A ubiquitin-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and constructing molecular subtypes in osteosarcoma.

Background: Ubiquitination is medicated by three classes of enzymes and has been proven to involve in multiple cancer biological processes. Moreover, dysregulation of ubiquitination has received a growing body of attention in osteosarcoma (OS) tumorigenesis and treatment. Therefore, our study aimed to identify a ubiquitin-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and immune landscape and constructing OS molecular subtypes. Methods: Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) was regarded as the training set through univariate Cox regression, Lasso Cox regression, and multivariate Cox regression. The GSE21257 and GSE39055 served as the validation set to verify the predictive value of the signature. CIBERSORT was performed to show immune infiltration and the immune microenvironment. The NMF algorithm was used to construct OS molecular subtypes. Results: In this study, we developed a ubiquitin-related gene signature including seven genes (UBE2L3, CORO6, DCAF8, DNAI1, FBXL5, UHRF2, and WDR53), and the gene signature had a good performance in predicting prognosis for OS patients (AUC values at 1/3/5 years were 0.957, 0.890, and 0.919). Multivariate Cox regression indicated that the risk score model and prognosis stage were also independent prognostic prediction factors. Moreover, analyses of immune cells and immune-related functions showed a significant difference in different risk score groups and the three clusters. The drug sensitivity suggested that IC50 of proteasome inhibitor (MG-132) showed a notable significance between the risk score groups (p < 0.05). Through the NMF algorithm, we obtained the three clusters, and cluster 3 showed better survival outcomes. The expression of ubiquitin-related genes (CORO6, UBE2L3, FBXL5, DNAI1, and DCAF8) showed an obvious significance in normal and osteosarcoma tissues. Conclusion: We developed a novel ubiquitin-related gene signature which showed better predictive prognostic ability for OS and provided additional information on chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The OS molecular subtypes would also give a useful guide for individualized therapy.

Consideration on implementation of co-administration of Seasonal Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines during pandemic in China / 中华预防医学杂志

Influenza is an infectious respiratory disease caused by the influenza viruses. Older people, infants and people with underlying medical conditions could have a higher risk of severe influenza symptoms and complications. The co-infection of Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) with influenza viruses could lead to the complication of prevention, diagnosis, control, treatment, and recovery of COVID-19. Influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine overlapped in target populations, vaccination time, and inoculation units. Although there was insufficient evidence on the immunogenicity and safety of co-administration of influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine, World Health Organization and some countries recommended co-administration of inactivated influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine. This review summarized domestic and international vaccination policies and research progress, and put forward corresponding suggestions in order to provide scientific support for the formulation of vaccination strategy on seasonal influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine.

Comprehensive metabolite profile of multi-bioactive extract from tree peony (Paeonia ostii and Paeonia rockii) fruits based on MS/MS molecular networking.

Tree peony seed, traditionally used for edible oil production, is rich in α-linolenic acid. However, little attention is given to the fruit by-products during seed oil production. The present work aimed to comprehensively investigate the phytochemical constituents and multiple biological activities of different parts of tree peony fruits harvested from Paeonia ostii and Paeonia rockii. 130 metabolites were rapidly identified through UPLC-Triple-TOF-MS on the basis of MS/MS molecular networking. Metabolite quantification was performed through the targeted approach of HPLC-ESI-QQQ-MS. Eight chemical markers were screened via principal component analysis (PCA) for distinguishing species and tissues. Interestingly, two dominant compounds, paeoniflorin and trans-resveratrol, are specially localized in seed kernel and seed coat, respectively. Unexpectedly, the extracts of fruit pod and seed coat showed significantly stronger antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-neuroinflammatory activities than seed kernel from both P. ostii and P. rockii. Our work demonstrated that tree peony fruit is promising natural source of bioactive components and provided its potential utilization in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Bioactive components, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Paeonia rockii fruit during development.

In last ten years, much attention focused on tree peony fruit (TPF) for edible oil production despite other potential utilization. The present study identified and quantified 29 bioactive components by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-QqQ-MS) targeted approach during the development of TPF. Trans-resveratrol, benzoic acid, luteolin, and methyl gallate were selected as predominant chemical markers between seeds and pods through principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Extremely high levels of paeoniflorin (1893 mg/100 g) and trans-resveratrol (1793 mg/100 g) were observed at stage 2 (S2) and S6 in seeds, respectively. Antioxidant activities determined by ABTS+•, DPPH•, and FRAP assays showed significant correlations with total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The strongest antibacterial effects of pod and seed against Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus vulgaris occurred at initial stages and maturation stages. TPF could be a potential source of bioactive compounds with functional properties.

Serum Ferritin and the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Cross-sectional Studies / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Objective@#This study aims to assess the dose-response relationship between serum ferritin (SF) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the two sexes.@*Methods@#We searched for articles on PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and the Web of Science databases that were published from 1950 to 2020. The summary odds ratio ( @*Results@#This study included 14 studies and 74,710 samples. The results of the classical meta-analysis showed that SF was positively associated with MetS ( @*Conclusions@#Our study shows that SF is significantly and positively associated with MetS, and the risk in the male population is higher than that in the female population. This finding also supports the recommendation of using SF as an early warning marker of MetS.

Highly sensitive serological approaches for Pepino mosaic virus detection / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) causes severe disease in tomato and other Solanaceous crops around globe. To effectively study and manage this viral disease, researchers need new, sensitive, and high-throughput approaches for viral detection. In this study, we purified PepMV particles from the infected Nicotiana benthamiana plants and used virions to immunize BALB/c mice to prepare hybridomas secreting anti-PepMV monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). A panel of highly specific and sensitive murine mAbs (15B2, 8H6, 23D11, 20D9, 3A6, and 8E3) could be produced through cell fusion, antibody selection, and cell cloning. Using the mAbs as the detection antibodies, we established double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA), Dot-ELISA, and Tissue print-ELISA for detecting PepMV infection in tomato plants. Resulting data on sensitivity analysis assays showed that both DAS-ELISA and Dot-ELISA can efficiently monitor the virus in PepMV-infected tissue crude extracts when diluted at 1:1 310 720 and 1:20 480 (weight/volume ratio (w/v), g/mL), respectively. Among the three methods developed, the Tissue print-ELISA was found to be the most practical detection technique. Survey results from field samples by the established serological approaches were verified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and DNA sequencing, demonstrating all three serological methods are reliable and effective for monitoring PepMV. Anti-PepMV mAbs and the newly developed DAS-ELISA, Dot-ELISA, and Tissue print-ELISA can benefit PepMV detection and field epidemiological study, and management of this viral disease, which is already widespread in tomato plants in Yunnan Province of China.

Analysis on integrated thermal treatment of oil sludge by Aspen Plus.

An integrated thermal treatment (coupled pyrolysis and combustion) of oil sludge (OS) was proposed for enhancing the OS resource utilization. According to the pyrolysis experiment results, the integrated thermal treatment process of OS was modeled and simulated using Aspen Plus. Carbon flow, heat distribution, energy flow, energy efficiency and exergy efficiency of the process were analyzed and discussed. The results indicated that the simulation values were consistent with the experimental ones within the pyrolysis temperature of 00-780 °C With the increase of pyrolysis temperature, the carbon flow of pyrolysis oil was firstly increased and then sharply decreased, and the maximum value was achieved at 600-650 °C. Carbon flow of pyrolysis gas was initially increased rapidly followed by a continuously decreasing growth rate, and then increased sharply above 650 °C. The maximum heating value of pyrolysis oil was obtained at 600 °C. When pyrolysis temperature exceeded 650 °C, both the pyrolysis gas production rate and the gas heating value were improved. The energy and the exergy efficiency of the system can reach values as high as 61-68% and 56-71%, respectively, and the maximum efficiencies were achieved at the pyrolysis temperature of 650 °C. The present work could provide valuable insights towards promoting the development of effective OS utilization processes in the near future.

Phenotypic Characteristics and Fatty Acid Composition of Seeds from Different Herbaceous Peony Species Native to China.

Herbaceous peony has been widely cultivated in China due to its substantial ornamental and medicinal value. In the present study, the phenotypic characteristics, total fatty acid (FA) content, and nine FA compositions of herbaceous peony seeds from 14 populations belonging to six species and one subspecies were determined by normal test and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results showed that the phenotypic characteristics of seeds varied dramatically among species. The concentrations of five major FAs in seed oils were as follows: linoleic acid (173.95-236.51 µg/mg), linolenic acid (227.82-302.71 µg/mg), oleic acid (135.32-208.81 µg/mg), stearic acid (6.52-11.7 µg/mg), and palmitic acid (30.67-47.64 µg/mg). Correlation analysis demonstrated that oleic acid had the highest partial correlation coefficient with total FAs and might be applied to develop a model of phenotypic characteristics. FAs were significantly influenced by the following environmental factors: latitude, elevation, and annual average temperature. Based on the FA levels in the seed oils, clustering analysis divided 14 populations into two clusters. It was found that the average contents of oleic acid, linoleic acid, and total FAs in cluster I (147.16 µg/mg, 200.31 µg/mg, and 671.24 µg/mg, respectively) were significantly lower than those in cluster II (196.65 µg/mg, 220.16 µg/mg, and 741.78 µg/mg, respectively). Cluster I was perfectly consistent with subsect. Foliolatae, while cluster II was in good agreement with subsect. Dissectifoliae. Therefore, the FA composition of wild herbaceous peony seed oil might be used as a chemotaxonomic marker.

Cloning, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of a Gene Encoding a Putative Lysophosphatidic Acid Acyltransferase from Seeds of Paeonia rockii.

Tree peony (Paeonia section Moutan DC.) is an excellent woody oil crop, and the cloning and functional analysis of genes related to fatty acid (FA) metabolism from this organism has not been reported. Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT), which converts lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) to phosphatidic acid (PA), catalyzes the addition of fatty acyl moieties to the sn-2 position of the LPA glycerol backbone in triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis. This project reports a putative lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase gene PrLPAAT1 isolated from Paeonia rockii. Our data indicated that PrLPAAT1 has 1047 nucleotides and encodes a putative 38.8 kDa protein with 348 amino acid residues. Bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that PrLPAAT1 contains two transmembrane domains (TMDs). Subcellular localization analysis confirmed that PrLPAAT1 is a plasma membrane protein. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that PrLPAAT1 shared 74.3 and 65.5% amino acid sequence identities with the LPAAT1 sequences from columbine and grape, respectively. PrLPAAT1 belongs to AGPAT family, and may have acyltransferase activity. PrLPAAT1 was ubiquitously expressed in diverse tissues, and PrLPAAT1 expression was higher in the flower and developing seed. PrLPAAT1 is probably an important component in the FA accumulation process, especially during the early stages of seed development. PrLPAAT1 overexpression using a seed-specific promoter increased total FA content and the main FA accumulation in Arabidopsis transgenic plants.

A feasibility study of three-dimensional ultrasonography in assessing the carotid plaque vulnerability / 中华医学超声杂志（电子版）

Objective To investigate the feasibility and reliability of three-dimensional ultrasound in evaluating carotid artery vulnerable plaques with the method of prospective plaque scoring.Methods From February 2016 to March 2017,41 patients who performed carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in the department of neurosurgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were scheduled for conventional cervical vascular ultrasonography,three-dimensional ultrasonography (3D-US),CT angiography (CTA),CT perfusion imaging (CTP) and / or digital subtraction angiography (DSA) examinations before surgery.On pathology,the atherosclerotic plaque morphology and HE staining findings were evaluated after surgery.The results of preoperative 3D-US were compared with the corresponding postoperative pathologic findings.Each plaque was scored based on the plaque morphology,homogeneity,echo characteristics and degree of vascular stenosis in 3D-US.According to the pathological results,the plaques were divided into vulnerable plaque group (n=35) and stable plaque group (n=10).The plaque score difference between groups was compared using independent sample t test.Patients were classified into ischemic stroke group (n=27) and non-ischemic stroke group (n=14) according to whether ischemic stroke symptoms occurred during the last 6 months.Pearson x2 test was used to analyze the correlation between ischemic events and the vulnerable plaques.Results Plaque scores were significantly different between vulnerable plaque group and stable plaque group (5.3 ±0.2 vs 3.4±0.3,t=5.339,P ＜ 0.05).The accuracy of identifying vulnerable plaque by plaque score is high,while the area under the ROC curve is 0.907 with a cutoff 4.5 (the maximum Youden index is 0.671,the sensitivity is 77％,the specificity is 90％).There is a significant positive correlation between the occurrence of ischemic events and plaque vulnerability (r=0.858,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion 3D-US can accurately and quantitatively assess vulnerability of carotid plaques,carotid artery vulnerable plaque was significantly associated with ischemic stroke,which can provide the basis for clinical individualized treatment.

Correlation between the vulnerability of carotid plaque and ischemic stroke / 中华医学超声杂志（电子版）

Objective To analysis the correlation between the vulnerability of carotid plaque and ischemic stroke and to explore the clinical significance of assessing vulnerable plaques accurately.Methods A total of 64 patients,who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from October 2014 to February 2016,were classified into ischemic and non-ischemic stroke group according to whether ischemic stroke symptoms occurred during the last 6 months before surgery.To judge the stable and vulnerable plaques,the patients underwent carotid doppler ultrasonography (CDU) before surgery,and the carotid plaques were evaluated with HE staining after CEA.We also analyzed the risk factors of plaque formation and the relevance between the plaque characteristic and ischemic stroke with chi-square test.Kappa test were used to analyze the consistency of CDU and pathology.Results Of the 44 cases in ischemic stroke group,CDU identified 81.8％ (36/44) vulnerable plaques and 18.2％ (8/44) stable plaques,while pathology confirmed 86.4％ (38/44) vulnerable plaques and 13.6％ (6/44) stable plaques.Of the 20 cases in non-ischemic stroke group,CDU identified 35％ (7/20) vulnerable plaques and 65％ (13/20) stable plaques,while pathology confirmed 40％ (8/20) vulnerable plaques and 60％ (12/20) stable plaques.In both CDU and pathology,vulnerable plaques in ischemic stroke group were obviously higher than that in non-ischemia group (x2=13.67,P ＜ 0.001;x2=14.62,P ＜ 0.001).The results of CDU agreed well to that of pathology results (Kappa=0.669,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions The vulnerability of plaques were closely related to the ischemic stroke.CDU is a reliable examination method to identify vulnerable plaques.The accurate assessment of vulnerability of plaques has a great significance in preventing ischemic stroke.

Research advance of cognitive reserve in brain aging / 医疗卫生装备

The current proxy indicators and quantitative strategy were summarized for cognitive reserve,the findings of cognitive reserve was discussed then in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease,and some future research directions were presented about cognitive reserve.The reserve of brain explains the disjunction between clinical symptoms and the degree of brain damage,whereby some people can tolerate more of age-related or Alzheimer's disease pathology than others and maintain brain function.The cognitive reserve hypothesis has been widely used in epidemiological and neuroimaging studies,but it lacks a unified quantitative indicator.The future research of cognitive reserve should be focused on the development of quantitative indicators that cover a variety of potential factors dynamically.

Application of deep learning to mild cognitive impairment conversion and classification / 医疗卫生装备

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prodromal stage of dementia.Predicting MCI's conversion to Alzheimer's disease (AD) plays critical roles in preventing the progression of AD.Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative (ADNI) was introduced briefly,which was a widely used neuroimaging database for the study on AD related diseases,and the application of machine learning algorithm was reviewed in MCI classification.Deep learning network,which transforms the original data into a higher level and more abstract expression,has shown great promise in MCI conversion and classification.Two main kinds of deep learning approaches were described,including supervised learning and unsupervised learning,and their new application was discussed in MCI conversion and classification based on structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI).Finally,the current limitations and future trends of deep learning in this area were explored.

Research advance of cognitive reserve in brain aging / 医疗卫生装备

The current proxy indicators and quantitative strategy were summarized for cognitive reserve,the findings of cognitive reserve was discussed then in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease,and some future research directions were presented about cognitive reserve.The reserve of brain explains the disjunction between clinical symptoms and the degree of brain damage,whereby some people can tolerate more of age-related or Alzheimer's disease pathology than others and maintain brain function.The cognitive reserve hypothesis has been widely used in epidemiological and neuroimaging studies,but it lacks a unified quantitative indicator.The future research of cognitive reserve should be focused on the development of quantitative indicators that cover a variety of potential factors dynamically.

Application of deep learning to mild cognitive impairment conversion and classification / 医疗卫生装备

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prodromal stage of dementia.Predicting MCI's conversion to Alzheimer's disease (AD) plays critical roles in preventing the progression of AD.Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative (ADNI) was introduced briefly,which was a widely used neuroimaging database for the study on AD related diseases,and the application of machine learning algorithm was reviewed in MCI classification.Deep learning network,which transforms the original data into a higher level and more abstract expression,has shown great promise in MCI conversion and classification.Two main kinds of deep learning approaches were described,including supervised learning and unsupervised learning,and their new application was discussed in MCI conversion and classification based on structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI).Finally,the current limitations and future trends of deep learning in this area were explored.

Characteristics and sources analysis of riverine chromophoric dissolved organic matter in Liaohe River, China.

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in riverine systems can be affected by environmental conditions and land-use, and thus could provide important information regarding human activities in surrounding landscapes. The optical properties of water samples collected at 42 locations across the Liaohe River (LHR, China) watershed were examined using UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy to determine CDOM characteristics, composition and sources. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations at all sampling sites exceeded the GB3838-2002 (national quality standards for surface waters, China) standard for Class V waters of 2.0 mg N/L and 0.4 mg P/L respectively, while trophic state index (TSIM) indicated that all the sites investigated were mesotrophic, 64% of which were eutrophic at the same time. Redundancy analysis showed that total suspended matter (TSM), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and turbidity had a strong correlation with CDOM, while the other parameters (Chl a, TN, TP and TSIM) exhibited weak correlations with CDOM absorption. High spectral slope values and low SUVA254 (the specific UV absorption) values indicated that CDOM in the LHR was primarily comprised of low molecular weight organic substances. Analysis of excitation-emission matrices contour plots showed that CDOM in water samples collected from upstream locations exhibited fulvic-acid-like characteristics whereas protein-like substances were most likely predominant in samples collected in estuarine areas and downstream from large cities. These patterns were interpreted as indicative of water pollution from urban and industrial activities in several downstream sections of the LHR watershed.

Titanium plate combined with bone graft and internal fixation for calcaneal fractures:influencing factors for lateral L-shaped incision healing / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Calcaneus has its special anatomy. Moreover, it is difficult to expose the inside to the posterior side of the joint surface. Lateral calcaneal soft tissue was less. The joint surface can be clearly exposed after incision, so lateral L-shaped incision is conventionaly used in calcaneal surgery. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the suspicious factors influencing the open reduction titanium plate for calcaneal fracture and internal fixation of L-shaped wound healing during bone graft. METHODS:A total of 84 cases (94 sides) of calcaneal fractures, who were treated in the Disabled Rehabilitation Center in Liaoning Province from June 2011 to November 2014, were included in this study. They were grouped according to the source of bone graft. Alograft group contained 52 sides (44 cases). Autogenous iliac bone graft group contained 42 sides (40 cases). Operation time of calcaneus was 7-10 days after injury. L-shaped incision was made for open reduction and internal fixation with titanium plate and bone graft. The patient’s age, the type of bone graft, type of drainage and drainage time that may cause theincision complications were investigated and analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Among 84 cases of 94 calcaneal fractures after operation, 16sides affected complications. (2) Significant differences in the incidence of complications were detected between negative pressure drainage and skin flap drainage (P 0.05). (5) These findings indicate that 7-10 days after injury, operation after the sweling subsided completely, the negative pressure drainage, and planting autogenous iliac crest can reduce the incidence of complications related to lateral calcaneal L-shaped incision.

Roles of Newcastle disease virus in human acute monocytic leukemia in vitro and in vivo / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Some research has shown that Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is effective in the treatment of various tumors, including transferred melanoma and well differentiated renal cell carcinoma. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of NDV against human acute monocytic leukemia SHI-1 cells in vitro and in vivo.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In vitro, the density and morphologic changes between wild SHI-1 cells (control) and NDV-infected SHI-1 cells were observed. MTT assay was utilized to observe the effect of NDV on the proliferation of SHI-1 cells. In vivo, the effect of NDV on the tumor inhibition was assessed using SHI-1 xenografts subcutaneously established in CD-1 nude mice. NDV was given by intra-tumor injections, and the tumor inhibition rate and toxic effects were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the control group, the SHI-1 cells were observed using an inverted microscope to be regular in morphology and intensive in distribution. In the NDV-infected group, the SHI-1 cells were irregular and sparsate, and the aggregate and fused cells were common. MTT assay showed that the proliferation of SHI-1 cells were significantly inhibited by NDV at different concentrations (P<0.01) and in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The tumor inhibition rate in the NDV group was 84.7%, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). No toxic effects were observed in the nude mice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>NDV can suppress the proliferation of human acute monocytic leukemic cells both in vitro and in vivo. The safety of NDV is reliable.</p>

Relationship between expression of GYPC and TRIP3 genes and prognosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the relationship of GYPC and TRIP3 gene expression and the prognosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children in order to explore the molecular biological mechanisms of recurrence and remission of ALL.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-eight newly diagnosed ALL children were enrolled. Of the 38 patients, 31 achieved complete remission (CR) and 12 relapsed. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was employed to measure blood GYPC and TRIP3 gene expression. Twenty blood samples from normal children were used as controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Blood GYPC expression in newly diagnosed ALL children was significantly higher than that in the control group (p<0.01) and the CR group (p<0.01). The expression of GYPC gene in the CR group was similar to that in the control group. Other than the control group (p<0.01) and the CR group (p<0.01), the GYPC expression of the relapse group was significantly higher than that in the newly diagnosed group (p<0.01). The CR group showed lower GYPC gene expression than the nonjremission group before treatment (p<0.05). Blood expression of TRIP3 gene in the newly diagnosed and the relapse groups was significantly lower than that in the control group (p<0.05). The CR group had increased TRIP3 gene expression compared with the control group (p<0.01) as well as the newly diagnosed and the relapse groups (p<0.01). Of the 38 newly diagnosed ALL children, the patients with positive TRIP3 expression showed higher remission rate than those with negative TRIP3 (p<0.05). The TRIP3 gene expression before treatment in patients who achieved CR was higher than that in non-remission patients (p<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A high GYPC gene expression is associated with an unfavorable outcome, in contrast, a high TRIP3 gene expression is associated with a favorable outcome in childhood ALL.</p>

Sandy desertification change and its driving forces in western Jilin Province, North China.

This paper investigates the sandy desertification change between 1986 and 2000 in the western Jilin province, North China. Land use and land cover data were obtained from Landsat TM data by using a supervised classification approach. We summarized the total area of desertified land by each county, as well as the area for each of the four categories of desertified land. The changes of different types of land use and land cover between 1986 and 2000 were calculated and analyzed. Taking Tongyu and Qianan as examples, both human and natural driving forces of the sandy desertification were analyzed. Our analyses indicate that the material sources and windy, warm and dry climate are the immanent causes of potential land desertification, while the irrational human activities, such as deforestation, reclaiming and grazing in the grassland, are the external causes of potential land desertification. However, rational human activities, such as planting trees and restoring grassland can reverse the land desertification process. Furthermore, the countermeasures and suggestions for the sustainable development in ecotone between agriculture and animal husbandry in North China are put forward.