[Study of survival factors of oral squamous cell carcinoma].

Objective: To explore the survival factors for oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC). Methods: A total of 492 patients with OSCC were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from June 2003 to December 2014. Then, 456 cases were included in the present study according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Clinical and follow-up data were collected to evaluate survival factors of OSCC. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the Log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio(HR)and 95% confidence intervals(CI)of survival factors. We also stratified by TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours stage and BMI to assess the association between treatments and OSCC outcomes. Results: The age of the recruited patients was(57.89±11.61)years, and the proportions in TNM stages Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ were 14.0%(64), 23.7%(108), 16.1%(73)and 42.5%(194), respectively. The multivariate Cox regression indicated that the HR(95% CI)of the increase to mortality risk associated with stage T2-T3, T4(T1 as reference), stage N2-N3(N0 as reference), poormoderate differentiation, BMI<18.5 kg/m2(compared with BMI 18.5-23.9 kg/m2), alcohol consumption ≥20 g/d(compared with no alcohol)before treatment were 2.69(1.21-5.95), 3.40(1.54-7.53), 2.65(1.17-6.00), 2.56(1.39-4.71), 2.00(1.15-3.50), 2.09(1.11-3.93), and 1.68(1.03-2.73), respectively. The stratification analysis demonstrated that, compared with surgery alone, surgery combined with radiotherapy reduced the mortality risk of stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ, HR(95% CI)0.33(0.12-0.93). Surgery combined with chemoradiotherapy reduced the mortality risk of OSCC with normal BMI, HR(95% CI)were 0.39(0.17-0.87). Conclusions: Clinical stage and histological grade are survival factors for patients with OSCC.

Multilocus genotyping of Giardia duodenalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in dairy and native beef (Qinchuan) calves in Shaanxi province, northwestern China.

Giardia duodenalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are two common protozoa that parasitize the intestinal epithelium of animals and humans. Calves have been identified as important reservoirs of these two pathogens, but limited data is available for these two pathogens in calves in China. In the present study, the prevalence and assemblages/genotypes of both parasites in calves of dairy and native beef (Qinchuan) cattle in Shaanxi province, northwestern China, were analyzed using multilocus genotyping (MLST). Of 371 fecal samples collected from calves (including 198 dairy calves and 173 Qinchuan calves), the respective overall prevalence of G. duodenalis and E. bieneusi was 18.87 (70 of 371) and 19.68 % (73 of 371). Both the zoonotic G. duodenalis assemblage A and animal adapted assemblage E were found in dairy and Qinchuan calves. Seventeen, eight, five, and two G. duodenalis subtypes were detected at the triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), ß-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), and small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) loci, with five and two novel subtypes detected at the tpi and bg loci, forming 25 multiple genotypes (MLGs) (15 and 11 in dairy and Qinchuan calves, respectively). Of 73 samples that were positive for E. bieneusi at the ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) locus, five ITS genotypes were found, including three known zoonotic genotypes (I, J, CHN1) and two novel genotypes (CSX1 and CSX2). MLST analysis of three microsatellite loci (MS1, MS3, MS7) and one minisatellite locus (MS4) detected six, two, two, and two genotypes at the MS1, MS3, MS4, and MS7 loci, respectively, forming ten MLGs (seven and four in dairy and Qinchuan calves, respectively). These results indicate complex population structures of G. duodenalis and E. bieneusi in calves in Shaanxi province and the zoonotic potential of these two pathogens in calves in this province.

Removal of single point diamond-turning marks by abrasive jet polishing.

Single point diamond turning (SPDT) is highly controllable and versatile in producing axially symmetric forms, non-axially-symmetric forms, microstructured surfaces, and free forms. However, the fine SPDT marks left in the surface limit its performance, and they are difficult to reduce or eliminate. It is unpractical for traditional methods to remove the fine marks without destroying their forms, especially for the aspheres and free forms. This paper introduces abrasive jet polishing (AJP) for the posttreatment of diamond-turned surfaces to remove the periodic microstructures. Samples of diamond-turned electroless nickel plated plano mirror were used in the experiments. One sample with an original surface roughness of more than 400 nm decreased to 4 nm after two iterations abrasive jet polishing; the surface roughness of another sample went from 3.7 nm to 1.4 nm after polishing. The periodic signatures on both of the samples were removed entirely after polishing. Contrastive experimental research was carried out on electroless nickel mirror with magnetorheological finishing, computer controlled optical surfacing, and AJP. The experimental results indicate that AJP is more appropriate in removing the periodic SPDT marks. Also, a figure maintaining experiment was carried out with the AJP process; the uniform polishing process shows that the AJP process can remove the periodic turning marks without destroying the original form.

A single high dose of methamphetamine increases cocaine self-administration by depletion of striatal dopamine in rats.

Psychostimulant addicts often take high doses of drugs, and high doses of psychostimulants such as methamphetamine (METH) are neurotoxic to striatal dopamine (DA) terminals. Yet, the effects of high doses of METH on drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior have not been examined. In the present study, we found that single high doses of METH in rats (10-20 mg/kg) dose-dependently increased cocaine self-administration under fixed-ratio 2 (FR2) reinforcement conditions, while higher doses (40 mg/kgx1 or 10 mg/kg/2 hx4) caused high mortality among rats maintained on daily cocaine self-administration. The increased cocaine self-administration appeared to be a compensatory response to reduced cocaine reward after METH, because the same doses of METH caused a dose-dependent reduction both in "break-point" levels for cocaine self-administration under progressive-ratio reinforcement and in nucleus accumbens DA response to acute cocaine. Further, METH (10-20 mg/kg) produced large DA release (4000%-6000% over baseline), followed by a significant reduction in striatal DA and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) contents, but without significant changes in striatal DA transporter levels. These findings suggest that the present high doses of METH caused striatal DA depletion or hypofunction without severe damage in DA terminals, which may contribute to the increased cocaine-taking behavior observed in the present study. Provided that the present doses of METH may mimic METH overdose incidents in humans, the present findings suggest that METH-induced DA depletion or neurotoxicity may lead to an increase in subsequent drug-taking and drug-seeking behavior.

[Effects of tetrandrine on cytosolic free calcium in fetal rat cerebral cells].

Cytosolic free Ca(2+)-[Ca2+]i was measured in dissociated cerebral cells isolated from fetal rats using the fluorescent indicator Fura-2. Increases in [Ca2+]i occurred rapidly following exposure of the cells to 50 mmol.L-1 KCl, 10(-7) mol.L-1 Bay K 8644 and 200 mumol.L-1 glutamate (Glu). [Ca2+]i elevation produced by K(+)-depolarization was blocked completely by pretreatment with tetrandrine (Tet) of various concentrations (10(-9) - 10(-7) mol.L-1, final). Tet showed significant inhibitory effect on [Ca2+]i increases stimulated by Glu in concentration-dependent manner. With Tet 10(-7) mol.L-1, Bay K 8644-induced increases in [Ca2+]i were reduced markedly. These results indicate that Tet can block the increases in [Ca2+]i in fetal rat cerebral cells induced by Ca2+ agonists, suggesting that this drug may have a protective effect on cerebral cell injury.

[Effects of 3 henbane drugs on acute forebrain ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats].

After 30-min ischemia and 60-min reperfusions in rats by ligating bilateral vertebral and common carotid arteries, the brain calcium contents were increased from 171 +/- 6 micrograms in control group to 192 +/- 10 micrograms with abnormal EEG activities and ischemic injury in the brain tissues. Anisodamine 6.67 mg.kg-1, scopolamine 0.67 mg.kg-1 or atropine 0.67 mg.kg-1 injected ip decreased the elevated calcium contents of the rat brain to the level of control, reduced the ischemic injury of brain tissue, and promoted the recovery of EEG activities. The findings showed that the 3 henbane drugs might prevent the brain tissues from ischemic damage through reducing intracellular Ca2+ accumulation resulted from ischemia and reperfusion event.