency. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2355 (1044 men and 1311 women) participants born before 1 January 1958 (≥55 years of age) and living in Lvliang City for at least 2 months a year were included. MEASUREMENTS: The participants were assessed regarding demographic characteristics, height, weight, as well as having a physical examination and blood sampling for serum cholesterol, total homocysteine (tHcy), folate, and vitamin B12 levels. RESULTS: The median (25th-75th percentile) tHcy concentration was 21.5 (15.8-33.6) µmol/L in men and 18.0 (13.4-24.8) µmol/L in women. The overall prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (tHcy ≥15 µmol/L) was 72.6% (84.3% in men and 63.2% in women), inversely correlated with folate (r=-0.230, P=0.006) and vitamin B-12 (r=-0.540, P<0.001), and positively correlated with uric acid (r=0.054, P<0.001). Vitamin B-12 and folate deficiency, older age, and male gender were associated with elevated tHcy; with vitamin B-12 deficiency being the strongest. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma tHcy concentration and hyperhomocysteinemia were significantly higher in this population than in previously studied populations. Vitamin B-12 and folate supplementation, concomitant lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation, and lipid-lowering treatments may help to decrease plasma tHcy concentrations and reduce the CVD risk in this population.

Detection of drug-resistance mechanism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa developing from a sensitive strain to a persister during carbapenem treatment.

We explored the mechanism of the development from sensitivity to resistance to carbapenem in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Two P. aeruginosa strains were collected during treatment with carbapenem. Strain homology was investigated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Porin oprD2 expression was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of imipenem and meropenem with or without MC207110 were determined using the agar dilution method. The expression level of efflux pump mRNA was tested using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Metallo-lactamases (MBLs) were screened using the EDTA-disk synergy test. Genes encoding MBLs were amplified and then analyzed by DNA sequencing. The two treated strains belonged to the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis type. The SDS-PAGE profile of the P. aeruginosa strains revealed that the 46-kDa membrane protein OprD2 of IMP(R)MEM(R) type strains was lost, whereas OprD2 of 1 IMP(S)MEM(S) strain was normal. With or without MC207110 treatment, the MIC of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa decreased by 4-fold, while the MIC of carbapenem-sensitive P. aeruginosa did not. Compared with the carbapenem-sensitive strain, MexX mRNA expression in the carbapenem-resistant strain increased by 102.5-fold, while the mRNA expression of other efflux pumps did not markedly increase. Neither carbapenem-resistant nor carbapenem-sensitive P. aeruginosa produced MBL. The mechanism of development from sensitivity to resistance of P. aeruginosa to carbapenem during carbapenem treatment is due to porin oprD2 loss and an increased expression level of MexXY-OprM.

Effects of dietary supplementation with green tea polyphenols on digestion and meat quality in lambs infected with Haemonchus contortus.

Ujumqin sheep are susceptible to infection by the gastrointestinal nematode Haemonchus contortus, which reduces productivity and total meat yield in sheep. Thus, the effects of green tea polyphenol (GTP) supplements (0, 2, 4, or 6g of GTP/kg feed) on dietary nutrient digestibility and meat quality in lambs infected with H. contortus were examined; control lambs were not infected. H. contortus infections did not affect digestion but the apparent digestibilities of nutrients were decreased by dietary 2g of GTP/kg feed supplementation. There was an interaction between treatment and sampling time on plasma total protein, urea nitrogen, and amino acid concentrations. The antioxidant activity and meat color of INFGTP0 lambs decreased. In conclusion, H. contortus infections in lambs decreased meat quality, but appropriate levels of dietary GTP supplementation diminished these negative effects though lower dose of GTP supplement showed negative effects on digestion.

Pilot-scale comparison of four duckweed strains from different genera for potential application in nutrient recovery from wastewater and valuable biomass production.

The application potential of four duckweed strains from four genera, Wolffia globosa 0222, Lemna japonica 0223, Landoltia punctata 0224 and Spirodela polyrhiza 0225, were compared in four parallel pilot-scale wastewater treatment systems for more than 1 year. The results indicated that each duckweed strain had unique potential advantages. Unlike L. japonica 0223 and La. punctata 0224, which grow throughout the year, S. polyrhiza 0225 and W. globosa 0222 do not survive cold weather. For year round performance, L. japonica 0223 was best not only in dry biomass production (6.10 g·m(-2) ·day(-1) ), but also in crude protein (35.50%), total amino acid (26.83%) and phosphorus (1.38%) content, plus recovery rates of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and CO2 (0.31, 0.085 and 7.76 g·m(-2) ·day(-1) , respectively) and removal rates of TN and TP (0.66 and 0.089 g·m(-2) ·day(-1) , respectively). This strongly demonstrates that L. japonica 0223 performed best in wastewater treatment and protein biomass production. Under nutrient starvation conditions, La. punctata 0224 had the highest starch content (45.84%), dry biomass production (4.81 g·m(-2) ·day(-1) ) and starch accumulation (2.9 g·m(-2) ·day(-1) ), making it best for starch biomass production. W. globosa 0222 and S. polyrhiza 0225 showed increased flavonoid biomass production, with higher total flavonoid content (5.85% and 4.22%, respectively) and high dominant flavonoids (>60%). This study provides useful information for selecting the appropriate local duckweed strains for further application in wastewater treatment and valuable biomass production.

Nutritional status of the elderly in rural North China: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe the nutritional status of elderly people living in a rural area of North China. DESIGN: Community-based, cross-sectional prevalence survey. SETTING: 3 rural towns of Lvliang City, Shanxi Province, China. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 1845 community residents (29.1% of those eligible) 55 years or older (birth before 1958-01-01). MEASUREMENTS: The participants were assessed regarding demographic characteristics, height, weight, as well as having a physical examination and blood sampling for serum cholesterol, total homocysteine (tHcy), folate, and vitamin B12 levels. RESULTS: 991 (53.7%) were female and 139 (7.5%) did not complete the anthropometric measurement. Prevalence of underweight and obesity was 3.5% and 24.9% in men and 6.7% and 31.0% in women (P = 0.003, P = 0.005, respectively). Prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypocholesterolemia was 13.5% and 52.6% in men and 25.0% and 34.3% in women (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Prevalence of high LDL-c concentrations was 8.8% in men and 16.8% in women (P < 0.001). The mean serum tHcy in men (28.8 ± 20.1 µmmol/l) was significantly higher than in women (21.0 ± 15.1 µmmol/L, P < 0.001). Prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (defined as > 15µmmol/L) was 79.7% in men and 65.5% in women (P < 0.001). Prevalence of low folate (defined as < 11 nmol/L) and vitamin B12 levels (defiend as < 185 pmol/L) was 70.8 % and 76.8% in men and 56.5% and 72.6% in women (P < 0.001, P = 0.036, respectively). Correlation coefficients between tHcy, folate, and vitamin B12 indicated an inverse linear correlation (r = -0.21, P < 0.001, r = -0.35, P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: As China's economic climate has developed, the nutritional status of elderly people in the rural parts of the country has improved in some aspects. However, the trend toward obesity will lead to a shift in the burden of obesity-related chronic diseases. In addition, rurally-located elderly people are at high risk of death that may be associated with abnormal serum cholesterol. The data also suggest that severe deficiencies in folate and vitamin B12 levels exist, as well as there being a high prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia. Folate and vitamin B12 supplementation are necessary to prevent related diseases.

Crystal chemical characteristics of ellestadite-type apatite: implications for toxic metal immobilization.

The ellestadite apatites Ca10[(SiO4)x(PO4)6-2x(SO4)x]Cl2 were studied by powder X-ray and neutron diffraction to establish baseline crystallographic data. These synthetic materials, unlike mineral specimens that are well equilibrated, show no Si/P/S ordering and conform to P63/m symmetry. Phosphate-rich ellestadites where 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 show chemical stability towards Toxicity Characterization Leaching Procedure (TCLP) testing and are potential immobilization matrices for mixed toxic metal wastes.

ERCC1, defective mismatch repair status as predictive biomarkers of survival for stage III colon cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) expression status has been identified as a candidate marker for predicting efficacy of oxaliplatin (OX) treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) in several trials. Also, an association between expression of mismatch repair (MMR) genes and favourable postoperative survival in stage II CRC receiving 5-FU chemotherapy has been identified. It is unknown if the expression of ERCC1 protein and MMR status are associated with survival of stage III colon cancer receiving OX-based chemotherapy. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis of the expression of MMR and ERCC1 was performed on tumour tissue of 255 patients with stage III colon cancer. In all, 95 patients received fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy and 160 patients received OX-based chemotherapy. A predictive model for 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was constructed using Kaplan-Meier analysis, logistic and Cox regression. RESULTS: Patients who were treated with OX-based therapy with positive ERCC1 tumours had lower 5-year DFS (54%) and OS (60%) than those with negative ERCC1 tumours (72% and 78%, respectively; DFS HR: 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-3.31, P=0.009; OS HR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.37-4.34, P=0.02). Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 status did not impact DFS or OS in fluorouracil group (DFS HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.63-2.14, P=0.62; OS HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.63-2.14, P=0.63), whereas MMR status had no impact on DFS or OS in either group. CONCLUSION: Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 status is highly predictive of which patients will benefit from the addition of OX to 5-FU for stage III colon cancer. Mismatch repair status had no predictive value in this setting.

Prescription of atropine eye drops among children diagnosed with myopia in Taiwan from 2000 to 2007: a nationwide study.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the atropine eye drop prescription trend for children diagnosed with myopia, and to determine the factors associated with the prescription of atropine eye drops. DESIGN: This was a population-based cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study was conducted using a national representative sample from the National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data. All school children between 4 and 18 years of age who had visited an ophthalmologist and were diagnosed with myopia between 2000 and 2007 were included herein. The main outcome measure was the proportion of subjects who were prescribed atropine eye drops in each year. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with atropine eye drops being prescribed. RESULTS: The prescription of atropine eye drops for children diagnosed with myopia increased significantly from the school years 2000 (36.9%) to 2007 (49.5%). There was also a shift from prescribing high concentrations (0.5 and 1%) of atropine eye drops to lower concentration ones (0.3, 0.25, and 0.1%) within this period. Atropine eye drops were more frequently prescribed to 9-12-year-old children (OR=1.26-1.42, compared with those 7-8 years old), and to children from families with a high socioeconomic status (OR=1.19-1.25); however, they were less prescribed to those living in mid to low urbanized areas (OR=0.65-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed an increasing trend of atropine eye drop prescription for children with myopia in Taiwan. Our study provides eye-care professionals worldwide a reference for the potential integration of atropine eye drops into their clinical practice toward children with myopia.

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on hemichannel pannexin-1 and neural plasticity in rat model of cerebral infarction.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) on hemichannel pannexin-1 (PX1) in cortical neurons and neural plasticity, and explore the optimal time window of TDCS therapy after stroke. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=90) were randomly assigned to sham operation, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and TDCS groups, and underwent sham operation, unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) electrocoagulation, and unilateral MCA electrocoagulation plus TDCS (daily anodal and cathodal 10 Hz, 0.1 mA TDCS for 30 min beginning day 1 after stroke), respectively. Motor function was assessed using the beam walking test (BWT), and density of dendritic spines (DS) and PX1 mRNA expression were compared among groups on days 3, 7, and 14 after stroke. Effects of PX1 blockage on DS in hippocampal neurons after hypoxia-ischemia were observed. TDCS significantly improved motor function on days 7 and 14 after stroke as indicated by reduced BWT scores compared with the MCAO group. The density of DS was decreased after stroke; the TDCS group had increased DS density compared with the MCAO group on days 3, 7, and 14 (all P<0.0001). Cerebral infarction induced increased PX1 mRNA expression on days 3, 7, and 14 (P<0.0001), and the peak PX1 mRNA expression was observed on day 7. TDCS did not decrease the up-regulated PX1 mRNA expression after stroke on day 3, but did reduce the increased post-stroke PX1 mRNA expression on days 7 and 14 (P<0.0001). TDCS increased the DS density after stroke, indicating that it may promote neural plasticity after stroke. TDCS intervention from day 7 to day 14 after stroke demonstrated motor function improvement and can down-regulate the elevated PX1 mRNA expression after stroke.

Dietary L-arginine supplementation beneficially regulates body fat deposition of meat-type ducks.

1. Unlike mammals, uricotelic species, such as the duck, cannot synthesise endogenous arginine (Arg). This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that dietary L-Arg supplementation might regulate body fat deposition in ducks without affecting their fast growth rate. 2. A total of 160 21-d-old male and female White Pekin ducks were assigned randomly to two treatments: a non-supplemented control and supplementation at 10 g/kg L-Arg of a maize and soybean meal-based diet. 3. The 3-week feeding trial showed that the addition of L-Arg had no significant effect on feed intake, but significantly increased body weight gain by 5·2 %, breast muscle weight relative to live body weight by 9·9%, carcase crude protein content by 9·2%, ether extract content in breast muscle by 11·9%. Arg supplementation significantly decreased skin with fat and abdominal fat pad contents by 7·6% and 4·9% respectively and the ether extract content of carcase by 7·2%. 4. The results of this study indicate that a diet with 10 g/kg supplemental L-Arg could reduce the fat deposition of carcase and abdominal adipose cell size (diameter and volume), enhance intramuscular fat in breast muscles, as well as increase muscle and protein gain. The decreased fat depot in the carcase may be attributed to a reduction of hepatic lipogenic enzyme activity.

End-stage renal disease in both husband and wife in Taiwan.

AIM: The incidence and prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are extremely high in Taiwan. It is an interesting fact that both the husband and wife in some families of Taiwan suffer from ESRD. Therefore, we attempted to identify the potential risk factors of such couples. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study. Six couples receiving maintenance dialysis in our hospital from 1996 to 2006 were enrolled in this study. Detailed medical history; drugs history including over-the-counter drugs (OCD), analgesics and herbal remedies; occupational history and onset of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) were recorded. These data are correlated with pre-dialysis laboratory findings. The outcomes of dialysis and TCC were also recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Two males were Chinese herbal medicine practitioners. All the patients (12/12) had taken Chinese herbs and most of them (10/12) had also taken OCD (especially cold remedies and analgesics). We found all of them had bilateral contracted kidneys, mild proteinuria and trace glucosuria. One patient's renal biopsy revealed Chinese herb nephropathy. Four patients (33%) suffered from TCC. Three patients expired during follow up due to hyperkalemia, extensive TCC and suicide, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Chinese herbs or compound analgesics abuse is high in couples with ESRD. The clinical features and high incidence of TCC are compatible with drug related chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis. Abuse of offending agents should be considered as a risk factor in family members with ESRD.