Age effects of Moso bamboo on leaf isoprene emission characteristics.

Isoprene is a highly reactive volatile organic compound that significantly affects atmospheric oxidant capacity, regional air quality, and climate change. Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), a species widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in China, is a strong isoprene emitter with great potential for carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration is negatively correlated with culm age; however, the effect of this correlation on isoprene emissions remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the photosynthetic and isoprene emission characteristics of Moso bamboo at different culm ages. The results showed that the age effect on isoprene emission was different from that on photosynthesis; the net photosynthesis rate (Pn) was the highest in young, followed by mature, and then old bamboo, whereas the isoprene emission rate (Iso) was the highest in young, followed by old, and then mature bamboo. Moreover, the percentage of carbon loss as isoprene emission (C-loss) during photosynthesis of old bamboo was 35% higher than that of mature bamboo under standard conditions (leaf temperature: 30°C; light intensity: 1000 µmol m-2 s-1). Therefore, we strongly recommend considering the culm age when establishing an isoprene emission model of Moso bamboo. Additionally, because the Iso and C-loss of old bamboo were higher than those of mature bamboo, we suggest that attention should be paid to the management of bamboo age structure and timely felling of aged bamboo to reduce environmental risk.

Impact of different therapies on the survival of patients with stage I-IIA cervical cancer with intermediate risk factors.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different therapies on patients with cervical cancer (CC) with intermediate risk factors. METHODS: Clinicopathological data of 596 patients diagnosed with stage I-IIA CC at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University between January 2013 and November 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Of the patients, 500 patients received adjuvant therapy including chemotherapy (CT), radiotherapy (RT), and sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy (CT + RT). Patients who displayed at least one intermediate risk factor number were screened. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 62 months. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort were 90.4% and 90.9%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that tumor stage, tumor size, pathological type, lymphovascular space invasion, and numbers of medium risk factors were not risk factors for early-stage CC. Compared with the control group, patients who received CT, RT, or CT + RT showed improved PFS and OS (P<0.05). The RT group had lower PFS and OS than the CT and CT + RT groups (P<0.05). Among the 318 patients with a single intermediate risk factor, 297 patients received CT, RT, and CT + RT benefit from adjuvant therapy (P<0.05). Of the 253 patients with high-risk factors, 220 patients received CT, RT and CT + RT get improved PFS and OS (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who received adjuvant therapy had better postoperative outcomes than those who did not receive adjuvant therapy. Patients had CT alone or CT combined with RT had better efficacy than those had RT alone.

Tubal hydatidiform mole treated with salpingotomy: A case report.

Tubal hydatidiform mole is rare and mostly treated with salpingectomy. This manuscript presented a case treated with salpingotomy plus methotrexate that possessed a satisfactory outcome. Our report adds to the experience of using salpingotomy in tubal molar patients.

Evidence for a Hypercoagulable State in Women With Ovarian Endometriomas.

Endometriosis is a hormonal disease and also an inflammatory condition. Converging evidence indicates that inflammation and coagulation are 2 major host-defense systems that interact with each other. This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that women with ovarian endometriomas are in a hypercoagulable state as manifested by the altered procoagulant factors and higher percentage of activated platelets in their peripheral blood. Two sets of participants were recruited. The first set consisted of 50 premenopausal women with endometriosis and 50 age-matched healthy women, and the second set consisted of 21 women with endometriosis and 17 age-comparable women without endometriosis. For the first set, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen, and other coagulation factors, along with their demographic, clinical, and anthropometric data, were measured/retrieved. For the second set, only the percentage of activated platelets in peripheral blood was evaluated. We found that women with endometriosis had a significantly shortened APTT and TT and elevated fibrinogen levels as compared with controls. They also had significantly higher percentage of circulating degranuated platelets, and the percentage was significantly reduced 1 month after surgical removal of endometriotic lesions. These findings provide evidence of a hypercoagulable state in women with endometriosis, reflecting the intimate relationship between coagulation and inflammation. They also suggest that these coagulation parameters such as APTT and fibrinogen and others could potentially be used for diagnostic or prognostic purposes. It also underpins the possibility for the use of antithrombotic therapy in the treatment of endometriosis.

[Short-term outcome of leuprorelin acetate in preventing recurrence of ovarian endometrioma after conservative surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the short-term effect of leuprorelin acetate microspheres in preventing recurrence of ovarian endometrioma after conservative surgery. METHODS: From January 2011 to September 2011, 190 ovarian endometrioma patients undergoing conservative laparoscopic surgery at Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University were enrolled in this retrospective study. Among 184 patients were followed up, the range of following up were 12 to 21 months. 116 cases presented dysmenorrheal. Based on postoperative treatment, they were classified into 124 cases treated by domestic gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist(GnRH-a) post-operatively for 3-6 months and 60 cases without postoperative treatment. Among all, 63 patients were treated with, that was leuprorelin acetate microspheres for injection (Beiyi, 3.75 mg, q28 d), 61 patients were treated with imported GnRH-a post-operatively for 3-6 months, that were either Zoladex(3.6 mg, q28 d), Dophereline(3.75 mg, q28 d) or Enatone (3.75 mg, q28 d). The recurrence and pain improvement were compared among those groups. RESULTS: (1) The total rate of cyst recurrence was 12.5% (23/184) while the average recurrent time was (13.7 ± 2.6) months (2-21 months). The cyst recurrence rate was significantly lower in patients treated with GnRH-a post-operatively than those who didn't take medications [21.7% (13/60) versus 8.1% (10/24), P < 0.05]. However, there was no significant difference between domestic GnRH-a group and the imported one [7.9% (5/63) versus 8.2% (5/61), P > 0.05]. (2) After conservative surgery, symptoms were found to be relieved in 87.1% (101/116) patients among 116 patients complaining of dysmenorrheal pre-operatively and the pain recurrence rate was 12.9% (13/101). However, there was no significant difference in either symptom relief rate or pain recurrence rate among different groups. The symptom relief rate were 87% (33/38), 86% (37/43) and 89% (31/35) while the pain recurrence rate were 12% (4/33), 14% (5/37) and 13% (4/31) respectively in none, imported GnRH-a group and domestic GnRH-a group. CONCLUSIONS: Leuprorelin acetate microspheres could be effective in preventing recurrence of ovarian endometrioma, but not in symptom relieving after conservative surgery in short term. The effect of domestic and imported GnRH-a was similar.

p53 codon 72 polymorphism (C/G) and the risk of human papillomavirus-associated carcinomas in China.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) plays an important role in the development of carcinomas at various body sites. It was found previously that the p53 codon 72 polymorphism (C/G) is a high-risk factor for the development HPV-associated cervical carcinoma. However, it still was considered controversial in several studies of cervical and esophageal carcinoma. METHODS: In the current study, the authors used an allele specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to analyze correlation between the p53 codon 72 (C/G) polymorphism and HPV-associated, noncancerous esophageal epithelium as well as esophageal, ovarian, and breast carcinoma in the Chinese population. Esophageal balloon cytology examination samples were obtained from high-incidence and low-incidence populations for esophageal carcinoma in Anyang (Henan Province). RESULTS: Thirty-six of 48 esophageal balloon samples from the high-incidence population were HPV positive, and 13 of 33 esophageal balloon samples from the low-incidence population were HPV positive. Thirty-nine of 62 esophageal carcinoma samples from Anyang Tumor Hospital were HPV positive. Twenty-six of 39 ovarian carcinoma samples from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical College were HPV positive. Nineteen of 82 breast carcinoma samples from Beijing Cancer Hospital were HPV positive. It is noteworthy that the distribution of the p53 codon 72 Arg homozygous genotype in HPV positive samples of esophageal epithelium, ovarian carcinoma, and breast carcinoma was significantly higher compared with HPV negative tumor samples. (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The current results suggest that the p53 codon 72 Arg homozygous genotype is one of the high-risk genetic factors for HPV-associated malignancies among the Chinese population.