Correlations and consistency of body composition measurement indicators and BMI: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: It is critical to accurately determine the level of obesity and health status since overweight/obesity has become a main global public health problem. This systematic review attempted to evaluate the consistency and correlation between body composition measurement indicators and body mass index (BMI) in childhood and adolescence. METHODS: Seven electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, WANFANG DATA, SinoMed) were searched to collect the literature published since 1999 with the focus on the relationship between body composition measurement indicators and BMI to measure obesity in childhood and adolescence. RESULTS: Among the 28 articles included, 13 articles reported a moderate to very strong correlation between %BF and BMI in obesity measurement (range: 0.49-0.907), while two articles reported a strong to very strong correlation between FM and BMI (range: 0.60-0.86). Six articles reported good to excellent obesity measurement consistency between %BF and BMI (range: 0.441-0.876), one article reported WC (0.58) and WHtR (0.46) in the moderate consistency with BMI, and one article reported a relatively poor to fair consistency between FM and BMI (range: 0.167-0.409). WC, WHtR, and BMI showed the moderate consistency in pre-adolescent children. In pre-adolescence and adolescence, the measurement consistency between %BF and BMI was higher than that between FM and BMI. Gender difference existed in the consistency between %BF and BMI during adolescence. CONCLUSION: A range of body composition indicators such as %BF, WC, WHtR, and FM could provide valuable body composition measurements, complement BMI for obesity assessment in children and adolescents, and facilitate efficient and comprehensive surveillance of childhood obesity. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42024506932.

Air pollutant exposure is associated with visual trajectories and visual impairment in children.

Air pollution is associated with vision loss in children, but the relationship with vision trajectories has not been explored. The study was conducted as a prospective cohort in 16 districts of Shanghai from 2021 to 2023, involving 5612 children with complete survey data. Each child underwent 3-4 eye tests, including unaided visual acuity and computerized refraction. Children's air pollutant exposure levels (PM2.5, PM10, O3, SO2, NO2, and CO) were assessed using school addresses and examination dates. Latent class mixture modeling was used to identify the trajectories of changes in vision-related measurements in children. Multinomial logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to examine the association of air pollutant exposure and visual trajectories, as well as visual impairment outcomes. The study identified three trajectory categories for children's unaided visual acuity, spherical equivalent, and four trajectory categories for axial length. Increased levels of PM2.5, PM10, O3, and SO2 exposure are associated with an increased risk of categorizing vision-related measurements into the "poor" category trajectory in children. Increased exposure to PM2.5, O3, and NO2 was associated with an increased risk of visual impairment outcomes in children with normal vision at baseline, and the effect was more significant in female and older children.

Association between breakfast patterns and executive function among adolescents in Shanghai, China.

Introduction: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between breakfast patterns and executive function among adolescents in Shanghai, China. Methods: In 2022, we randomly recruited 3,012 adolescents aged 12-13 years from all administrative districts in Shanghai. Breakfast information was collected by parents using a one-day recall method. Executive function was measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Parent Version. Latent Class Analysis was performed to identify breakfast patterns based on the food groups in the Diet Quality Questionnaire for China. Results: Breakfast patterns were classified into three categories: "Egg and milk foods", "Grain foods", and "Abundant foods", except for adolescents who skipped breakfast. Logistic regression was used to estimate the multivariate odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association between breakfast patterns and potential executive dysfunction. Adolescents in the "Abundant foods" class had a lower risk of executive dysfunction in terms of initiate (OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17-0.76), and organization of materials (OR: 0.18; 95% CI: 0.04-0.94), compared to those who skipped breakfast. Similarly, the breakfast patterns of "Grain foods" and "Egg and milk foods" were associated with a lower risk of executive dysfunction, including initiate and working memory. Discussion: Our findings suggest that breakfast patterns were associated with executive function. The improvement of breakfast patterns among adolescents should be a significant public health intervention.

Knowledge level and access barriers related to sexual and reproductive health information among youth with disabilities in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Youth with disabilities have the same right to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) as their peers without disabilities. However, their needs and rights are often ignored. Little is known about the knowledge, needs and access barriers related to SRH information among youth with different types of disabilities in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 473 unmarried youth aged 15-24 with visual, hearing, physical disabilities in both urban and rural areas in China. RESULTS: Out of a maximum possible score of 100, respondent's median score ranged from 30 to 50 for knowledge related to sexual physiology, STIs/HIV/AIDS and contraception. For these three categories of knowledge, respondents with hearing and physical disabilities or from rural areas scored lower than their counterparts with visual disabilities or from urban areas. The multivariate analyses showed that the residential area and education level were strong correlates of knowledge among respondents with visual and hearing disabilities. Other significant correlates were age for respondents with visual impairment and physical impairment, and single child status in the family and father's education level for respondents with hearing impairment. Sources of and barriers and preferences in accessing SRH information differed by type of disabilities, residential areas and gender. In general, school teachers were the primary and most preferred sources of SRH knowledge, followed by the Internet, peers/friends and parents. Unaware of where to get accurate information and feeling embarrassed to seek information were the two most frequently mentioned barriers in accessing SRH information. CONCLUSION: Respondents had poor knowledge of SRH and limited access to SRH information, especially those from rural areas. Efforts should be made to promote school and family-based sexuality education tailored for youth with different types of disabilities.

Youth with disabilities have the same sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs as their peers without disabilities and the equal right to attain the highest standard of SRH. However, their SRH needs and rights are often overlooked or neglected. Studies on SRH among unmarried youth with disabilities are very limited in China. This study used data collected from 473 unmarried youths with different types of disabilities from both urban and rural areas in China, to understand their SRH knowledge and its associated factors, as well as barriers and preferences in accessing sexuality-related information. This study demonstrated that unmarried youth with disabilities lacked knowledge of SRH, especially those with hearing or physical disabilities and those from rural areas. In general, residential area and education level were significant correlates of knowledge among respondents. Sources of and barriers and preferences in accessing SRH information varied across types of disabilities, residential areas and gender. In general, school teachers were the primary and most preferred sources of knowledge, followed by the Internet, peers and parents. Unaware of the available sources of accurate information and feeling embarrassed to seek information were the most frequently mentioned barriers in accessing SRH information. The findings of the study highlight the need to reduce the barriers to sexuality education for unmarried youth with different types of disabilities. Efforts should be made to promote school and family-based sexuality education tailored for youth with different types of disabilities and empower them to seek information proactively.

Independent risk factors for high-risk human papillomavirus infection among rural women in Shanxi Province, China: a population-based, case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection is associated with most cervical cancers. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of and independent risk factors for hrHPV infection among women residing in rural areas of Shanxi Province, China. METHODS: Data from the records of the cervical cancer screening programs for rural women in Shanxi Province were retrospectively collected. Women receiving primary HPV screening between January 2014 and December 2019 were included. The detection rate of hrHPV was calculated, and the independent risk factors for hrHPV infection were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the women included, the overall infection rate of hrHPV was 14.01% (15,605/111,353), with the top five subtypes being HPV16 (24.79%), HPV52 (14.04%), HPV58 (10.26%), HPV18 (7.25%), and HPV53 (5.00%). The independent risk factors for hrHPV infection were specific geographical regions, testing years, older age, lower education level, inadequate previous screening, bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas vaginitis, and cervical polyps. CONCLUSION: Rural women over 40 years of age, especially those who had never received screening, have a significantly increased risk for hrHPV infection and should be the target population with priority in cervical cancer screening.

Sequential Covariance Intersection Fusion Robust Time-Varying Kalman Filters with Uncertainties of Noise Variances for Advanced Manufacturing.

This paper addresses the robust Kalman filtering problem for multisensor time-varying systems with uncertainties of noise variances. Using the minimax robust estimation principle, based on the worst-case conservative system with the conservative upper bounds of noise variances, the robust local time-varying Kalman filters are presented. Further, the batch covariance intersection (BCI) fusion and a fast sequential covariance intersection (SCI) fusion robust time-varying Kalman filters are presented. They have the robustness that the actual filtering error variances or their traces are guaranteed to have a minimal upper bound for all admissible uncertainties of noise variances. Their robustness is proved based on the proposed Lyapunov equations approach. The concepts of the robust and actual accuracies are presented, and the robust accuracy relations are proved. It is also proved that the robust accuracies of the BCI and SCI fusers are higher than that of each local Kalman filter, the robust accuracy of the BCI fuser is higher than that of the SCI fuser, and the actual accuracies of each robust Kalman filter are higher than its robust accuracy for all admissible uncertainties of noise variances. The corresponding steady-state robust local and fused Kalman filters are also presented for multisensor time-invariant systems, and the convergence in a realization between the local and fused time-varying and steady-state Kalman filters is proved by the dynamic error system analysis (DESA) method and dynamic variance error system analysis (DVESA) method. A simulation example is given to verify the robustness and the correctness of the robust accuracy relations.

Changes in obesity and lifestyle behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chinese adolescents: A longitudinal analysis from 2019 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: Since December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. What changes have taken place in the obesity and obesity-related lifestyle behaviours of adolescents during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic? OBJECTIVE: This study aims at analysing the changes in obesity and lifestyle behaviours of Chinese adolescents before and 1 year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing evidence for the global strategies to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent obesity. METHODS: Physical examinations and student health and influencing factors questionnaires were conducted among 6047 adolescents aged 11-16 years by health professionals in Shanghai, China, before the COVID-19 pandemic (September-November of 2019) and 1 year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (September-November of 2020). Paired χ2 tests, paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to evaluate the changes in the obesity prevalence, BMI and lifestyle behaviours from 2019 to 2020. RESULTS: 1 year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the obesity prevalence of Chinese adolescents rose from 14.2% to 15.4% (p < 0.01), mainly because of the increase in boys. And the average BMI increased from 20.3 to 21.2 kg/m2 (p < 0.01). Their lifestyle behaviours have also significantly changed. The mobile screen time increased from 0.25-1.50 h/day to 0.33-2.00 h/day (p < 0.01). The proportion of adolescents who participated in MVPA for ≥60 min/day on all 7 days during the past week dropped from 14.4% to 11.7% (p < 0.01). The generalized estimation equation analysis indicated that adolescents who participated in MVPA for ≥60 min/day on all 7 days had a lower likelihood of having obesity. Boys with computer time ≥2 h/day and girls with mobile screen time ≥2 h/day or TV time ≥2 h/day had a higher likelihood of having obesity. CONCLUSION: This study found that 1 year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BMI and obesity prevalence of Chinese adolescents increased and obesity-related lifestyle behaviours have also changed.

MawuAP1 promotes flowering and fruit development in the basal angiosperm Magnolia wufengensis (Magnoliaceae).

The APETALA1/SQUAMOSA (AP1/SQUA)-like genes of flowering plants play crucial roles in the development processes of floral meristems, sepals, petals and fruits. Although many of the AP1/SQUA-like genes have been characterized in angiosperms, few have been identified in basal angiosperm taxa. Therefore, the functional evolution of the AP1/SQUA subfamily is still unclear. We characterized an AP1 homolog, MawuAP1, from Magnolia wufengensis that is an ornamental woody plant belonging to the basal angiosperms. Gene sequence and phylogenetic analyses suggested that MawuAP1 was clustered with the FUL-like homologous genes of basal angiosperms and had FUL motif and paleoAP1 motif domain, but it did not have the euAP1 motif domain of core eudicots. Expression pattern analysis showed that MawuAP1 was highly expressed in vegetative and floral organs, particularly in the early stage of flower bud development and pre-anthesis. Protein-protein interaction pattern analysis revealed that MawuAP1 has interaction with an A-class gene (MawuAP1), C-class gene (MawuAG-1) and E-class gene (MawuAGL9) of the MADS-box family genes. Ectopic expression in Arabidopsis thaliana indicated that MawuAP1 could significantly promote flowering and fruit development, but it could not restore the sepal and petal formation of ap1 mutants. These results demonstrated that there are functional differences in the specification of sepal and petal floral organs and development of fruits among the AP1/SQUA-like genes, and functional conservation in the regulation of floral meristem. These findings provide strong evidence for the important functions of MawuAP1 in floral meristem determination, promoting flowering and fruit development, and further highlight the importance of AP1/SQUA subfamily in biological evolution and diversity.

[Effects of carbon monoxide release molecule-2 on sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of carbon monoxide release molecule-2 (CORM-2) on sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction in rats. METHODS: 140 healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into sham operation (Sham) group, model group, CORM-2 pretreatment group, inactivated carbon monoxide release molecule-2 (iCORM) pretreatment group, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) control group by random number table, with 28 rats in each group. The rat sepsis model was reproduced by intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The rats in the Sham group were injected intraperitoneally with the same dose of normal saline (NS). The rats in the CORM-2 and iCORM-2 pretreatment groups were injected intraperitoneally with 8 mg/kg CORM-2 or iCORM-2 at 1 hour before LPS injection, respectively, and those in the DMSO group were injected intraperitoneally with the same dose of DMSO, but the rats in the Sham group and the model group were not treated after injection of NS or LPS. Twenty rats were randomly selected from each group to observe 10-day survival rate. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed on the remaining 8 rats at 12 hours after modeling, and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fraction shortening (LVFS) were calculated to evaluate heart function. The blood of the inferior vena cava was harvested, then serum myocardial troponin I (cTnI) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Then the rats were sacrificed, and the myocardial tissues were harvested, the pathological morphology and ultrastructure of myocardium were observed. RESULTS: (1) Survival rates: all rats in the Sham group survived; compared with the Sham group, the survival rates of the model group, CORM-2 pretreatment group, iCORM-2 pretreatment group and DMSO control group were significantly decreased at 10 days [10% (2/20), 70% (14/20), 25% (5/20), 15% (3/20) vs. 100% (20/20), all P < 0.01]. However, the 10-day survival rate in the CORM-2 pretreatment group was significantly higher than those in the model group, iCORM-2 pretreatment group and DMSO control group (all P < 0.01). (2) Cardiac function: compared with the Sham group, LVEF and LVFS in the model group, CORM-2 pretreatment group, iCORM-2 pretreatment group and DMSO control group were significantly decreased, and left ventricular dilatation was obvious, indicating myocardial dysfunction in rats. However, LVEF and LVFS in the CORM-2 pretreatment group were significantly higher than those in the model group, iCORM-2 pretreatment group, and DMSO control group [LVEF: 0.760±0.029 vs. 0.634±0.021, 0.629±0.066, 0.673±0.023; LVFS: (39.32±2.38)% vs. (29.75±1.52)%, (29.61±4.15)%, (32.43±1.66)%, all P < 0.05], and the left ventricular dilatation in the septic rats was attenuated. (3) Myocardial injury markers: compared with the Sham group, serum cTnI and BNP levels were significantly higher in the model group, CORM-2 pretreatment group, iCORM-2 pretreatment group and DMSO control group. However, the levels of cTnI and BNP in the CORM-2 pretreatment group were significantly lower than those in the model group, iCORM-2 pretreatment group and DMSO control group [cTnI (ng/L): 3 283.54±803.50 vs. 6 449.18±1 105.10, 5 919.21±1 068.27, 6 349.80±1 153.08; BNP (ng/L): 3 456.62±905.85 vs. 6 070.18±1 287.62, 5 581.13±1 161.17, 5 974.89±988.89, all P < 0.05]. (4) Myocardial histopathological observation: optical microscope showed that the pathological changes in myocardial tissue of the model group, iCORM-2 pretreatment group and DMSO control group were severe. Transmission electron microscopy showed mitochondrial swelling, and some vacuoles changed. But the myocardial pathological morphology and mitochondrial ultrastructural integrity of the CORM-2 pretreatment group were significantly better than other groups of sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: CORM-2 can attenuate myocardial dysfunction and improve survival rate of septic rats, especially to protect myocardial mitochondrial integrity in sepsis.

The Relationship between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Taste Receptor Genes, Taste Function and Dietary Intake in Preschool-Aged Children and Adults in the Guelph Family Health Study.

Taste is a fundamental determinant of food selection, and inter-individual variations in taste perception may be important risk factors for poor eating habits and obesity. Characterizing differences in taste perception and their influences on dietary intake may lead to an improved understanding of obesity risk and a potential to develop personalized nutrition recommendations. This study explored associations between 93 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in sweet, fat, bitter, salt, sour, and umami taste receptors and psychophysical measures of taste. Forty-four families from the Guelph Family Health Study participated, including 60 children and 65 adults. Saliva was collected for genetic analysis and parents completed a three-day food record for their children. Parents underwent a test for suprathreshold sensitivity (ST) and taste preference (PR) for sweet, fat, salt, umami, and sour as well as a phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taste status test. Children underwent PR tests and a PTC taste status test. Analysis of SNPs and psychophysical measures of taste yielded 23 significant associations in parents and 11 in children. After adjusting for multiple hypothesis testing, the rs713598 in the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor gene and rs236514 in the KCNJ2 sour taste-associated gene remained significantly associated with PTC ST and sour PR in parents, respectively. In children, rs173135 in KCNJ2 and rs4790522 in the TRPV1 salt taste-associated gene remained significantly associated with sour and salt taste PRs, respectively. A multiple trait analysis of PR and nutrient composition of diet in the children revealed that rs9701796 in the TAS1R2 sweet taste receptor gene was associated with both sweet PR and percent energy from added sugar in the diet. These findings provide evidence that for bitter, sour, salt, and sweet taste, certain genetic variants are associated with taste function and may be implicated in eating patterns. (Support was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs).

A Study on the Susceptibility to SCC of 7050 Aluminum Alloy by DCB Specimens.

The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of different aging states for 7050 aluminum alloy in 3.5% sodium chloride aqueous solution has been studied by means of double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens, cathodic polarization, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and time-of-flying second ion mass spectrometer (ToF-SIMS). The results showed that the susceptibility to SCC (Iscc) of 7050 aluminum alloy decreases with increasing the aging time. When a cathodic polarization potential of -1100 mV was applied to DCB specimens, the ion current intensity of hydrogen (IH⁺) near the crack tip and Iscc increased obviously, thus the degree of the diffusion of hydrogen into the grain boundary become more serious. The observation of microstructure indicated that the precipitates on the grain boundary become coarse and are sparsely distributed with increasing the aging time of 7050 aluminum alloy.

Optimized codon usage enhances the expression and immunogenicity of DNA vaccine encoding Taenia solium oncosphere TSOL18 gene.

Cysticercosis due to larval cysts of Taenia solium, is a serious public health problem affecting humans in numerous regions worldwide. The oncospheral stage-specific TSOL18 antigen is a promising candidate for an anti-cysticercosis vaccine. It has been reported that the immunogenicity of the DNA vaccine may be enhanced through codon optimization of candidate genes. The aim of the present study was to further increase the efficacy of the cysticercosis DNA vaccine; therefore, a codon optimized recombinant expression plasmid pVAX1/TSOL18 was developed in order to enhance expression and immunogenicity of TSOL18. The gene encoding TSOL18 of Taenia solium was optimized, and the resulting opt-TSOL18 gene was amplified and expressed. The results of the present study showed that the codon-optimized TSOL18 gene was successfully expressed in CHO-K1 cells, and immunized mice vaccinated with opt-TSOL18 recombinant expression plasmids demonstrated opt­TSOL18 expression in muscle fibers, as determined by immunohistochemistry. In addition, the codon-optimized TSOL18 gene produced a significantly greater effect compared with that of TSOL18 and active spleen cells were markedly stimulated in vaccinated mice. 3H-thymidine incorporation was significantly greater in the opt-TSOL18 group compared with that of the TSOL18, pVAX and blank control groups (P<0.01). In conclusion, the eukaryotic expression vector containing the codon-optimized TSOL18 gene was successfully constructed and was confirmed to be expressed in vivo and in vitro. The expression and immunogenicity of the codon-optimized TSOL18 gene were markedly greater compared with that of the un-optimized gene. Therefore, these results may provide the basis for an optimized TSOL18 gene vaccine against cysticercosis.

PBK/TOPK expression correlates with mutant p53 and affects patients' prognosis and cell proliferation and viability in lung adenocarcinoma.

The PDZ-binding kinase/T-LAK cell-originated protein kinase (PBK/TOPK) is highly expressed in many types of tumors. However, its role in lung adenocarcinoma remains elusive. The aims of this study were to investigate the correlation between PBK/TOPK and mutant p53 in lung adenocarcinoma and to evaluate the effect of PBK/TOPK on cell proliferation and viability. Expression of PBK/TOPK and mutant p53 was detected in 127 cases of lung adenocarcinoma and was examined in the A549, GLC-82, and H358 lung adenocarcinoma cell lines by immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot assay. When PBK/TOPK expression was down-regulated by TOPK-specific siRNA in the A549 and GLC-82 lines, the effects of PBK/TOPK on cell proliferation, viability, and mutant p53 expression were evaluated. Expression of PBK/TOPK correlated positively with mutant p53 in both tumor tissues and cell lines. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that PBK/TOPK, mutant p53, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, high TNM stage, and poor tumor differentiation were associated with a poor prognosis. Cox multivariate analysis showed that PBK/TOPK, mutant p53, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis could each serve as an independent prognostic factor. After down-regulation of PBK/TOPK in the A549 and GLC-82 cell lines, mutant p53 expression was decreased, and cell proliferation and viability were significantly inhibited. Therefore, our results suggest that PBK/TOPK correlates with mutant p53 and affects cell proliferation and viability as well as prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma.

[Clinical significance of FIGO 2009 staging I and its prognostic related factors in endometrial carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the clinical significance of Federation International of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 staging I and its prognostic related factors in endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out on 233 cases with FIGO 2009 staging I endometrial carcinoma who were admitted to Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University People's Hospital from Dec. 1998 to Dec. 2009 and were carried with complete staging operation then compared with FIGO 1988 staging. All follow-up data were complete. RESULTS: Of the 233 cases, including FIGO 1988 staging I a 41 cases, I b 146 cases, I c 29 cases and II a 17 cases. The univariate analysis revealed that there were no significant difference between staging I a and I b group in histological grade, pathological type, intravascular vessel cancer embolus, the expression of ER, PR, postoperative chemotherapy or postoperative chemoradiotherapy (all P > 0.05). The univariate analysis revealed that there were no significant difference between staging I and II a group in histological grade, pathological type, intravascular vessel cancer embolus, the depth of myometrial invasion, the expression of ER and PR postoperative chemotherapy or postoperative chemoradiotherapy (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: FIGO 2009 staging I in endometrial carcinoma is more consistent with the patient's clinical status than that in FIGO 1988 stage I and II a.

TGF-ß1 protein expression in non-small cell lung cancers is correlated with prognosis.

To investigate the expression intensity and prognostic significance of TGF-ß1 protein in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), immunohistochemistry was carried out in 194 cases of NSCLC and 24 cases of normal lung tissues by SP methods. The PU (positive unit) value was used to assess the TGF-ß1 protein expression in systematically selected fields under the microscope with Leica Q500MC image analysis. We found that the TGF-ß1 PU value was nearly two-fold higher in NSCLC than in normal lung tissues (p=0.000), being associated with TNM stages (p=0.000) and lymph node metastases (p=0.000), but not to patient age, gender, smoking history, tumor differentiation, histological subtype and tumor location (P>0.05). Univariate analysis indicated that patients with high TGF-ß1 protein expression and lymph node metastases demonstrated a poor prognosis (both p=0.000, ). Multivariate analysis showed that TGF-ß1 protein expression (RR = 2.565, p=0.002) and lymph node metastases (RR=1.874, p= 0.030) were also independent prognostic factors. Thus, TGF-ß1 protein expression may be correlated to oncogenesis and serve as an independent prognostic biomarker for NSCLC.

Estimation of the iron loss in deep-sea permanent magnet motors considering seawater compressive stress.

Deep-sea permanent magnet motor equipped with fluid compensated pressure-tolerant system is compressed by the high pressure fluid both outside and inside. The induced stress distribution in stator core is significantly different from that in land type motor. Its effect on the magnetic properties of stator core is important for deep-sea motor designers but seldom reported. In this paper, the stress distribution in stator core, regarding the seawater compressive stress, is calculated by 2D finite element method (FEM). The effect of compressive stress on magnetic properties of electrical steel sheet, that is, permeability, BH curves, and BW curves, is also measured. Then, based on the measured magnetic properties and calculated stress distribution, the stator iron loss is estimated by stress-electromagnetics-coupling FEM. At last the estimation is verified by experiment. Both the calculated and measured results show that stator iron loss increases obviously with the seawater compressive stress.

Confocal acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography using a ring ultrasonic transducer.

We designed and developed a confocal acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography system. A ring ultrasound transducer was used to achieve reflection mode excitation and generate an oscillating acoustic radiation force in order to generate displacements within the tissue, which were detected using the phase-resolved optical coherence elastography method. Both phantom and human tissue tests indicate that this system is able to sense the stiffness difference of samples and quantitatively map the elastic property of materials. Our confocal setup promises a great potential for point by point elastic imaging in vivo and differentiation of diseased tissues from normal tissue.

Expression of Tiam1 predicts lymph node metastasis and poor survival of lung adenocarcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND: To assess the value of Tiam1 in predicting lymph node metastasis and survival after curative resection in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for Tiam1 was performed on 98 adenocarcinoma and 30 normal lung tissues. The association of Tiam1 protein expression with the clinicopathological characteristics and the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma were subsequently assessed. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical analysis showed that 60 of 98 (61.22%) adenocarcinoma tissues showed high expression of Tiam1, and high Tiam1 expression was significantly associated with advanced TNM stage (P < 0.0005) and lymph node status (P < 0.0005) of lung adenocarcinoma. Moreover, the lung adenocarcinoma patients with low Tiam1 expression had higher overall survival than patients with high Tiam1 expression (log rank value = 10.805, P = 0.001). High expression of Tiam1 predicted poor overall survival of patients in stages I + II (P = 0.006). Furthermore, multivariate analysis indicated that high expression of Tiam1 protein was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (P = 0.011) in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest for the first time that Tiam1 expression may be beneficial in predicting lymph node metastasis and survival of patients with lung adenocarcinoma. A future study will investigate whether Tiam1 can serve as a novel therapeutic target in lung adenocarcinoma. VIRTUAL SLIDES: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1377798917111123.

Sorting and identification of side population cells in the human cervical cancer cell line HeLa.

BACKGROUND: Several reports have revealed that cancer stem cells (CSCs) exist in many types of solid tumors. Some studies have demonstrated that side population (SP) cells isolated from diverse cancer lines harbor cancer stem-like properties, but there are few reports examining the characteristic of SP cells in human cervical cancer. The aim of this study is 1) to find out a feasible way to detect the tumor stem-like cells in cervical cancer, and 2) to analyze the properties of the SP cells being sorted. METHODS: Isolated SP and non-SP cells from human cervical cancer cell line Hela by Hoechst 33342 dying method and flow cytometry analysis. Observing morphology of SP and non-SP cells. The expression of various biomarkers putatively related to cancer stem cells were investigated by immucytochemistry of SP and non-SP cells. We also analyzed cell cycle and cell apoptosis for sorted cells. The oncogenicity of the SP and non-SP cells were analyzed by tumor formation in nonobesediabeti- c/severe combined immune- deficient (NOD/SCID) mice. The drug-resistant and radiation-resistant index between SP, non-SP and Hela cells was estimated by MTS assay. RESULTS: The fraction of SP cells in Hela was approximately 1.07 ± 0.32%. SP cells were smaller and rounder in shape than non-SP cells, and mostly showed colony-like growth. Immunocytochemistry showed that stem cell makers (Oct3/4, CD133, BCRP) were highly expressed in SP cells. Moreover, the number of apoptotic cells among non-SP cells (17.6 ± 3.7%) was significantly higher compared with that among SP cells (4.4 ± 1.2%). The HE staining of in vivo grown tumors result from SP cells showed more poor differentiation, though no significant differences were shown between SP and non-SP cells in NOD/SCID mice tumorigenicity. Furthermore, SP cells demonstrated a higher degree of drug resistance against trichostatin A (TSA) compared with that of non-SP and Hela cells. SP cells were also found to be more resistant against radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: SP cells possess some characteristics of CSCs, namely high proliferation ability, chemoresistance and radioresistance, which may be helpful to elucidate novel targets for effective clinical treatments of cervical cancer in the future.

Value of T cell receptor gamma alternate reading frame protein and keratin 5 in endometrial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Tumors with different gene expression develop and progress in different ways. To deepen our understanding of the progression in endometrial cancer, and provide a useful tool for accurate diagnosis and prognosis assessment, we identified the new molecular prognostic markers in endometrial carcinoma and analyzed the relationship of them with clinical and pathological features of endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: Ninety-four cases of endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma with complete data from the Peking University People's Hospital from 2000 to 2008 and 40 cases of normal endometrium were enrolled. Among these, 30 endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma samples of different International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage were selected for further Agilent genome-wide microarray analysis. Significance analysis of microarrays (SAM) was used to identify genes that are significantly associated with tumor progress. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to identify the genes of interest in endometrial carcinoma and normal endometrium. The relationship between the genes and the age, clinical stage, histological grade, myometrium invaded depth, lymph node metastasis status, and the expression of ER, PR, P53, and PTEN were analyzed by χ(2) test. RESULTS: Analysis between FIGO 1988 stage I and stage III identified a 362-gene "progress signature"; 171 down-regulated and 191 up-regulated genes. Among the alterative genes, TARP (T cell receptor gamma alternate reading frame protein) and KRT5 (keratin 5) decreased 3.57 fold and 5.8 fold in FIGO stage III patients. The expression of TARP in endometrial carcinoma increased compared to normal endometrium, while that of KRT5 decreased (P < 0.05). The expression of TARP and KRT5 decreased when stage, histological grading, myometrium invaded depth increased (P < 0.05). In the cases with lymph node metastasis, the expression of TARP decreased, while the expression of KRT5 did not differ (both P < 0.05) both. The expression of P53 had a negative relationship with the expression of KRT5 (P < 0.05), but not with the expression of TARP (P > 0.05). There was no correlation between the expression of TARP and KRT5 and the expression of ER, PR, PTEN (all P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in TARP and KRT5 expression in patients aged 50 or younger and patients older than 50 (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of TARP and KRT5 was correlated with the progress of endometrial cancer and their role needs further study.