OBJECTIVETo examine the expression of nestin and neurogenin 3 (Ngn3), the markers of pancreatic stem cells, in the human fetal pancreas.

METHODSThe human fetal pancreas tissue of 12 and 14 weeks were examined for the expression of nestin and Ngn3 using the techniques of immunofluorescence dye and RT-PCR.

RESULTSBoth nestin and Ngn3 expressed widely in 12 and 14 weeks before in human fetal pancreatic tissue. In these positive cells there was no co-expressing insulin or glucagon. There were nestin and Ngn3 co-expressing cells in ducts but not in the islets. The results of RT-PCR also indicated the expression of nestin and Ngn3.

CONCLUSIONSThere was no expression of the markers of mature endocrine cells in the nestin and Ngn3 positive cells, and they were the marks of no-differentiation cells in the human fetal pancreatic tissue.

Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Fluoroimmunoassay ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Intermediate Filament Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Nestin ; Pancreas ; cytology ; embryology ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To investigate the value of endoscopy combined with laparoscopy in the treatment of colorectal polyps and polyp canceration.Methods Different combinations of endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures were employed and the clinical efficacies were compared.Results From January 2004 to September 2006,46 cases with colorectal polyp were treated with endoscopy combined with laparoscopy.Among them,5 cases(10.87%)underwent laparoscopic-assisted endoscopic polypectomy,30(65.22%)endoscopic-assisted laparoscopic resection,6(13.04%)synchronously endoscopic and laparoscopic resection.Five cases were performed further operation after endoscopic polypectomy.According to the pathological findings,21(45.7%)were proved to be polyp canceration,among which 6 were advanced carcinoma,and 3 were found metastasis to the lymph nodes.Among the 41 cases of laparoscopic resection,there was no conversion to an open surgery.Anastomotic leakage was found in 2 cases and anastomotic bleeding in 1.In the 5 cases of laparoscopic-assisted endoscopic polypectomy,no complication was observed.During the period of follow-up(1 to 21 months),no recurrence was detected.Conclusion Endoscopy combined with laparoscopy extends the safety and indications of endoscopic polypectomy,and is minimally invasive to the patients.It is an ideal procedure in the treatment of colorectal polyps and poly carceration.

BACKGROUNDNontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (NONFH) is a debilitating disease that represents a significant financial burden for both individuals and healthcare systems. Despite its significance, however, its prevalence in the Chinese general population remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of NONFH and its associated risk factors in the Chinese population.

METHODSA nationally representative survey of 30,030 respondents was undertaken from June 2012 to August 2013. All participants underwent a questionnaire investigation, physical examination of hip, and bilateral hip joint X-ray and/or magnetic resonance imaging examination. Blood samples were taken after overnight fasting to test serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. We then used multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate the associations between various metabolic, demographic, and lifestyle-related variables and NONFH.

RESULTSNONFH was diagnosed in 218 subjects (0.725%) and the estimated NONFH cases were 8.12 million among Chinese people aged 15 years and over. The prevalence of NONFH was significantly higher in males than in females (1.02% vs. 0.51%, χ2 = 24.997, P < 0.001). Among NONFH patients, North residents were subjected to higher prevalence of NONFH than that of South residents (0.85% vs. 0.61%, χ 2 = 5.847, P = 0.016). Our multivariate regression analysis showed that high blood levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and non-HDL-cholesterol, male, urban residence, family history of osteonecrosis of the femoral head, heavy smoking, alcohol abuse and glucocorticoid intake, overweight, and obesity were all significantly associated with an increased risk of NONFH.

CONCLUSIONSOur findings highlight that NONFH is a significant public health challenge in China and underscore the need for policy measures on the national level. Furthermore, NONFH shares a number of risk factors with atherosclerosis.

Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Femur Head Necrosis ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

Next-generation sequencing has allowed identification of millions of somatic mutations in human cancer cells. A key challenge in interpreting cancer genomes is to distinguish drivers of cancer development among available genetic mutations. To address this issue, we present the first web-based application, consensus cancer driver gene caller (C), to identify the consensus driver genes using six different complementary strategies, i.e., frequency-based, machine learning-based, functional bias-based, clustering-based, statistics model-based, and network-based strategies. This application allows users to specify customized operations when calling driver genes, and provides solid statistical evaluations and interpretable visualizations on the integration results. C is implemented in Python and is freely available for public use at http://drivergene.rwebox.com/c3.