Change of water sources reduces health risks from heavy metals via ingestion of water, soil, and rice in a riverine area, South China.

This study evaluates the effect of water source change on heavy metal concentrations in water, paddy soil, and rice, as well as the health risks to residents of three riverine communities in South China. The results show that after substituting the sources of drinking water, heavy metal levels (except for Pb at Tangjun) in drinking water were below WHO guideline values and the potential risk from drinking water may be negligible. The As (46.

Phototransformation of mefenamic acid induced by nitrite ions in water: mechanism, toxicity, and degradation pathways.

Here, we evidenced the photo-induced degradation of mefenamic acid, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, through the 254-nm light excitation of nitrite. The results demonstrated that the photodegradation of mefenamic acid was enhanced, and the mefenamic acid photodegradation rate significantly increased, from 0.00627 to 0.

Low pretherapeutic serum albumin as a risk factor for poor outcome in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

The number of esophageal cancer patients is increasing worldwide and lots of patients suffer from malnutrition and hypoalbuminemic. Serum albumin is a widely acceptable method of assessing nutritional and inflammation status in cancer patients. But whether serum albumin has prognostic value with regard to short-term and long-term outcomes in patients who undergo esophagectomy for cancer is still unclear.

Storage and retrieval of (3 + 1)-dimensional weak-light bullets and vortices in a coherent atomic gas.

A robust light storage and retrieval (LSR) in high dimensions is highly desirable for light and quantum information processing. However, most schemes on LSR realized up to now encounter problems due to not only dissipation, but also dispersion and diffraction, which make LSR with a very low fidelity. Here we propose a scheme to achieve a robust storage and retrieval of weak nonlinear high-dimensional light pulses in a coherent atomic gas via electromagnetically induced transparency.

Whole mitochondrial genome sequencing and analysis for rat squamous cell carcinoma tissue cell.

Mitochondrial genome plays a central role in aging, cancer, apoptosis and metabolism. Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the major types of non-small cell lung cancer. We sequenced a complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a rat squamous cell carcinomas cell tissue for the first time.

Intradimer/Intermolecular interactions suggest autoinhibition mechanism in endophilin A1.

Endophilin A1 is a homodimeric membrane-binding endocytic accessory protein with a high dimerization affinity. Its function has been hypothesized to involve autoinhibition. However, the autoinhibition mechanism, as well as the physicochemical basis for the high dimerization affinity of endophilin in solution, have remained unclear.

Identification of two forms of the Eso1 protein in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Eso1p is a protein fusion. Two-thirds of its N-terminus is conserved to budding yeast Rad30, which functions in error-free replication of UV-damaged DNA. A third of the C-terminus is highly conserved to budding yeast Eco1, a lysine acetyltransferase, which is essential for the establishment of cohesion.

Kinetics of endophilin N-BAR domain dimerization and membrane interactions.

The recruitment to plasma membrane invaginations of the protein endophilin is a temporally regulated step in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Endophilin is believed to sense or stabilize membrane curvature, which in turn likely depends on the dimeric structure of the protein. The dynamic nature of the membrane association and dimerization of endophilin is thus functionally important and is illuminated herein.

Prognostic significance of lymph node characteristics on survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

Objectives: To investigate the prognostic significance of lymph node characteristics (total number of resected lymph nodes, metastatic lymph node ratio, and metastatic lymph nodes site) on survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: Patients who underwent esophagectomy at Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, between October 1, 2003, and December 31, 2008, were reviewed. Survival data and clinicopathological characteristics were collected.

Tumour length is an independent prognostic factor of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

Background: The latest version of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system has not comprehensively evaluated the impact of tumour length on survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Our study explored the relationship between tumour length and clinicopathological characteristics as well as long-term survival.

Methods: All 202 cases of esophageal resections done from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2008 in Huashan Hospital, Fudan University were reviewed and followed up.

The significance of MAGED4 expression in non-small cell lung cancer as analyzed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.

The aim of this study was to detect differences in the expression levels of melanoma-associated antigen D4 (MAGED4) mRNA between non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues and normal tissues, and to compare differences in the expression levels of MAGED4 in tumor patients. Patients were grouped according to age, gender, smoking history, tumor size, pathological classification, degree of lung cancer cell differentiation and presence of lymph node metastasis. The expression levels of MAGED4 were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.

A malformed staple causing cardiac tamponade after lobectomy.

We present a patient with cardiac tamponade caused by a malformed staple after lobectomy. The patient was successfully rescued by an urgent reoperation. Although rare, acute cardiac tamponade should be taken into account after lobectomy, and proper measures should be taken against the potential harm caused by a malformed staple.

A genetic screen to discover pathways affecting cohesin function in Schizosaccharomyces pombe identifies chromatin effectors.

Cohesion, the force that holds sister chromatids together from the time of DNA replication until separation at the metaphase to anaphase transition, is mediated by the cohesin complex. This complex is also involved in DNA damage repair, chromosomes condensation, and gene regulation. To learn more about the cellular functions of cohesin, we conducted a genetic screen in Schizosaccharomyces pombe with two different cohesin mutants (eso1-G799D and mis4-242).

One-pot low temperature synthesis of monodisperse silver nanoparticles.

A facile one-pot route for the synthesis of monodisperse Ag nanocrystals with a narrow size distribution is described. Uniform Ag nanoparticles with the size of around 12 nm were obtained by reduction of AgNO3 in the presence of oleylamine and polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) at low temperature. It is found that temperature has a significant effect on the sizes and the size distributions of the nanoparticles.

[Analysis of neurological deficits complications in the treatment of spinal deformity with posterior spinal osteotomy].

Objective: To investigate the incidence and causes of neurologic deficits complications in the treatment of spinal deformity with posterior spinal osteotomy.

Methods: From January 2007 to December 2010, 321 cases of scoliosis or kyphosis patients were treated with posterior spinal osteotomy. There were 124 male and 197 female with an average age of (19 ± 11) years (2 - 56 years).

[Inhibitory effect of sodium valproate on human lung carcinoma SPC-A1 cell proliferation and the mechanism].

Objective: To observe the effect of sodium valproate (VPA) on the proliferation and apoptosis of human lung carcinoma SPC-A1 cells and the underlying mechanism.

Methods: The effect of VPA on the proliferation of SPC-A1 cells was evaluated by MTT assay and clone formation assay. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the apoptosis of the cells exposed to VPA.

[Effectiveness comparison between pedicle subtraction osteotomy and non-osteotomy techniques in treatment of medium-to-severe kyphoscoliosis].

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) and non-osteotomy techniques in treatment of medium-to-severe kyphoscoliosis by retrospective studies.

Methods: Between January 2005 and January 2009, 99 patients with medium-to-severe kyphoscoliosis were treated by PSO (PSO group, n = 46) and non-osteotomy technique (non-osteotomy group, n = 53) separately. There was no significant difference in sex, age, Cobb angle of scoliosis on coronal plane, and Cobb angle of kyphosis on saggital plane between 2 groups (P > 0.

Luteolin induces mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma cell.

The effects of luteolin on the proliferation of A549 cells were evaluated by MTT and clone formation assays. DNA ploidy and apoptotic cell percentage were calculated by flow cytometry. The expression of Bax, Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, Mcl-1, caspase-9, caspase-3, and PARP was analyzed by Western blotting.

Surgical treatment of severe scoliosis and kyphoscoliosis by stages.

Background: Although previous reports had reported the use of temporary internal distraction as an aid to correct severe scoliosis, two-stage surgery strategy (less invasive internal distraction followed by posterior correction and instrumentation) has never been reported in the treatment of patients with severe spinal deformity. This study aimed to report the results of the surgical treatment of severe scoliosis and kyphoscoliosis by two-stage and analyse the safety and efficacy of this surgical strategy in the treatment of severe spinal deformities.

Methods: A total of 15 patients with severe scoliosis, kyphoscoliosis or kyphosis who underwent two-stage surgeries (less invasive internal distraction followed by posterior correction and instrumentation) were studied based on hospital records.

5,8-Dibromo-15-nitro-2,11-dithia-[3.3]paracyclo-phane.

IN THE TITLE COMPOUND [SYSTEMATIC NAME: 13,15-dibromo-6-nitro-3,10-dithia-tricyclo-[10.2.2.

Application of the titanium plate fixation system in sternum transverse incisions.

The purpose of this study was to review the application of the titanium plate fixation system in sternum transverse incisions and assess its advantages over the conventional methods of steel wire fixation. Sternal healing of 249 patients who underwent a thymectomy and/or excision of the thymoma with a transverse sternal incision was compared between patients who underwent titanium plate fixation or steel wire fixation. Short-term results: The stability of the sternum was significantly superior in the titanium plate group compared with the steel wire group (P < 0.

Folate-conjugated methoxy poly (ethylene glycol)/poly (L-Alanine) amphiphilic block copolymeric micelles for targeted delivery of paclitaxel.

Folate has been used as a targeting moiety of various anticancer agents to increase their cellular uptake within target cells since folate receptors(FR) are vastly overexpressed in many tumors. In this study, amphiphilic block copolymers composed of methoxy poly (ethylene glycol)(MPEG) and poly(L-Alanine)(PALA) were synthesized and then conjugated with folate to produce a folate receptor-targeted drug carrier for tumor-specific drug delivery. The structure of the copolymers was confirmed by ¹HNMR.

Selection suitable solvents to prepare paclitaxel-loaded micelles by solvent evaporation method.

Amphiphilic block copolymer micelle is one of the most important drug delivery systems to improve the water-solubility of lipophilic drugs. Blank micelles were prepared by solvent evaporation method in order to choose the suitable solvents for PBMA-b-PMPC (poly(n-butyl methacrylate)-b-poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine)) copolymer micelles. The selected solvents, which include chloroform/ethanol mixture and ScCO(2), were used to prepare the paclitaxel-loaded micelles.

Clinical observation on the treatment of atrial fibrillation with amiodarone combined with Shenmai Injection (参麦注射液).

Objective: To observe the therapeutic efficacy and safety of amiodarone combined with Shenmai Injection (参麦注射液) on atrial fibrillation.

Methods: A total of 351 patients with atrial fibrillation caused by cardiovascular diseases and idiopathic atrial fibrillation were assigned to amiodarone group (control group, 128 cases) and amiodarone combined with Shenmai Injection group (treatment group, 223 cases). The patients in the control group received intravenous injection of 150 mg amiodarone in 10 min, followed by intravenous drip infusion at 1 mg /min and 6 h later at 0.

[Analysis of results on minimum 4-year follow-up of modified posterior lumbar interbody fusion for the treatment of isthmic spondylolisthesis].

Objective: To investigate the long-term results of modified Jaslow technique to treat isthmic spondylolisthesis.

Methods: From April 2000 to January 2002, 75 patients with isthmic spondylolisthesis (Meyerding grade I had 24 cases, grade II had 35, grade III had 16)were treated with a modified Jaslow technique using one single fusion cage on the symptomatic side. There were 35 males and 40 females with an average age of 40 years old, ranging from 23 to 71 years.