Reliability and Validity of the Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status Scale in Evaluation of Vascular Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Han Population.

Introduction: Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and Alzheimer's disease are the most common cognitive impairment diseases in the elderly. This study aimed to apply the Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) scale to evaluate VCI in elderly patients and analyze its reliability and validity.

Methods: We enrolled 278 VCI patients admitted to our hospital, from June 2017 to June 2018.

The response surface method-genetic algorithm for identification of the lumbar intervertebral disc material parameters.

Long-term compressive load on the lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) might lead to lumbar IVD herniation. Exploring the material parameters of normal and degenerative enucleated IVDs is the basis for studying their mechanical behavior. According to the inverse analysis principle of the parameter estimation, an optimization method was proposed to identify the parameters of the porous material of the lumbar IVD based on finite element inverse analysis.

Identification of candidate aberrantly methylated and differentially expressed genes in Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Aberrant methylated genes (DMGs) play an important role in the etiology and pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In this study, we aimed to integrate three cohorts profile datasets to ascertain aberrant methylated-differentially expressed genes and pathways associated with ESCC by comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. We downloaded data of gene expression microarrays (GSE20347, GSE38129) and gene methylation microarrays (GSE52826) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.

The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease: a meta-analysis.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) means apnea and hypopnea caused by partial or complete obstruction of upper airway collapse during sleep. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is believed to be associated with various manifestations in the otorhinolaryngology and has been found to be an additional risk factor for OSAHS.

Aim: A meta-analysis was performed to identify the association between obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Strain distribution in the intervertebral disc under unconfined compression and tension load by the optimized digital image correlation technique.

The unconfined compression and tension experiments of the intervertebral disc were conducted by applying an optimized digital image correlation technique, and the internal strain distribution was analysed for the disc. It was found that the axial strain values of different positions increased obviously with the increase in loads, while inner annulus fibrosus and posterior annulus fibrosus experienced higher axial strains than the outer annulus fibrosus and anterior annulus fibrosus. Deep annulus fibrosus exhibited higher compressive and tensile axial strains than superficial annulus fibrosus for the anterior region, while there was an opposite result for the posterior region.

Accurate assessment of HER2 gene status for invasive component of breast cancer by combination of immunohistochemistry and chromogenic In Situ hybridization.

The specimens of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with early invasion, and specimens collected by core needle biopsy (CNB) tend to contain limited amount of invasive component, so it is imperative to explore a new technique which can assess HER2 gene status accurately for the limited invasive cancer component in these specimens. Dual staining technique of combining immunohistochemistry (IHC) for myoepithelial cells and single or dual probe chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) for HER2 gene was performed on routinely processed paraffin sections from 20 cases diagnosed as having DCIS with invasive cancer. Among them, 10 had fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-confirmed amplification of HER2 and 10 had FISH-confirmed non-amplification of HER2.

A new iridoid compound from Patrinia rupestris (Pall.) Juss.

Extraction of roots of Patrinia rupestris (Pall.) Juss. gave a new iridoid compound, 1β,3α-diethyloxy-7-hydromethyl-4-(3-methyl-butyryloxymethyl)-cyclopenta-4(4a),7(7a)-diene[c]pyran-6-one (1), together with a known compound, (1α,4aα, 6α,7β,7aα)-[4a,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-6,7-dihydroxy-1-(3-methyl-1-oxobutoxy) cyclopenta[c]pyran-4,7-diyl]bis(methylene) 3-methyl-butanoic acid ester (2).

Hilar inflammatory pseudotumor mimicking hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Inflammatory pseudotumor of the biliary tract is a benign disease, and is extremely rare. Its diagnosis often depends on pathological examination after operation. The histopathological examination shows inflammatory lesions with a polymorphous infiltration and variable amounts of fibrous tissue.

Gastric carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells: a case report and review of the literature.

Gastric carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (OGCs) is an extremely rare tumor. So far, only six cases have been reported in the literature. Here we report an additional case of this tumor in a Chinese 78-year-old man presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and hematemesis.

[Expression and significance of E-cadherin, CD44v6, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in non-small cell lung cancer].

Background & Objective: E-cadherin (E-cad), CD44v6 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) play important roles in invasion and metastasis of cancers. This study was to investigate the correlations of the expression of E-cad, CD44v6, and PCNA to the invasion, metastasis, and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: The expression of E-cad, CD44v6 and PCNA in 86 specimens of NSCLC and 40 specimens of adjacent normal tissues were detected by EnVision immunohistochemistry.

A novel trinorguaiane-type sesquiterpene from Dictamnus radicis.

A novel trinorguaiane-type sesquiterpene named radicol (1), together with a known sesquiterpene dictamnol (2), was isolated from the petroleum ether-EtOAc-MeOH extracts of the root of Dictamnus radicis Cortex. The structure of 1 was elucidated as 1 alpha,5 alpha-dimethyl-4 alpha,10 alpha-bicyclo[3.5.

New bisabolane sesquiterpenes and coumarin from Leontopodium longifolium.

From the roots of Leontopotium longifolium, three new bisabolane sesquiterpenes, rel-(1S,4R,5S,6R)-4,5-diacetoxy-6-[(R)-1,5-dimethylhexa-3,5-dienyl]-3-methylcyclohex-2-enyl (Z)-2-methylbut-2-enoate (1), rel-(1S,4R,5S,6R)-4,5-diacetoxy-6-[(R)-5-hydroxy-1,5-dimethylhex-3-enyl]-3-methylcyclohex-2-enyl (Z)-2-methylbut-2-enoate (2), rel-(1R,2S,4R,5S)-4-acetoxy-2-[(R)-5-hydroxy-1,5-dimethylhex-3-enyl]-5-methylcyclohexyl (Z)-2-methylbut-2-enoate (3), and a new coumarin, 2,3-dihydro-5-hydroxy-2-(1-methylethenyl)-7H-pyrano[2,3-g][1,4]benzodioxin-7-one (4) together with nine known compounds have been isolated. The structures of these compounds were established by spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities against human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells.

Five new iridoids from Patrinia rupestris.

Five new iridoids, namely rupesin A-E (1-5, resp.), together with six known iridoids, 6-11, were isolated from the roots of Patrinia rupestris. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including IR, UV, MS, and 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments, and comparison with data of known analogues.

Nor-lignans and steroidal saponins from Asparagus gobicus.

From the roots of Asparagus gobicus, four new nor-lignans, 3'-methoxynyasin, iso-agatharesinol, gobicusins A, B and one new steroidal saponin, 3-O-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-(25S)-5beta-spirostan-3beta-ol (11) were isolated, together with twelve known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were established by spectroscopic methods including 2D-NMR techniques (1H-1H COSY, HMBC, HMQC) and chemical transformations. Nyasol (5) and 11 exhibited remarkable in vitro cytotoxic activity against cultured HO-8910 (human ovarian carcinoma) and Bel-7402 (human hepatoma) cells with IC50 vales of 30.

Iridoids from Pedicularis kansuensis forma albiflora.

A new iridoid glycoside kansuenoside (1) and a new iridoid kansuenin (2), along with eight known compounds (3-10) were isolated from the whole plant of Pedicularis kansuensis forma albiflora Li. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Nine of them were assayed against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus.

[Expression of telomerase gene hTERT in testes of infertile male and its significance].

Objectives: To study the expression and the significance of telomerase gene hTERT in testes of infertile male.

Methods: By using in situ hybridization(ISH) techniques, the expression of telomerase gene hTERT mRNA in testes of 47 infertile male and 10 normal testicular tissues were observed.

Results: In male testes, there was a positive correlation between the expression of hTERT and the quantity and density of germ cells(spermatogonia, spermatocyte, spermatid).

New sesquiterpenes from Ligularia macrophylla.

From the roots of Ligularia macrophylla, a bisesquiterpene, ligumacrophyllal (1), and an eremophilane sesquiterpene, ligumacrophyllatin (2) were isolated. Their structures were elucidated by 2D-NMR herein. Additionally, seven known compounds (3-9) were afforded from the plant, and compound 3 was found as natural product for the first time.