Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer among young individuals: Incidence, presentations, and survival outcomes of conventional therapies.

Background: There is a paucity of data published on the clinicopathological features and prognosis of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients aged ≤45 years. Herein, we evaluated a large clinical series in an effort to provide a clearer picture of this population. Methods: The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-penalized Cox regression model was performed to identify prognostic factors for NSCLC among individuals aged ≤45 years. The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was used to compare overall survival (OS) differences between groups. Competing risk analysis with the Fine-Gray test was used to analyze cancer-specific survival (CSS) differences. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize selection bias. Results: Incidence-rate analyses, including 588,680 NSCLC cases (stage IV, 233,881; age ≤ 45 years stage IV, 5,483; and age > 45 years stage IV, 228,398) from 2004 to 2015, showed that the incidence of stage IV NSCLC among young individuals decreased over the years. In comparative analyses of clinical features and survival outcomes, a total of 48,607 eligible stage IV cases (age ≤ 45 years stage IV, 1,390; age > 45 years stage IV, 47,217) were included. The results showed that although patients in the young cohort were more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages, they were also more likely to receive aggressive treatments. In addition, the survival rates of the young patients were superior to those of the older patients both before and after PSM. Conclusions: Stage IV NSCLC patients aged ≤45 years comprise a relatively small but special NSCLC subgroup. Although this population had better survival outcomes than older patients, these patients deserve more attention due to their young age and the significant socioeconomic implications.

Evaluation of Fracture Risk Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Different Oral Anticoagulants.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk for fracture risk because of attenuated bone turnover and impaired bone microarchitecture. The comparative effect of warfarin over non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) on incident fractures among patients with type 2 diabetes comorbid with atrial fibrillation (AF) remains to be elucidated. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, propensity score-weighted, population-based cohort study of adults with type 2 diabetes and AF who were started on warfarin or NOAC between 2005 and 2019 identified from an electronic database of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. The primary outcome was a composite of major osteoporotic fractures (hip, clinical vertebral, proximal humerus, and wrist). Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: A total of 15,770 patients with type 2 diabetes comorbid with AF were included (9,288 on NOAC, 6,482 on warfarin). During a median follow-up of 20 months, 551 patients (3.5%) sustained major osteoporotic fractures (201 [2.2%] in the NOAC group, 350 [5.4%] in the warfarin group). The adjusted cumulative incidence was lower among NOAC users than warfarin users (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.64, 0.99; P = 0.044). Subgroup analyses showed consistent protective effects against major osteoporotic fractures among NOAC users across sex, age, HbA1c, duration of diabetes, and history of severe hypoglycemia compared with warfarin users. CONCLUSIONS: NOAC use was associated with a lower risk of major osteoporotic fractures than warfarin use among patients with type 2 diabetes comorbid with AF. NOAC may be the preferred anticoagulant from the perspective of bone health.

Lymphovascular invasion: A non-sized T descriptor for stage IA non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) has not been included in the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging manual of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to investigate the predictive value of LVI on stage IA NSCLC and proposed a method of incorporating LVI into the T category based on the latest TNM staging manual. METHODS: The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-penalized Cox multivariable regression model was performed to identify prognostic factors. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize bias. RESULTS: A total of 1452 eligible stage I NSCLC cases (stage IA without LVI, 1022 cases; stage IA with LVI, 120 cases; stage IB, 310 cases) were included. LASSO-penalized multivariable Cox analysis revealed that LVI was an independent prognostic factor for both OS and DFS. Survival analysis demonstrated that the survivals of stage IA NSCLCs without LVI were better than those of stage IA with LVI and stage IB NSCLCs. In the matched cohort, the survivals of stage IA NSCLCs with LVI were comparable to those of stage IB NSCLCs. CONCLUSIONS: Stage IA NSCLCs with LVI and stage IB NSCLCs had similar survivals, and we proposed that LVI might be a non-sized T descriptor that upstaged stage IA diseases to stage IB.

Study on Circulating lncRNA Expression Profile in Patients with Cerebral Infarction.

To analyze the difference of circulating lncRNA expression profile between the healthy control group and cerebral infarction (CI) patients and to study the epigenetic pathogenesis of CI. Forty patients with acute CI admitted to our hospital from December 2016 to December 2017 were selected as CI group, and 40 healthy people in physical examination center were selected as healthy group. In the CI group, blood samples were taken 5 mL at fasting in the morning (within 72 hours of CI), and the blood samples from healthy group were also taken 5 mL at fasting in the morning. The circulating lncRNA expression profile of serum sample was determined by high-throughput technique, and its difference was analyzed. Bioinformatics technology was used to explore its functional mechanism, and GO, KEGG analysis, and gene expression network were established for lncRNA with significant differences. Next, lnc-ZNF32-1 : 1 and lnc-PCGF5-2 : 1 were selected for further validation of serum lncRNA expression in ACI and NC groups, and ceRNA interaction network analysis, diagnostic specificity, and sensitivity of lnc-ZNF32-1 : 1 and lnc-PCGF5-2 : 1 were conducted. The results showed that compared with the healthy group, there were 512 known lncRNA expressed differentially in the serum of patients with CI, of which 371 were upregulated and 141 were downregulated, and 421 known mRNA expressed differentially, of which 245 were upregulated and 176 downregulated. The differentially expressed mRNA was mainly enriched in 53 gene functions, and the target gene was enriched in the pathways such as HTLV-I infection and pathways in cancer. In addition, the results explored that lnc-ZNF32-1 : 1 and lnc-PCGF5-2 : 1 have potential value for CI diagnosis. In conclusion, the expression profile of lncRNA in CI group was significantly different from that in healthy group, indicating that lncRNA might be closely related to the occurrence, development, and prognosis of CI.

[Nitrogen and phosphorus contents and resorption efficiency of thirty broadleaved woody plants in Yangjifeng, Jiangxi, China.] / æ±Ÿè¥¿é˜³é™ å³°30ç§é˜”å¶æ ‘å¶ç‰‡æ°®ç£·å«é‡åŠå†å¸æ”¶æ•ˆçŽ‡.

Nutrient resorption is an important strategy of nutrient conservation, which reflecting the ability of plants to conserve and utilize nutrients and adapt to environment. To explore the relationship between nutrient content and nutrient resorption of broadleaved woody species of different life forms (i.e., evergreen vs. deciduous), we sampled 30 broadleaved woody species in subtropical region of China located in Yangjifeng National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province. The nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in green and senescent leaves of each species were measured to calculate nutrient resorption efficiency. Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship of leaf nutrient concentration and resorption efficiency for the different life forms. The results showed that N and P concentrations in green leaves were significantly higher in deciduous trees than those in evergreen trees. The P concentrations of senescent leaves in deciduous woody species was significantly higher than that in evergreen woody species. There was no significant difference of N concentration in senescent leaves between evergreen and deciduous species. Nitrogen resorption efficiency (NRE) and phosphorus resorption efficiency (PRE) of the 30 broadleaved woody species were 49.6% and 50.9%, respectively. There were no significant differences between the NRE and PRE of evergreen and deciduous species. NRE and PRE negatively correlated with N and P concentrations in senescent leaves, respectively. Additionally, evergreen and deciduous species showed similar relationships between nutrient resorption efficiency and nutrient concentration in senescent leaves. The sca-ling exponent of allometric relationship between NRE and PRE was 1.18 across all the species. The nutrient resorption efficiency of all the species were affected by the nutrient status of the senesced leaves. Plants examined in this study generally re-absorbed P from senescing leaves than N.

A complementary study approach unravels novel players in the pathoetiology of Hirschsprung disease.

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR, OMIM 142623) involves congenital intestinal obstruction caused by dysfunction of neural crest cells and their progeny during enteric nervous system (ENS) development. HSCR is a multifactorial disorder; pathogenetic variants accounting for disease phenotype are identified only in a minority of cases, and the identification of novel disease-relevant genes remains challenging. In order to identify and to validate a potential disease-causing relevance of novel HSCR candidate genes, we established a complementary study approach, combining whole exome sequencing (WES) with transcriptome analysis of murine embryonic ENS-related tissues, literature and database searches, in silico network analyses, and functional readouts using candidate gene-specific genome-edited cell clones. WES datasets of two patients with HSCR and their non-affected parents were analysed, and four novel HSCR candidate genes could be identified: ATP7A, SREBF1, ABCD1 and PIAS2. Further rare variants in these genes were identified in additional HSCR patients, suggesting disease relevance. Transcriptomics revealed that these genes are expressed in embryonic and fetal gastrointestinal tissues. Knockout of these genes in neuronal cells demonstrated impaired cell differentiation, proliferation and/or survival. Our approach identified and validated candidate HSCR genes and provided further insight into the underlying pathomechanisms of HSCR.

[Contribution of Emissions from the Iron and Steel Industry to Air Quality in China].

Based on the data from a continuous emission monitoring systems network in 2015, this study analyzed the compliance rates of exhaust gas in the processes of China's iron and steel industry, and established a high-resolution steel plant emission inventory for China (HSEC, 2015), based on the bottom-up method. The contribution of emissions from the iron and steel industry to regional air quality was quantitatively simulated using a CAMx model. The results showed that in 2015, the total emissions of SO2, NOx, PM10, PM2.5, PCDD/Fs, VOCs, CO, BC, OC, EC, and F were 374800 t, 720500 t, 334800 t, 150300 t, 1.91 kg, 842900 t, 34788500 t, 6400 t, 8300 t, 800 t, and 7700 t, respectively. From a regional perspective, the iron and steel industry in Shanghai and Tianjin has the highest emission intensity per unit area and contributes a high proportion to regional air pollution. From a process perspective, in 2015, the exhaust concentration of flue gas in the main process gradually decreased, with a high compliance rate, and the emission factor significantly decreased to lower than that in the existing research results. From a species perspective, in 2015, NOx emission from the steel industry contributed the most to regional air quality, and there is therefore a great emission reduction potential for NOx.

Geographical identification of the vulnerable groups during COVID-19 crisis: the typhoon eye effect and its boundary conditions

AimAlthough some studies suggest the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is associated with negative consequences on physical health, our knowledge about the detrimental effects of COVID-19 on peoples mental health is still nascent. This study uses typhoon eye theory to offer insights in helping clinical psychiatrists to screen people with well-being issues during COVID-19 outbreak. MethodsWe collected survey data from working adults across different geographical areas in China on 20 and 21 February 2020 during the outbreak of COVID-19. The sample contains 308 working adults, who were in various parts of China, with varying distance to the epicenter of Wuhan. ResultsIndividual adults distance to the epicenter was negatively associated with life satisfaction ({beta} = -0.235, 95% CI -0.450 to -0.020, p = 0.032). This association between distance and life satisfaction was significant only for adults who were young or had smaller family sizes. For example, the negative relationship was strongest when the individuals were in the age bracket of 20 years old (15.7%; {beta} = -0.703, 95% CI -1.098 to -0.307; p = 0.001) and single (32.3%; {beta} = -0.767, 95% CI -1.125 to -0.408; p < 0.001). ConclusionOur results that peoples well-being deteriorates by the distance from the epicenter for specific groups of people help guide mental healthcare providers towards the regions that are further away from the epicenter in the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, our results indicate the practitioners should be cautious of using typhoon eye effect for individuals who were older or had a larger family size.

Effect and Practice of Sub-category Management of Chinese Patent Medicine in the Improvement of the Qualified Rate for Outpatient Prescriptions of Chinese Patent Medicine / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To provide reference for improving the qualified rate of outpa tient prescriptions of Chinese patent medicines and ensuring the rational use of medicines. METHODS：Refering to the Beijing Basic Medical Insurance Medicines Catalog， Clinical Medicine Instructions and （No.17Z13） MCDEX，Chinese patent medicine were classified according to the main functions indications and disease syndromes types. The classification results were reviewed by the member of expert group of Hospital Pha rmacy Committee ，and were recorded by medical department of the management department ，finally were embedded into the outpatient HIS and were docked with prescription pre-audit and comment system. Total number of reviewed Chinese patent medicine prescriptions ，the number of repeated prescriptions ，the number of repeated prescriptions intercepted by HIS system ，the number of prescriptions actively modified by the prescribing physician ，the ratio of repeated prescriptions ，the frequency of active modification by the prescribing physician and average cost of each prescription were compared between the third quarter of 2017（initial stage of sub-category management of Chinese patent medicine ）and the forth quarter of 2019. RESULTS ：Chinese patent medicines in our hospital could be divided into eight categories as internal medicine ，surgery medicine ，oncology medicine ，gynecology medicine ，ophthalmology medicine，otorhinolaryngology medicine ，orthopedics medicine and dermatology medicine ；they contained 14，1，2，4，2，2，3， 1 sub-categories，respectively；some sub-categories were subdivided again . In the third quarter of 2017，159 610 prescriptions of Chinese patent medicines were reviewed ，and 421 prescriptions were unreasonable. Among which ，there were 200 prescription of repeated prescriptions ，accounting for 47.15％；676 repeated prescriptions were actively intercepted by HIS and 476 intercepted prescriptions were actively modified by prescribing physicians ，with active modification rate of 70.14％. In the forth quarter of 2019，138 869 prescriptions of Chinese patent medicines were reviewed ，and 381 prescriptions were unreasonable. Among which ， there were 47 prescription of repeated prescriptions ，accounting for 12.43％；266 repeated prescriptions were actively intercepted by HIS and 259 intercepted prescriptions were actively modified by prescribing physicians ，with active modification rate of 97.37％. There were statistical significances in the ratio of repeated prescription and the rate of active modification by physicians between initial stage and the forth quarter of 2019（P＜0.01）. The average cost of each prescription were 278.78 yuan in the third quarter of 2017 and 220.85 yuan in the forth quarter of 2019，decreasing by 20.78％ . CONCLUSIONS ：The sub-category management of Chinese patent medicine is adopted in the pharmacy department of our hospital ，which realize the pre-audit of all prescriptions of Chinese patent medicines ，and increased the pass rate of outpatient chinese patent medicine prescriptions . It i s helpful for doctors to dialectically use drugs ，memorize the varieties of Chinese patent medicines and improve their professional level；it is helpful for prescription reviewers to rapidly identify repeated prescriptions ，improve the information audit and management level of prescriptions. It is convenient for facilitate prescription reviewers to check the amount of prescriptions used and found out the deficiency of the medicine list in our hospital. However ，there are also some problems such as the conflict between individualized medication and part of management system ，and doctors and pharmacists have different opinions on medicine classification.

[Effects of the current-year shoot stem configuration on leaf biomass in different canopy heights of woody plants in evergreen broad-leaved forest in Jiangxi Province, China.] / æ±Ÿè¥¿å¸¸ç»¿é˜”å¶æž—æœ¨æœ¬æ¤ç‰©ä¸åŒå† å±‚é«˜åº¦å½“å¹´ç”Ÿå°æžèŒŽæž„åž‹å¯¹å¶ç”Ÿç‰©é‡çš„å½±å“.

To investigate the effects of stem configuration on leaf biomass allocation in different organs of the current-year shoots at different canopy heights, relationships of biomass in different organs (i.e., leaves, stems, and twigs) and stem configuration (i.e., stem diameter, length, width/length, stem volume and stem density) were analyzed using the data of 69 woody species from the Yangjifeng Natural Reserve, Jiangxi Provence. Standardized major axis (SMA) was used to explore the regression between biomass and stem configuration. The results showed that there was no significant difference in leaf biomass, stem biomass, twig biomass, stem diameter, stem length, stem width/length and stem volume of current year shoots from upper and lower canopy heights and life forms (i.e., evergreen and deciduous woody plants). Stem density differed significantly in the current year shoots at different heights for both evergreen and deciduous woody species. There were isometric relationships among leaf, stem and total biomass of shoots in different canopy heights and in different life forms. Leaf biomass scaled allometrically with stem diameter and volume, with the scaling exponents being not different significantly among different canopy heights. With respect to the stem configuration of the twigs, stem length, stem width/length and stem density contributed less than 24% to the leaf biomass variation in the current-year shoots. On the contrary, stem diameter and volume had greater effects on leaf biomass of the current-year shoots than stem length, stem width/length and stem density. Canopy heights did not significantly affect the allometric scaling relationships between the stem configuration and leaf biomass of the current-year shoots.

[Allometry between twig size and leaf size of typical bamboo species along an altitudinal gradient]. / ä¸åŒæµ·æ‹”å ¸åž‹ç«¹ç§æžå¶å¤§å°å¼‚é€Ÿç”Ÿé•¿å ³ç³».

To investigate the trade-off between the twig size and leaf size, we measured the total leaf mass, stem mass, individual leaf mass and leafing intensity of typical bamboo’s (Phyllostachys edulis, Indocalamus tessellatus, Oligostachyum oedogonatume, Yushania hirticaulis and Yushania wuyishanensis) twigs at different altitudes in Wuyi Mountain. The results showed that the exponents of the scaling between total leaf mass and stem mass on twigs significantly decreased with increasing altitude for all the five bamboo species. The common scaling exponents of total leaf mass vs. stem mass for P. edulis, I. tessellatus and O. oedogonatum were 0.94, 0.85 and 0.84, respectively. A common slope of 0.79 was observed in total leaf mass vs. stem mass in Y. hirticaulis and Y. wuyishanensis. There was significant negative correlation between individual leaf mass and leafing intensity among bamboo species, except Y. wuyishanensis. A common slope of -1.12 existed between individual leaf mass and leafing intensity for five bamboo species. In conclusion, bamboos at low altitudes tended to support more leaf biomass while preferring to invest more to stem biomass at high altitudes. Although the stem mass investment of different bamboo’s twig increased with altitude, the leafing intensity strategies based on stem mass were determined by the leaf size construction rather than altitude.

Neglect and associated factors among left-behind middle school students in undeveloped area of Guangdong Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore prevalence and associated factors of neglect among left-behind middle school students in undeveloped area of Guangdong, and to provide scientific basis for effective intervention measures.@*Methods@#A total of 1 105 middle school students were selected from Yangjiang and Qingyuan by random cluster sampling, neglect and left-behind was assessed by a self-reported questionnaire.@*Results@#The prevalence of neglect was 70.9% among left-behind middle school students aged 11-17 years in Yangjiang and Qingyuan areas. Univariate analysis suggested that high parental education, democratic and strict parenting, and frequent contacts with parents associated with low rate of neglect (P<0.05). After adjusted for gender, parental education, parenting style, contact frequency, Logistic regression analysis revealed that parenting discipline(rough, cold, capricious)(OR=2.01, 95%CI=1.23-3.26), contact with parents more than once every two weeks (OR=1.75, 95%CI=1.12-2.72) , peer or self-care (OR=1.85, 95%CI=1.04-3.30) were positively associated with neglect, while higher mother education was negatively associated with neglect.@*Conclusion@#The prevalence of neglect is high among left-behind students in Yangjiang and Qingyuan, which deserves further attention from family, community, school and government to promote healthy development.

Shengfu Oil Enhances the Healing of Full-Thickness Scalded Skin Accompanying the Differential Regulation of ß-Catenin, Dlk1, and COX-2.

Shengfu oil is a traditional Chinese medicine formula containing 16 ingredients, including Scutellariae radix, Olibanum, and Rehmanniae radix. In this study, we aimed to enhance the wound healing of rabbit full-thickness scalded skin by Shengfu oil and to elucidate its regulatory effects on ß-catenin, Dlk1, and COX-2. We found that Shengfu oil exhibited significant anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antimicrobial activities. The structure of wound tissues in Shengfu oil group was intact, including regenerated cutaneous appendages, indicating better healing capability of Shengfu oil compared to the controls. The protein expression of ß-catenin, Dlk1, and COX-2 in wound tissues were investigated by immunohistochemistry staining and were further quantitated with the use of multispectral imaging analysis. The protein expression of ß-catenin and Dlk1 in the Shengfu oil group was higher than that in the sesame oil group in early wound repair, accompanied by the lower expression of COX-2; the protein expression of ß-catenin decreased in the middle of wound healing; the protein expression of ß-catenin and Dlk1 increased at the end of wound healing. These results strongly suggest that Shengfu oil can enhance wound healing by regulating the expression of ß-catenin, Dlk1, and COX-2 due to its excellent anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antimicrobial activities.

Electroacupuncture Treatment Alleviates Central Poststroke Pain by Inhibiting Brain Neuronal Apoptosis and Aberrant Astrocyte Activation.

Electroacupuncture (EA) is reported to effectively relieve the central poststroke pain (CPSP). However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The present study investigated the detailed mechanisms of action of EA treatment at different frequencies for CPSP. A CPSP model was established with a single collagenase injection to the left ventral posterolateral nucleus of the thalamus. The EA-treated groups then received EA treatment at frequency of 2, 2/15, or 15 Hz for 30 min daily for five days. The pain-related behavioral responses, neuronal apoptosis, glial activation, and the expression of pain signal transmission-related factors (ß-catenin, COX-2, and NK-1R) were assessed using behavioral tests, Nissl staining, TUNEL staining, and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. The low-frequency EA treatment significantly (1) reduced brain tissue damage and hematoma sizes and (2) inhibited neuronal apoptosis, thereby exerting abirritative effects. Meanwhile, the high-frequency EA treatment induced a greater inhibition of the aberrant astrocyte activation, accompanied by the downregulation of the expressions of COX-2, ß-catenin, and subsequently NK-1R, thereby alleviating inflammation and producing strong analgesic effects. Together, these findings suggest that CPSP is closely related to pathological changes of the neocortex and hippocampus. EA treatments at different frequencies may exert abirritative effects by inhibiting brain neuronal apoptosis and aberrant astrocyte activation in the brain.

Photodecomposition of iodinated contrast media and subsequent formation of toxic iodinated moieties during final disinfection with chlorinated oxidants.

Large amount of iodinated contrast media (ICM) are found in natural waters (up to µg.L(-)(1) levels) due to their worldwide use in medical imaging and their poor removal by conventional wastewater treatment. Synthetic water samples containing different ICM and natural organic matter (NOM) extracts were subjected to UV254 irradiation followed by the addition of chlorine (HOCl) or chloramine (NH2Cl) to simulate final disinfection. In this study, two new quantum yields were determined for diatrizoic acid (0.071 mol.Einstein(-1)) and iotalamic acid (0.038 mol.Einstein(-1)) while values for iopromide (IOP) (0.039 mol.Einstein(-1)), iopamidol (0.034 mol.Einstein(-1)) and iohexol (0.041 mol.Einstein(-1)) were consistent with published data. The photodegradation of IOP led to an increasing release of iodide with increasing UV doses. Iodide is oxidized to hypoiodous acid (HOI) either by HOCl or NH2Cl. In presence of NOM, the addition of oxidant increased the formation of iodinated disinfection by-products (I-DBPs). On one hand, when the concentration of HOCl was increased, the formation of I-DBPs decreased since HOI was converted to iodate. On the other hand, when NH2Cl was used the formation of I-DBPs was constant for all concentration since HOI reacted only with NOM to form I-DBPs. Increasing the NOM concentration has two effects, it decreased the photodegradation of IOP by screening effect but it increased the number of reactive sites available for reaction with HOI. For experiments carried out with HOCl, increasing the NOM concentration led to a lower formation of I-DBPs since less IOP are photodegraded and iodate are formed. For NH2Cl the lower photodegradation of IOP is compensated by the higher amount of NOM reactive sites, therefore, I-DBPs concentrations were constant for all NOM concentrations. 7 different NOM extracts were tested and almost no differences in IOP degradation and I-DBPs formation was observed. Similar behaviour was observed for the 5 ICM tested. Both oxidant poorly degraded the ICM and a higher formation of I-DBPs was observed for the chloramination experiments compared to the chlorination experiment. Results from toxicity testing showed that the photodegradation products of IOP are toxic and confirmed that the formation of I-DBPs leads to higher toxicity. Therefore, for the experiment with HOCl where iodate are formed the toxicity was lower than for the experiments with NH2Cl where a high formation of I-DBPs was observed.

Mouse hepatic neoplasm formation induced by trace level and low frequency exposure to diethylnitrosamine through ß-catenin signaling pathway.

It has been reported that massive levels or/and high frequency exposure of diethylnitrosamine could induce hepatic neoplasm. However, it would be more interesting to figure out the hepatotoxic effects of diethylnitrosamine exposure at trace level and low frequency, which could be more common in our daily life. We found that both the mRNA and protein expression levels of ß-catenin were aberrant in all liver tissues, accompanied by inflammation, steatosis, fibrosis and hepatic neoplasm after 10-week exposure of diethylnitrosamine (dissolved in sesame oil, 0.16 mmol per kg body weight) to mice. In addition, gradual increase in the mRNA expression of several pivotal risk factors (TNF-α, COX-2, PPAR-γ, AP-2, Smad-2, TGF-ß1, and C-myc), as well as their protein expression levels, were associated with the aberrant expression or/and nucleus localization of ß-catenin. Altogether, our results show that long-term diethylnitrosamine exposure at trace amounts and low frequency can also induce hepatotoxicity (including inflammation, steatosis and fibrosis) and consequently aberrant activation of ß-catenin which in turn plays an important role in the initiation and promotion of liver tumors.

Exome sequencing reveals a high genetic heterogeneity on familial Hirschsprung disease.

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR; OMIM 142623) is a developmental disorder characterized by aganglionosis along variable lengths of the distal gastrointestinal tract, which results in intestinal obstruction. Interactions among known HSCR genes and/or unknown disease susceptibility loci lead to variable severity of phenotype. Neither linkage nor genome-wide association studies have efficiently contributed to completely dissect the genetic pathways underlying this complex genetic disorder. We have performed whole exome sequencing of 16 HSCR patients from 8 unrelated families with SOLID platform. Variants shared by affected relatives were validated by Sanger sequencing. We searched for genes recurrently mutated across families. Only variations in the FAT3 gene were significantly enriched in five families. Within-family analysis identified compound heterozygotes for AHNAK and several genes (N = 23) with heterozygous variants that co-segregated with the phenotype. Network and pathway analyses facilitated the discovery of polygenic inheritance involving FAT3, HSCR known genes and their gene partners. Altogether, our approach has facilitated the detection of more than one damaging variant in biologically plausible genes that could jointly contribute to the phenotype. Our data may contribute to the understanding of the complex interactions that occur during enteric nervous system development and the etiopathology of familial HSCR.

[Efficient oxidative degradation of tetrabromobisphenol A by silver bismuth oxide].

Silver bismuth oxide(BSO) was prepared by a simple ion exchange-coprecipitation method with AgNO3 and NaBiO, .2H2O as raw materials, and then used to oxidatively degrade tetrabromobisphenol A(TBBPA). Effects of the molar ratio of Ag/Bi during BSO preparation and the BSO dosage on the degradation of TBBPA were investigated. The results showed that under the optimized conditions (i.e., the Ag/Bi molar ratio of 1:1, BSO dosage of 1 g x L(-1), 40 mg x L(-1) of TBBPA was completely degraded and the removal of total organic carbon achieved more than 80% within 7 min. The degradation intermediates of TBBPA were identified by ion chromatography, gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The degradation pathway of TBBPA included the debromination, the cleavage of tert-butyl group and the open epoxidation of benzene ring. Based on a quenching study of NaN3, singlet oxygen was proved to play a dominant role in the TBBPA degradation.

Clinical and cognitive predictors of vocational outcome in first-episode schizophrenia: a prospective 3 year follow-up study.

Schizophrenia is associated with pronounced vocational impairment. Previous research has mostly focused on chronic patients and few studies were conducted to investigate predictors of work outcome in first-episode populations. The impact of cognitive dysfunction on employment outcome in early psychosis was under-studied. In this study, we prospectively followed up 93 patients aged 18-55 years presented with first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorder for 3 years with an aim to identify early clinical and cognitive predictors of vocational outcome. Pre-morbid adjustment, baseline symptomatology and cognitive functions, and employment outcome were assessed. Result indicated that approximately half of the patients (53.8%) were engaged in full-time work at intake and at 3 years. Pre-morbid adjustment, baseline occupational status and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) performance were found to predict vocational outcome. Analysis on a subgroup of patients who were unemployed at intake showed that subjects who remained unemployed over 3 years had poorer WCST performance and more severe positive symptoms at baseline than those having job attainment during follow-up. Our results thus confirmed predictive value of pre-morbid functioning and baseline occupational status on vocational outcome. In addition, our findings suggested that executive function might be a critical cognitive determinant of employment outcome in the early course of schizophrenia.

Genetic polymorphisms in Glutathione S-transferase Omega (GSTO) and cancer risk: a meta-analysis of 20 studies.

Glutathione S-transferase Omega (GSTO) plays an important role in the development of cancer. Recently, a number of studies have investigated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms on GSTO and susceptibility to cancer; however, the results remain inconclusive. We performed a meta-analysis of 20 studies, involving 4770 cases and 5701 controls to identify the strength of association by pooled odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Overall, the pooled results revealed a significantly increased risk of susceptibility for GSTO2 polymorphism (GG vs. AA: OR = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.02-1.41, Pheterogeneity = 0.116), but no significant association was found for GSTO1 polymorphism. Subgroup analysis showed that GSTO2 polymorphism significantly increased cancer risk in Caucasian population (GG vs. AA: OR = 1.32, 95%CI 1.06-1.64, Pheterogeneity = 0.616) and GSTO2 polymorphism was significantly associated with elevated risk of breast cancer (GG vs. AA OR = 1.37, 95%CI: 1.06-1.77; Pheterogeneity = 0.281). This meta-analysis demonstrates that GSTO2 polymorphism may significantly increase cancer risk in Caucasian population and is associated with elevated risk of breast cancer; while GSTO1 polymorphism is not associated with cancer risk.