Does the novel artificial cervical joint complex resolve the conflict between stability and mobility after anterior cervical surgery? a finite element study.

Background and objective: Our group has developed a novel artificial cervical joint complex (ACJC) as a motion preservation instrument for cervical corpectomy procedures. Through finite element analysis (FEA), this study aims to assess this prosthesis's mobility and stability in the context of physiological reconstruction of the cervical spine. Materials and methods: A finite element (FE)model of the subaxial cervical spine (C3-C7) was established and validated. ACJC arthroplasty, anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF), and two-level cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) were performed at C4-C6. Range of motion (ROM), intervertebral disc pressure (IDP), facet joint stress (FJS), and maximum von Mises stress on the prosthesis and vertebrae during loading were compared. Results: Compared to the intact model, the ROM in all three surgical groups demonstrated a decline, with the ACCF group exhibiting the most significant mobility loss, and the highest compensatory motion in adjacent segments. ACJC and artificial cervical disc prosthesis (ACDP) well-preserved cervical mobility. In the ACCF model, IDP and FJS in adjacent segments increased notably, whereas the index segments experienced the most significant FJS elevation in the CDA model. The ROM, IDP, and FJS in both index and adjacent segments of the ACJC model were intermediate between the other two. Stress distribution of ACCF instruments and ACJC prosthesis during the loading process was more dispersed, resulting in less impact on the adjacent vertebrae than in the CDA model. Conclusion: The biomechanical properties of the novel ACJC were comparable to the ACCF in constructing postoperative stability and equally preserved physiological mobility of the cervical spine as CDA without much impact on adjacent segments and facet joints. Thus, the novel ACJC effectively balanced postoperative stability with cervical motion preservation.

Correlation between early life exposure to PM 2.5 and risk of autism spectrum disorder among school aged children / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the associations between early life exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ) and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among school aged children.@*Methods@#A total of 165 children with ASD and 165 age and gender matched typical development (TD) children were recruited. Children s basic information were obtained via questionnaires, and the severity of ASD symptoms was assessed with Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Early life PM 2.5 exposure (preconception, entire pregnancy, and the first two years after birth) were extracted from the Tracking Air Pollution in China (TAP) datasets. Conditional Logistic regression and generalized linear model were used to evaluate the associations of early life exposure to PM 2.5 with the risk and the ASD severity symptoms, respectively.@*Results@#The PM 2.5 exposure of ASD group during preconception[(55.08±9.34)μg/m 3], entire pregnancy[(50.44±8.71)μg/m 3], the first year after birth [(45.04± 8.25 )μg/m 3] and the second year after birth [(40.19±7.12)μg/m 3] were significant higher than those in TD children [(47.66± 7.63 , 44.19±7.16, 38.95±6.07, 35.76±5.65)μg/m 3]( t =7.94, 7.13, 7.70, 6.32, P <0.05). After adjusting for potential confounding, each increase of 1 μg/m 3 in PM 2.5 was associated with higher risk of ASD during preconception ( OR=1.21, 95%CI =1.13-1.29), entire pregnancy( OR=1.18, 95%CI =1.11-1.26), the first year after birth ( OR=1.30, 95%CI =1.18-1.43) and the second year after birth ( OR=1.29, 95%CI =1.17-1.42). No similar results were observed regarding the analyses of SRS total and sub scale scores( P >0.05).@*Conclusion@#Early life exposure to PM 2.5 is relate to the risk of ASD, these findings indicated that more attention should be paid to ambient PM pollution in the early life prevention and control of ASD.

Obvious Reduction of the Tumor Size in Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma in a Lung Metastasis Patient Receiving Individualized Treatment.

Abdominal metastasis is relatively rare in dedifferentiated liposarcoma of the shoulder and back. Surgery is the best treatment option, whether it is radical or palliative surgery. Chemotherapy is the standard systemic treatment for advanced unresectable/metastatic patients, but the therapeutic effect is limited. Here, we treat advanced abdominal dedifferentiated liposarcoma through a comprehensive treatment method of targeting, surgery, and chemotherapy, which improves the quality of life of the patient, and shrinks the tumor significantly.

Final adult height of children with idiopathic short stature: a multicenter study on GH therapy alone started during peri-puberty.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of GH in improving FAH in ISS children in a multicenter study. METHODS: A real-world observation was carried out. Children with ISS in seven hospitals in China were enrolled. The height gains standard deviation score and the height gain over the target height were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 344 ISS patients (217 boys and 127 girls). The baseline average age of boys and girls was 12.7 and 11.7 years, with bone age of 11.7 and 10.1 years, respectively. The baseline height SDS of boys and girls was - 3.07 and - 2.74, and the FAH SDS was - 1.91 and - 1.38, respectively. Compared with the baseline height SDS, the FAH SDS was significantly increased in both boys and girls (both P = 0.0000). The FAH SDS was the highest (gain by 1.54 SD) in the ≥2y treatment course group. Two hundred eighteen patients (218/344, 63.4%) had a FAH SDS > - 2 SD. Among these patients, girls in the 1-2y treatment course group and ≥ 2y group had a FAH SDS higher than TH SDS. Even in the control group, a spontaneous catch-up growth of 1.16 SD was observed. A multivariate linear regression model was used to analyze the results, with FAH SDS as the dependent variable. It was found that the treatment course and baseline height SDS in the boys' model were statistically significant (P < 0.05), whereas the baseline height SDS and baseline bone age significantly affected the girls' FAH SDS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both girls and boys of ISS improved FAH by GH therapy even if treatments begin over 10 years old and majority of them reached TH. Some peri-puberty ISS will have a spontaneous height gain. We recommend the course of GH treatment more than 2 years for girls, and longer courses for boys.

[Establishment of an ovalbumin-induced bronchial asthma model in mice with intrauterine growth retardation].

OBJECTIVE: To establish and evaluate an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced bronchial asthma model in mice with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), and to explore the molecular mechanism of relationship between IUGR and asthma. METHODS: A total of 16 pregnant BALB/c female mice were divided into a low-protein diet group (n=8) and a normal-protein diet group (n=8), which were fed with low-protein (8%) diet and normal-protein (20%) diet respectively. The neonatal mice were weighed 6 hours after birth. Sixteen male neonatal mice with IUGR were randomly chosen from the low-protein diet group and enrolled in the IUGR group, and 16 male neonatal mice from the normal-protein diet group were enrolled in the control group. Blood samples were collected from the mice in both groups for testing of blood glucose. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine serum insulin level. The mice in the control group were randomized into a control + PBS group and a control + OVA group (n=8 each). The mice in the IUGR group were randomized into an IUGR + PBS group and an IUGR + OVA group (n=8 each). Six-week-old mice in the control + OVA and IUGR + OVA groups were subjected to intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/mL OVA for sensitization and aerosol inhalation of 1% OVA for challenge. Mice in the control + PBS group and the IUGR + PBS group were treated with an equivalent amount of PBS. ELISA was used to determine serum IgE level in the mice in each group. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BLF) was collected from the mice in each group for cell counting. The lung tissue of the mice in each group was stained with hematoxylin and eosin to observe pathological changes. RESULTS: The body weight at 6 hours after birth was significantly lower for neonatal mice in the low-protein diet group compared with those in the normal-protein diet group (P<0.01). The IUGR group had a significantly lower serum insulin level than the control group (P<0.01). The IUGR + PBS group had a significantly lower IgE level than the control + PBS group (P<0.01). Compared with the control + PBS and IUGR + PBS groups, the control + OVA and IUGR + OVA groups had a significantly increased IgE level, and the IgE level was significantly higher in the IUGR + OVA group than in the control + OVA group (P<0.01). Compared with the control + PBS and IUGR + PBS groups, the control + OVA and IUGR + OVA groups had significantly increased counts of leukocytes, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and macrophages in the BLF (P<0.01). The pulmonary alveoli of OVA-induced IUGR mice showed massive inflammatory cell infiltration and damage of intercellular continuity. Meanwhile, airway epithelial cell proliferation, bronchial wall thickening, bronchial lumen narrowing, and massive inflammatory cell infiltration around the bronchi and the vascular wall were observed. CONCLUSIONS: An OVA-induced bronchial asthma model has been successfully established in the mice with IUGR induced by low-protein diet, which provides a basis for further study of the molecular mechanism of relationship between IUGR and airway inflammation.

[Clinical effect of letrozole in treatment of idiopathic short stature in adolescent boys].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of letrozole in the treatment of adolescent boys with idiopathic short stature (ISS). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 16 adolescent boys with ISS who had a bone age of ≥14 years. Among these boys, 8 were initially treated with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), followed by rhGH combined with letrozole during a bone age of 14-15.5 years. The other 8 boys were initially treated with rhGH combined with letrozole since their bone age was ≥14 years at diagnosis. Of the 16 boys, 16 were treated for not less than 6 months, 12 were treated for not less than 1 year, and 5 were treated for not less than 1.5 years. The increase in bone age, predicted adult height (PAH), final adult height, sex hormones, and adverse reactions after treatment were analyzed. RESULTS: After 6 months, 1 year, and 1.5 years of treatment, median bone age was increased by 0 year, 0.5 year, and 0.5 year respectively, which was significantly lower than the increase in age (P<0.05). There was a significant increase in PAH after treatment (P<0.05). Seven boys reached final height, which was significantly higher than PAH before treatment (P<0.05). All the 16 boys had significant increases in luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and testosterone levels after treatment (P<0.05), with a significant reduction in the estradiol level and a significant increase in the insulin level at 1 year of treatment (P<0.05). There was a significant increase in the insulin-like growth factor-1 level at 6 months and 1 year of treatment (P<0.05). There were no significant changes in blood glucose, blood lipids, uric acid, and the three indices for thyroid function as monitored during treatment (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In adolescent boys with ISS and a high bone age, rhGH combined with letrozole can safely and effectively delay the increase in bone age and improve PAH and final adult height, with little adverse effect.

A20 inhibits the release of inflammatory cytokines by suppressing the activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway in osteoarthritic fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

A growing number of studies suggest that synovitis plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). As a negative mediator of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, the zinc finger protein A20 has significant anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, the differential expression of A20 was investigated at the mRNA and protein levels in human normal OA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) and normal FLSs pretreated with TNF-α. We then measured the activation of the NF-κB pathway and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the above three groups by western blotting, a human cytokine array and ELISA. We found that TNF-α activated the NF-κB pathway, increased the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8, and A20 expression in human normal FLSs. However, the role of A20 in FLSs was unclear. To clarify this, we investigated the effect of A20 overexpression in human normal FLSs. The results indicate that A20 inhibits the NF-κB signaling pathway activation and OA-associated pro-inflammatory cytokines release. The results of this study indicate that A20 has anti-inflammatory effects in FLSs, which makes it a potential target for OA synovitis treatment.

Paclitaxel, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin combination chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin (TFL) as first-line treatment in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). One hundred and thirteen patients were enrolled in the study who were confirmed to have AGC by histopathology. These patients were treated with TFL: paclitaxel at a dose of 135 mg/m as a 3-h intravenous infusion on day 1, LV 400 mg/m as an intravenous infusion over 2 h on day 1, followed by 5-fluorouracil 2400 mg/m as an infusion over a 46-h period on 3 consecutive days. Cycles were repeated every 2 weeks. A total of 113 patients were assessed for their response to therapy. A total of three patients achieved complete responses and 46 patients achieved partial responses, yielding an overall objective response rate of 43.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 34.3-52.5%]. Fifty-four cases of stable disease and 10 cases of progressive disease were observed in the remaining patients. The median time to progression and overall survival were 5.2 months (95% CI: 4.7-5.8 months) and 14.1 months (95% CI: 12.5-15.8 months), respectively. Toxicities were tolerable and moderate. The most common grade 3-4 toxicities included leukopenia (16.8%), neutropenia (17.7%), anemia (8.0%), thrombocytopenia (5.3%), and fatigue (6.2%). Combination chemotherapy with TFL offers an active and safe therapeutic approach for patients with AGC.

[17α-Hydroxylase deficiency with severe hypertension as the initial symptom in a child].

A 14-year-old female (social gender) patient was admitted to the hospital due to severe hypertension for 11 days. The patient had primary amenorrhea. The blood pressure was 146/90 mm Hg. The skin color was slightly black. The development of secondary sexual characteristics was poor. The labia majora could be observed in the vulva. However, the labia minora, clitoris, vagina, and hymen were absent. The levels of renin, cortisol, and sex hormone were low, while the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and gonadotropin were high. The levels of blood potassium and aldosterone were both normal. Radiography indicated retardation of bone age. Ultrasound examination revealed that the ovary and uterus were both absent. The patient had bilateral adrenal hyperplasia and cryptorchid testes located in both inguinal canals. The patient had a 46,XY karyotype. Whole genome sequencing revealed two homozygous mutations, c.985T>C and c.987delC, in exon 6 of the CYP17A1 gene of the patient and heterozygous mutations in the same sites of the parents. The patient was diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia-17α-hydroxylase deficiency. After treatment with hydrocortisone for 2 months, blood pressure returned to normal and the level of adrenocorticotropic hormone was reduced. According to the request of the patient and the parents, hydrocortisone was replaced with estrogen to allow the patient to live as a female. The patient also received surgical excision of cryptorchid testes to prevent gonadal malignancy. It is concluded that in the differential diagnosis of pediatric hypertension, sexual development should be considered and the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol should be evaluated. The rare disease 17α-hydroxylase deficiency should be considered for patients with low-renin hypertension and gonadal dysgenesis.

Combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and oxaliplatin as first-line treatment in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: This study is a retrospective analysis evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of combination chemotherapy with Paclitaxel (PTX) and Oxaliplatin (OXA) as first-line treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). METHODS: One hundred and seven patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma received intravenous infusions of PTX at 135 mg/m2 and OXA at 85 mg/m2 on day 1 every 14 days. RESULTS: Among 107 patients enrolled, 9 patients could not be evaluated for a response because of the absence of any measurable lesions. Assessment of the response of 98 patients was made. The overall objective response rate was 42.9% (95% CI 32.9-52.8%), with two complete responses and 40 partial responses. The disease control was 79.6% (95% CI 71.5-87.7%). With 29 months of the median time of follow-up, the median progression-free survival was 5.8 months (95% CI 4.30-7.30 months) and the median overall survival was 11.5 months (95% CI 9.08-13.9 months). The 1-year survival rate was 48.0%. The most common grades 3 and 4 toxicities included neutropenia (32.7%), leucopenia (17.8%), fatigue (5.61%), and anemia (4.67%). Peripheral neuropathy occurred in 23.4% patients and grade 2 or higher peripheral neuropathy occurred in 12.1% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Combination chemotherapy with PTX and OXA offers a new, effective and safe regimen for patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Paclitaxel, oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin combination chemotherapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel, oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin (POFL) in patients with recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-eight patients with histologically confirmed recurrent or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma were treated with the POFL regimen: paclitaxel at a dose of 135 mg/m2 as a 3-hour intravenous infusion on day 1, oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2 and leucovorin 400 mg/m2 as an intravenous infusion over 2 hours on day 1, followed by 5-fluorouracil 2,400 mg/m2 as an infusion over a 46-hour period on 3 consecutive days, in a 2-week cycle. RESULTS: Twelve patients could not be evaluated for response because of the absence of any measurable lesions or early discontinuation of therapy, so responses were assessed in 126 patients. The overall objective response rate was 56.3% (95% CI, 47.5%-64.9%). The median time to progression was 6.7 months (95% CI, 5.8-7.6 months), and the median overall survival was 12.6 months (95% CI, 11.3-13.9 months). The most common grade 3 and 4 toxicities were neutropenia (50.7%), peripheral neurotoxicity (16.7%) and alopecia (27.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Combination chemotherapy with POFL offers a new, active and safe approach to the treatment of recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer.

Pulmonary Papillary Adenoma: Report of Two Cases.

Pulmonary papillary adenoma is a rare tumor. Two cases without any clinical symptoms were enrolled in our hospital. Both cases were incidentally detected in pulmonary area by imaging. Pathological examination revealed well-circumscribed nodules consisting of papillary growth of cuboidal to low columnar epithelial cells lining the surface of the fibrovascular stroma. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining showed that the lining cells were diffusely positive for TTF-1, CK, p63, CK7, and Napsin A. The Ki-67 proliferation index was approximately 2%. The morphological features and the IHC profile of the tumor were in agreement with that of pulmonary papillary adenoma. Both patients are doing well without recurrence or metastasis of the tumor.

[A survey of pubertal development in children born with assisted reproductive technology].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the status of pubertal development in children born with assisted reproductive technology (ART). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the pubertal development data of children born with ART in Peking University Third Hospital from 1994 to 2003 (ART group). The data in the cross-sectional study "Reports on the Physical Fitness and Health Research of Chinese School Students in 2010" were used as a control. The age at menarche and the age at spermarche were compared between the two groups. The status of pubertal development in the overweight and obese children in the ART group was evaluated to investigate the correlation between pubertal development and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: A total of 200 children born with ART were enrolled in this study, and 72 of them (41 males and 31 females) completed the survey (response rate=36.0%). In the ART group, the mean age at spermarche and the mean age at menarche were 13.9 years (95%CI: 13.7-14.3 years) and 12.2 years (95%CI: 11.8-12.6 years), respectively. There were no significant differences in the age at spermarche and the age at menarche between the ART and control groups (P>0.05). In the ART group, there were no significant differences in the age at spermarche and the age at menarche between the overweight and obese children and the normal weight children (P>0.05). There were also no significant differences in overweight rate and obesity rate between the children in the ART group and the adolescents in Beijing (P>0.05). In the ART group, there was no significant correlation between the age at spermarche or menarche and BMI (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No delayed or precocious puberty is observed in children born with ART. This is consistent with the normal control data. And there is no significant correlation between pubertal development and BMI in children born with ART.

[A preliminary study of renal function in small-for-gestational-age infants at early stage after birth].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the renal function of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants at the early stage after birth. METHODS: A total of 40 preterm SGA infants, 33 full-term SGA infants, 80 preterm appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) infants, and 33 full-term AGA infants were included in this study. The following indices were compared between the SGA infants and AGA infants within 48 hours after admission: blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), blood pressure, urine volume per body weight, and proteinuria. RESULTS: The preterm SGA group had a significantly lower BUN level than the preterm AGA group (P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in SCr level, eGFR, and blood pressure between the two groups (P>0.05). The full-term SGA group had a significantly higher SCr level and a significantly lower eGFR than the full-term AGA group (P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in BUN level and blood pressure between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in urine volume per body weight between the preterm SGA and preterm AGA groups (P>0.05) and between the full-term SGA and full-term AGA groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of proteinuria between the preterm SGA and preterm AGA groups (P>0.05). Proteinuria was not present in the SGA full-term and AGA full-term groups. CONCLUSIONS: SCr and eGFR can be used as the diagnostic indices for early renal damage of SGA infants. The renal function is worse in full-term SGA infants than in full-term AGA infants.

MicroRNA-146a Promotes Oligodendrogenesis in Stroke.

Stroke induces new myelinating oligodendrocytes that are involved in ischemic brain repair. Molecular mechanisms that regulate oligodendrogenesis have not been fully investigated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. MiR-146a has been reported to regulate immune response, but the role of miR-146a in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) remains unknown. Adult Wistar rats were subjected to the right middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). In situ hybridization analysis with LNA probes against miR-146a revealed that stroke considerably increased miR-146a density in the corpus callosum and subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle of the ischemic hemisphere. In vitro, overexpression of miR-146a in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) significantly increased their differentiation into O4+ OPCs. Overexpression of miR-146a in primary OPCs increased their expression of myelin proteins, whereas attenuation of endogenous miR-146a suppressed generation of myelin proteins. MiR-146a also inversely regulated its target gene-IRAK1 expression in OPCs. Attenuation of IRAK1 in OPCs substantially increased myelin proteins and decreased OPC apoptosis. Collectively, our data suggest that miR-146a may mediate stroke-induced oligodendrogenesis.

The existence of solutions of q-difference-differential equations.

By using the Nevanlinna theory of value distribution, we investigate the existence of solutions of some types of non-linear q-difference differential equations. In particular, we generalize the Rellich-Wittich-type theorem and Malmquist-type theorem about differential equations to the case of q-difference differential equations (system).

Two newly recorded genera and species of Owlflies (Neuroptera: Ascalaphidae) from China.

BACKGROUND: The records of genus Bubopsis McLachlan, 1898 with species Bubopsis tancrei Weele, 1908 and the genus Nousera Navás, 1923 with species Nousera gibba Navás, 1923 have not been published in China. NEW INFORMATION: The genus Bubopsis McLachlan, 1898 with species Bubopsis tancrei Weele, 1908 and the genus Nousera Navás, 1923 with species Nousera gibba Navás, 1923 are recorded for the first time from China. We provide detailed descriptions and illlustrations of specimens and the collecting information of the specimens are also provided.

Anticancer activity of bicalutamide-loaded PLGA nanoparticles in prostate cancers.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous malignancy in men in western and most developing countries. Bicalutamide (BLT) is an antineoplastic hormonal agent primarily used in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancers. In the present study, the aim was to develop a nanotechnology-based delivery system to target prostate cancer cells. This involved the development of a BLT-loaded poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) PLGA (PLGA-BLT) nanoparticulate system in an attempt to improve the therapeutic efficacy of BLT in prostate cancer and to mitigate its toxicity. Nanosized particles with a uniform size distribution and spherical shape were developed. PLGA-BLT showed a pronounced cytotoxic effect on LNCaP and C4-2 cancer cells. The superior cell-killing effect of the nanoparticles may be attributable to their sustained drug-release characteristics and high cellular internalization. PLGA-BLT was also found to significantly inhibit colony formation in the two cell lines. Furthermore, the caspase-3 activity of PLGA-BLT treated cancer cells was enhanced, indicating the cell apoptosis-inducing potential of PLGA-BLT. Overall, these results suggest that nanotechnology-based formulations of BLT exhibit superior anticancer activity and have enormous potential in the treatment of prostate cancers.

A tool for developing an automatic insect identification system based on wing outlines.

For some insect groups, wing outline is an important character for species identification. We have constructed a program as the integral part of an automated system to identify insects based on wing outlines (DAIIS). This program includes two main functions: (1) outline digitization and Elliptic Fourier transformation and (2) classifier model training by pattern recognition of support vector machines and model validation. To demonstrate the utility of this program, a sample of 120 owlflies (Neuroptera: Ascalaphidae) was split into training and validation sets. After training, the sample was sorted into seven species using this tool. In five repeated experiments, the mean accuracy for identification of each species ranged from 90% to 98%. The accuracy increased to 99% when the samples were first divided into two groups based on features of their compound eyes. DAIIS can therefore be a useful tool for developing a system of automated insect identification.

Two Novel Heterozygous Mutations in ERCC8 Cause Cockayne Syndrome in a Chinese Patient.

BACKGROUND: Cockayne syndrome (MIM #133540, Cockayne syndrome B; 216400, Cockayne syndrome A) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disease in which the characteristic symptoms are premature aging, cachectic dwarfism, lack of subcutaneous fat, neurological alterations, light sensitivity, and failure to thrive. The mutated gene responsible for this syndrome has been identified as usually either CSA (CKN1, ERCC8) or CSB (ERCC6). In this study, we describe the case of a 7-year-old Chinese boy with characteristic symptoms of Cockayne syndrome A and the conduction of mutation screening of the CSA gene. METHODS: The patient was diagnosed with Cockayne syndrome in the pediatrics clinic for growth failure and developmental delay. We collected peripheral blood samples of the patient and his parents and then extracted the genomic DNA. DNA samples from control subjects and the patient were subjected to polymerase chain reaction amplification. All exons and the flanking intron-exon boundaries of CSA were amplified; then, the polymerase chain reaction products were directly sequenced for mutation screening. RESULTS: Two novel heterozygous CSA mutations, c.551-2A>C and c.394_398delTTACA, were identified in the patient. The c.551-2A>C mutation originates from his father and changed the splice acceptor site AG to CG, thus possibly causing alternative splicing. The c.394_398delTTACA from his mother caused a frameshift after the amino acid at position 132, thus introducing a premature stop codon in the gene sequence. CONCLUSIONS: These mutations extend the mutation spectrum of Cockayne syndrome in the context of Chinese race and provide possibilities of prenatal diagnosis for future offsprings in this family.