Octahedral lanthanide clusters containing a central PO anion: structural, luminescent, magnetic and relaxometric properties.

Lanthanide clusters with good stability and intriguing physical properties are attractive in many fields. By reacting 9-anthracenylphosphonic acid (AnPOH) and lanthanide nitrates under solvothermal conditions, we obtained a series of hexanuclear lanthanide phosphonate cages [HO][Ln(PO)(AnPO)(DMF)]·2DMF·HO (Ln6, Ln = Nd, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb). Within the cluster, the six Ln atoms form an octahedron and its eight faces are covered by phosphonate groups.

Pathogenetic mechanisms in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a major public health issue as the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Recent advances have improved our understanding of its molecular pathogenesis, as best exemplified by elucidating the fundamental role of several major signaling pathways and related molecular derangements. Central to these mechanisms are the genetic and epigenetic alterations in these signaling pathways, such as gene mutations, copy number variants, aberrant gene methylation and histone modification, nucleosome positioning, and microRNAs.

[Methylation analysis of CpG island DNA of FMR1 gene in the fragile X syndrome].

Objective: To establish a method of methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes based quantitative PCR (MSRE-qPCR) for analysis of CpG island DNA of FMR1 gene, and to assess its value for molecular diagnosis of fragile X syndrome.

Methods: Thirty boys with mental retardation and abnormal repeats of 5'(CGG)n in the FMR1 gene and 20 mothers were analyzed by conventional PCR screening. Eag I was used to digest genomic DNA, and qPCR was performed to amplify CpG island in the FMR1 gene using both undigested and digested templates.

Diagnosis and treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism detected by neonatal screening.

Background: This study was undertaken to explore the clinical outcome and prognosis of subclinical hypothyroidism detected by newborn screening.

Methods: Newborn screening was conducted at 1156 health care institutions in Zhejiang Province from October 1999 to September 2006. Included were (1) infants who had thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) ≥ 20 mU/L, and normal or lower normal levels of triiodothyronine (T(3)) and thyroxine (T(4)) and (2) infants with TSH between 5.

[Inventories of atmospheric arsenic emissions from coal combustion in China, 2005].

Anthropogenic arsenic (As) emitted from coal combustion is one of key trace elements leading to negative air pollution and national economy loss. It is of great significance to estimate the atmospheric arsenic emission for proposing relevant laws or regulations and selecting proper pollution control technologies. The inventories of atmospheric arsenic emissions from coal combustion in China were evaluated by adopting the emission factor method based on fuel consumption.

[Multifactorial analysis of effects of mothers' autoimmune thyroid disease on their infants' intellectual development].

Objective: To analyze factors relevant to retarded intellectual development in infants born to mothers with autoimmune disease of thyroid.

Methods: All the term newborns born to mothers with autoimmune thyroid disease (selection criteria) without asphyxia in all county, city, and provincial hospitals in Zhejiang province (except for Ningbo City) from July 2001 to June 2003 were enrolled through Zhejiang provincial neonatal disease screening network system. The control group was consisted of the neonates who were born to mothers without thyroid disease in these hospitals during the same period.

[Screening for phenylketonuria in 726,998 neonates in Zhejiang Province].

Objective: To analyze the results of screening for neonatal phenylketonuria (PKU) in Zhejiang Province.

Methods: The screening for neonatal PKU was conducted among 726,998 newborns in Zhejiang Province. Heel prick blood specimens were collected around 72 h after birth with 6 intakes of high protein milk and the specimens were dried on S and S903 filter papers.

[Long-term therapeutic effect of triple therapy consisted of omeperazole, clarithromycin and amoxycillin in children with Helicobacter pylori infection and approach to re-treatment after failure of the treatment].

Objective: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection presents high prevalence in the world, but there are few pediatric assays evaluating antimicrobial treatment using a short regimen of triple therapy. To evaluate the eradication rate and long term therapeutic effect of a triple therapy consisted of omeperazole, clarithromycin (CLA) and amoxycillin (AMO) on Hp infection, the authors explored the alternative therapeutic programs and their effects after first therapeutic failure.

Methods: A total of 192 children with Hp infection were divided into two groups: 157 children were given the triple therapy for one week (CLA group); 35 children were given another triple therapy composed of omeperazole, metronidazole (MET) and AMO for two weeks (MET group).

[Analysis of TSH screening results of 42,979 newborns in Zhejiang Province].

Objective: Document the prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism in Zhejiang Province, by neonatal screening of TSH.

Methods: DELFIA neonatal TSH kit was applied for the quantitative determination of thyrotropin in blood specimens dried on filter paper.

Result: Among the 42 979 newborns, 112 had elevated hTSH concentration in blood.