AXIN1 protects against testicular germ cell tumors via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Axis inhibition protein 1 (AXIN1) is characterized as a tumor suppressor in numerous types of cancer. However, the functional role of AXIN1 in the testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) remains unclear. The human embryonal carcinoma-derived cell line NTera2 was transfected with a recombinant AXIN1 expression vector (pcDNA3.

A multicenter survey of first-line treatment patterns and gene aberration test status of patients with unresectable Stage IIIB/IV nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer in China (CTONG 1506).

Background: In recent years, systemic chemotherapy and molecular targeted therapy have become standard first-line treatments for locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective of this survey was to investigate first-line anticancer treatment patterns and gene aberration test status of patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC in China.

Methods: Patients included in this study had unresectable Stage IIIB/IV nonsquamous NSCLC and were admitted during August 2015 to March 2016 into one of 12 tertiary hospitals throughout China for first-line anticancer treatment.

Replication of Gout/Urate Concentrations GWAS Susceptibility Loci Associated with Gout in a Han Chinese Population.

Gout is a chronic disease resulting from elevated serum urate (SU). Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified dozens of susceptibility loci for SU/gout, but few have been conducted for Chinese descent. Here, we try to extensively investigate whether these loci contribute to gout risk in Han Chinese.

Efficacy and safety of recombinant human lymphotoxin-α derivative with cisplatin and fluorouracil in patients with metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A randomized, multicenter, open-label, controlled, phase 2b trial.

Background: Recombinant human lymphotoxin-α derivative (rhLTα-Da) is a lymphotoxin-α derivative that is missing 27 N-terminal amino acid residues. Previous studies indicated a benefit from the addition of rhLTα-Da to cisplatin-based treatment in patients with metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The current study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rhLTα-Da plus cisplatin and fluorouracil (PF) in patients with mESCC.

Thermoresponsive nanocomposite gel for local drug delivery to suppress the growth of glioma by inducing autophagy.

Although the treatments of malignant glioma include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy by oral drug administration, the prognosis of patients with glioma remains very poor. We developed a polyethylene glycol-dipalmitoylphosphatidyle- thanoiamine (mPEG-DPPE) calcium phosphate nanoparticles (NPs) injectable thermoresponsive hydrogel (nanocomposite gel) that could provide a sustained and local delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) and temozolomide (TMZ). In addition, the proportion of PTX and TMZ for the optimal synergistic antiglioma effect on C6 cells was determined to be 1:100 (w/w) by the Chou and Talalay method.

An Oncolytic Adenovirus Expressing SNORD44 and GAS5 Exhibits Antitumor Effect in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

SNORD44 is a C/D box small nucleolar RNA, and exhibits low expression in breast cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma tissues. Its host gene is growth arrest specific transcript 5 (GAS5), which is a long noncoding RNA. GAS5 is downregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC), and overexpression of GAS5 suppresses cell proliferation.

Home noninvasive positive pressure ventilation with built-in software in stable hypercapnic COPD: a short-term prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial.

Background: The benefits of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in patients with hypercapnic COPD are controversial. It is presumed that methodology and appropriate use of NIV ventilator might be crucial for the outcomes. With the new built-in software, the performance of NIV can be monitored at home, which can guarantee the compliance and appropriate use.

Usefulness of Positron Emission Tomography in Patients with Syphilis: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies.

Background: Diagnosis of syphilis is difficult. Follow-up and therapy evaluation of syphilitic patients are poor. Little is known about positron emission tomography (PET) in syphilis.

Common variants in ZMIZ1 and near NGF confer risk for primary dysmenorrhoea.

Primary dysmenorrhoea, defined as painful menstrual cramps in the absence of pelvic pathology, is a common problem in women of reproductive age. Its aetiology and pathophysiology remain largely unknown. Here we performed a two-stage genome-wide association study and subsequent replication study to identify genetic factors associated with primary dysmenorrhoea in a total of 6,770 Chinese individuals.

Monogenic diabetes syndromes: Locus-specific databases for Alström, Wolfram, and Thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia.

We developed a variant database for diabetes syndrome genes, using the Leiden Open Variation Database platform, containing observed phenotypes matched to the genetic variations. We populated it with 628 published disease-associated variants (December 2016) for: WFS1 (n = 309), CISD2 (n = 3), ALMS1 (n = 268), and SLC19A2 (n = 48) for Wolfram type 1, Wolfram type 2, Alström, and Thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia syndromes, respectively; and included 23 previously unpublished novel germline variants in WFS1 and 17 variants in ALMS1. We then investigated genotype-phenotype relations for the WFS1 gene.

Window of Opportunity for New Disease Surveillance: Developing Keyword Lists for Monitoring Mental Health and Injury Through Syndromic Surveillance.

Studies have documented the impact that hurricanes have on mental health and injury rates before, during, and after the event. Since timely tracking of these disease patterns is crucial to disaster planning, response, and recovery, syndromic surveillance keyword filters were developed by the New York State Department of Health to study the short- and long-term impacts of Hurricane Sandy. Emergency department syndromic surveillance is recognized as a valuable tool for informing public health activities during and immediately following a disaster.

Germline Mutations in CDH23, Encoding Cadherin-Related 23, Are Associated with Both Familial and Sporadic Pituitary Adenomas.

Pituitary adenoma (PA) is one of the most common intracranial neoplasms. Several genetic predisposing factors for PA have been identified, but they account for a small portion of cases. In this study, we sought to identify the PA genetic risk factors by focusing on causative mutations for PAs.

Rayleigh-maximum-likelihood bilateral filter for ultrasound image enhancement.

Background: Ultrasound imaging plays an important role in computer diagnosis since it is non-invasive and cost-effective. However, ultrasound images are inevitably contaminated by noise and speckle during acquisition. Noise and speckle directly impact the physician to interpret the images and decrease the accuracy in clinical diagnosis.

DNA origami-based shape IDs for single-molecule nanomechanical genotyping.

Variations on DNA sequences profoundly affect how we develop diseases and respond to pathogens and drugs. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides a nanomechanical imaging approach for genetic analysis with nanometre resolution. However, unlike fluorescence imaging that has wavelength-specific fluorophores, the lack of shape-specific labels largely hampers widespread applications of AFM imaging.

Study on Adsorption and Desorption Characteristics of Cd2+ and Cu2+ on the Surface Sediments of Sanhuhekou of Yellow River by Using ICP-MS.

In order to study the interaction mechanism between Cd2+, Cu2+ and surface sediments in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, the surface sediment of Sanhuhekou (YRSSM) was chosen as research object with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) as analysis method. The adsorption reaction condition such as liquid-solid ratio, reaction time and pH were optimized, and the adsorption and desorption characteristics of Cd2+ and Cu2+ onto the surface sediments under the optimized experimental conditions were studied. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of Cu2+ was greater than that of Cd2+, the equilibrium absorption capacity were 0.

Genome-wide two-locus interaction analysis identifies multiple epistatic SNP pairs that confer risk of prostate cancer: A cross-population study.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common carcinomas among adult males. Recently, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several susceptibility genes of prostate cancer. However, these single locus results can only explain a small proportion of the genetic etiology.

Oncolytic Adenovirus Complexes Coated with Lipids and Calcium Phosphate for Cancer Gene Therapy.

Oncolytic adenovirus (Onco) is a promising therapeutic agent for treating cancer. However, the therapeutic potential of Onco is hindered by hepatic sequestration and the host immune response in vivo. Here, we constructed a PEG/Lipids/calcium phosphate (CaP)-Onco (PLC-Onco) delivery system for ZD55-IL-24, an oncolytic adenovirus that carries the IL-24 gene.

Enhancement of 1,3-Dihydroxyacetone Production from by Combined Mutagenesis.

Wild strain L-6 was subjected to combined mutagenesis, including UV irradiation, atmospheric and room temperature plasma, and ion beam implantation, to increase the yield of 1,3-dihydroxyacetone (DHA). With application of a high-throughput screening method, mutant I-2-239 with a DHA productivity of 103.5 g/l in flask-shake fermentation was finally obtained with the starting glycerol concentration of 120 g/l, which was 115.

Survival prediction of anxious emotion in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care.

Background: This study was carried out to investigate the prognostic value of baseline and dynamic changes in anxious emotion in advanced cancer patients undergoing palliative care.

Methods: The association between anxious emotion and survival was investigated in a retrospective sample of 377 consecutive advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care from August 2013 to October 2015 and in an extended follow-up study of 106 of those patients.

Results: The prevalence of anxious emotion was 24.

Biodistribution of diphenhydramine in reproductive organs in an overdose case.

Motion sickness medications such as Travelmin prescribed in Japan include diphenhydramine (DPH), dyphylline, diphenidol, and/or caffeine. Herein, we report a patient who died due to rhabdomyolysis after ingesting a DPH containing motion sickness medication. A Japanese male in his 30 s reported missing after going out for a drive early in the morning was found dead in his car in the evening of the same day.

Restless Legs Syndrome in Adults in Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in adults in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and explore the sleep quality,fatigue degree,daytime sleepiness,disease severity,depression and anxiety of RLS patients.Methods Totally 4739 consecutive patients who visited the outpatient departments with any sleep complaint or leg discomforts were recruited in the study. Patients under 18 years were excluded.

[Pathogenic Analyses of an Outbreak of Viral Encephalitis Caused by ECHO30 in Guazhou of Gansu Province, China].

We used molecular-biology methods to identify the pathogens that caused an outbreak of viral encephalitis in Guazhou (Gansu province, China)during June-August 2015.We also undertook molecular characterizations of these pathogens. A total of 132samples(14cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)samples;25throat swabs;66serum samples;27fecal samples)were collected from 74 patients during the outbreak of viral encephalitis.