A high-throughput differential scanning fluorimetry method for rapid detection of thermal stability and iron saturation in lactoferrin.

Thermal stability and iron saturation of lactoferrin (LF) are of great significance not only for the evaluation of the biological activities of LF but also for the optimization of the isolation and drying process parameters. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a well-established and efficient method for thermal stability and iron saturation detection in LF. However, multiple DSC measurements are typically performed sequentially, thus time-consuming and low throughput. Herein, we introduced the differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) approach to overcome such limitations. The DSF can monitor LF thermal unfolding with a commonly available real-time PCR instrument and a fluorescent dye (SYPRO orange or Glomelt), and the measured melting temperature of LF is consistent with that determined by DSC. On the basis of that, a new quantification method was established for determination of iron saturation levels using the linear correlation of the degree of ion saturation of LF with DSF measurements. Such DSF method is simple, inexpensive, rapid (<15 min), and high throughput (>96 samples per experiment), and provides a valuable alternative tool for thermal stability detection of LF and other whey proteins.

Effect of birth asphyxia on neonatal blood glucose during the early postnatal life: A multi-center study in Hubei Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Birth asphyxia causes hypoxia or inadequate perfusion to the organs of newborns, leading to metabolism dysfunctions including blood glucose disorders. METHODS: Neonates with and without birth asphyxia were retrospectively recruited from 53 hospitals in Hubei Province from January 1 to December 31, 2018. In summary, 875, 1139, and 180 cases in the control group, the mild asphyxia group, and the severe asphyxia group were recruited, respectively. Neonatal blood glucose values at postnatal 1, 2, 6, and 12 h (time error within 0.5 h was allowed) were gathered from the medical records. RESULTS: The incidence rates of hyperglycemia in the control group, the mild asphyxia group and the severe asphyxia group were 2.97%, 7.90%, and 23.33%, respectively (p < 0.001). Additionally, the incidence rates of hypoglycemia in the three groups above were 3.66%, 4.13%, and 7.78%, respectively (p = 0.042). The blood glucose values of neonates with hypoglycemia in the asphyxia group were lower than in the control group (p = 0.003). Furthermore, the blood glucose values of neonates with hyperglycemia were highest in the severe asphyxia group (p < 0.001). There were 778 and 117 cases with blood glucose records at four predefined time points in the mild and severe asphyxia group, respectively. The incidence of blood glucose disorders in the mild asphyxia group significantly decreased from postnatal 6 h (p＜0.05). However, we found no obvious changes of the incidence of glucose disorders within postnatal 12 h in the severe asphyxia group (p = 0.589). CONCLUSION: Birth asphyxia is likely to cause neonatal blood glucose disorders, both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, during the early postnatal life. The neonates with severe asphyxia have higher incidence, worse severity and longer duration of blood glucose disorders than neonates with mild asphyxia.

Single-Atomic Zn/Co-Nx Sites Boost Solid-Soluble Synergistic Catalysis for Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

Lithium-oxygen batteries have attracted widespread attention owing to their superior theoretical energy density. However, they are obstructed by sluggish oxygen reduction (ORR) and evolution reaction (OER) kinetics at air cathodes. Herein, different from using single solid or soluble catalysts, solid-soluble synergistic catalysis is proposed to conjointly enhance ORR/OER performances. During discharge, single-atomic zinc/cobalt embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon (Zn, Co-N/C) is judiciously engineered as a solid catalyst to regulate the growth pathway of Li2O2 and promote ORR kinetics. During charge, a typical redox mediator (RM, LiI) is added as a soluble catalyst to permit efficient oxidation of Li2O2. Of note is that the atomic Zn/Co-Nx sites can chemically adsorb oxidized iodine (I2) and accelerate OER kinetics, which plays a decisive role in eliminating the shuttle effect of I3-/I2 to the Li anode. Coupling a single-atomic catalyst with restricted oxidized iodine offers an exceptional discharge capacity, remarkably low polarization, and superior long-term cycling stability.

Effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy-based interventions on health outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based intervention on health outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) has been recognized in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), but no comprehensive systematic review has been conducted. To address this research gap, our study aimed to evaluate whether comprehensive CBT-based interventions positively affect health outcomes in CHD patients. It was hypothesized that CBT-based interventions are effective in: (1) Reducing depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms; (2) Reducing body mass index, blood pressure, and lipid levels; and (3) Improving quality of life, and exercise endurance. AIM: To verify the effectiveness of CBT-based interventions on CHD patients through a meta-analysis of previous publications. METHODS: Relevant RCTs published in English were obtained by searching electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Proquest, with the retrieval time from inception to August 2020. The primary outcomes were psychological factors (depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms), physiological factors (body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipids). The secondary outcomes included quality of life and exercise endurance. We used Review Manager 5.3 to conduct the meta-analysis and used the Physiotherapy Evidence Database tool to evaluate the quality of studies. RESULTS: A total of 22 RCTs comprising 4991 patients with CHD were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The main analysis revealed that CBT-based intervention can reduce depression symptoms: -2.00 [95% confidence interval (CI): -2.83 to -1.16, P < 0.001]; anxiety symptoms: -2.07 (95%CI: -3.39 to -0.75, P = 0.002); stress symptoms: -3.33 (95%CI: -4.23 to -2.44, P < 0.001); body mass index: -0.47 (95%CI: -0.81 to -0.13, P = 0.006); and improve physical functioning: 3.36 (95%CI: 1.63 to 5.10, P = 0.000) and mental functioning: 6.91 (95%CI: 4.10 to 9.73, P < 0.001). Moreover, subgroup analysis results showed that CBT-based interventions were more effective for symptoms of depression and anxiety in CHD patients when individual, as opposed to group treatment, and psycho-education, behavioral and cognitive strategies were applied as the core treatment approaches. CONCLUSION: CBT-based interventions are effective treatment strategies for CHD patients, significantly improving their symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, body mass index, and health-related quality of life.

Effect of glucose metabolism disorders on the short-term prognosis in neonates with asphyxia: a multicenter study in Hubei Province, China. / çª’æ¯æ–°ç”Ÿå„¿ç³–ä»£è°¢ç´Šä¹±å¯¹è¿‘æœŸé¢„åŽçš„å½±å“ï¼šä¸€é¡¹æ¹–åŒ—çœå¤šä¸­å¿ƒç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of glucose metabolism disorders on the short-term prognosis in neonates with asphyxia. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of the neonates with asphyxia who were admitted to 52 hospitals in Hubei Province of China from January to December, 2018 and had blood glucose data within 12 hours after birth. Their blood glucose data at 1, 2, 6, and 12 hours after birth (with an allowable time error of 0.5 hour) were recorded. According to the presence or absence of brain injury and/or death during hospitalization, the neonates were divided into a poor prognosis group with 693 neonates and a good prognosis group with 779 neonates. The two groups were compared in the incidence of glucose metabolism disorders within 12 hours after birth and short-term prognosis. RESULTS: Compared with the good prognosis group, the poor prognosis group had a significantly higher proportion of neonates from secondary hospitals (48.5% vs 42.6%, P<0.05) or with severe asphyxia (19.8% vs 8.1%, P<0.05) or hypothermia therapy (4.8% vs 1.5%, P<0.05), as well as a significantly higher incidence rate of disorder of glucose metabolism (18.8% vs 12.5%, P<0.05). Compared with the good prognosis group, the poor prognosis group had a significantly higher incidence rate of disorder of glucose metabolism at 1, 2, and 6 hours after birth (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that recurrent hyperglycemia (adjusted odds ratio=2.380, 95% confidence interval: 1.275-4.442, P<0.05) was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in neonates with asphyxia. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent hyperglycemia in neonates with asphyxia may suggest poor short-term prognosis, and it is necessary to strengthen the early monitoring and management of the nervous system in such neonates.

Danshensu attenuates cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity through activation of Nrf2 pathway and inhibition of NF-κB.

The clinical application of cisplatin was mainly limited by severe nephrotoxicity. Danshensu was the main pharmacological active diterpenoids which extracted from the roots of Salvia milthiorriza Bunge. This study is aimed to investigate the protective effects and potential mechanisms of Danshensu against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. After fasting for 12 h, all mice groups except the control group were administered a single intraperitoneal injection of 25 mg/kg cisplatin. 1 h later, cisplatin (25 mg/kg) + Danshensu (15 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg) groups were treated with corresponding doses of Danshensu once a day for 7 consecutive days. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), Catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were assayed in this study. The expression of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß were examined by ELISA. The results showed that Danshensu could improve kidney damage, attenuate serum BUN, creatinine, cytokines and oxidative stress markers. Further studies showed that Danshensu can induce Nrf2/HO-1 activation and inhibition of NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, Danshensu exerts the protective effects on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, which may be related to the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 and inhibition of NF-ĸB pathway.

Bifunctional 1-Boc-3-Iodoazetidine Enhancing Lithium Anode Stability and Rechargeability of Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

Lithium anode protection is an effective strategy to prohibit the continuous loss of redox mediators (RMs) resulting from the unfavorable "shuttle effect" in lithium-oxygen batteries. In this work, an in situ Li anode protection method is designed by utilizing an organic compound, 1-Boc-3-iodoazetidine (BIA), as both a RM and an additive, to form a lithium anode protective layer. The reaction between Li metal and BIA can form lithium iodide (LiI) and lithium-based organometallic. LiI can effectively reduce the charging overpotential. Meanwhile, the in situ-formed anode protection layer (lithium-based organometallic) can not only effectively prevent RMs from being reduced by the lithium metal, but also inhibit the growth of lithium dendrites. As a result, the lithium-oxygen battery with BIA shows a long cycle life of 260 cycles with a notably reduced charging potential. In particular, the battery with BIA achieves an excellent lifespan of 160 cycles at a large current density of 2000 mA g-1.

Electronic cigarette use among adolescents in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the status of electronic cigarette use among adolescents in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and to provide evidence for tobacco control in adolescents. @*Methods@# Based on the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Epidemic Monitoring Program, multistage proportional sampling method was used to select middle school students from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. A questionnaire revised by Chinese CDC was used to collect the general information, the cognition and use of electronic cigarettes, and the access to advertising of electronic cigarettes and related products.@*Results@#Totally 9 019 questionnaires were distributed, 8 401 valid ones were recovered, and the response rate was 93.2%. The rates of electronic cigarette use and attempt among students were 4.3% and 13.4%. The rates of electronic cigarette use and attempt in male students were 7.7% and 22.9%, which were higher than that in female students (0.8% and 3.8%, P<0.05) . The rates of electronic cigarette use and attempt varied in different schools ( P<0.05 ), which were higher in vocational high school students ( 11.5% and 26.8% ). Among 246 students who used electronic cigarettes, 30.1% did not thought electronic cigarettes contained nicotine, while 60.2% did not know whether electronic cigarettes contain nicotine. In the past 30 days, 27.0% of the students had seen the advertisements of electronic cigarettes and related products, mainly through TV, store, supermarket, convenience store, grocery store, electronic cigarette experience store or retail store.@*Conclusions@#The rates of electronic cigarette use and attempt among adolescents in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region are 4.3% and 13.4%. Boys and vocational high school students have higher rates. Students generally know electronic cigarette and have more access to it.

Remdesivir attenuates high fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD by regulating hepatocyte dyslipidemia and inflammation via the suppression of STING.

High-fat diet (HFD) is a predisposing factor for metabolic syndrome-related systemic inflammation and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, there is still no effective therapeutic treatment for NAFLD. Here, we showed that remdesivir (RDV, GS-5734), as a broad-spectrum antiviral nucleotide prodrug with anti-inflammatory effects, was effective for attenuating HFD-induced metabolic disorder and insulin resistance. Results revealed that the liver weight, hepatic dysfunction and lipid accumulation were markedly increased compared with that of the Control group, while that of the RDV group exhibited significant reduction, accompanied by the improved signaling pathway regulating fatty acid metabolism. In agreement with reduced lipid deposition, RDV supplementation suppressed the systematic and hepatic inflammation, as evidenced by reduction of inflammatory cytokines and the blockage of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling. In addition, stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and its down-streaming factor interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) were greatly increased in livers of HFD-fed mice, which were considerably restrained by RDV treatment. The in vitro analysis suggested that RDV functioned as an inhibitor of STING, contributing to the suppression of dyslipidemia and inflammation induced by palmitate (PA). However, PA-triggered lipid deposition and inflammatory response was further accelerated in hepatocytes with STING over-expression. Notably, RDV-attenuated lipid disorder and inflammation were significantly abrogated by the over-expression of STING in PA-stimulated hepatocytes. Taken together, these findings indicated that RDV exhibited protective effects against NAFLD development mainly through repressing STING signaling, and thus could be considered as a potential therapeutic strategy.

Inverting the Triiodide Formation Reaction by the Synergy between Strong Electrolyte Solvation and Cathode Adsorption for Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

An exceptionally strong solvation effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on I2 is identified by the largest shift observed so far of the I2 Raman peak with respect to I2 vapor and by elongated I-I bond lengths in first-principles molecular-dynamics simulations. This effect together with strong binding by an RuO2 surface to I2 is found to invert the direction of the reaction I- +I2 ⇌I3 - to the left-hand side. Inspired by this finding, we prepared a Li-O2 battery with the Li/DMSO+LiI/RuO2 structure. The synergic action of DMSO and RuO2 on I2 is found to suppress the shuttle effect of the redox mediator (RM) by anchoring I2 molecules, the oxidation product of the RM. Significantly enhanced stability is demonstrated over 100 cycles at charging voltage below 3.65 V.

Metal-free activation of persulfates by corn stalk biochar for the degradation of antibiotic norfloxacin: Activation factors and degradation mechanism.

This study investigated the degradation of norfloxacin by persulfate activated with corn stalk biochar. The results demonstrate that corn stalk biochar is a green and low-cost carbon material with excellent catalytic activity for the metal-free activation of persulfate to degrade norfloxacin. The removal rate of norfloxacin increased with the increase in the dosage of persulfate, but the increased ratio gradually decreased. With alcohols and phenols as free radical trapping agents, it was determined that norfloxacin degradation by SO- 4· and HO· in the biochar/persulfate system occurred mainly on the surface or boundary layer of biochar. pH has an important effect on norfloxacin degradation in the biochar/persulfate system. Norfloxacin degradation performances under different initial pH conditions are decreased according to the following order: (initial pH 6.5) > (initial pH 3.4) > (initial pH 10.6). The effects of pH on norfloxacin degradation in the biochar/persulfate system was mainly realized through affecting norfloxacin adsorption on corn stalk biochar surface.

Autoimmune Hepatitis-related Cirrhosis: Clinical Features and Effectiveness of Immunosuppressive Treatment in Chinese Patients.

BACKGROUND: The long-term outcomes of patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) given the immunosuppressive treatment are considered to be preferable. However, little is known about the response of AIH patients with cirrhosis to immunosuppressive treatment. We assessed the effects of immunosuppressive therapy in Chinese AIH patients with cirrhosis from a tertiary hospital. METHODS: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of AIH January 2000 and December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Two-hundred and fourteen patients who were followed up and satisfied the simplified AIH criteria were included in the study. Among these patients, 87 presented with cirrhosis when initially diagnosed for AIH. Immunosuppressive treatments were employed in 57 AIH patients who did not present with cirrhosis and 39 patients who presented with cirrhosis. Initial responses to immunosuppressive treatment of patients with and without cirrhosis were analyzed. Independent risk factors were assessed for predicting the prognosis of patients. The t-test and Cox regression statistical analysis were used. RESULTS: In total, 96 AIH patients including 39 with cirrhosis and 57 without cirrhosis underwent immunosuppressive therapy. The overall complete remission after initial immunosuppressive treatment was achieved in 81/96 patients (84.4%), whereas 9/96 (9.4%) achieved incomplete response, and 6/96 (6.3%) occurred treatment failure. Compared to noncirrhotic patients, patients who presented with cirrhosis responded to treatment to a comparable extent regarding complete response (noncirrhosis 50/57 [87.7%] vs. cirrhosis 31/39 [79.5%], P = 0.275), incomplete remission (noncirrhosis 4/57 [7.0%] vs. cirrhosis 5/39 [12.8%], P = 0.338), and treatment failure (noncirrhosis 3/57 [5.3%] vs. cirrhosis 3/39 [7.7%], P = 0.629). Importantly, the remission rate was comparable (54/57 [94.7%] and 36/39 [92.3%], P = 0.629) for noncirrhotic and cirrhotic patients after immunosuppressive therapy. Compared to patients who maintained remission (n = 19) after drug withdrawal, patients who experienced relapse (n = 17) had significantly higher levels of serum immunoglobulin G at entry (15.0 ± 6.5 g/L vs. 22.3 ± 5.8 g/L, t = 2.814, P = 0.004). Moreover, cirrhosis at presentation significantly increased the risk of disease exacerbation (hazard ratio [HR]: 4.603; P = 0.002). The treatment of immunosuppressant (HR: 0.058; P = 0.005) and the level of aspartate aminotransferase at presentation (HR: 1.002; P = 0.017) also increased the risk of disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of initial immunosuppressive treatment in AIH patients with cirrhosis is comparable to that in those without cirrhosis. Cirrhotic patients not treated by immunosuppressants have poor long-term outcomes.

Management of sphenoidal sinus lesions by septal-assisted approach: Surgical skills and advantages.

The aim of this study was to develop a less invasive trans-septal approach for the endoscopic management of sphenoid sinus lesions. We performed a septal-assisted surgical procedure for endoscopic sphenoidectomy in 38 patients with isolated or combined sphenoidal sinus lesions, including fungal balls, mucoceles, purulent cystic sphenoidal sinusitis, etc. The posterior portion of the nasal septum became flexible after removal of the vomer and the sphenoidal rostrum. The superior portion of the common meatus was expanded to accommodate the endoscope after the septum was repositioned contra-laterally. The lesions were individually managed through the enlarged ostiums while damage to the mucosa of the front sphenoidal wall was avoided. All the procedures were completed successfully without intraoperative complications, and the bony ostiums were identified easily and enlarged accurately. During the follow-up period of 16 weeks to 2 years, no re-atresia or restenosis was observed. The recurrence rate was 0. No postoperative complications were recorded. All the responses from the patients were satisfactory. It was concluded that endoscopic sphenoidectomy assisted by trans-septal approach is a feasible, safe, effective and minimally invasive approach for selected cases with unilateral or bilateral lesions in the sphenoid sinuses.

[Logistic regression analysis on influence factors of chronic sinusitis after endoscopic sinus surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effect and the influence factors after endoscopic surgery for chronic sinusitis. METHODS: The clinical data of 337 patients with chronic sinusitis treated by endoscopic surgery were analyzed, including gender, age, culture level, course of the disease, the days of hospitalization, medical history, smoking, drinking, early surgery history, allergic rhinitis (AR) history, clinical classification, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, nasal endoscopy score, nasal polyps, CT examination score, side, nasal adhesion and postoperative follow-up compliance. The clinical effect of endoscopic sinus surgery was evaluated 6 months after operation according to the 1997 Haikou standard. SPSS 18.0 software and conducted chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Three hundred and thirty-seven chronic sinusitis patients were followed up after endoscopic surgery. It was found that 298 cases (88.4%) cured, 29 cases (8.6%) improved, 10 cases (3.0%) invalid. The clinical curative effect of the patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyp was better than that of the patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp, the difference was statistically significant (χ(2) = 10.932, P < 0.01). After many factors Logistic regression analysis, the most important effect factor in the clinical curative effect were clinical type, AR or not, VAS score, nasal endoscopic examination score, CT examination score, multiple nasal polyp or not, postoperative nasal adhesion or not and postoperative follow-up compliance. CONCLUSION: The clinical effective of endoscopic sinus surgery is influenced by not only surgery itself, but also by clinical classification, whether and not with AR and so on.

[Correlation analysis of subjective and objective scoring of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship of of subjective and objective scoring chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. METHODS: The clinical data of 159 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis were analyzed. SPSS 18.0 software was used to analyze the data. Pearson regression was used to analyze the relationship. RESULTS: The Pearson correlation coefficient r between VAS score (16.380 ± 5.809)and the whole discomfort (5.070 ± 1.361) was 0.710, there were correlation (P < 0.01). The Pearson correlation coefficient r between Lund-Kennedy score (3.724 ± 1.107) and Lund-Mackay score (5.983 ± 2.984) was 0.513, there were correlation (P < 0.01). The Pearson correlation coefficient r between VAS score and Lund-Kennedy score was 0.417, there were correlation (P < 0.05). VAS score had no correlation with Lund-Mackay(r = 0.113, P > 0.05). The whole discomfort had no correlation with Lund-Kennedy score and Lund-Mackay score (r value were 0.309 and 0.022, all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The subjective and objective score of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps were contradict sometimes.

Energies and spin states of FeS(0/-), FeS2(0/-), Fe2S2(0/-), Fe3S4(0/-), and Fe4S4(0/-) clusters.

The structures and energies of the electronic ground states of the FeS(0/-), FeS2(0/-), Fe2S2(0/-), Fe3S4(0/-), and Fe4S4(0/-) neutral and anionic clusters have been computed systematically with nine computational methods in combination with seven basis sets. The computed adiabatic electronic affinities (AEA) have been compared with available experimental data. Most reasonable agreements between theory and experiment have been found for both hybrid B3LYP and B3PW91 functionals in conjugation with 6-311+G* and QZVP basis sets. Detailed comparisons between the available experimental and computed AEA data at the B3LYP/6-311+G* level identified the electronic ground state of (5)Δ for FeS, (4)Δ for FeS(-), (5)B2 for FeS2, (6)A1 for FeS2(-), (1)A1 for Fe2S2, (8)A' for Fe2S2(-), (5)A'' for Fe3S4, (6)A'' for Fe3S4(-), (1)A1 for Fe4S4, and (1)A2 for Fe4S4(-). In addition, Fe2S2, Fe3S4, Fe3S4(-), Fe4S4, and Fe4S4(-) are antiferromagnetic at the B3LYP/6-311+G* level. The magnetic properties are discussed on the basis of natural bond orbital analysis.

S-adenosylmethionine inhibits the growth of cancer cells by reversing the hypomethylation status of c-myc and H-ras in human gastric cancer and colon cancer.

A global DNA hypomethylation might activate oncogene transcription, thus promoting carcinogenesis and tumor development. S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) serves as a major methyl donor in biological transmethylation events. The object of this study is to explore the influence of SAM on the status of methylation at the promoter of the oncogenes c-myc, H-ras and tumor-suppressor gene p16 (INK4a), as well as its inhibitory effect on cancer cells. The results indicated that SAM treatment inhibited cell growth in gastric cancer cells and colon cancer cells, and the inhibition efficiency was significantly higher than that in the normal cells. Under standard growth conditions, C-myc and H-ras promoters were hypomethylated in gastric cancer cells and colon cancer cells. SAM treatment resulted in a heavy methylation of these promoters, which consequently downregulated mRNA and protein levels. In contrast, there was no significant difference in mRNA and protein levels of p16 (INK4a) with and without SAM treatment. SAM can effectively inhibit the tumor cells growth by reversing the DNA hypomethylation on promoters of oncogenes, thus down-regulating their expression. With no influence on the expression of the tumor suppressor genes, such as P16, SAM could be used as a potential drug for cancer therapy.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the upper airway structure of children with sleep disordered breathing / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the upper airway structure of sleep-disordered breathing children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy three children with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), 53 children with primary snoring (PS) and 40 control subjects underwent pharyngeal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Upper airway structure images were analyzed and measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The cross-section area of the nasopharyngeal and palatopharyngeal airway in subjects with OSAHS and PS are smaller (P < 0.01) than that of the control group. The cross section area of OSAHS patients are smaller than that of PS subjects (P < 0.01). The above parameter of oropharyngeal airway in OSAHS patients is smaller than that of control group (P < 0.01), but no statistic difference compared with that of PS subjects. The cross-section area and length of the adenoid in OSAHS group are bigger and longer than that of PS group (P < 0.01) and bilateral tonsils are larger (P < 0.01); in OSAHS patients the cross-section area of the soft palate is larger and the length of the soft palate is longer (P < 0.01) than that of PS group, while this parameter of PS group is similar to that of the control group. And the maximum width of the soft palate, the cross-section area of bilateral fat pad, bilateral pterygoid and tongue are similar among OSAHS, PS and the control group. The skeletal measurement: the length of H-C2C3 in subjects with OSAHS is longer (P < 0.01); The angle(alpha) in OSAHS patients is smaller (P < 0.01) than that of other 2 groups. The angle (beta), the cross-section area of the mandible, the spine-clivus oblique, the length of the hard palate and the distance of the mandible are similar among the three groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In children with OSAHS or PS, the upper airway is restricted by both the adenoid and tonsils; however, the soft palate is also larger in OSAHS, adding further restriction. Otherwise, downward movement of the hyoid bone and decreasing of the angle (alpha) in OSAHS influence laryngopharynx airway. MRI is of clinical significance for evaluating OSAHS children's upper airway.</p>

Association of CD14 gene polymorphism with atopic diseases in Chinese Han ethnic group children / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the distribution characteristics of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the human CD14 gene in Chinese Han ethnic group children in Wenzhou, and their association with atopic diseases.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 113 cases were recruited in atopic disease group who met the following criteria: 2 - 12 years old, clinically diagnosed as asthma or allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis, elevation of serum total IgE levels and serum specific IgE. Sixty-seven healthy children were enrolled in control group. The related regions of CD14 gene were sequenced to identify and characterize the SNPs, and plasma TIgE and SIgE were detected by immunoassay system and uniCAP system, respectively. The frequency of genotypes and alleles between two groups, as well as the levels of IgE in different genotypes, were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CD14/-159 SNP was present in Han ethnic group population of Wenzhou. The frequency of each genotype was 57.0% (TT), 28.0% (TC), 15.0% (CC) in normal children, and 46.9% (TT), 35.4% (TC), 17.7% (CC) in atopic children. No significant difference was found in the distribution of CD14/-159 polymorphism between atopic children and healthy control (chi(2) = 1.918, P > 0.05) according to Hardy-Weinberg principle statistics. There were no significant difference in frequency of each genotype between boys and girls. No significant difference was found in the total plasma IgE levels among groups of TT genotypes [(2520 +/- 460) IU/L], TC genotypes [(2400 +/- 460) IU/L] and CC genotype [(2500 +/- 460) IU/L] (F = 0.807, P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CD14/-159 SNP is present in Han ethnic group children in Wenzhou, and other SNP in CD14 gene was not found. TT genotype was the primary genotype in CD14/-159 SNP in the children studied. No relationship between CD14/-159 SNP and atopic disease or serum total IgE level was found.</p>