Decreased Interleukin-10 Responses in Children with Severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia.

Several cytokines may play roles in the immunological pathogenesis of mycoplasmal pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. In this study, we investigated serum cytokine profiles in children with mycoplasmal pneumonia. The serum levels of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-10, and IL-18 were examined using ELISA kits in 34 patients with M.

[Esophageal motility abnormalities and their impact on esophageal acid exposure in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease].

Objective: To identify the characteristics of esophageal motility abnormalities in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and its influence on esophageal acid exposure.

Methods: Patients with typical reflux symptoms and diagnosis of reflux esophagitis (RE) or non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), and healthy subject were enrolled in this prospective controlled study. The esophageal manometry and esophageal 26 hours pH monitoring were performed.

Changes in Enteric Neurons of Small Intestine in a Rat Model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea.

Background/aims: Physical and/or emotional stresses are important factors in the exacerbation of symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Several lines of evidence support that a major impact of stress on the gastrointestinal tract occurs via the enteric nervous system. We aimed to evaluate histological changes in the submucosal plexus (SMP) and myenteric plexus (MP) of the distal ileum in concert with the intestinal motor function in a rat model of IBS with diarrhea.

[Analysis of the mechanism of drug resistance of VIM-2-type metallo-β-lactamase-producing Acineto- bacter baumannii isolated from burn patients and its homology].

Objective: To study the drug resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) producing VIM-2-type metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) isolated from burn patients of our ward against carbapenem antibiotics and its homology.

Methods: A total of 400 strains of AB (identified) were isolated from sputum, urine, blood, pus, and wound drainage. of burn patients hospitalized in our ward from September 2011 to March 2014.

Respiratory infectious phenotypes in acute exacerbation of COPD: an aid to length of stay and COPD Assessment Test.

Purpose: To investigate the respiratory infectious phenotypes and their impact on length of stay (LOS) and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) Scale in acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD).

Patients And Methods: We categorized 81 eligible patients into bacterial infection, viral infection, coinfection, and non-infectious groups. The respiratory virus examination was determined by a liquid bead array xTAG Respiratory Virus Panel in pharyngeal swabs, while bacterial infection was studied by conventional sputum culture.

Correlation of thiamine metabolite levels with cognitive function in the non-demented elderly.

Thiamine metabolism is critical for glucose metabolism and also vital for brain function, which is susceptible to decline in the elderly. This study aimed to investigate whether thiamine metabolites correlate with cognitive function in the non-demented elderly and their impact factors. Volunteers >60 years old were recruited and their blood thiamine metabolites and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were measured.

A study on the effect of IL-6 gene polymorphism on the prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed clinical diseases. IL-6 is a multifunctional cytokine that is related to chemotactic factors and tumor biological regulation. -174G/C polymorphism in the promoter region of the IL-6 gene single-nucleotide polymorphism is the -174 position change from G to C.

Magnifying narrow-band imaging endoscopy is superior in diagnosis of early gastric cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of white light endoscopy, magnifying endoscopy (ME), and magnifying narrow-band imaging endoscopy (ME-NBI) in detecting early gastric cancer (EGC).

Methods: From March 2010 to June 2012, a total of 3616 patients received screening for gastric cancer by magnifying endoscopy. There were 3675 focal gastric lesions detected using conventional high definition white light endoscopy (HD-WLE) in four different referential hospitals that were recruited for further investigation using ME and ME-NBI.

The COPD assessment test correlates well with the computed tomography measurements in COPD patients in China.

Background: The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT) is a validated simple instrument to assess health status, and it correlates well with the severity of airway obstruction in COPD patients. However, little is known about the relationships between CAT scores and quantitative computed tomography (CT) measurements of emphysema and airway wall thickness in COPD patients in the People's Republic of China.

Methods: One hundred and twelve participants including 63 COPD patients and 49 normal control subjects were recruited.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes of non-coding area in the CP gene are correlated with Parkinson's disease.

Our previous studies have demonstrated that ceruloplasmin (CP) dysmetabolism is correlated with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the causes of decreased serum CP levels in PD patients remain to be clarified. This study aimed to explore the potential association between genetic variants of the CP gene and PD.

Photoacoustic-Based-Close-Loop Temperature Control for Nanoparticle Hyperthermia.

Goal: Hyperthermia therapy requires tight temperature control to achieve selective killing of cancerous tissue with minimal damage on surrounding healthy tissues.

Methods: To this end, accurate temperature monitoring and subsequent heating control are critical. However, an economic, portable, and real-time temperature control solution is currently lacking.

Whole genome expression profiling of gastric high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia with or without cancer.

Objective: To investigate the whole genome expression profiles between gastric high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN) tissues with cancer and HGIN tissues without cancer.

Methods: Gastric specimens from an upper magnifying chromoendoscopic targeted biopsy were collected at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from March 2010 to May 2013. Each of the forceps biopsies from the 21 patients was HGIN,but there were 10 HGIN and 11 HGIN with cancer after the endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Differential gene expression profiling of gastric intraepithelial neoplasia and early-stage adenocarcinoma.

Aim: To investigate the differentiated whole genome expression profiling of gastric high- and low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and early-stage adenocarcinoma.

Methods: Gastric specimens from an upper magnifying chromoendoscopic targeted biopsy were collected from March 2010 to May 2013. Whole genome expression profiling was performed on 19 low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN), 20 high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN), 19 early-stage adenocarcinoma (EGC), and 19 chronic gastritis tissue samples using Agilent 4 × 44K Whole Human Genome microarrays.

Cathodoluminescence and photoconductive characteristics of single-crystal ternary CdS/CdSe/CdS biaxial nanobelts.

The cathodoluminescence and optoelectronic properties based on an individual CdS/CdSe/CdS biaxial nanobelt are revealed in the present study. Both typical CdS and CdSe emissions are detected from as-grown CdS/CdSe/CdS nanobelts. The photodetector based on this nanobelt exhibits high sensitivity and excellent cycle stability.

Serum microRNA-133b is associated with low ceruloplasmin levels in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: The cause of low serum ceruloplasmin levels in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains to be clarified. In this study, we explored serum miR-133b expression to determine whether it correlates with serum ceruloplasmin level in PD patients.

Methods: Forty-six patients with PD and forty-six control subjects were evaluated for miR-133b expression using qRT-PCR.

Total polysaccharide of Yupingfeng protects against bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via inhibiting transforming growth factor-β1-mediated type I collagen abnormal deposition in rats.

Objective: This study was to explore the antifibrotic effect and the possible mechanism of total polysaccharides of Yupingfeng (YPF-P) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats.

Methods: Pulmonary fibrosis was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by BLM (5 mg/kg), killed 14 and 28 days after BLM administration by abdominal aorta exsanguination and removed the lungs. Lung coefficient was counted at the same time.

Beneficial synergistic effects of microdose lithium with pyrroloquinoline quinone in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complicated, neurodegenerative disorder involving multifactorial pathogeneses and still lacks effective clinical treatment. Recent studies show that lithium exerts disease-modifying effects against AD. However, the intolerant side effects at conventional effective dosage limit the clinical use of lithium in treating AD.

Ultrathin open-ended porous TiO₂ membranes for surface nanopatterning in fabricating nanodot arrays.

This communication reports an approach to fabricate large-scale ultrathin open-ended porous TiO2 membranes (UOP-TMs) with ordered straight-through pores. Bi nanodot arrays on Si substrates are obtained by using the UOP-TMs as surface patterning masks.

[Identification and target prediction of conserved microRNAs in Ammopiptanthus mongolicus].

Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, a woody plant growing in the desert, plays a vital role in vegetation maintaining and restoration in the arid region in northwest China. The plant exhibits an extremely high tolerance to abiotic stress such as drought and freezing stresses, and it has been used as an ideal model for abiotic stress tolerance research in trees. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a class of approximately 21nt endogenous non-protein-coding small RNA, which plays an important role in plant growth, development and responses to environmental stresses.

Diagnosis of functional constipation: agreement between Rome III and Rome II criteria and evaluation for the practicality.

Objective: To investigate the agreement between Rome III and Rome II criteria for diagnosing functional constipation (FC) and to evaluate the accuracy of each constipation symptom for FC diagnosis.

Methods: Patients with chronic constipation underwent rigorous biochemical and endoscopic/imaging tests to exclude organic and metabolic diseases. The questionnaires including general information, constipation symptoms, and the most troublesome constipation symptoms were completed in a face-to-face survey.

Utility of the CAT in the therapy assessment of COPD exacerbations in China.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations are accompanied with increased systemic inflammation, which accelerate the pulmonary function injury and impair the quality of life. Prompt and effective treatments for COPD exacerbations slow down the disease progression, but an objective instrument to assess the efficacy of the treatments following COPD exacerbations is lacking nowadays. The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is an 8-item questionnaire designed to assess and quantify health status and symptom burden in COPD patients.

[The clinical features of 16 cases of primary adenocarcinoma of the third portion of duodenum].

Objective: To summarize the clinical features of the third portion of duodenum (PATD) for improving the understanding of PATD.

Methods: Sixteen cases with PATD in Peking Union Medical College Hospital(PUMCH) were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: The most common symptoms of PATD were upper abdominal pain (12/16) , vomiting (9/16) and distention (7/16).

Fano resonance in anodic aluminum oxide based photonic crystals.

Anodic aluminum oxide based photonic crystals with periodic porous structure have been prepared using voltage compensation method. The as-prepared sample showed an ultra-narrow photonic bandgap. Asymmetric line-shape profiles of the photonic bandgaps have been observed, which is attributed to Fano resonance between the photonic bandgap state of photonic crystal and continuum scattering state of porous structure.

The unique alterations of hippocampus and cognitive impairment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Cognitive impairment has been found in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. However, the structural alteration of the brain and underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.

Methods: Thirty-seven mild-to-moderate COPD patients, forty-eight severe COPD patients, and thirty-one control subjects were recruited for cognitive test and neuroimaging studies.

IgG4-related disease in a Chinese cohort: a prospective study.

Objectives: To report the clinical, laboratory, and histological characteristics in a cohort of 28 Chinese patients with immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD).

Method: The patients were admitted to, or were out-patients in, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) between January 2011 and May 2012 according to the criteria for IgG4-RD. Clinical presentations, imaging studies, serum Ig subclass assays, and histological examinations were performed in all patients.