Cancer department nurses' attitudes and practices in response to the sexual issues of pelvic radiation patients: a survey in Sichuan, China.

Our aim was to investigate cancer department nurses' attitudes and practices in response to pelvic radiation patients' sexual issues in Sichuan, China. A self-made questionnaire survey was conducted with 150 registered nurses of six hospitals in China. Nurses were asked about their experiences regarding consultation about sexual issues and attitudes toward the sex-related statements of pelvic radiation patients.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of the accessory sex gland and testis from the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis).

The accessory sex gland (ASG) is an important component of the male reproductive system, which functions to enhance the fertility of spermatozoa during male reproduction. Certain proteins secreted by the ASG are known to bind to the spermatozoa membrane and affect its function. The ASG gene expression profile in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) has not been extensively studied, and limited genetic research has been conducted on this species.

Epidemiologic features of borderline ovarian tumors in California: a population-based study.

Purpose: Borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) became no longer reportable in 2001, and few registries still collect information on these still poorly understood tumors. This study's objective was to describe epidemiologic features, trends, and survival of BOTs compared with those of low-grade (LG) and high-grade (HG) epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in the large and diverse population of California.

Methods: Data from the California Cancer Registry were used to examine demographic and tumor characteristics among women diagnosed with BOT (n = 9,786), LG-EOC (n = 3,656), and HG-EOC (n = 40,611) from 1988 to 2010.

Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for the determination of tolvaptan in human plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

Tolvaptan is a selective vasopressin V(2)-receptor antagonist mainly used for the treatment of hyponatremia. This study described the development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for the determination of tolvaptan in human plasma. Sample preparation involved protein precipitation with acetonitrile containing 2-demethyl tolvaptan (internal standard, IS).

Cognitive impairment and the associated risk factors among the elderly in the Shanghai urban area: a pilot study from China.

Objectives: Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cognitive impairment(CI) and the associated risk factors among elderly people in Shanghai urban area, China.

Methods: A population-based survey was conducted among people aged 55 years or older in urban areas of Shanghai. Face-to-face interviews were carried out to collect information including demographic characteristics, medical history, and medication use, etc.

Protection of DDAH2 overexpression against homocysteine-induced impairments of DDAH/ADMA/NOS/NO pathway in endothelial cells.

Background/aims: Homocysteine-induced endothelial dysfunction favors the development of cardiovascular diseases through accumulation of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 (DDAH2) is the major enzyme for the degradation of ADMA in endothelial cells. The purpose of this study was to determine whether suppressed DDAH2 expression contributed to impairments of DDAH/ADMA/NOS/NO pathway induced by homocysteine in endothelial cells and whether DDAH2 overexpression could prevent endothelial cell dysfunction caused by homocysteine.

Splenic marginal zone lymphoma: a population-based study on the 2001-2008 incidence and survival in the United States.

The epidemiology of splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) in the United States has not been addressed. Eight years of data (2001-2008) from 17 registries of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program were used for this study. Of the 116,411 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in the registries, 763 (0.

An ester extract of Cochinchina momordica seeds induces differentiation of melanoma B16 F1 cells via MAPKs signaling.

Cochinchina momordica seeds (CMS) have been widely used due to antitumor activity by Mongolian tribes of China. However, the details of the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In the present study, we found that an EtOAc (ethyl ester) extract of CMS (CMSEE) induced differentiation and caused growth inhibition of melanoma B16 F1 cells.

[Preliminary study on the difference in immune protection between Echinococcus granulosus recombinant ferritin and recombinant mMDH].

Objective: To evaluate the immunoprotective activity of the Egrecombinant ferritin and Egrecombinant mMDH proteins in mice.

Methods: Thirty ICR mice were divided into 3 groups and immunized by injection of adjuvant-emulsified rEgferritin, rEgmMDH and PBS, respectively, in multiple spots at back, for 3 times with an interval of 2 wk. Two weeks after the last immunization, the mice of the 3 groups were infected intraperitoneally with 0.

Protamine extraction and analysis of human sperm protamine 1/protamine 2 ratio using Acid gel electrophoresis.

Protamines, sperm-specific nuclear proteins, are essential for sperm chromatin condensation and DNA stabilization. They are small, highly basic, and rich in disulfide bonds. Under reducing conditions, protamines, along with other basic proteins, are soluble in acid solutions.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes promote rat vascular adventitial fibroblasts to transform into myofibroblasts by SM22-α expression.

The aim of this study was to explore whether single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be used as artery tissue-engineering materials by promoting vascular adventitial fibroblasts (VAFs) to transform into myofibroblasts (MFs) and to find the signal pathway involved in this process. VAFs were primary cultured and incubated with various doses of SWCNTs suspension (0, 0.8, 3.

ChromoHub: a data hub for navigators of chromatin-mediated signalling.

Unlabelled: The rapidly increasing research activity focused on chromatin-mediated regulation of epigenetic mechanisms is generating waves of data on writers, readers and erasers of the histone code, such as protein methyltransferases, bromodomains or histone deacetylases. To make these data easily accessible to communities of research scientists coming from diverse horizons, we have created ChromoHub, an online resource where users can map on phylogenetic trees disease associations, protein structures, chemical inhibitors, histone substrates, chromosomal aberrations and other types of data extracted from public repositories and the published literature. The interface can be used to define the structural or chemical coverage of a protein family, highlight domain architectures, interrogate disease relevance or zoom in on specific genes for more detailed information.

Tanshinone IIA prevents uric acid nephropathy in rats through NF-κB inhibition.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of tanshinone IIA, an extract of the Chinese medicine Que Xie Hua Yu Tang, on uric acid nephropathy (UAN) and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. UAN rat model was established. Fifty UAN rats were randomly allocated into 5 groups: adenine-treated group, allopurinol-treated group, and low/middle/high dose of tanshinone IIA-treated groups.

Characterization of the vasa gene in the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis: a germ line molecular marker.

The vasa gene first identified in Drosophila encodes an ATP-dependent RNA helicase belonging to the DEAD-box family and is specifically expressed in germ line cells. In this study a full-length vasa gene homolog from the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) was characterized, comprising of 2369 bp nucleotides with an open reading frame of 1866 bp encoding 621 amino acids. The putative protein was shown to contain eight conserved motifs belonging to the DEAD-box protein family and two zinc-finger domains (CCHC) and a Q-motif.

Actin-binding Rho activating protein is expressed in the central nervous system of normal adult rats.

Previous studies show that actin-binding Rho activating protein (Abra) is expressed in cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. In this study, we investigated the expression profile of Abra in the central nervous system of normal adult rats by confocal immunofluorescence. Results showed that Abra immunostaining was located in neuronal nuclei, cytoplasm and processes in the central nervous system, with the strongest staining in the nuclei; in the cerebral cortex, Abra positive neuronal bodies and processes were distributed in six cortical layers including molecular layer, external granular layer, external pyramidal layer, internal granular layer, internal pyramidal layer and polymorphic layer; in the hippocampus, the cell bodies of Abra positive neurons were distributed evenly in pyramidal layer and granular layer, with positive processes in molecular layer and orien layer; in the cerebellar cortex, Abra staining showed the positive neuronal cell bodies in Purkinje cell layer and granular layer and positive processes in molecular layer; in the spinal cord, Abra-immunopositive products covered the whole gray matter and white matter; co-localization studies showed that Abra was co-stained with F-actin in neuronal cytoplasm and processes, but weakly in the nuclei.

Low-affinity copper transporter CTR2 is regulated by copper-sensing transcription factor Mac1p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Copper is an indispensable metal for life. For convenience of genetic manipulation and sharing similar metabolic pathway of metals with mammalian cells, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used for metal homeostasis studies. Storage and mobilization of copper ions in yeast vacuoles or mammalian lysosomes are important for cells to avoid their toxicity and elevate their utility.

Transcriptome profiling of testis during sexual maturation stages in Eriocheir sinensis using Illumina sequencing.

The testis is a highly specialized tissue that plays dual roles in ensuring fertility by producing spermatozoa and hormones. Spermatogenesis is a complex process, resulting in the production of mature sperm from primordial germ cells. Significant structural and biochemical changes take place in the seminiferous epithelium of the adult testis during spermatogenesis.

The prevalence of CD33 and MS4A6A variant in Chinese Han population with Alzheimer's disease.

CD33 and MS4A6A genes play potential key roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). One recent genome-wide association study has revealed that the rs3865444 polymorphism in the CD33 gene and rs610932 polymorphism in the MS4A6A gene are associated with susceptibility to AD in Caucasians. To evaluate the relationship between the polymorphism of the CD33, MS4A6A gene and AD in the ethnic Chinese Han, we conducted a case-control study (n = 383, age > 54) to determine the prevalence of single-nucleotide polymorphism of two genes in patients with AD in Chinese population of Mainland, and clarified whether these polymorphisms are risk factors for AD.

[Effect of insulin by local injection on the level of systemic blood glucose and granulation tissue formation of wound in patients with diabetic foot ulcer].

Objective: To investigate the effects of local injection of insulin on the level of systemic blood glucose and granulation tissue formation of wound in patients with diabetic foot ulcer.

Methods: Thirty-two patients with diabetic foot ulcer hospitalized in our wards from June 2009 to June 2010 were divided into insulin (I, n = 16) and control (C, n = 16) groups according to the random number table. For patients in I group, after debridement, one half of calculated dose of insulin diluted with equal amount of normal saline was injected diffusely into the base of the ulcer, and another half dose of insulin was subcutaneously injected into abdominal wall for 7 days, two times a day.

[Biological significance of relationship between nuclear localization of Rac1 and progression of gastric carcinoma].

Objective: To observe the subcellular localization of Rac1 and the expression of Tiam1 and Rac1 in gastric carcinoma, in order to reveal the relationship between the distribution of Rac1 and progression of gastric carcinoma.

Methods: Both carcinoma and adjacent normal tissue of 48 patients with gastric carcinoma were studied in this study. Tissue distribution and expression of Rac1 and Tiam1 were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

[Analysis of influencing factors on infrared spectroscopic determination of the content of free silica in quartz sand].

Objective: To find a suitable method for detecting SiO2 in quartz sand and to analyze the influencing factors on infrared spectroscopic determination of the content of free silica in quartz sand.

Methods: The infrared spectroscopy was used to detect the free silica content of quartz sand, the various factors of influencing the results were analyzed and the control scheme was proposed.

Results: The number of particles less than 5 um and the proportion of free silica content increased with the grinding time.

Expression and function of β-arrestin 2 stimulated by IL-1β in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes and the effect of paeoniflorin.

The aim of this study was to explore the expression and function of β-arrestin 2 in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) stimulated by IL-1β and the effect of paeoniflorin (Pae). We isolated and cultured human FLS, which were stimulated by IL-1β. The FLS proliferations were detected by [3H] thymidine incorporation.

Association study of clusterin polymorphism rs11136000 with late onset Alzheimer's disease in Chinese Han population.

Objective: We conducted a case-control study to investigate whether clusterin polymorphism (rs11136000) was associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease in Chinese Han population.

Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was performed on genotype rs11136000 and APOEε4 in 127 patients with late-onset Alzheimer's disease and 143 control individuals. Previous published data from other Chinese samples was also included for further meta-analysis.

Effects on apoptosis and cell cycle arrest contribute to the antitumor responses of interleukin-27 mediated by retrovirus in human pancreatic carcinoma cells.

Interleukin (IL)-27, composed of p28 and Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) subunits, has diverse functions in regulating immune systems. Human melanoma cells have been shown to express both IL-27 receptor subunits, and growth inhibition by IL-27 was detected. We investigated whether forced expression of the p28-linked EBI3 gene in human pancreatic carcinoma cells (AsPC1) by retroviral vector would produce IL-27-mediated antitumor effects and the related mechanisms.

ER stress response during the differentiation of H9 cells induced by retinoic acid.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress occurs during early embryonic development. The aim of this study is to determine whether ER stress occurs during human embryonic stem cell differentiation induced by retinoic acid (RA). H9 human embryonic stem cells were subjected to RA treatment for up to 29days to induce differentiation.