Tumour burden score combined with albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio predicts prognosis in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Tumour morphology (tumour burden score (TBS)) and liver function (albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR)) have been shown to correlate with outcomes in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). This study aimed to evaluate the combined predictive effect of TBS and AAPR on survival outcomes in ICC patients. We conducted a retrospective analysis using a multicentre database of ICC patients who underwent curative surgery from 2011 to 2018. The Kaplan-Meier method was employed to examine the relationship between a new index (combining TBS and AAPR) and long-term outcomes. The predictive efficacy of this index was compared to other conventional indicators. A total of 560 patients were included in the study. Based on TBS and AAPR stratification, patients were classified into three groups. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that 124 patients with low TBS and high AAPR had the best overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), while 170 patients with high TBS and low AAPR had the worst outcomes (log-rank p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses identified the combined index as an independent predictor of OS and RFS. Furthermore, the index showed superior accuracy in predicting OS and RFS compared to other conventional indicators. Collectively, this study demonstrated that the combination of liver function and tumour morphology provides a synergistic effect in evaluating the prognosis of ICC patients. The novel index combining TBS and AAPR effectively stratified postoperative survival outcomes in ICC patients undergoing curative resection.

Development and Validation of a Novel Nomogram for Predicting Perioperative Acute Kidney Injury Following Isolated Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this work was to create a novel model for predicting acute kidney injury (AKI) after off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCABG). METHODS: The individuals who underwent OPCABG were randomly separated into a derivation group and a validation group, at a 7:3 ratio. The primary outcome was AKI under the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. To optimize feature selection and construct a nomogram, both least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression (LASSO) and logistic regression analysis were utilized. The nomogram was assessed in various ways: with the C-index, calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curve analysis (CICA). RESULTS: The use of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), systolic blood pressure, smoking and baseline serum creatinine were identified as independent impact factors. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.733 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.669-0.791) and 0.786 (95% CI = 0.693-0.878) in the training and validation groups, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of the internal validation was 0.715 using bootstrapping with 1000 replicates. The calibration plot revealed that the predicted outcomes aligned well with the observations. DCA and CICA suggested that the model had clinical benefit. CONCLUSION: The nomogram that relied on clinical characteristics proved to be a dependable instrument to predict AKI after OPCABG. This model is conveniently applicable in clinical settings and will be a valuable resource for assessing timely medical measures to mitigate risk.

Effect of ultra-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy and ShuoTong ureteroscopy on the stress response, inflammatory indices, and urokinase level in patients with polycystic kidney disease complicated with renal calculus.

This study aimed to explore the effects of ultra-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (UMP) combined with ShuoTong ureteroscopy on the stress response, inflammation indicators and urokinase levels in patients with polycystic kidney disease and kidney stones. In this study, 42 patients with polycystic kidney disease and kidney stones diagnosed and treated in our hospital from February 2018 to February 2021 were selected as the research objects. They were randomly divided into the control group and the study group, with 21 cases in each group, and the control group adopted Ultra-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy treatment; the study group was combined with ShuoTong ureteroscopy on the basis of the control group, and compared and analyzed the stress response, inflammation indexes, urokinase level, renal function, complications and stone clearance rate of the two groups of patients. After treatment, the average operation time, channel establishment time, hemoglobin decline, number of puncture channels, and hospital stay in the study group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (P<0.05); after treatment, the reduction in CRP and PCT in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group The increase of Ang I and Ang II in the control group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05); the improvement of PGE2, NO, and LPO levels in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group after treatment (P<0.05); the study group TH, Cys- The levels of C and ß2-MG were significantly lower than those of the control group; the UK levels of the study group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05); the complication rate of 14.29% in the study group after treatment was significantly lower than that of the control group 33.33%; the study group The stone clearance rate of 95.24% was significantly higher than that of the control group 80.95% (P<0.05). In general, UMP combined with ShuoTong ureteroscopy is used to treat polycystic kidney with kidney stones, accurately determine the tip position of the needle sheath, ensure that the needle sheath enters the collection system to adjust its position, reduce patient stress and inflammation, improve safety and feasibility, and is worthy of clinical practice Promote applications.

Increased Insular Connectivity and Enhanced Empathic Ability Associated with Dance/Music Training.

Dance and music are expressive art forms. Previous behavioural studies have reported that dancers/musicians show a better sensorimotor ability and emotional representation of others. However, the neural mechanism behind this phenomenon is not completely understood. Recently, intensive researches have identified that the insula is highly enrolled in the empathic process. Thus, to expand the knowledge of insular function associated with empathy under the dance/music training background, we mapped the insular network and its associated brain regions in 21 dancers, 20 musicians, and 24 healthy controls using resting-state functional connectivity (FC) analysis. Whole brain voxel-based analysis was performed using seeds from the posterior insula (PI), the ventral anterior insula (vAI), and the dorsal anterior insula (dAI). The training effects of dance and music on insular subnetworks were then evaluated using one-way analysis of variance ANOVA. Increased insular FC with those seeds was found in dancers/musicians, including PI and anterior cingulated cortex (ACC), vAI and middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and middle cingulated cortex (MCC), and dAI and ACC and MTG. In addition, significant associations were found between discrepant insular FC patterns and empathy scores in dancers and musicians. These results indicated that dance/music training might enhance insular subnetwork function, which would facilitate integration of intero/exteroceptive information and result in better affective sensitivity. Those changes might finally facilitate the subjects' empathic ability.

Resveratrol Attenuates the Cytotoxicity Induced by Amyloid-ß1-42 in PC12 Cells by Upregulating Heme Oxygenase-1 via the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 Pathway.

Oxidative stress and cytotoxic damage induced by amyloid beta (Aß) have been considered pivotal in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may represent a target for treatment. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway elicits a survival signal to protect against multiple injuries, and the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a downstream target of the PI3K/Akt pathway, can bind to HO-1. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol derived from grapes, has been widely reported to have diverse antioxidative effects against AD, but the mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The present study aims to investigate the effects of resveratrol on Aß1-42-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells and to explore the potential mechanisms of these effects. PC12 cells were cultured and treated with Aß1-42. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels. After treating with resveratrol at different concentrations (0, 10, 20, 40 µM) and for different durations (24, 48, 72 h), the generation of MDA, GSH, and SOD were detected; cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined using an ROS Assay Kit. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression. Our studies showed that pretreatment with resveratrol could reduce Aß1-42-induced oxidative stress in PC12 cells by inhibiting the generation of MDA and ROS and increasing the production of SOD and GSH. Resveratrol markedly attenuated the Aß1-42-induced loss in cell viability in PC12 cells in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. More importantly, resveratrol stimulated the activation of HO-1, Nrf2, PI3K, and phosphorylated Akt. Notably, the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol were eliminated by the HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP), Nrf2 small interfering RNA (siRNA), and the PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002. Taken together, the findings suggest that the cytoprotection of resveratrol against the cytotoxicity induced by Aß1-42 in PC12 cells is through the upregulation of HO-1 expression via the activation of the PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 intracellular signaling pathway, which might provide novel insights for understanding the mechanism of the neuroprotective effect of resveratrol as an anti-AD drug.

Lower serum uric acid levels in cerebral amyloid angiopathy: a pilot study.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a common degenerative disease presenting intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in older people. Uric acid (UA) is a natural antioxidant, and may have a beneficial role in neurodegenerative diseases. Nevertheless, the role of UA in CAA remains unknown. In the present study, we compared serum UA levels in CAA-associated ICH patients (n = 82) and age/sex-matched controls (n = 82). Serum UA levels in possible CAA were significantly decreased when compared with healthy controls (232.68 ± 77.70 vs. 309.42 ± 59.83 µmol/L; p < 0.001). Furthermore, UA levels in patients clinically diagnosed as probable CAA were significantly lower than those in patients diagnosed as possible CAA (193.06 ± 56.98 vs. 232.68 ± 77.70 µmol/L; p = 0.014). These differences were still significant after adjusting for renal function and dyslipidemia (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). However, there were no associations between serum UA levels and the distribution of hemorrhagic lesion, as well as neurological impairment. Our observations indicate that serum UA levels were decreased in CAA patients. UA might play a neuroprotective role in CAA and serve as a potential biomarker for reflecting the severity of Aß deposition.

Glypican-3, a novel prognostic marker of hepatocellular cancer, is related with postoperative metastasis and recurrence in hepatocellular cancer patients.

Metastasis/recurrence has been the most fundamental characteristic of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and the ultimate cause of most HCC-related deaths. However, there are still a limited number of reliable tumor markers that can be used to predict the possibility of metastasis/recurrence in an HCC patient after operation. Recently, much evidence has shown that glypican-3 (GPC3) can be a useful tool to identify the early development of HCC, but little research has been done to test its usefulness as a prognostic marker related to post-operative metastasis/recurrence in HCC patients. In this study, the expression of GPC3 and its relationship with clinicopathological factors were determined by immunohistochemical analysis in 61 primary HCC patients. The potential prognostic value of GPC3 was investigated by comparing the survival time between HCC patients with high and low GPC3 expression. The results demonstrated that GPC3 expression was closely related with metastasis/recurrence in an HCC patient who can receive the operation. The risk of metastasis/recurrence after surgery in an HCC patient with high GPC3 expression was increased to 3.214 as compared to that of an HCC patient with low GPC3 expression. Survival analysis showed that HCC patients with high GPC3 expression had a significantly shorter overall survival time than HCC patients with low GPC3 expression (P=0.003). Further, multivariate analysis showed that GPC3 expression was a significant, independent prognostic parameter (P=0.030) for HCC patients. Overall, the study indicates that GPC3 might be a valuable marker closely related with prognosis and post-operative metastasis/recurrence in HCC patients.

Effects of fermentation medium on cigar filler.

The addition of medium during industrial fermentation can improve the quality of cigar tobacco leaves after agricultural fermentation. In this study, the cigar filler tobacco "Brazilian Frogstrips YA14" was used as the test material to determine the contents of main chemical components in cigar tobacco leaves after fermentations with the additions of water (control group) and a medium (test group), and the changes in the community structure and abundances of bacteria on tobacco leaves during the fermentation process were analyzed. The results of the study were as follows: 1) During the fermentation process, the protein content of tobacco leaves fluctuated slightly, basically stabilized at 19%-20%. 2) Under the impact of the medium, the total content of main amino acids in tobacco leaves showed a downward trend, and the difference of which between the control group and the test group was the most obvious on the fourth day of fermentation. 3) The change trend of the content of petroleum ether extract in cigar leaves for the control group was not obvious, and the content of petroleum ether extract in the tobacco leaves for the test group decreased by 12.4% under the impact of the medium. 4) After fermentation, the relative content of saturated fatty acids for the control group and the test group all increased, while the relative content of unsaturated fatty acids all decreased. 5) After the addition of the medium, the diversity of bacteria on tobacco leaves changed significantly, the number of OTUs in tobacco leaves increased, and the bacterial community structure changed. This research indicates that after adding the medium to ferment cigar filler, the changes of bacterial community and dominant bacterial group on cigar tobacco leaves have impacts on the contents of chemical components in tobacco leaves, and the fermentation with the addition of medium has a positive effect on improving the quality of tobacco leaves.

Dual-vessel intervention treatment for massive hemoptysis caused by lung cavitary lesions.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of dual-vessel intervention (DVI), including bronchial or pulmonary arterial embolization (B/PAE), in managing massive hemoptysis caused by cavitary lung lesions (with or without aspergilloma) and identify cavitary angiographic features influencing DVI procedures. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of the medical records and angiograms of 15 patients who underwent DVI for massive hemoptysis was performed. RESULTS: The most frequent causes of cavitary lung lesions were tuberculosis (TB) (8/15, 53%) and bronchiectasis (6/15, 40%). Eight patients were diagnosed with aspergilloma (8/15, 53%). In all, 24 systemic arteries, including the orthotopic and ectopic bronchial arteries and 1 pulmonary artery branch, were embolized in 16 procedures. Clinical success and immediate cessation of hemoptysis were achieved in 12 patients (80%). Hemoptysis was controlled in 10 patients (67%) and recurred in 2 patients (17%), while 1 patient (7%) required repeat embolization. The bronchopulmonary fistula (shunting) rate was 73.3% (11/15). The average fistula emergence time was 1.28 ± 1.27 s (M ± SD), and the average vessel diameter was 3.974 ± 1.57 mm. There were no significant differences in angiographic features, clinical success, or recurrence of cavitary lesions with or without aspergilloma. The complication rates were low, with only transient chest pain and ventricular arrhythmia reported. CONCLUSIONS: BAE is an effective and safe procedure for most cavitary lesions causing massive hemoptysis, and DVI is needed under certain circumstances. High bronchopulmonary fistula rates and early fistula emergence times were observed for cavitary lesions. The DVI strategy depends on the culprit vessel diameter, fistula type, and fistula emergence time.

Minimally invasive versus open radical resection surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma: Comparable outcomes associated with advantages of minimal invasiveness.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) provides a new approach for patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA). However, whether it can achieve similar outcomes to traditional open surgery (OS) remains controversial. METHODS: To assess the safety and feasibility of MIS for HCCA, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to compare the outcomes of MIS with OS. Seventeen outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Nine studies involving 382 patients were included. MIS was comparable in blood transfusion rate, R0 resection rate, lymph nodes received, overall morbidity, severe morbidity (Clavien-Dindo classification > = 3), bile leakage rate, wound infection rate, intra-abdominal infection rate, days until oral feeding, 1-year overall survival, 2-year overall survival and postoperative mortality with OS. Although operation time was longer (mean difference (MD) = 93.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 64.10 to 122.91, P < 0.00001) and hospital cost (MD = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.03 to 1.33, P = 0.04) was higher in MIS, MIS was associated with advantages of minimal invasiveness, that was less blood loss (MD = -81.85, 95% CI = -92.09 to -71.62, P < 0.00001), less postoperative pain (MD = -1.21, 95% CI = -1.63 to -0.79, P < 0.00001), and shorter hospital stay (MD = -4.22, 95% CI = -5.65 to -2.80, P < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: The safety and feasibility of MIS for HCCA is acceptable in selected patients. MIS is a remarkable alternative to OS for providing comparable outcomes associated with a benefit of minimal invasiveness and its application should be considered more.

Increased Surgical Complications but Improved Overall Survival with Adult Living Donor Compared to Deceased Donor Liver Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) provides an alternative to deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) for patients with end-stage liver disease in the circumstance of scarcity of deceased grafts. However, the outcomes of LDLT remain controversial. METHOD: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to compare the outcomes of LDLT with DDLT. Twelve outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Thirty-nine studies involving 38563 patients were included. LDLT was comparable in red blood cell transfusion, perioperative mortality, length of hospital stay, retransplantation rate, hepatitis C virus recurrence rate, and hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence rate with DDLT. Cold ischemia time was shorter and duration of recipient operation was longer in LDLT. Postoperative intra-abdominal bleeding rate occurred less frequently in LDLT recipients (odds ratio (OR) = 0.64, 95%confidence interval (CI) = 0.46 - 0.88, P = 0.006), but this did not decrease the perioperative mortality. LDLT was associated with significantly higher biliary (OR = 2.23, 95%CI = 1.59 - 3.13, P < 0.00001) and vascular (OR = 2.00, 95%CI = 1.31 - 3.07, P = 0.001) complication rates and better overall survival (OS) (1 year: OR = 1.32, 95%CI = 1.01 - 1.72, P = 0.04; 3 years: OR = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.14 - 1.69, P = 0.0010; and 5 years: OR = 1.33, 95%CI = 1.04 - 1.70, P = 0.02). According to subgroup analysis, biliary complication rate and OS improved dramatically as experience increased, while vascular complication rate could not be improved because it was mainly caused by the difference of the donor type itself. CONCLUSIONS: LDLT remains a valuable option for patients in need of liver transplantation for it provides an excellent alternative to DDLT without compromising recipient outcomes. Further refinement in biliary and vascular reconstruction techniques and the accumulation of liver transplantation centers' experience are the key factors in expanding the application of LDLT.

Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The pursuit of a clearer understanding of the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and the development of new technology has resulted in a surge of interest in the surgical ablation for AFib. Here, we report our 8-year experience in the surgical treatment and management of AFib alongside, evaluating the cost-effectiveness in southern Mainland China over a 1-year follow-up. METHODS: Data of 3,068 patients from March 2011 through June 2019 was retrospectively extracted from The Provincial National Cardiac Database of Xiangya Second Hospital. The activities considered (and costs calculated) were outpatient consultations, hospital admissions, and drug treatment. Quality of life (QoL) questionnaires were also carried out to assess whether concomitant AFib correction procedures increase risk in patients, or improve patient's QoL. RESULTS: A total of 3,068 patients completed the questionnaires at a minimum of one time-point during the follow-up. The total cost was combined to obtain incremental costs per quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The total costs of the AFib catheter ablation group were remarkably higher compared to surgery as usual group. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $76,513,227 (¥542,287,667) per QALY, with an acceptability line graph for cost at 43%. CONCLUSIONS: AFib is an extraordinarily costly and worrisome public health problem. Precision medicine is vital as it provides a platform for the clinical translation of targeted interventions that are designed to help treat and prevent AFib. Thus, to improve the QoL expectancy outcome(s), both therapeutic and surgical interventions should be aimed at addressing the underlying heart disease rather than restoring sinus rhythm.

Increased expression of LCN2 formed a positive feedback loop with activation of the ERK pathway in human kidney cells during kidney stone formation.

Kidney stones are a common threat to the health of elderly patients with a high incidence of disease. However, the specific molecular mechanism of the formation of kidney stones has not been elucidated. Here, we combined signalling molecules with signalling pathways in a double positive circulation regulation model. In addition, we found that LCN2 plays a role in promoting kidney stones through regulation of the ERK signalling pathway and expression of other kidney stone-related genes. LCN2 expression was upregulated upon oxalate stimulation. P-ERK1/2 inhibition by U0126 in kidney epithelial cells resulted in decreased expression of LCN2. Furthermore, the upregulation of LCN2 not only depended on the activation of the ERK signalling pathway but also regulated the activation of the ERK signalling pathway. Importantly, upregulation of LCN2 not only caused kidney epithelial cell damage but also promoted the expression of other kidney stone-related genes. Our findings improved the understanding of LCN2 and might lead to the development of new therapeutic and prognostic markers for kidney stones.

Calpain I inhibition prevents atrial structural remodeling in a canine model with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is accompanied by atrial structural remodeling. Calpain activity is induced during AF. To test a causal relationship between calpain activation and atrial structural changes, N-acetyl-Leu-Leu-Met (ALLM), a calpain inhibitor, was utilized in a canine AF model. METHODS: Fifteen dogs were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham-operated group, control group and calpain inhibitor group; each with 5 dogs. Sustained AF was induced by rapid right atrium pacing at 600 beats per minute for 3 weeks. ALLM was administered at a dosage of 1.0 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) in the calpain inhibitor group. Three weeks later, the proteolysis, protein expression of TnT and myosin, calpain I localization and expression and structural changes were examined in left atrial free walls, right atrial free walls and the interatrial septum respectively. Atrial size and contractile function were also measured by echocardiography. RESULTS: Long-term rapid atrial pacing induced marked structural changes such as enlarged atrial volume, myolysis, degradation of TnT and myosin, accumulation of glycogen and changes in mitochondrial shape and size, which were paralleled by an increase in calpain activity. The positive correlation between calpain activity and the degree of myolysis (r(s) = 0.90 961, P < 0.0001) was demonstrated. In addition to structural abnormalities, pacing-induced atrial contractile dysfunction was observed in this study. The pacing-induced atrial structural alterations and loss of contractility were partially prevented by the calpain inhibitor ALLM. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of calpain represents key features in the progression towards overt structural remodeling. Calpain inhibitor, ALLM, suppressed the increased calpain activity and reversed structural remodeling caused by sustained atrial fibrillation in the present model. Calpain inhibition may therefore provide a possibility for therapeutic intervention in AF.

[Effects of 40H-tamoxifen on the proliferation and apoptosis of prostate stromal cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of 4OH-Tamoxifen (OHT) on proliferation and apoptosis of primary cultured prostate stromal cells. METHODS: Primarily cultured prostate stromal cells in vitro were treated with various concentrations (10(-8) mol/L - 10(-5) mol/L) of estradiol (E2), diethylstilbestrol (DES), OHT and the mixture of E2 (10(-8) mol/L - 10(-6) mol/L) with OHT (10(-7) mol/L) and then MTT and TUNEL were used to detect their proliferation and apoptosis respectively. RESULTS: There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between OHT and estrogens in the effects on the apoptosis and proliferation of the primarily cultured prostate stromal cells. OHT suppressed proliferation of the prostate stromal cells at the concentrations from 10(-7) mol/L to 10(-5) mol/L (P < 0.05), and this effect was concentration related (r = -0.383, P = 0.005); OHT (10(-7) mol/L) suppressed the proliferation stimulation effect of E2 at the concentrations from 10(-8) mol/L to 10(-6) mol/L (P < 0.05). OHT induced apoptosis at the concentrations from 10(-8) mol/L to 10(-5) mol/L (P < 0.05), and this effect was concentration related (r = 0.349, P = 0.012). The apoptosis induced by OHT could not be reversed by E2 at the concentrations from 10(-8) mol/L to 10(-5) mol/L (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: OHT can obviously suppressed the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of primarily cultured prostate stromal cells, which might not be totally attributed to the competitive inhibition of the estrogen receptor.

[The effect of Angelica sinensis on adhesion, invasion, migration and metastasis of melanoma cells].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Angelica sinensis on invasion, adhesion, migration and metastasis of B16-BL6 metastatic mouse melanoma cells and discuss its functional mechanism. METHODS: The proliferation, adhesion, invasion and migration capacity of B16-BL6 metastatic cells was evaluated by MTT assay, adhesion assay and reconstituted basement membrane invasion and migration assay in vitro respectively. Mouse spontaneous melanoma model was used to study the effect of Angelica sinensis on metastasis in vivo. RESULTS: The extract of Angelica sinensis inhibited the proliferation of B16-BL6 metastatic cells and its migration capacity significantly. It regulated bidirectionally the adhesion of B16-BL6 metastatic cells to the basement component laminin while it had no effect on the invasion capacity. In the mouse spotaneous melanoma model, the lung metastatic nodes number and its volume were significantly decreased after continuously treated with the extract of Angelica sinensis at the concentration of 3.67 mg/kg. CONCLUSION: The extract of Angelica sinensis can inhibit the metastasis of of B16-BL6 metastatic mouse melanoma cells and its mechanism is maybe that Angelica sinensis can inhibit the B16-BL6 cells adhering to the ECM and reduce the migration of B16-BL6 cells.

Students' Interest in Surgery Affects Laparoscopic Practicing Performance.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Earlier exposure to laparoscopic techniques is thought to be beneficial for medical students. Reports have demonstrated that practice improves performance in laparoscopies. In this study, we intended to evaluate whether medical students' interest in surgery is affected by the amount of practice and the performance on a laparoscopic simulator. METHODS: A laparoscopic simulation curriculum was introduced at Taipei Medical University, Wan-Fang Medical Center. Study participants included 36 sixth-year and 14 seventh-year students who were divided according to whether they had indicated an interest (group A) or not (group B) in surgery. The students had twice-a-week practice sessions for 2 weeks. They underwent baseline measurement (BM) before training and posttraining measurement (PTM). Self-guided practice on the simulator was allowed. The learning outcomes were assessed comparing the BM and PTM scores by using the interquartile range (IQR) test. We also tested the correlation between total score and number of self-guided practice sessions. RESULTS: All study participants showed improvement. No differences were observed between BM and PTM scores and between 6th- and 7th-year medical students. Significant differences were found in PTM scores between groups A and B (P < .001). Analysis of variance with a post hoc test for different groups revealed that the PTMs were significantly higher for both the 6th- and 7th-year medical students in group A than for those in group B (P < .001). Total performance scores were improved with a higher number of self-guided practice sessions. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between the number of self-guided practice sessions and total performance score (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Those clerks and interns interested in surgery who had more sessions for self-guided practice, displayed more improvement than those not interested in surgery did. Improvement in performance correlated highly with trainees' number of self-guided practice sessions.

Prokaryotic expression and purification of soluble goldfish Tgf2 transposase with transposition activity.

Goldfish Tgf2 transposon of Hobo/Activator/Tam3 (hAT) family can mediate gene insertion in a variety of aquacultural fish species by transposition; however, the protein structure of Tgf2 transposase (TPase) is still poorly understood. To express the goldfish Tgf2 TPase in Escherichia coli, the 2061-bp coding region was cloned into pET-28a(+) expression vector containing an N-terminal (His)6-tag. The pET-28a(+)-Tgf2 TPase expression cassette was transformed into Rosetta 1 (DE3) E. coli lines. A high yield of soluble proteins with molecular weight of ~80 kDa was obtained by optimized cultures including low-temperature (22 °C) incubation and early log phase (OD600 = 0.3-0.4) induction. Mass spectrometry analysis following trypsin digestion of the recombinant proteins confirmed a Tgf2 TPase component in the eluate of Ni(2+)-affinity chromatography. When co-injected into 1-2 cell embryos with a donor plasmid harboring a Tgf2 cis-element, the prokaryotic expressed Tgf2 TPase can mediate high rates (45 %) of transposition in blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). Transposition was proved by the presence of 8-bp random direct repeats at the target sites, which is the signature of hAT family transposons. Production of the Tgf2 Tpase protein in a soluble and active form not only allows further investigation of its structure, but provides an alternative tool for fish transgenesis and insertional mutagenesis.

The goldfish hAT-family transposon Tgf2 is capable of autonomous excision in zebrafish embryos.

The goldfish (Carassius auratus) Tgf2 transposon is a vertebrate DNA transposon that belongs to the hAT transposon family. In this study, we constructed plasmids containing either the full-length Tgf2 transposon (pTgf2 plasmid) or a partially-deleted Tgf2 transposon (ΔpTgf2 plasmid), and microinjected these plasmids into fertilized zebrafish (Danio rerio) eggs at the one- to two-cell stage. DNA extracted from the embryos was analyzed by PCR to assess transient excision, if any, of the exogenous plasmid and to verify whether Tgf2 is an autonomous transposon. The results showed that excision-specific bands were not detected in embryos injected with the ΔpTgf2 plasmid, while bands of 300-500bp were detected in embryos injected with pTgf2, which indicated that the full-length Tgf2-containing plasmid could undergo autonomous excision in zebrafish embryos. DNA cloned from 24 embryos injected with pTgf2 was sequenced, and the results suggested that Tgf2 underwent self-excision in zebrafish embryos. Cloning and PCR analysis of DNA extracted from embryos co-injected with ΔpTgf2 and in vitro-transcribed transposase mRNA indicated that partially-deleted-Tgf2-containing ΔpTgf2 plasmid also underwent excision, in the presence of functional transposase mRNA. DNA cloned from 25 embryos co-injected with ΔpTgf2 and transposase mRNA was sequenced, and the results suggested that partially-deleted Tgf2 transposons plasmids were excised. These results demonstrated that excisions of Tgf2 transposons were mediated by the Tgf2 transposase, which in turn confirmed that Tgf2 is an autonomous transposon.