Expression of differentiation inhibiting factor 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor and the relation between them and microvessel density in gastric cancer tissue.

Background/aims: To observe the expression of differentiation inhibiting factor 1 (DIF1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and explore the relation between them and microvessel density (MVD) in gastric cancer tissue.

Methodology: The expression of DIF1, VEGF, CD34 and MVD in gastric cancer and peri-cancerous tissues was qualitatively analyzed with immunohistochemistry. The protein expression of DIF1 and VEGF in gastric cancer and peri-cancerous tissue was semi-quantitatively analyzed with Western blot.

Promoter methylation of esophageal cancer-related gene 4 in gastric cancer tissue and its clinical significance.

Background/aims: To observe the promoter methylation of esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) in gastric cancer tissues and explore its clinical significance.

Methodology: ECRG4 promoter methylation was detected with methylation-specific PCR in 49 samples of gastric cancer tissues, 30 samples of peri-cancerous tissues and 15 samples of normal tissues. The relations of ECRG4 promoter methylation to pathology, age, gender and lymph node metastasis were analyzed.

[Comparison of 2 µm continuous-wave laser enucleation of the prostate and transurethral resection of the prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia].

Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of RevoLix 120 W 2 µm continuous-wave (cw) laser enucleation of the prostate with transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) in patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). And to evaluate clinical value of 120 W 2 µm cw laser enucleation.

Methods: All 168 patients with BPH underwent 2 µm cw laser enucleation (n = 88) or TURP (n = 80) between January 2010 and January 2011.

Synthesis and bioactivities of 2-azetidinone derivatives as cholesterol absorption inhibitors.

Twenty-four 2-azetidinone derivatives have been designed and synthesized as cholesterol absorption inhibitors. All new compounds were evaluated for their activity to inhibit cholesterol absorption in hamsters, and most of them showed considerable effects in lowering the levels of total cholesterol in the serum, especially compound 2d, 4a, 4f, 4i and 4j.

EST and transcriptome analysis of cephalochordate amphioxus--past, present and future.

The cephalochordates, commonly known as amphioxus or lancelets, are now considered the most basal chordate group, and the studies of these organisms therefore offer important insights into various levels of evolutionary biology. In the past two decades, the investigation of amphioxus developmental biology has provided key knowledge for understanding the basic patterning mechanisms of chordates. Comparative genome studies of vertebrates and amphioxus have uncovered clear evidence supporting the hypothesis of two-round whole-genome duplication thought to have occurred early in vertebrate evolution and have shed light on the evolution of morphological novelties in the complex vertebrate body plan.

Chondrogenic differentiation of canine myoblasts induced by cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein-2 and transforming growth factor-β1 in vitro.

The meniscus has limited ability to repair itself following injury. However, tissue engineering provides new means of meniscus repair. Myoblasts, which possess the potential of multi-directional differentiation, may be ideal seed cells in meniscus tissue engineering.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Ezetimibe Analogs as Possible Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors.

In order to investigate the SAR of Ezetimibe analogs for cholesterol absorption inhibitions, amide group and electron-deficient pyridine ring were introduced to the C-(3) carbon chain of Ezetimibe. Eight new derivatives of the 2-azetidinone cholesterol absorption inhibitors have been synthesized, and all of them were enantiomerically pure. All the new compounds were evaluated for their activity to inhibit cholesterol absorption in hamsters, and most of them showed comparable effects in lowering the levels of total cholesterol in the serum.

Interleukin 24 as a novel potential cytokine immunotherapy for the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remains a major global health problem. Interleukin 24 (IL-24) is a novel tumor suppressor and a unique member of the IL-10 family of cytokines. However, the in vivo immunological consequences of this cytokine's activity during Mtb infection are still unknown.

Characterization of the purification and primary culture of adult canine myoblasts in vitro.

The aim of the present study was to explore a simple and efficient procedure to culture and purify adult canine myoblasts in vitro. Muscle from adult Beagle canines was isolated and harvested by mechanical decomposition and two-step enzyme digestion. The cells were then purified by a method involving differential adherent velocity and flow cytometry.

Deformation and stress distribution of the human foot after plantar ligaments release: a cadaveric study and finite element analysis.

The majority of foot deformities are related to arch collapse or instability, especially the longitudinal arch. Although the relationship between the plantar fascia and arch height has been previously investigated, the stress distribution remains unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the role of the plantar ligaments in foot arch biomechanics.

Synthesis and pharmacokinetics of strontium fructose 1,6-diphosphate (Sr-FDP) as a potential anti-osteoporosis agent in intact and ovariectomized rats.

A novel strontium compound has been synthesized by the reaction of fructose-1,6-diphosphate with strontium (Sr-FDP). The compound was characterized and confirmed with elemental analyses and spectroscopic (IR, NMR) methods. The pharmacokinetic profiles of Sr-FDP were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats following oral administration at a dose of 110, 220, and 440mg/kg respectively.

Investigations on cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory potency of licofelone derivatives.

A series of C5-substituted licofelone ([2,2-dimethyl-6-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolizin-5-yl]acetic acid) derivatives were developed by a parallel synthesis approach and investigated for cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells as well as for anti-inflammatory potency in vitro and in vivo. Dependent on the C5-substituent, the compounds showed high selectivity for MCF-7 cells. Especially 2-oxoethyl benzoate derivatives were inactive at the MDA-MB-231 cell line and as active as 5-FU at MCF-7 cells.

Effect of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction on biomechanical features of knee in level walking: a meta-analysis.

Background: The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most commonly injured knee ligaments. Even following ACL reconstruction, significant articular cartilage degeneration can be observed and most patients suffer from premature osteoarthritis. Articular cartilage degeneration and osteoarthritis development after ACL injury are regarded as progressive process that are affected by cyclic loading during frequently performed low-intensity daily activities.

Electronic structure calculations of low-lying electronic states of O3.

Configuration-based multi-reference second order perturbation theory (CB-MRPT2) and multi-reference configuration interaction with single and double excitations (MRCISD) have been used to calculate the bending and dissociation potential energy curves (PECs) of ozone. Based on these PECs, equilibrium structures, vertical and adiabatic transition energies of the ground state and several low-lying excited states, as well as intersections and avoided crossings among the states displayed on the PECs are investigated. The energy separation of the open and ring structures and the dissociation energy of the ground state X(1)A(1) are determined by reference-selected MRCISD.

Treatment of meniscal injury: a current concept review.

Meniscal injury is one of the most common injuries to the knee. The menisci are important for normal knee function. And loss of a meniscus increases the risk of subsequent development of degenerative changes in the knee.

Effect of ex vivo-expanded γδ-T cells combined with galectin-1 antibody on the growth of human cervical cancer xenografts in SCID mice.

Objective: To investigate the antitumor activity of ex vivo-expanded γδ-T cells derived from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(γδTILs) from cervical cancer patients when combined with galectin-1 antibody and studied both in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: The presence of γδTILs in cervical cancer specimens was detected by immunohistochemistry and γδTILs were expanded using the solid-phase antibody method. The expression of galectin-1 by the human cervical cancer cell line, SiHa, was measured by Western blot and ELISA.

Defibrillation and resuscitation in a piglet model of pediatric ventricular fibrillation following AHA 2005 guidelines.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of defibrillation on children according to AHA 2005 recommendations

Methods: Pig resembles human in the chest configuration, anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. Piglets weighing 7.0 Kg ± 1.

[Standardized diagnosis and treatment of azoospermia: a report of 1027 cases].

Objective: To constitute an appropriate procedure for clinical diagnosis and treatment for men with azoospermia in China.

Methods: Following a procedure which combined the recommendations from WHO, European Association of Urology (EAU), American Urological Association (AUA), American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) with our own experiences, 1 027 patients with azoospermia were divided into different subtypes according to patients' case histories and outcomes of various routine and specialized examinations. Then appropriate treatments were chosen according to the diagnostic subtypes.

Threonine 82 at the PDZ domain of PICK1 is critical for AMPA receptor interaction and localization.

Trafficking of AMPA receptors to and from synapses and their final localizations are critical for the expression of synaptic plasticity, which is regarded as the cellular basis of learning and memory. Protein that interacts with C Kinase 1 (PICK1), is one of the scaffolding proteins that interacts with AMPA receptors and regulates their trafficking in synaptic plasticity. In this study, we found that PICK1 could be a threonine-phosphorylated protein and identified threonine 82 (T82) in the PDZ domain of PICK1 as a potential phosphorylation site based on sequence and structural modeling analysis.

A review of the major penaeid shrimp EST studies and the construction of a shrimp transcriptome database based on the ESTs from four penaeid shrimp.

By economic value, shrimp is currently the most important seafood commodity worldwide, and these animals are often the subject of scientific research in shrimp farming countries. High throughput methods, such as expressed sequence tags (ESTs), were originally developed to study human genomics, but they are now available for studying other important organisms, including shrimp. ESTs are short sequences generated by sequencing randomly selected cDNA clones from a cDNA library.

[Jinleng method is effective and safe for the treatment of oligospermia and asthenospermia].

Objective: The Jinleng method is based on the principle of lowered temperature and diathermic action on the testis. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect and safety of the Jinleng method on oligospermia and asthenospermia.

Methods: We treated 39 infertile males with oligospermia or asthenospermia with Jinleng underpants (Jinleng method) bid for 3 months, observed the changes in the sperm parameters of the patients after the treatment and recorded the pregnancy outcomes of their wives.

New implementations of MRCI in semiempirical frameworks.

Multireference configuration interaction with single and double excitations (MRCISD) as well as its analytic CI gradients has been implemented in the semiempirical framework. The hole-particle symmetry and a mixed driven model for computing coupling coefficients have been used in the new code that allows us to perform MRCI and gradient calculations with higher efficiency and less storage requirements.

Xeno-free culture of human spermatogonial stem cells supported by human embryonic stem cell-derived fibroblast-like cells.

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) divide continuously to support spermatogenesis throughout postnatal life and transmit genetic information to the next generation. Here, we report the successful establishment of the method for the isolation and identification of human SSCs from testicular tissue, and to determine the culture conditions required to expand SSCs on human embryonic stem cell-derived fibroblast-like cells (hdFs). Large-scale cultures of SSCs were maintained on hdF feeder layers and expanded in the presence of a combination of cytokines and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor for at least 2 months.

Enzyme and root activities in surface-flow constructed wetlands.

Sixteen small-scale wetlands planted with four plant species were constructed for domestic wastewater purification. The objective of this study was to determine the correlations between contaminant removal and soil enzyme activity, root activity, and growth in the constructed wetlands. The results indicated that correlations between contaminant removal efficiency and enzyme activity varied depending on the contaminants.

[Biomechanical research of reconstructing anterior cruciate ligament by implanting various length of autogenous tendon into bone tunnel].

Objective: To make a comparison for the change of maximum tensile intensity and stiffness of a whole implant that is placed into bone tunnel with various lengths tendon, by using beagle dog's autogenous flexor tendons to reconstruct anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Methods: Sixty male beagle dogs were included in the experiment (weighting 13-16 kg). Three dogs were used for intact flexor tendon of both knees (normal control group), 3 dogs for the intact ACL and femur-graft-tibia complex (auto control group) and 54 dogs (108 knees) for models of reconstructed ACL (6 experimental groups according to different lengths of tendon: 5, 9, 13, 17, 21 and 25 mm in the bone tunnel).