Storage and retrieval of ultraslow soliton at optical nanofiber interface via electromagnetically induced transparency.

We theoretically investigate the optical memory in a nanofiber system via electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a nonlinear region. Because of the tight transverse confinement, the light-atom interaction is significantly enhanced and thus, the EIT effect is enhanced. The inhomogeneous mode field distribution contributes spatially to the EIT dispersion.

Association study between CYP24A1 gene polymorphisms and cancer risk.

CYP24A1, an essential gene in regulation of vitamin D, has been reported to play an important role in enhancing immune activity and inhibiting tumorigenesis. Previous studies proposed that rs2585428, rs4809960, rs6022999 and rs6068816 in CYP24A1 gene might be greatly associated with cancer risk. To validate the findings, we here investigated the associations of these four polymorphisms and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in a central Chinese population (426 colon cancer patients, 361 rectal cancer patients and 800 healthy controls).

A comprehensive study of CD44 rs 187115 variant and cancer risk in a central Chinese population.

The rs187115, an intronic variant of CD44 gene, has been previously reported to play a potential role in genetic susceptibility to cancer. Here, we comprehensively examined the association between CD44 rs187115 variant and cancer risk (breast cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, and rectal cancer) in a central Chinese population. The rs187115 variant was genotyped with the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay.

Long non-coding RNA POLR2E rs3787016 is associated with the risk of papillary thyroid carcinoma in Chinese population.

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in cancer tumorigenesis and progression. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the lncRNAs also play a vital role in carcinogenesis. We here explored the association between POLR2E rs3787016 and risk of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in a Chinese population, which was followed by a meta-analysis of POLR2E rs3787016 and cancer risk in Chinese population.

Elevated tumour necrosis factor-alpha was associated with intima thickening in obese children.

Aim: This study investigated the relationship between intima-media thickness (IMT) and immune parameters in obese children from five to 16 years of age.

Methods: We enrolled 185 obese children with a mean age of 10.65 ± 2.

Genetic dissection of heterosis using epistatic association mapping in a partial NCII mating design.

Heterosis refers to the phenomenon in which an F1 hybrid exhibits enhanced growth or agronomic performance. However, previous theoretical studies on heterosis have been based on bi-parental segregating populations instead of F1 hybrids. To understand the genetic basis of heterosis, here we used a subset of F1 hybrids, named a partial North Carolina II design, to perform association mapping for dependent variables: original trait value, general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA) and mid-parental heterosis (MPH).

Interacted QTL mapping in partial NCII design provides evidences for breeding by design.

The utilization of heterosis in rice, maize and rapeseed has revolutionized crop production. Although elite hybrid cultivars are mainly derived from the F1 crosses between two groups of parents, named NCII mating design, little has been known about the methodology of how interacted effects influence quantitative trait performance in the population. To bridge genetic analysis with hybrid breeding, here we integrated an interacted QTL mapping approach with breeding by design in partial NCII mating design.

[Computer-aided precise resection of pelvic tumor and function reconstruction].

Objective: To investigate the value of computer-aided design (CAD) in defining the resection boundary, reconstructing the pelvis and hip in patients with pelvis tumors.

Methods: Between November 2006 and April 2009, 5 cases of pelvis tumors were treated surgically using CAD technology. There were 3 males and 2 females with an average age of 36.

MiR-143 enhances adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells through targeting the coding region of mouse pleiotrophin.

Adipogenic differentiation of preadipocytes is a complex process regulated by various factors including miRNAs and cytokines. MiR-143 is a well known miRNA that enhances adipogenesis. Pleiotrophin (PTN), a heparin-binding growth factor, plays a negative role in adipogenesis.

Enhanced peroxisomal β-oxidation metabolism in visceral adipose tissues of high-fat diet-fed obesity-resistant C57BL/6 mice.

This study aimed to investigate the potential mechanisms of natural resistance to high-fat diet-induced obesity. Four-week-old C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet for 6 weeks and were then designated as high-fat diet-fed obesity-prone (HOP) and obesity-resistant (HOR) animals. Their blood biochemistry was evaluated, and visceral adipose tissue samples were subjected to proteomic, Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR) analyses.

miRNA-mediated functional changes through co-regulating function related genes.

Background: MicroRNAs play important roles in various biological processes involving fairly complex mechanism. Analysis of genome-wide miRNA microarray demonstrate that a single miRNA can regulate hundreds of genes, but the regulative extent on most individual genes is surprisingly mild so that it is difficult to understand how a miRNA provokes detectable functional changes with such mild regulation.

Results: To explore the internal mechanism of miRNA-mediated regulation, we re-analyzed the data collected from genome-wide miRNA microarray with bioinformatics assay, and found that the transfection of miR-181b and miR-34a in Hela and HCT-116 tumor cells regulated large numbers of genes, among which, the genes related to cell growth and cell death demonstrated high Enrichment scores, suggesting that these miRNAs may be important in cell growth and cell death.

Patient positioning error measurement based on dynamic template matching techniques.

The decrease of accuracy in patients' repeated positioning in radiotherapy due to body's transformation is considered and a positioning error measurement method using dynamic template matching technique is brought forward in this paper. This method is an improvement of the matching method to correct positioning error based on the CT digitally reconstructed radiograph(DRR), which uses the video reconstructed 3D surface model that can reflect the body's transformation as the matching template instead of DRR. This method can not only improve the positioning accuracy but also eliminate the adverse influence brought by body's transformation.

Effect of CT Image-Based Voxel Size On Monte Carlo Dose Calculation.

Currently, the conventional empirical or semi-empirical dose calculation algorithms for radiation treatment planning system have been selected as dose engines. The accuracy of these dose calculation algorithms is limited. The main problem is that they fail to adequately consider the lateral transport of radiation or loss of electronic equilibrium near interface between two heterogeneous mediums.