No abstract available.
Pheochromocytoma* ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Behavior Therapy* ; Self-Injurious Behavior*

Background Preferred practice pattern (PPP) is an evidence-based documents which can be used for reference to standardize medical practice by ophthalmologists.So far it has been promoted for more than 10 years in China.However,there is no report about the popularization and application of PPP in China.Objective This study was to investigate the cognitions of ophthalmologists to PPP from the view of clinical questions.Methods A questionnaire-based study was conducted.Questionnaires were dispensed during September 17 to 21,2014 to inquiry into the cognitions of ophthalmologists to PPP in the 19th Congress of Chinese Ophthalmological Society.A selfadministered questionnaire was designed and discussed according to the article published in the past by our research group.It included personal basic information and cognitions to PPP,and the latter consisted of self-assessment and cognition scoring.The constituent ratios of aware,quite aware,unaware and fully unaware ophthalmologists were counted.The cognitions were divided into low level (0-4 scores),moderate level (5-8 scores) and high level (9-12 scores) based on the effective answer sheets.The questionnaires were filled out anonymously and incomplete questionnaires were excluded.Results Among the 300 distributed questionnaires,282 were retrieved and 209 were valid,with the effective rate 74.1％.The ophthalmologists of awareness to PPP were 46.4％ (97/209),and 53.6％ (112/209) of respondents did not know PPP very well.A positive correlation was found between the awareness to PPP and the cognition scores to clinical issues (r,=0.143,P ＜ 0.05).The cognition scores to clinical issues were significantly different among different educational backgrounds (F =12.26,P ＜ 0.05),and cognition scores were significantly reduced in the ophthalmologists with lower master degree in comparison with the ophthalmologists with doctoral degree (all at P＜0.05).The coincide ratio between cognitions of ophthalmologists to different clinical issues and suggestions in PPP were evidently different in the ophthalmologists,with the highest coincide ratio 83％ and the lowest coincide ratio 1％.Conclusions The awareness to PPP is not adequate in Chinese eye doctors,which reduces the cognition level to clinical issues.There is a poor coincide ratio between cognitions of Chinese ophthalmologists to clinical issues and suggestions in PPP.This study emphasizes the need for effective awareness programs towards clinical issues based on PPP.

BACKGROUND: Recent trials and clinical studies have shown that intracoronary transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) improves cardiac function following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, whether homing of MSCs into the infarcted myocardium or not is still unknown.OBJECTIVE: To study the homing of MSCs intracoronary administration in porcine myocardial infarction model using in vivo magnetic resonance imaging tracking.METHODS: Porcine MSCs were isolated and cultured by the whole bone marrow method. Following labeling by superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO), MSCs were treated with trypsinization to adjust the concentration at 10~(10)/L. Myocardial infarction was induced in all 10 pigs. At one week after modeling, the labeled MSCs were delivered via intracoronary infusion with standard over-the-wire (OTW) balloon angioplasty catheters. Prussian blue staining was used to evaluate labeling efficiency, and double echo steady state was used to scan four-chamber and cor biloculare at long axis view, which was considered as locating phase to obtain image of left ventricle at short axis view. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: MSCs could be efficiently and safely labeled with SPIO. Intracoronary transplantation of MSCs is able to home the sites of myocardial injury and the border between infarcted and normal tissue. MRI can track SPIO-labeled MSCs delivered through intracoronary and were confirmed on pathology. After 5 weeks the injected labeled cells could still be detected with MRI.

Objective To evaluate the global and segmental (inflow,body and outflow) systolic functions of right ventricle in end-stage renal failure (ESRF) patients by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography(RT-3DE) and four-dimensional right ventricle quantitative analysis (4D-RVQ) and to reveal the long-term impact of renal insufficiency on right ventricular systolic function.Methods RT-3DE was performed in 48 ESRF patients and 26 healthy individuals (control group).Images were acquired and analysed off-line in TomTec 4D-RVQ station.The parameters of RV global and segmental systolic functions,including RV global and segmental end-diastolic volume (EDV),end-systolic volume(ESV),stroke volume(SV),ejection fraction(EF),the time to minimum systolic volume(T-msv) were obtained.All the variables were standardized by body surface area (BSA) or heart rate (HR).Results ① In the ESRF group,EDV,SV and EF of body compartment were significantly higher than those of the controls[EDV:(8.5±3.4)ml/m2 vs (6.4± 1.7)ml/m2,P =0.002;SV:(4.5 ± 1.7)ml/m2 vs (2.7±0.9)ml/m2,P =0.0037;EF:(45.4 ± 11.5)％ vs (41.1 ± 7.1)％,P =0.0489],and so were EDV,SV of inflow compartment [EDV:(19.6± 1.0)ml/m2 vs (16.5±0.9)ml/m2,P =0.0438;SV:(12.3±4.6)ml/m2 vs (10.1±3.2) ml/m2,P =0.0433].②Compared with the control group,the global and segmental T-msv were all delayed obviously in the ESRF group (P ＜ 0.001).③The percentage of SV of body compartment accounting for the global SV significantly increased in the ESRF group [(19.5 ± 7.3)％ vs (15.5 ± 5.5)％,P =0.0222],while that of outflow compartment reduced significantly [(20.3 ± 7.0)％ vs (26.8 ± 8.2)％,P =0.0005].Conclusions The global and segmental systolic functions of right ventricle were impaired in ESRF patients,especially in the body compartment.The RT-3DE and 4D-RVQ are helpful technologies in the evaluation and follow-up of right ventricular systolic function in patients with renal failure.

Thyroid cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors.Advanced thyroid cancer usually invades encroachs nerves,blood vessels,trachea,esophagus,and other organs,and needs muhidisciplinary team for better effect.The disease center of diagnosis and treatment provides a good platform for multidisciplinary treatment of advanced thyroid cancer.

Objective To investigate the promotion effect of human transcriptional positive cofactor 4 (PC4) overexpression on lymphatic metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma .Methods 96 samples of lung adenocarcinoma tissue were collected .The immuno‐histochemistry(IHC) and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) were adopted for detecting the expression levels of PC4 protein and mRNA .The correlation of PC4 expression with lymphatic metastasis and TNM stage was analyzed .Re‐sults The expression of PC4 protein was positively correlated mRNA in lung adenocarcinoma (r=0 .63 ,P<0 .01);the expression of PC4 protein was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis (χ2 =8 .29 ,P<0 .01) and TNM stage (χ2 =4 .71 ,P<0 .05);the expression of PC4 mRNA was also positively correlated with lymph node metastasis (χ2 = 8 .40 ,P< 0 .01) and TNM stage (χ2 =5 .10 ,P<0 .05) .Conclusion PC4 overexpression is found to be closely associated with the lymph node metastasis and TNM stage .PC4 may facilitate the lymph node metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma .

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Artemisinin, a natural product isolated from Gaeddongssuk (artemisia annua L.) and its main active derivative, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), have long been used as antimalarial drugs. Recent studies reported that artemisinin is efficacious for curing diseases, including cancers, and for improving the immune system. Many researchers have shown the therapeutic effects of artemisinin on tumors such as breast cancer, liver cancer and kidney cancer, but there is still insufficient data regarding glioblastoma (GBM). Glioblastoma accounts for 12-15% of brain cancer, and the median survival is less than a year, despite medical treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of DHA and transferrin against glioblastoma (glioblastoma multiforme, GBM). MATERIALS/METHODS: This study was performed through in vitro experiments using C6 cells. The toxicity dependence of DHA and transferrin (TF) on time and concentration was analyzed by MTT assay and cell cycle assay. Observations of cellular morphology were recorded with an optical microscope and color digital camera. The anti-cancer mechanism of DHA and TF against GBM were studied by flow cytometry with Annexin V and caspase 3/7. RESULTS: MTT assay revealed that TF enhanced the cytotoxicity of DHA against C6 cells. An Annexin V immune-precipitation assay showed that the percentages of apoptosis of cells treated with TF, DHA alone, DHA in combination with TF, and the control group were 7.15 ± 4.15%, 34.3 ± 5.15%, 66.42 ± 5.98%, and 1.2 ± 0.15%, respectively. The results of the Annexin V assay were consistent with those of the MTT assay. DHA induced apoptosis in C6 cells through DNA damage, and TF enhanced the effects of DHA. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that DHA, the derivative of the active ingredient in Gaeddongssuk, is effective against GBM, apparently via inhibition of cancer cell proliferation by a pharmacological effect. The role of transferrin as an allosteric activator in the GBM therapeutic efficacy of DHA was also confirmed.
Annexin A5 ; Antimalarials ; Apoptosis ; Brain Neoplasms ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation ; DNA Damage ; Drug Therapy ; Flow Cytometry ; Glioblastoma* ; Immune System ; In Vitro Techniques ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Liver Neoplasms ; Therapeutic Uses* ; Transferrin*

BACKGROUND: Microdeletion syndromes not detectable by conventional cytogenetic analysis have been reported to occur in approximately 5% of patients with unexplained mental retardation (MR). Therefore, it is essential to ensure that patients with MR are screened for these microdeletion syndromes. Mental retardation syndrome multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MRS-MLPA) is a new technique for measuring sequence dosages that allows for the detection of copy number changes of several microdeletion syndromes (1p36 deletion syndrome, Williams syndrome, Smith-Magenis syndrome, Miller-Dieker syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome, Prader-Willi/Angelman syndrome, Alagille syndrome, Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, and Sotos syndrome) to be processed simultaneously, thus significantly reducing the amount of laboratory work. METHODS: We assessed the performance of MLPA (MRC-Holland, The Netherlands) for the detection of microdeletion syndromes by comparing the results with those generated using FISH assays. MLPA analysis was carried out on 12 patients with microdeletion confirmed by FISH (three DiGeorge syndrome, four Williams syndrome, four Prader-Willi syndrome, and one Miller-Dieker syndrome). RESULTS: The results of MLPA analysis showed a complete concordance with FISH in 12 patients with microdeletion syndromes. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these results, we conclude that MLPA is an accurate, reliable, and cost-effective alternative to FISH in the screening for microdeletion syndromes.
*Chromosome Deletion ; Classical Lissencephalies and Subcortical Band Heterotopias/genetics ; DiGeorge Syndrome/genetics ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence/*methods ; Laboratories, Hospital ; Mental Retardation/*diagnosis/genetics ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/*methods ; Prader-Willi Syndrome/genetics ; Williams Syndrome/genetics

OBJECTIVEConditioned taste preference (CTP) is a taste learning reflex by which an animal learns to prefer a substance which tastes not well and has been studied with much interest in recent years. However, the neural substrates of CTP are less known. This study aimed to determine the possible neural path- ways of CTP and whether serum leptin level and the leptin receptor (OB-Rb) in the hind brain are involved following CTP formation.

METHODSWe established CTP of quinine in rats with a 2-bottle preference test. The serum leptin concentrations were detected, the expression of c-fos in the rat brain was tested to determine the nuclei in relation with establishment of CTR Finally, the OB-Rb mRNA expression was examined by RT-qPCR assay in parabrachial nucleus (PBN) and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) of the hind brain.

RESULTSCompared with control group, the level of serum leptin was higher in the CTP group (4.58 ± 0.52 vs 1.67 ± 0.25 µg/L, P < 0.01); increased c-fos positive cells were found in the anterior hypothalamus (AH, 221.75 ± 4.96 vs. 178.50 ± 6.63 cells/mm², P < 0.05), the basal lateral amygdala (BLA, 70.75 ± 6.17 vs 56.50 ± 3.62 cells/ mm², P < 0.05) and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST, 41.25 ± 1.32 vs 32.50 ± 1.02 cells/mm², P < 0.05). But in ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH, 20.75 ± 2.73 vs 38.5 ± 1.54 per 1 mm², P < 005), PBN (21.50 ± 2.24 vs 36.25 ± 1.49 cells/mm², P < 0.05) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA, 22.25 ± 1.53 vs 35.50 ± 2.11 cells/mm², P < 0.05), the number of c-fos positive cells was decreased in the CTP group. In addition, we found OB-Rb mRNA expression in PBN of CTP group rats was higher than that of control group (0.95 ± 0.055 vs 0.57 ± 0.034, P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference of OB-Rb mRNA expression in NST between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONNuclei AH, BLA, NST, VMH, PBN and CeA participate in the formation of CTP. Leptin and its receptor in PBN may be involved in the formation and maintenance of CTP.

Animals ; Conditioning (Psychology) ; Leptin ; blood ; Rats ; Receptors, Leptin ; physiology ; Rhombencephalon ; physiology ; Taste ; physiology