[Detection of Novel Antigen MLAA-34 Gene Mutation in Acute Monocytic Leukemia and Its Correlation with Efficacy].

Objective: To investigate the correlation of all exone mutation in MLAA-34 gene with chemotherapeutic efficacy for leukemia.

Methods: The expression level of MLAA-34 gene in 40 patients with AML-M5 and 5 healthy volunteers as control was detected by RT-PCR and its effect on chemotherapeutic efficacy were analyzed by RT-PCR; the effect of MLAA-34 gene mutation on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of AML-M5 patients was analyzed by sequencing of all 12 exoues in MLAA-34 gene, the correlation between the mutation of prognostic genes important to leukemia and the mutation of MLAA-34 gene was explored.

Results: The expression level of MLAA-34 gene was significantly up-regulated as compared with that of healthy volunteers, moreover this up-regulation was related with a C59T SNP site located in second exon of MLAA-34 gene, meanswhile this SNP site is affinitive to the well-known mdecular markers of AML, inclinding Fms-like tyrosine kinase (FLT-3) and DNA methyltransferase-3A(DNAMT3A).

Cathepsin D protects renal tubular cells from damage induced by high glucose independent of its enzymatic activity.

Although glomerular and vascular damage have been considered the main characteristics of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), accumulating data now indicate that tubular atrophy also plays a major role. Cathepsin D (CatD) is the major aspartate protease within lysosomes. The current study demonstrated that CatD expression was altered in the renal tubular epithelium in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Chk2 deficiency alleviates irradiation-induced taste dysfunction by inhibiting p53-dependent apoptosis.

Objective: Taste dysfunction is one of the most common complications following radiotherapy, which leads to decreased appetite and life quality of patients suffering from head and neck cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) deficiency in irradiation-induced taste dysfunction.

Materials And Methods: Alterations in oxidative stress, DNA damage, and potential signaling pathway were compared between Chk2-deficient (Chk2 ) mice and their wild-type (WT) littermates pre-irradiation and 7 and 30 days postirradiation by biochemistry and immunohistochemistry.

MgCl and ZnCl promote human umbilical vein endothelial cell migration and invasion and stimulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Previous studies have demonstrated that magnesium and zinc ions promote the migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer/endothelial cells. However, the impact of MgCl and ZnCl on the migration, invasion and EMT of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the involved mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, HUVECs were incubated with various doses of MgCl and ZnCl.

Evaluation of polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer nanomicelle for trigeminal ganglion neurons delivering with intranasal administration.

Purpose How to deliver enough medical agents to the trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons conveniently still remains a challenge in pharmaceutics and clinics. The purpose of this study was to reveal that intranasal administration of polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer (PVCL-PVA-PEG) nanomicelle formulation could efficiently deliver agent to TG neurons in mice. Methods Ocular topical or intranasal administration of nanomicelle coumarin-6 was performed in mice, and tissue distribution after administration (0.

Clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors for patients with colorectal cancer who are 75 years and older.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is common and can be considered as a disease of older adults. About one half of the cases were diagnosed in patients over 70 years of age. Decision-making about treatment for these older patients can be complicated by age-related physiological changes, impaired functional status, limited social support, and comorbidities.

Chemoselective α-Methylenation of Aromatic Ketones Using the NaAuCl/Selectfluor/DMSO System.

Gold-catalyzed chemoselective α-methylenation of aromatic ketones was developed through the use of Selectfluor as a methylenating agent. A variety of useful 1,2-disubstituted propenone derivatives can be prepared in good yields via the present protocol. This reaction features a simple operation, good functional group tolerance, and broad scope of substrates.

Adrenomedullin inhibits osteoclast differentiation through the suppression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand-induced nuclear factor-κB activation in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

The current study aimed to improve the understanding on the association between adrenomedullin and osteoporosis in mice with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Bone resorption and osteoporosis-associated indexes, including maximum load, stiffness, energy to failure, ultimate strength, elastic modulus, post-yield displacement and post-yield displacement, in mice with osteoporosis were analyzed in order to evaluate the effect of adrenomedullin. The receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation was investigated subsequent to treatment with adrenomedullin .

Meta-analysis of the association of maternal smoking and passive smoking during pregnancy with neural tube defects.

Background: It is unclear whether the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs) is greater with maternal smoking or with passive smoking during pregnancy.

Objectives: To compare the effects of smoking and passive smoking during pregnancy on the risk of NTDs.

Search Strategy: English and Chinese databases were searched for relevant papers published before March 2017, using search terms including "smoking" and "NTD.

Echocardiographic Strain Analysis for the Early Detection of Myocardial Structural Abnormality and Initiation of Drug Therapy in a Mouse Model of Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

This study aimed to evaluate the role of echocardiography-based strain analysis in the early diagnosis and guidance for management of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Muscular dystrophy mice (which spontaneously develop DCM) and control (C57 BL/6 J) mice were sequentially evaluated by ultrasound biomicroscopy, conventional left ventricle (LV) measurement, two-dimensional (2-D) strain analysis and myocardial histologic analysis for 12 consecutive months. Significant alternation of LV remodeling and dysfunction could be detected by conventional echocardiography after 9 mo, by strain analysis after 5 mo and by histologic analysis after 4 mo.

Children of Migrants: The Cumulative Impact of Parental Migration on Children's Education and Health Outcomes in China.

Since the end of 1990s, approximately 160 million Chinese rural workers migrated to cities for work. Because of restrictions on migrant access to local health and education systems, many rural children are left behind in home villages to grow up without parental care. This article examines how exposure to cumulative parental migration affects children's health and education outcomes.

Expression of long non‑coding RNAs in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells co‑cultured with human amnion‑derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve a critical role in various biological processes including cell growth, transcriptional regulation and differentiation. Previous studies have demonstrated that human amnion‑derived mesenchymal stem cells (HAMSCs) possess the potential to promote proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (HBMSCs). However, little is known about the roles of lncRNAs in these mechanisms.

Wavefront-sensing-based autofocusing in microscopy.

Massive image acquisition is required along the optical axis in the classical image-analysis-based autofocus method, which significantly decreases autofocus efficiency. A wavefront-sensing-based autofocus technique is proposed to increase the speed of autofocusing and obtain high localization accuracy. Intensities at different planes along the optical axis can be computed numerically after extracting the wavefront at defocus position with the help of the transport-of-intensity equation method.

Association of daytime napping with prediabetes and diabetes in a Chinese population: Results from the baseline survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

Background: Only a few studies have investigated the effects of daytime napping on diabetes, and these studies have reported conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to examine whether daytime napping is associated with a higher risk of prediabetes and diabetes.

Methods: The present cross-sectional study of napping duration in relation to prediabetes and diabetes was conducted in 12 277 participants.

Atomic Layer Deposition of Silicon Nitride Thin Films: A Review of Recent Progress, Challenges, and Outlooks.

With the continued miniaturization of devices in the semiconductor industry, atomic layer deposition (ALD) of silicon nitride thin films (SiN) has attracted great interest due to the inherent benefits of this process compared to other silicon nitride thin film deposition techniques. These benefits include not only high conformality and atomic-scale thickness control, but also low deposition temperatures. Over the past 20 years, recognition of the remarkable features of SiN ALD, reinforced by experimental and theoretical investigations of the underlying surface reaction mechanism, has contributed to the development and widespread use of ALD SiN thin films in both laboratory studies and industrial applications.

Antibacterial activity of chensinin-1b, a peptide with a random coil conformation, against multiple-drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Nosocomial infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are difficult to treat due to the low permeability of its outer membrane as well as to its remarkable ability to acquire further resistance to antibiotics. Chensinin-1b exhibited antibacterial activity against the tested multiple-drug-resistant bacteria with a MIC ranging between 1.56 and 50μM, except E.

The Biology of Aging and Cancer: Frailty, Inflammation, and Immunity.

The majority of patients with common malignancies are older adults. Intrinsic complex biological changes of aging along with inflammation, immunosenescence, age-associated chronic diseases, and extrinsic environmental and psychosocial factors have significant impact on not only development and behavior of individual malignancies, but also physiologic reserve and vulnerability of older patients who suffer from them. As a result, clinical practice of geriatric oncology demands integration of careful geriatric assessment and management.

Secular Trend of Age at Menarche in Chinese Adolescents Born From 1973 to 2004.

Objectives: To estimate secular trend and factors influencing the age at menarche for Chinese girls born from 1973 to 2004.

Methods: Data were collected from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, a prospective open cohort and an ongoing nationwide health and nutrition survey, consisting of 3199 apparently healthy Chinese girls aged 6 to 18 years at entry from 1991 to 2011. Average age at menarche and its 95% confidence interval were estimated by weighted means of Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

C59T mutation in exon 2 of monocytic leukemia-associated antigen-34 gene indicates a high risk of recurrence of acute myeloid leukemia.

Monocytic leukemia-associated antigen-34 (MLAA-34) is a novel monocytic leukemia-associated antigen and a candidate oncogene. The aim of the present study was to investigate the involvement of the MLAA-34 gene in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MLAA-34 expression level, chromosome location, gene copy number and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 40 patients with AML and 5 healthy volunteers were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, fluorescence hybridization and DNA sequencing.

New nanomicelle curcumin formulation for ocular delivery: improved stability, solubility, and ocular anti-inflammatory treatment.

Context: A stable topical ophthalmic curcumin formulation with high solubility, stability, and efficacy is needed for pharmaceutical use in clinics.

Objectives: The objective of this article was to describe a novel curcumin containing a nanomicelle formulation using a polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene glycol (PVCL-PVA-PEG) graft copolymer.

Methods: Nanomicelle curcumin was formulated and optimized and then further evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity/in vivo ocular irritation, in vitro cellular uptake/in vivo corneal permeation, and in vitro antioxidant activity/in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy.

A Simple and Effective Physical Characteristic Profiling Method for Methamphetamine Tablet Seized in China.

Methamphetamine (MA) tablet production confers chemical and physical properties. This study developed a simple and effective physical characteristic profiling method for MA tablets with capital letter "WY" logos, which realized the discrimination between linked and unlinked seizures. Seventeen signature distances extracted from the "WY" logo were explored as factors for multivariate analysis and demonstrated to be effective to represent the features of tablets in the drug intelligence perspective.

Construction of SnO-Graphene Composite with Half-Supported Cluster Structure as Anode toward Superior Lithium Storage Properties.

Inspired by nature, herein we designed a novel construction of SnO anodes with an extremely high lithium storage performance. By utilizing small sheets of graphene oxide, the partitioned-pomegranate-like structure was constructed (SnO@C@half-rGO), in which the porous clusters of SnO nanoparticles are partially supported by reduced graphene oxide sheets while the rest part is exposed (half-supported), like partitioned pomegranates. When served as anode for lithium-ion batteries, SnO@C@half-rGO exhibited considerably high specific capacity (1034.

Pluronic F127 and D-α-Tocopheryl Polyethylene Glycol Succinate (TPGS) Mixed Micelles for Targeting Drug Delivery across The Blood Brain Barrier.

A novel polymeric mixed micelle composed of Pluronic F127 and D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) was developed to improve the delivery of fluorescent dyes and protein across the blood brain barrier (BBB). Rhodamine 123 (Rho123) and DiR loaded mixed micelles, composed of Pluronic F127 and TPGS with proportion of 4:1 (FT), were prepared by thin-film hydration, and β-galactosidase (β-Gal) loaded FT mixed micelles were prepared by self-assembly. The brain-targeted capability of FT mixed micelles were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo.

Profiling of illicit cocaine seized in China by ICP-MS analysis of inorganic elements.

For the first time in China, the inorganic element profiling of cocaine specimens was performed at the National Narcotics Laboratory. An inductive coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method was developed and validated for simultaneous analysis of 26 inorganic elements, including sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), aluminuim (Al), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), antimony (Sb), barium (Ba), lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), thallium (Tl), lead (Pb), thorium (Th), and uranium (U) in illicit cocaine samples. Ultrasonic assisted dissolution was applied for sample preparation.