Objective To investigate the value of ultrasonography in diagnosis and preoperative TNM staging for neuroendocrine breast cancer(NEBC).Methods The ultrasonic characteristics of 12 NEBC and 104 invasive ductal carcinoma(IDC) confirmed by pathology,as well as the metastatic lymph nodes were analyzed retrospectively.The TNM-staging for NEBC by preoperative ultrasonography was evaluated according to pathology.And the relation between lesions size and Ki-67 was then analyzad.Results NEBC lesions mainly showed solid and heterogeneous hypoechoic(66.67％),irregular shape(66.67％),clear border (58.33 ％),posterior enhancement(58.33 ％) and internal blood flow(grade 0-Ⅰ) (66.67 ％).The detection rate of unclear border,irregular edge,hyperechoic halos and uneven internal echo was lower than IDC(P ＜ 0.05).Meanwhile,NEBC had a lower detection rate of calcification and internal blood flow(grade Ⅱ-Ⅲ)than IDC (P ＞0.05).And the detection rate of more round or oval lesions were higher in NEBC than that in IDC (P =0.001).According to pathology,the ultrasonic coincidence rate for T staging of NEBC and pathology was 75％,and for T1-staging was 100％,for T2-staging was 80％.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of ultrasonic diagnosis on lymph node metastases was 66.67％,88.89％,66.67％ and 88.89％,respectively.There was a positive correlation between focal maximum diameter with Ki-67 (r=0.026,P=0.004).Conclusions It shows certain value of ultrasonography in diagnosis and preoperative TNM staging for NEBC.

A sensitive chemiluminescence(CL) method was developed for determining melamine in urine and plasma samples based on the fact that melamine can remarkably enhance the chemiluminescence of Luminol-K3 Fe(CN)6 system in alkaline medium.The determination conditions were optimized.Under optimum conditions,the chemiluminescence intensity had a good linear relationship with melamine in the range of 9.0 × 10 97.0 × 10 6 g/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.9992.The detection limits (3σ) were 3.54 ng/mL for urine sample and 6.58 ng/mL for plasma sample.The average recoveries of melamine were 102.6％ for urine sample and 95.1％ for plasma sample.Melamine in samples was extracted with liquid-liquid extraction procedures and the assay results coincided very well with that determined with flow injection chemiluminescence method.The method provides a reproducible and stable approach for sensitive detection and quantification of melamine in urine and plasma samples.

Objective To investigate the ultrasound characteristics of microinvasive breast carcinoma (MBC),and to improve its detection rate.Methods Sixty-five MBC,85 breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)and 99 breast invasive ductal carcinoma(IDC)confirmed by pathology were divided into mass type and ductal type according to ultrasonic manifestaions,and the ultrasound characteristics were retrospectively analyzed.Results MBC showed 89.23%(58/65)mass type with 64 lesions and 10.77%(7/65)ductal type. DCIS showed 88.24% (75/85 )mass type with 78 lesions and 1 1 .76% (10/85 )ductal type.IDC group showed all mass type with 102 lesions.In MBC,most mass type lesions were solid and hypoechoic with a mean maximum diameter,which was larger than DCIS,but similar with IDC(P >0.05).More mass type lesions with irregular shape and calcification were found in MBC than in DCIS(P < 0.05 ),while similar with IDC(P >0.05).The detection rate of spiculate margin in mass type lesions of MBC was higher than DCIS(P <0.05),but lower than IDC(P <0.05).Less mass type lesions showed unclear border,high A/T ratio and hyperechoic halos in MBC than in IDC(P <0.05),but similar with DCIS(P >0.05).More ductal type lesions displayed indistinct duct wall in MBC than DCIS(P <0.05 ).Meanwhile,MBC had a higher detection rate of internal blood flow(grade 2-3)than DCIS.Conclusions There are more lesions with large diameter,irregular shape,short spiculate margin and calcification in MBC than DCIS.Compared with IDC, MBC lesions are atypical in spiculate margin,and less lesions show hyperechoic halos and high A/T ratio. To be familiar with ultrasound characteristics of MBC is significant for improving its ultrasound detection rate.

Objective To investigate the value of color Doppler ultrasonography in metaplastic breast carcinoma(MBC).Methods The ultrasonic characteristics of 23 MBC and 1 1 8 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) confirmed by pathology were analyzed retrospectively.And the ultrasound characteristics of different types of MBC was analyzed according to pathology.Results Mean maximum diameter of(3.73±1 .74)cm in MBC was larger than that in IDC[(2.57 ± 1 .19)cm,P = 0.005].Most MBC lesions showed larger diameter(>3 cm),clear border(56.5%),irregular shape(65.2%),lack of hyperechoic halos(65.2%), posterior enhancement(60.9%),no calcification(60.9%) and grade 2 - 3 of blood flow (56.5%).The detection rate of unclear border,unsmooth edge and hyperechoic halos of MBC was lower than those of IDC (P <0.05).But MBC had a higher detection rate in the masses with larger than 3 cm in diameter and posterior enhancement than IDC.Five (45.5%) lesions of 1 1 squamous cell carcinoma showed cystic constituent.The mean maximum diameter of 5 MBC with mecenchymal tissue lesions was larger than spindle cell carcinoma,but smaller than squamous cell carcinoma.And 4 lesions of the 5 MBC with mecenchymal tissue showed calcification,which occupied the highest proportion among different pathological types of MBC. The ultrasonic coincidence rate for MBC was 86.96%.Conclusions The ultrasonic appearances of MBC have a certain characteristics,and different pathological types of MBC also have corresponding characteristics.It shows important value of ultrasonography in preoperative diagnosis for MBC.

Cow's milk allergy is mainly observed in infants and young children. Most allergic reactions affect the skin, followed by the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. Conventional diagnosis is based on po-sitive allergy studies and evaluation of parameters including IgE and IgG1 levels, acute allergic skin response and anaphylactic shock reactions. We developed a cell membrane chromatographic (CMC) method based on human mast cells (HMC-1) for screening potential allergens in infant formula milk powders (IFMP). HMC-1 cell membranes were extracted and mixed with silica to prepare cell membrane chromatography columns (10 mm × 2 mm i.d., 5 mm). Under the conditions of 0.2 mL/min flow rate and 214 nm detection wavelength, human breast milk showed no retention. However, IFMP showed clear retention. The retained fractions were collected and analyzed through matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Four major milk proteins, i.e., α-casein, β-casein, α-lactalbumin, and β-lactoglobulin A, were identified. Furthermore, these proteins and β-lacto-globulin B showed clear retention on HMC-1/CMC columns. To test the degranulation effects of the five proteins, histamine and β-hexosaminidase release assays were carried out. All five proteins induced HMC-1 cells to release histamine and β-hexosaminidase. Also, we established a reversed phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) method for the determination of the five proteins in IFMP and the results showed that 90％ proteins in IFMP were α-casein and β-casein. We concluded that cow's milk proteins may be potential allergens and caseins cause more β-casein allergic risk than other proteins. This con-clusion was consistent with other studies.

Taking the Ligustrum lucidum extract as an example, this study investigated the influence of external mechanical forces under different processing conditions on the crystallographic solid form and the key parameter of drug dissolution rate, so as to provide guidance for the preparation and quality control of traditional Chinese medicine preparations. Under different pulverization and tableting conditions, the change of crystallographic solid form of L. lucidum extract was observed by polarizing light microscope. Meanwhile, the effect of this change on the dissolution rate was investigated, and the mathematical relationship between crystal content and dissolution rate was analyzed. The results showed that the process of ball milling and tableting had a significant impact on the crystallographic solid form of L. lucidum extract. The amorphous extract displayed crystal transformation, which induced a significant decline in dissolution rate. Further studies revealed that there was a negative linear relationship between crystal content and dissolution rate. The results of this study indicated that the crystallographic solid form transformation of traditional Chinese medicine extracts might occur during the preparation process, which may cause potential risks to the quality of traditional Chinese medicine preparations. It is suggested that we should pay attention to and strengthen the investigation of the crystallographic solid form during the preparation process, so as to guarantee the safety, effectiveness, and quality controllability of traditional Chinese medicine preparations.

ObjectiveTo investigate the condition of infants with urolithiasis caused by melaminetainted powdered formula at one-year follow-up. Methods Eighty-one young children with melamine-induced urolithiasis were followed up,which included urinalysis,renal-function tests,urinary tests for biochemical markers of renal glomerular and tubular function,and ultrasonography.Eighty-one age-matched healthy infants without exposure to melamine-contaminated formulas were enrolled as controls. Results Fifty-one of the patients were male and 30 female,with a mean age of 26 months (range 13 -48 months).The 81 children were divided into 2 groups according to treatment protocols.Group 1 received conservative treatment ( n =54 ) and Group 2 received surgical treatment ( n =27 ).In Group 1,3 patients (5.6％) had stone-residual:1 girl had calculus of 0.4 cm in diameter in the left kidney and 2 girls had calculus of 0.3 cm in diameter in the right kidney.In Group 2,2 patients (7.4％) had stone-residual,1 boy had crystallization of 0.2 cm in diameter in the right kidney and 1 boy had calculus of 1.5 cm in diameter in the left kidney,positive stone was confirmed by X-ray and accepted percutaneous nephrolithotomy.Urinary microalbumin levels were significantly increased in the children with melamine-induced urolithiasis compared with the control group (P ＜0.01 ).Blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were within the normal range with no significant difference between the 2 groups. ConclusionsAt one-year follow-up most of the children exposed to melamine-tainted infant formula in both treatment groups had returned to a healthy state,suggesting a satisfactory outcome for both treatment options.However,surgery is recommended in patients with stoneresidual ＞ 10 mm.

In order to guarantee the quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), the crystallization transformation of complex extracts of TCMs and the influence of solid form on their physicochemical properties were studied.The extract of total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata was taken as a model.Crystallization transformation happened when lofting under different conditions, and the intrinsic dissolution tests were carried out.It was found that humidity was the key factor to induce crystallization of total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata.The greater the wettability was, the more the crystallization was.The dissolution rate of total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata with the most crystallization amount significantly decreased by 96.51% compared to the sample without crystallization.After further simulating the preparation process of total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata, it was found that the wet granulation process with introduced water would also lead to crystallization and reduced dissolution rate.As for all crystallization samples, there was an inversely proportional relationship between the dissolution rates and the amount of crystallization.The risk of crystallization existed both in the storage and preparation process of TCM extracts.Crystallization would significantly affect the dissolution rate, and thus the quality of TCM products.In this study, the crystallization transformation of amorphous complex TCM extracts was discovered, and the effect of the crystallization transformation on its dissolution behavior was systematically studied, which provides a new research idea for assuring the quality of TCM products and promoting the improvement of TCM preparation level.

Objective To investigate the effect of electromagnetic wave power density on the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)in the hippocampus of SD rats under 1800 MHz electromagnetic wave irradiation,and whether it exhibits a"window effect".Methods Ninety-eight 4-week-old SPF-grade SD rats were randomly divided into 14 groups,with 7 rats in each group.Seven groups were exposed groups(frequency:1800 MHz,power densities:0.1 mW/cm2,0.3 mW/cm2,0.5 mW/cm2,0.7 mW/cm2,0.9 mW/cm2,1.0 mW/cm2,1.2 mW/cm2)and corresponding 7 groups were control groups(power density:0 mW/cm2).Exposure was conducted for 12 hours daily for 3 weeks.After exposure,Western Blot was used to detect the expression level of GFAP in the hippocampal tissue,and immunohistochemistry staining was performed to determine the average optical density(MOD)value of GFAP-positive expression products in the DG,CA3,and CA1 regions of the hippocampal tissue,to determine the power density window of GFAP expression in the hippocampus of SD rats under 1800 MHz exposure.Results At power densities of 0.1 mW/cm2 and 0.3 mW/cm2,Western Blot results showed increased expression of GFAP in the rat hippocampus(P<0.05),and immunohistochemistry staining demonstrated increased MOD values of GFAP in the three regions(P<0.05).Conclusion Long-term exposure to 1800 MHz elect-romagnetic radiation has a"window effect"on the expression of GFAP in the DG,CA3,and CA1 regions of the hippocampus in SD rats,with power density windows of 0.1 mW/cm2 and 0.3 mW/cm2.

Ob jective It has been reported by some prospective studies that C-reactive protein (CRP ) is associated with cancer risk .However, the correlation between CRP and digestive system cancers has not been evaluated in Chinese females .We conducted a large population-based cohort study to investigate whether elevated level of CRP in serum is associated with an increased risk of digestive system cancers in Chinese women.Metho ds From the Chinese Kailuan Female Cohort , 19,437 women were enrolled in this study in July 2006, and all of the subjects were followed up through 2014.At the baseline investigation , the serum levels of high-sensitivity CRP ( hsCRP ) were tested for all subjects , and demographic information and risk factor data were collected .Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to calculate the hazard ratios ( HR ) and 95%confidence intervals ( 95%CI ) for the baseline levels of hsCRP after adjusting for age, marital status, smoking, drinking, body mass index ( BMI), diabetes and physical activity, and risk of digestive system tumors (including colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, pancreas cancer, liver and gallbladder cancer, and other cancers).Results By Dec 31, 2014, a total of 100 incident cancer cases were observed , including 47 colorectal cancers , 17 stomach cancers , and altogether 29 pancreas , liver and gallbladder cancers .All the subjects investigated were divided into three groups according to the level of hsCRP (<1 mg/L, 1-3 mg/L and >3 mg/L) .The 8-year cumulative incidence of digestive system cancers were 405/100 000, 520/100 000 and 787/100 000 in these 3 groups, respectively (Log rank test χ2=8.37, P=0.015 ) .Compared to those with lower hsCRP levels (<1 mg/L ) , the women with higher hsCRP (>3 mg/L) had a significantly increased risk of pancreas , liver and gallbladder cancers ( HR =2.70, 95%CI =1.06-6.91;Ptrend=0.036).Conclusions Elevated levels of hsCRP at baseline may be associated with increased risk of certain digestive system cancers .