Longitudinal Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy Reveals Regional Variation in Cone and Rod Photoreceptor Loss in Stargardt Disease.

PURPOSE: To investigate the temporal sequence of changes in the photoreceptor cell mosaic in patients with Stargardt disease type 1 (STGD1), using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO). METHODS: Two brothers with genetically confirmed STGD1 underwent comprehensive eye exams, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), fundus auto fluorescence (FAF) and AOSLO imaging 3 times over the course of 28 months. Confocal images of the cones and rods were obtained from the central fovea to 10 degrees inferiorly. Photoreceptors were counted in sampling windows at 100 µm intervals of 200 µm × 200 µm for cones and 50 µm × 50 µm for rods, using custom cell marking software with manual correction. Photoreceptor density and spacing were measured and compared across imaging sessions using one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: AOSLO revealed the younger brother had a 30% decline in foveal cone density after 8 months, followed by complete loss of foveal cones at 28 months; the older brother had no detectable foveal cones at baseline. In the peripheral macula, cone and rod spacings were greater than normal in both patients. The ratio of the cone spacing to rod spacing was greater than normal across all eccentricities, with a greater divergence closer to the foveal center. CONCLUSIONS: Cone cell loss may be an early pathogenetic step in Stargardt disease. AOSLO provides the capability to track individual photoreceptor changes longitudinally in Stargardt disease. SUMMARY STATEMENT: The pathogenetic mechanism of Stargardt disease remains poorly understood. We used high resolution AOSLO to track the progression of the disease and found cone cell loss may be an early pathogenetic step in Stargardt disease.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of hepatitis E vaccination strategies among patients with chronic hepatitis B in China.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of hepatitis E vaccination strategies in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. METHODS: Based on the societal perspective, the cost-effectiveness of three hepatitis E vaccination strategies-vaccination without screening, screening-based vaccination, and no vaccination-among CHB patients was evaluated using a decision tree-Markov model, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated. Values for treatment costs and health utilities were estimated from a prior investigation on disease burden, and values for transition probabilities and vaccination-related costs were obtained from previous studies and government agencies. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken for assessing model uncertainties. RESULTS: It was estimated that CHB patients superinfected with hepatitis E virus (HEV) incurred significantly longer disease course, higher economic burden, and more health loss compared to those with HEV infection alone (all p < 0.05). The ICERs of vaccination without screening and screening-based vaccination compared to no vaccination were 41,843.01 yuan/quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and 29,147.32 yuan/QALY, respectively, both lower than China's per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018. The screening-based vaccination reduced the cost and gained more QALYs than vaccination without screening. One-way sensitivity analyses revealed that vaccine price, vaccine protection rate, and decay rate of vaccine protection had the greatest impact on the cost-effectiveness analysis. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses confirmed the base-case results, and if the willingness-to-pay value reached per-capita GDP, the probability that screening-based vaccination would be cost-effective was approaching 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The disease burden in CHB patients superinfected with HEV is relatively heavy in China, and the screening-based hepatitis E vaccination strategy for CHB patients is the most cost-effective option.

Distributed genotyping and clustering of Neisseria strains reveal continual emergence of epidemic meningococcus over a century.

Core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) is commonly used to classify bacterial strains into different types, for taxonomical and epidemiological applications. However, cgMLST schemes require central databases for the nomenclature of new alleles and sequence types, which must be synchronized worldwide and involve increasingly intensive calculation and storage demands. Here, we describe a distributed cgMLST (dcgMLST) scheme that does not require a central database of allelic sequences and apply it to study evolutionary patterns of epidemic and endemic strains of the genus Neisseria. We classify 69,994 worldwide Neisseria strains into multi-level clusters that assign species, lineages, and local disease outbreaks. We divide Neisseria meningitidis into 168 endemic lineages and three epidemic lineages responsible for at least 9 epidemics in the past century. According to our analyses, the epidemic and endemic lineages experienced very different population dynamics in the past 100 years. Epidemic lineages repetitively emerged from endemic lineages, disseminated worldwide, and apparently disappeared rapidly afterward. We propose a stepwise model for the evolutionary trajectory of epidemic lineages in Neisseria, and expect that the development of similar dcgMLST schemes will facilitate epidemiological studies of other bacterial pathogens.

Reduced electron relaxation time of perovskite films via g-C3N4 quantum dot doping for high-performance perovskite solar cells.

Perovskite film-quality is a crucial factor to improve the photovoltaic properties of perovskite solar cells, which is closely related to the morphology of crystallization grain size of the perovskite layer. However, defects and trap sites are inevitably generated on the surface and at the grain boundaries of the perovskite layer. Here, we report a convenient method for preparing dense and uniform perovskite films, employing g-C3N4 quantum dots doped into the perovskite layer by regulating proper proportions. This process produces perovskite films with dense microstructures and flat surfaces. As a result, the higher fill factor (0.78) and a power conversion efficiency of 20.02% are obtained by the defect passivation of g-C3N4QDs.

Disease burden in patients with severe hand, foot, and mouth disease in Jiangsu Province: a cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to estimate the disease burden and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients with severe hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in Jiangsu Province, China. We analyzed the surveillance data of HFMD cases in Jiangsu Province from 2009 to 2020. Moreover, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Nanjing and Suzhou, China, between January 2017 and May 2018. Patients with severe HFMD and their parents were recruited from selected hospitals. Questionnaires and hospital management systems were used to collect data on direct economic burden. The HRQOL of children was assessed using the TNO-AZL Preschool Quality of Life (TAPQOL) scale. A total of 1,348,737 confirmed cases of HFMD were reported to the NNDRS in Jiangsu province during 2009-2020. Of these, 9,622 were severe cases, with 62 (.64%) of these being fatal. From January 2017 to May 2018, data was collected from 362 severe HFMD cases using a structured questionnaire. The median per capita direct economic burden was RMB 16142.88, and was associated with the region and length of hospital stay (P < .05). The direct economic burden for all cases of severe HFMD in Jiangsu province between 2017 and 2018 was approximately RMB 16.64 million. Finally, the median (IQR) of the TAPQOL scale for children with severe HFMD was 69.23 (56.20, 82.27). Severe HFMD infection is a relatively large burden for individuals, and the burden of EV-A71 infection was seen to be even greater for the population. Prevention of severe HFMD should strengthen hygiene habits and targeted measures for EV-A71 vaccination.

Remote Arrhythmia Detection for Eldercare in Malaysia.

Cardiovascular disease continues to be one of the most prevalent medical conditions in modern society, especially among elderly citizens. As the leading cause of deaths worldwide, further improvements to the early detection and prevention of these cardiovascular diseases is of the utmost importance for reducing the death toll. In particular, the remote and continuous monitoring of vital signs such as electrocardiograms are critical for improving the detection rates and speed of abnormalities while improving accessibility for elderly individuals. In this paper, we consider the design and deployment characteristics of a remote patient monitoring system for arrhythmia detection in elderly individuals. Thus, we developed a scalable system architecture to support remote streaming of ECG signals at near real-time. Additionally, a two-phase classification scheme is proposed to improve the performance of existing ECG classification algorithms. A prototype of the system was deployed at the Sarawak General Hospital, remotely collecting data from 27 unique patients. Evaluations indicate that the two-phase classification scheme improves algorithm performance when applied to the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database and the remotely collected single-lead ECG recordings.

Desaturation and heme elevation during COVID-19 infection: A potential prognostic factor of heme oxygenase-1.

Increased heme levels, anemia, and desaturation occur during infection. We aimed to compare the levels of heme, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), ferritin, and bilirubin in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients at different saturation levels. Heme and HO-1 enzyme levels significantly increased in the low SpO2 group, but further studies are required.

Two new combinations in Oreocharis (Gesneriaceae) based on morphological, molecular and cytological evidence.

The newly-circumscribed genus Oreocharis is recently enlarged by incorporating ten other genera with high floral diversity. In this study, our morphological, molecular and cytological evidence supports our adding two species from other two different genera (Boeica and Beccarinda) to Oreocharis. The special corolla shape (campanulate or flat-faced) and related short filament of these two new combinations, Oreocharis guileana and O. baolianis, further enrich the diversity of floral characters of the enlarged Oreocharis. Meanwhile, some supplementary and amended descriptions of these two species are made here. Our morphological, molecular and geographical data indicate that O. guileana is related to O. pilosopetiolata to a certain extent. For O. baolianis, however, our current dataset does not allow conclusions on the species relationship within Oreocharis.

Multiple factors in the prediction of risk of recurrent vitreous haemorrhage after sutureless vitrectomy for non-clearing vitreous haemorrhage in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to analyse multiple factors in the prediction of risk of postoperative recurrent vitreous haemorrhage (RVH) for non-clearing vitreous haemorrhage in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) who underwent sutureless vitrectomy with 23- (23G) or 25-gauge (25G) narrow-gauge systems. METHODS: A retrospective consecutive case series design was used. DR patients who underwent sutureless vitrectomy for non-clearing vitreous haemorrhage between June 2017 and October 2019 were enrolled. All operations were performed at a tertiary hospital. Patient demographics and risk factors, including age, gender, duration of diabetes, preoperative fasting blood sugar levels (FBSL), systolic blood pressure (SBP), serum creatinine (Cr), urea, triamcinolone acetonide (TA), electrical coagulation, air-fluid exchange, pan-retinal photocoagulation status (PRP), anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drug (anti-VEGF), and other factors, were recorded. Patients were divided into two groups based on the timing of their postoperative RVH: immediate postoperative RVH (within 2 weeks after operation) and delayed postoperative RVH (beyond 2 weeks after operation). RESULTS: Overall, 167 eyes (167patients) were enrolled. Seventy eyes were underwent 23G and 25G sutureless vitrectomy performed in 97 eyes, respectively. Postoperative RVH developed in 18 eyes (25.7%) in Group 23G and in 20 eyes (21.6%) in Group 25G (P = 0.540). Of these, 3 eyes (4.3%) had severed RVH in Group 23G compared with 5 eyes (5.2%) in Group 25G (P = 0.584). Delayed postoperative RVH occurred in 6 eyes (8.6%) in Group 23G and 8 eyes (8.2%) in Group 25G (P = 0.789). A binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that age, duration of diabetes, and Cr level were significantly associated with RVH in both Group 23G (P < 0.05) and Group 25G (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence and severity of RVH were 25.7 and 4.3%, respectively, in Group 23G and 21.6 and 5.2%, respectively, in Group 25G. Thus, the 23G sutureless vitrectomy approach was as safe as the 25G sutureless vitrectomy approach for treating vitreous haemorrhage in patients with DR. A younger age, shorter duration of diabetes, and higher Cr levels were risk factors for postoperative RVH in sutureless vitrectomy.

Impact of metformin on survival outcome of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas patients undergoing surgical resection: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a recognized risk factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC), and metformin is a recognized protective factor for some gastrointestinal tumors. But knowledge is limited regarding the effect of metformin on survival outcome of ESCC patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We assessed the impact of post-diagnosis metformin use on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in ESCC with T2DM undergoing surgical resection. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 3,523 patients with ESCC who met the study conditions after surgical resection. Log-rank and Cox regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between metformin and T2DM and ESCC survival rate, and adjusted according to age, gender, BMI, smoking, drinking and staging, et al. RESULTS: Among included ESCC patients, 619 were associated with type 2 diabetes, while the remaining 2,904 were not associated with type 2 diabetes. The 5-year OS (28.43%) of patients with T2DM was significantly lower than that of patients without T2DM (32.75%), P=0.037. DFS in 5 years were 27.30% (with T2DM) and 31.75% (without T2DM) (P=0.030), respectively. Compared with patients without T2DM, patients with T2DM presented worse OS [adjusted risk ratio (HRadj) =1.19] and DFS (HRadj =1.17; P<0.001). Among the 619 patients with type 2 diabetes, 485 were treated with metformin and 134 were not treated with metformin. Patients treated with metformin had significantly improved OS [adjusted risk ratio (HRadj) =0.89; P=0.031) and DFS (HRadj =0.90; P=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: T2DM was again associated with poorer survival in ESCC patients, and metformin may improve the prognosis of these patients.

A fatal paediatric case infected with reassortant avian influenza A(H5N6) virus in Eastern China.

Avian influenza A(H5N6) keeps evolving, causing outbreaks in birds and sporadic infections in human. Here, we report a fatal paediatric infection caused by a novel reassortant H5N6 virus. The patient was an obese 9-year-old girl. She initiated with fever and cough, then developed pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and respiratory failure. Lower respiratory tract aspirates and anal swabs were serially taken till the patient's death. Viral isolation, genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were conducted. A novel reassortant H5N6 virus was isolated from the patient. Except the PA gene, all other 7 genes of the virus belonged to H5N6 genotype A (S4-like virus). The PA gene was probably obtained from Eurasian waterfowl influenza viruses. The H5N6 virus was consistently detected from the patient's respiratory samples till the 17th day after symptom onset, but not from anal swabs or urine sample by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Significantly elevated (32-fold) serum antibodies to H5N6 virus were observed during the patient's course of disease. Aside from the identified novel reassortant H5N6 viral strain, obesity, delayed confirmation of aetiology and specific antiviral treatment, and prolonged virus shedding could have contributed to the poor clinical outcome.

Disease burden concerning hepatitis E-infected inpatients in Jiangsu province, China.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the disease burden of hepatitis E virus (HEV)-infected inpatients in Jiangsu province, China. METHODS: Between July 1, 2016 and October 31, 2018, 1152 HEV-infected inpatients were identified from four cities in Jiangsu province, namely, Nanjing, Suzhou, Yancheng, and Zhenjiang. The disease burden comprised the economic burden and loss of health due to HEV infection. Factors influencing the disease burden were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The average direct, indirect, and total economic burden for 1152 HEV-infected inpatients was US$ 4,986.40, US$ 1,507.28, and US$ 6,493.68, respectively, accounting for 46.66%, 14.11%, and 60.77% of per capita disposable income (PCDI) in Jiangsu province, respectively. The disease burden for HEV-infected inpatients with hepatitis B was significantly higher than that for other inpatients. The average EQ-5D utility value of 1152 HEV-infected inpatients was 0.72 ±â€¯0.18 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the average EQ-visual analogue score (EQ-VAS) was 0.66 ±â€¯0.17 points. Multivariate analysis showed that the direct economic burden and the total economic burden were influenced by variables such as hospitalization days, outcomes, past history of other diseases, and regions (P < 0.05). It was estimated the direct economic burden, the indirect economic burden, and the total economic burden for all HEV-infected inpatients in Jiangsu province in 2018 was approximately US$ 9.2 million, US$ 2.8 million and US$ 12.0 million, respectively. CONCLUSION: The disease burden of HEV infection in Jiangsu province is severe, and more attention should be paid to the prevention of hepatitis E and the treatment of comorbidities.

Influenza A(H7N9) Virus Antibody Responses in Survivors 1 Year after Infection, China, 2017.

Avian influenza A(H7N9) virus has caused 5 epidemic waves in China since its emergence in 2013. We investigated the dynamic changes of antibody response to this virus over 1 year postinfection in 25 patients in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, who had laboratory-confirmed infections during the fifth epidemic wave, October 1, 2016-February 14, 2017. Most survivors had relatively robust antibody responses that decreased but remained detectable at 1 year. Antibody response was variable; several survivors had low or undetectable antibody titers. Hemagglutination inhibition titer was >1:40 for <40% of the survivors. Measured in vitro in infected mice, hemagglutination inhibition titer predicted serum protective ability. Our findings provide a helpful serologic guideline for identifying subclinical infections and for developing effective vaccines and therapeutics to counter H7N9 virus infections.

Multiplex bead array assay of plasma cytokines in type 2 diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the roles of plasma cytokines in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and their relationship with the severity of DR. METHODS: This study included 59 diabetic patients and 19 non-diabetic controls. The plasma concentrations of endothelial growth factor (EGF), eotaxin, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), Flt-3 ligand (Flt-3L), fractalkine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), growth-related oncogene (GRO), interferon (IFN)-α2, IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1ß, IL-1Ra, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12 (p40), IL-12 (p70), IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, IFN-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, MCP-3, macrophage-derived cytokine (MDC), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1ß, sCD40L, sIL-2Rα, transforming growth factor (TGF)-α, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- α, TNF-ß, and VEGF were measured with Luminex multiplex bead immunoassay. The levels of these cytokines were investigated according to the DR stage. RESULTS: The plasma level of ten cytokines-MCP-1, IL-6, IL-7, IL-9, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, sCD40L, sIL-2Rα and TNF-ß-increased significantly in the diabetic group compared to the controls. The Flt-3L, IL-1Ra, IL-3, IL-5, and IL-12 (p40) levels were lower in the diabetic group than in the control group. The TNF-α plasma level was significantly elevated in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) compared with the levels in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and patients with no apparent diabetic retinopathy (NDR). CONCLUSIONS: TNF-α might be involved in the progression of DR, especially in the pathogenesis of PDR. TNF-α is a potential cytokine for the prognosis of DR and might act as a therapeutic target in DR.

Edaravone protect against retinal damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Edaravone (3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one), a free radical scavenger, is used for the clinical treatment of retinal injury. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of edaravone against diabetic retinal damage in the mouse. Diabetic retinopathy in the mouse was induced by injection of streptozotocin. Edaravone was given once-daily and was intraperitoneally (i.p.) treated at a dose of 3 mg/kg from streptozotocin injection to 4 weeks after onset of diabetes. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) damage was evaluated by recording the pattern electroretinogram (ERG). RGCs damage was also detected by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined fluorometrically. The expressions of phosporylated-ERK1/2, BDNF, and caspase-3 were determined by Western blot analysis. Retinal levels of ROS, phosphorylated ERK1/2, and cleaved caspase-3 were significantly increased, whereas the expression of BDNF was significantly decreased in the retinas of diabetic mice, compared to nondiabetic mice. Administration of edaravone significantly attenuated diabetes induced RGCs death, upregulation of ROS, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and cleaved caspase-3 and downregulation of BDNF. These findings suggest that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in diabetic retinal damage and that systemic administration of edaravone may slow the progression of retinal neuropathy induced by diabetes.

Ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction for novel dual targeting of HSP72 and HSC70 in prostate cancer.

The aim was to determine whether ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) promotes dual targeting of HSP72 and HSC70 for therapy of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), to improve the specific and efficient delivery of siRNA, to induce tumor cell specific apoptosis, and to find new therapeutic targets specific of CRPC.VCaP cells were transfected with siRNA oligonucleotides. HSP70, HSP90 and cleaved caspase-3 expression were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Apoptosis and transfection efficiency were assessed by flow cytometry. Cell viability assays were used to evaluate safety. We found HSP72, HSC70 and HSP90 expression to be absent or weak in normal prostate epithelial cells (RWPE-1), but uniformly strong in prostate cancerous cells (VCaP). UTMD combined with dual targeting of HSP72 and HSC70 siRNA improve the efficiency of transfection, cell uptake of siRNA, downregulation of HSP70 and HSP90 expression in VCaP cells at the mRNA and protein level, and induction of extensive tumor-specific apoptosis. Cell counting kit-8 assays showed decreased cellular viability in the HSP72/HSC70-siRNA silenced group. These results suggest that the combination of UTMD with dual targeting HSP70 therapy for PCa may be most efficacious, providng a novel, reliable, non-invasive, safe targeted approach to improve the specific and efficient delivery of siRNA, and achieve maximal effects.

Selective separation of lambdacyhalothrin by porous/magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization.

Porous/magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (PM-MIPs) were prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization. The reaction was carried out in an oil/water emulsion using magnetic halloysite nanotubes as the stabilizer instead of a toxic surfactant. In the oil phase, the imprinting process was conducted by radical polymerization of functional and cross-linked monomers, and porogen chloroform generated steam under the high reaction temperature, which resulted in some pores decorated with easily accessible molecular binding sites within the as-made PM-MIPs. The characterization demonstrated that the PM-MIPs were porous and magnetic inorganic-polymer composite microparticles with magnetic sensitivity (M(s) = 0.7448 emu/g), thermal stability (below 473 K) and magnetic stability (over the pH range of 2.0-8.0). The PM-MIPs were used as a sorbent for the selective binding of lambdacyhalothrin (LC) and rapidly separated under an external magnetic field. The Freundlich isotherm model gave a good fit to the experimental data. The adsorption kinetics of the PM-MIPs was well described by pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicating that the chemical process could be the rate-limiting step in the adsorption of LC. The selective recognition experiments exhibited the outstanding selective adsorption effect of the PM-MIPs for target LC. Moreover, the PM-MIPs regeneration without significant loss in adsorption capacity was demonstrated by at least four repeated cycles.

Fabrication and evaluation of magnetic/hollow double-shelled imprinted sorbents formed by Pickering emulsion polymerization.

Magnetic/hollow double-shelled imprinted polymers (MH-MIPs) were synthesized by Pickering emulsion polymerization. In this method, attapulgite (ATP) particles were used as stabilizers to establish a stable oil-in-water emulsion, and a few hydrophilic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were allowed to be magnetic separation carriers. The imprinting system was fabricated by radical polymerization in the presence of the functional and polymeric monomers in the oil phase. The results of characterization indicated that MH-MIPs exhibited magnetic sensitivity (Ms = 4.76 emu g(-1)), thermal stability (especially below 200 °C), and hollow structure and were composed of exterior ATP shells and interior imprinted polymers shells. Then MH-MIPs were evaluated as sorbents for the selective binding of λ-cyhalothrin as a result of their magnetism, enhanced mechanical strength, hydrophilic surface, and recognition ability. The kinetic properties of MH-MIPs were well described by the pseudo-second-order equation, indicating that the chemical process could be the rate-limiting step in the adsorption process for λ-cyhalothrin. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of MH-MIPs was 60.06 µmol g(-1) at 25 °C, and the Langmuir isotherm model gave a better fit to the experimental data, indicating the monolayer molecular adsorption for λ-cyhalothrin. The selective recognition experiments also demonstrated the high affinity and selectivity of MH-MIIPs toward λ-cyhalothrin over fenvalerate and diethyl phthalate.

[Influence of phthalates from Shaying river on children's intelligence and secretion of thyroid hormone].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of phthalates exposure from drinking water on children's intelligence and secretion of thyroid hormone. METHODS: Two villages in S County were selected randomly as polluted area and control area according to the distance from the Shaying river basin. Phthalates including DEP, DBP, DMP, DEHP were measured both in the river water and drinking water using HPLC method. Children aged 8 to 13 years old studying in the village primary school were recruited by cluster sampling (n = 154). The combined Reven Test was used to test children intelligence and ELISA method was used to determined thyroid hormone levels. RESULTS: The concentrations of phthalates (DEP, DBP) were exceeding standards of surface water quality in any of the three sections of the river. Compared to the control area, the concentration of DEP and DBP in drinking water were significant higher in the polluted area than that in control area (P < 0.05). Children from polluted area had significant higher FT4 concentration compared to children from control area (P < 0.05). Intelligence level in children from polluted area was lower than that from control area (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The drinking water has been polluted by Shaying river and thyroid hormones levels of children were affected in the polluted areas. It is necessary to verify if this change is related to the phthalates.

Enhancing HSP70-ShRNA transfection in 22RV1 prostate cancer cells by combination of sonoporation, liposomes and HTERT/CMV chimeric promoter.

Gene therapy is a potentially viable approach for treating hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC), it requires efficient delivery systems and a target gene. Inducing carcinoma cell apoptosis by inhibition of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) overexpression has been emerging as an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. In our study, the high tumor-specificity of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (HTERT) expression prompted the use of an HTERT/cytomegalovirus (CMV) chimeric promoter to drive HSP70-ShRNA expression to induce HRPC 22RV1 cell apoptosis. At the same time, sonoporation induced by ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) was utilized for delivery of plasmid loaded with HTERT/CMV promoter. Our results indicated the combination of sonoporation, low-dose liposomes and HTERT/CMV chimeric promoter as a delivery system has the potential to promote efficient gene transfer with lower cytotoxicity.