Magnetically induced deep brain stimulation of neuronal firing for pain relief.

Pain, either acute pain or chronic pain, is usually treated/relieved by chemical means, in which nociceptive signals are blocked from transmitting into the pain registration sites in the brain. However, besides their side effects, chemical means of pain relief are not always effective, causing some serious clinical incidents like anesthesia awareness and chronic pains that are not treatable. A physical means of pain relief that physically modifies pain perception at the brain sites responsible for pain registration could be more effective, for both acute pain and chronic pain.

Linolelaidic acid induces a stronger proliferative effect on human umbilical vein smooth muscle cells compared to elaidic acid.

Trans fatty acids (TFA) have been considered as an independent risk factor of coronary heart disease, sudden death and insulin-resistance, and different TFA isomers may have different effects on the progression of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of two major TFA, elaidic acid and linolelaidic acid which have the same number of carbons but a different number and configuration of trans bonds, on the proliferation of human umbilical vein smooth muscle cells (HUVSMC). Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and flow cytometry assays showed that the cell proliferation rose to 115.

[Clinical effectiveness of INSURE method in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of intubation-surfactant-extubation (INSURE) method in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS), and to investigate its possible mechanisms.

Methods: Sixty-four premature infants, who were admitted for NRDS and treated with pulmonary surfactant from March 2010 to March 2012, were enrolled in the study. They were randomly divided into INSURE (n=32) and conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) groups (n=32).

[Preliminary investigation of the expression and functions of insulin receptor isoforms in endometrial carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the expression of insulin receptor isoforms (IR, including IR-A and IR-B) in endometrial carcinoma (EC), and explore the role of IR-A in the growth of endometrial carcinoma cells.

Methods: The expression of IR isoforms were detected by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and real-time PCR in 4 different endometrial cancer cell lines (HEC-1-A, Ishikawa, RL95-2 and KLE), with human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 cells and hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Hep-G2 as positive control and in the endometrial cancer tissue specimens of 42 cases, admitted in Peking University People's Hospital from November 2007 to July 2009, with normal endometrial tissues from 15 cases of ovarian neoplasms at the same period as controls. The relationships among the expression of IR, IR-A isoforms and the clinicopathological parameters of EC tissues were analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis.

Expression of ER-α36, a novel variant of estrogen receptor in endometrial carcinoma and its clinical significance.

Objective: Estrogen receptor-α36 (ER-α36), a newly identified variant of ER-α, is predominantly membrane-based and mainly mediates nongenomic estrogen signaling. In this study, we investigated the expression of ER-α36 in human endometrial carcinoma tissues to understand the relationship between its expression and clinicopathological characteristics.

Methods: ER-α36 expression was assessed by immunostaining in 73 endometrial carcinomas, 20 normal endometrial tissues, and 9 with atypical endometrial hyperplasia.

[Nutrient dynamics over the past 100 years and its restoration baseline in Dianshan Lake].

The restoration of eutrophic lakes requires a good knowledge on the history and baseline of nutrients in the lakes. This work conducted an analysis on 210Pb/137Cs, water content, loss-on-ignition, sedimentary total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), total organic carbon (TOC) and diatoms in the four sediment cores from Dianshan Lake (near Shanghai City). Good coherence in palaeoproxies between the cores indicates a relatively stable sedimentary environment.

[Impacts on repeated common cold for the adults with different constitutions treated by acupoint application in the dog days and the three nine-day periods after the winter solstice].

Objective: To observe the impacts on repeated common cold for the adults with different constitutions treated by acupoint application in the dog days (the three periods of the hottest days) and the three nine-day periods after the winter solstice (the three periods of the coldest days).

Methods: One hundred and fifty-two cases of repeated common cold were divided into four zones according to the body constitution. Each zone was sub-divided into a group of the dog days + the three nine-day periods of the coldest days (group A), and a simple group of the dog periods (group B).

[Analysis of six phenolic environmental estrogens in bullfrog blood by using dispersive solid-phase extraction and ultrafast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

A rapid, sensitive and accurate method for the simultaneous determination of six phenolic environmental estrogens, i. e., bisphenol A (BPA), diethylstilbestrol (DES), dienestrol( DE), hexestrol (HEX), 4-( tert-octyl)-phenol (4-tOP) and 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) in bullfrog blood by dispersive solid-phase extraction-ultrafast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (dSPE-UFLC-MS/MS) was established.

[Value of CA(125) in the prediction of optimal interval debulking surgery and its prognosis in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer].

Objective: To investigate the changes of CA(125) between primary cytoreductive surgery and interval debulking surgery for prediction the rate of optimal interval cytoreductive surgery and prediction the recurrence and the prognosis in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: A total of 39 cases with suboptimal primary cytoreductive surgery admitted from Jan. 1996 to Jan.

Analysis of nine food additives in red wine by ion-suppression reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using trifluoroacetic acid and ammonium acetate as ion-suppressors.

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of nine food additives, i.e., acesulfame, saccharin, caffeine, aspartame, benzoic acid, sorbic acid, stevioside, dehydroacetic acid and neotame in red wine.

A metagenome-wide association study of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes.

Assessment and characterization of gut microbiota has become a major research area in human disease, including type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent endocrine disease worldwide. To carry out analysis on gut microbial content in patients with type 2 diabetes, we developed a protocol for a metagenome-wide association study (MGWAS) and undertook a two-stage MGWAS based on deep shotgun sequencing of the gut microbial DNA from 345 Chinese individuals. We identified and validated approximately 60,000 type-2-diabetes-associated markers and established the concept of a metagenomic linkage group, enabling taxonomic species-level analyses.

A comparative analysis of the intestinal metagenomes present in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) and humans (Homo sapiens).

Background: Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) is an important model for human intestinal research. We have characterized the faecal microbiota of 60 guinea pigs using Illumina shotgun metagenomics, and used this data to compile a gene catalogue of its prevalent microbiota. Subsequently, we compared the guinea pig microbiome to existing human gut metagenome data from the MetaHIT project.

[Determination of 11 anabolic hormones in fish tissue by multi-function impurity adsorption solid-phase extraction-ultrafast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

A method was developed for the determination of 11 anabolic hormones (boldenone, androstenedione, nandrolone, methandrostenolone, methyltestosterone, testosterone, testosterone acetate, trenbolone, testosterone propionate, stanozolol, fluoxymesterone) in fish by multi-function impurity adsorption solid-phase extraction-ultrafast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. After the sample was extracted by methanol, the extract was cleaned-up quickly by C18 adsorbent, neutral alumina adsorbent and amino-functionalized nano-adsorbent. The separation was performed on a Shim-Pack XR-ODS II column (100 mm x 2.

A relatively low level of ribosome depurination by mutant forms of ricin toxin A chain can trigger protein synthesis inhibition, cell signaling and apoptosis in mammalian cells.

The A chain of the plant toxin ricin (RTA) is an N-glycosidase that inhibits protein synthesis by removing a specific adenine from the 28S rRNA. RTA also induces ribotoxic stress, which activates stress-induced cell signaling cascades and apoptosis. However, the mechanistic relationship between depurination, protein synthesis inhibition and apoptosis remains an open question.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors inducing human cervical cancer cell apoptosis by decreasing DNA-methyltransferase 3B.

Background: Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are a group of small chemical molecules that inhibit histone deacetylase. At cell level, HDAC inhibitors have multiple biological effects such as cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, cell differentiation and auotophagy. At molecular level, HDAC inhibitors cause histone and nonhistone acetylation and induce gene expression.

[Regional heterogeneity of lake eutrophication effects in China].

Although biomass of algae (Chl-a) were in variant levels between different lake regions in China under the same nutrients conditions, it demonstrated that efficiencies of TN/TP used by algae had regional differences. In order to clarify the differences, curve estimation in SPSS was used to analyze the linear relationship between Ig Chl-a and Ig TN/lg TP. The slopes of these linear equations were identified as the efficiencies of TN/TP used by algae.

Concentration gradient induced morphology evolution of silica nanostructure growth on photoresist-derived carbon micropatterns.

The evolution of silica nanostructure morphology induced by local Si vapor source concentration gradient has been investigated by a smart design of experiments. Silica nanostructure or their assemblies with different morphologies are obtained on photoresist-derived three-dimensional carbon microelectrode array. At a temperature of 1,000°C, rope-, feather-, and octopus-like nanowire assemblies can be obtained along with the Si vapor source concentration gradient flow.

Nifedipine induced autophagy through Beclin1 and mTOR pathway in endometrial carcinoma cells.

Background: Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most common female tract genital malignant tumors. Nifedipine, an L-type calcium channel antagonist can inhibit cell proliferation of carcinomas. Recent studies indicated that a rise in the free cytosolic calcium ([Ca(2+)](c)) was a potent inducer of autophagy.

[Pathological observation of lung injury in experimental animals induced by non-ferrous metal (tin) dusts].

Objective: To explore the characters of lung injury induced by tin dusts and to provide the diagnosis evidence of tin pneumoconiosis.

Methods: Forty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: the group exposed to tin dusts from smelting workshop, the group exposed to tin dusts from tin refining workshop, the positive control group exposed to standard quartz dusts and the negative control group exposed to saline. The pathological changes of rat lungs were observed dynamically.

The P1/P2 proteins of the human ribosomal stalk are required for ribosome binding and depurination by ricin in human cells.

Ricin A-chain (RTA) depurinates the sarcin-ricin loop of 28S ribosomal RNA and inhibits protein synthesis in mammalian cells. In yeast, the ribosomal stalk facilitates the interaction of RTA with the ribosome and subsequent depurination. Despite homology between the stalk structures from yeast and humans, there are notable differences.

[Re-evaluation of interval debulking surgery in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer].

Objective: Previous study showed that interval debulking surgery (IDS) may improve the survival of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The precise significance of IDS needs to be evaluated.

Methods: Totally 136 consecutive patients with stage IIIc or IV EOC (including primary peritoneal carcinoma and primary fallopian tube carcinoma) who completed primary debulking surgery (PDS) and platinum-based chemotherapy were enrolled from January 2000 to December 2009 in a retrospective cohort study.

N-glycosylation does not affect the catalytic activity of ricin a chain but stimulates cytotoxicity by promoting its transport out of the endoplasmic reticulum.

Ricin A chain (RTA) depurinates the α-sarcin/ricin loop after it undergoes retrograde trafficking to the cytosol. The structural features of RTA involved in intracellular transport are not known. To explore this, we fused enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) to precursor (preRTA-EGFP), containing a 35-residue leader, and mature RTA (matRTA-EGFP).

The gut bacteria associated with Camponotus japonicus Mayr with culture-dependent and DGGE methods.

The bacterial composition and distribution in the different gut regions of Camponotus japonicus were investigated using both culture-dependent method and culture-independent method of polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Five different bacterial strains were isolated using culture-dependent method, and they all belong to the phylum Firmicutes, including three genera of bacteria Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Enterococcus. Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus mundtii were found in the midgut; Paenibacillus sp.

[Clinical application of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation for the treatment of neonatal pneumothorax].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) for the treatment of neonatal pneumothorax.

Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 23 neonates with pneumothorax who received HFOV from January 2007 to June 2011. Of the 23 cases, 19 cases were treated by HFOV as soon as they were diagnosed with pneumothorax, and 4 cases were treated by HFOV after the occurrence of pneumothorax during conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation.

Tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells may be used as clinicopathologic prognostic factors in endometrial carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the distribution of dendritic cells (DCs) at different development status in endometrial carcinoma and their relationship with clinical pathology.

Methods: Samples were collected from 95 patients with endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma treated in Peking University People's Hospital from 2002 to 2010. Normal endometrial tissue was obtained from 40 women and served as controls.