Objective To observe the effect of systemic chemotherapy on conditions of tumor infiltrating,metastasis and disease-specific survival (DSS) for advanced retinoblastoma (RB).Methods Forty-one patients with advanced RB who received enucleation were enrolled in this study.There were 26 males and 15 females,age at diagnosis was ranged from 2 to 72 months,with a mean of 23.08 months.There were 16 bilateral patients and 25 unilateral patients;13 group D eyes and 28 group E eyes.16 patients received enucleation as the primary treatment (operation group),25 eyes received chemotherapy before enucleation (chemotherapy group).There was no significant statistical difference between two groups for the gender,unilateral and bilateral,international staging or diagnostic age (P＞0.05).The histopathology report was performed to assess the risk of postoperative tumor-node-metastasis staging (pTNM) in each patient,and the extent of tumor invasion in the optic nerve,choroid and anterior chamber was divided into 3 levels of low risk,medium risk and high risk.Five deaths were all in the group E with chemotherapy before enucleation.Using R software survival analysis software package survfit function,the application of Kaplan-Meier estimation method,DSS of RB children was calculated from the time of diagnosis,up to the date of the death of patient.DSS differences between chemotherapy,operation group and eye removal time (more than 3 months,less than 3 months) in group E RB children were analyzed.Results The proportion of high risk pTNM stage in chemotherapy group was significantly lower than the operation group.But there was no significant difference between the two groups in the overall risk classification (x2 =3.130,P=0.077).For group D eyes,the overall risk classification in chemotherapy group was significantly lower than the operation group (x2 =5.870,P=0.015).There was no significant difference between the two groups in the overall risk of group E eyes (x2 =0.020,P=0.889).The DSS in chemotherapy group and operation group were 0.71 and 1.00,respectively;the difference was significant (x2 =3.700,P=0.05).The DSS in children whose enucleation delayed for more than 3 months and children whose enucleation performed within 3 months were 0.64 and 1.00,respectively;the difference was significant (x2 =4.800,P=0.028).Conclusion Systemic chemotherapy did not reduce the risk of tumor invasion and metastasis in patients with advanced RB.Instead,it will reduce the DSS in group E eyes of RB.

Child ; Cross Infection ; Humans ; Pneumonia

Objective To investigate the effects of paired associative stimulation (PAS) on the recovery of upper limb motor function in stroke patients,and to analyze the relationship between the change of motor cortex excitability in the contralesional hemisphere and the recovery of motor function in the affected upper limb.Methods Thirty hemiplegic stroke patients were divided randomly into a treatment group and a control group.Both groups were given routine rehabilitation therapy,but the treatment group also received PAS consisting of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the intact motor cortex and electrical stimulation (ES) of the median nerve at the wrist of the intact arm with an interval of 10 ms between the TMS and ES (PAS10).The PAS10 was delivered at a frequency of 0.05 Hz and an intensity of 120％ the resting motor threshold (RMT),once daily for 30 minutes,five times a week for 4 weeks.Corticospinal excitability was measured using motor evoked potentials (MEP) and the RMT.The FuglMeyer upper limb assessment (FMA),Brunnstrom staging and the modified Barthel index (MBI) were also applied before and at the end of the 4 weeks of treatment.Correlation was sought between any changes in MEP amplitude,the RMT of the contralesional hemisphere and changes in the FMA results.Results Before the intervention there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of any of the assessments.After 4 weeks of treatment,all the assessments had changed significantly compared to those before the treatment,but there were still no significant differences between the two groups in terms of any the assessments.After 4 weeks of treatment,the differences in MEP amplitude from the contra-lesional hemisphere and the differences in FMA scores were positively and significantly correlated with a correlation coefficient of r =0.431.The lesioned hemisphere was also positively correlated with the differences in FMA scores with a significant correlation coefficient of r =0.608.Conclusion PAS10 can facilitate the recovery of upper limb motor function.The change in motor cortex excitability of the contra-lesional hemisphere significantly correlates with functional recovery in the upper limb.

Objective To compare the effects of paired associative stimulation (PAS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on motor cortex excitability.Methods The baseline corticospinal excitability of the left hemispheres of 10 healthy subjects was measured in terms of resting motor threshold (RMT) and other indicators of motor evoked potentials (MEP).On the following day they received PAS composed of trascranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the motor cortex of the left hemisphere and electric stimulation (ES) of the median nerve contralateral to the motor cortex,with an interval of 10ms between the TMS and ES (termed PAS10).The PAS10 was delivered at a frequency of 0.05 Hz and an intensity of 120％ of the RMT,for a total of 90 pulses.The MEP amplitude,MEP latency and RMT were evaluated one minute after the stimulation.After the PAS intervention,an interval of one week was allowed to eliminate any effect of PAS on motor cortex excitability.Then rTMS was delivered to the subjects' left motor cortex at the same time of day at a frequency of 1 Hz and an intensity of 120％ of the RMT,for a total of 1000 pulses.MEP amplitude,MEP latency and RMT were evaluated one minute after the stimulation.The two interventions were compared in terms of MEP amplitude,MEP latency and RMT.Results The average MEP amplitude,MEP latency and RMT at baseline were (2.93 ± 0.99) mV,(20.97 ± 1.67) ms,and (46.06 ±5.32) ％,respectively.One minute after PAS10,the MEP amplitude,MEP latency and RMT were (1.14 ± 0.76) mV,(21.87 ± 1.09) ms and (52.06 ±4.20) ％,respectively.One minute after rTMS,the MEP amplitude and latency and the RMT were (2.24 ± 0.79) mV,(20.88 ± 1.94) ms,and (49.00 ± 4.54) ％,respectively.The differences in MEP amplitude,MEP latency and RMT pre-and post-intervention were (0.69 ± 0.10) mV,(0.09 ±0.05) ms and (3.94 ± 0.93) ％,respectively for rTMS.For PAS10 they were (1.83 ± 0.14) mV,(0.90 ± 0.26)ms and (6.00 ± 1.13)％,respectively.The differences in MEP amplitude decrease and MEP latency lengthening between the two stimulation protocols were significant,but the difference in RMT elevation was not.Conclusion Both PAS10 and low frequency rTMS suppressed motor cortex excitability,but the suppressive effect of PAS10 is more significant.

Drug toxicology,as a discipline which studies drug toxicity mechanisms and evaluates comprehensive drug safety is of crucial importance for guiding sensible clinical drug use,reducing adverse drug reactions and reducing failures of new drug development caused by toxicity. This article summarizes the basic situation of Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)funded projects in drug toxicology between 2001 and 2015,involving the amount of approved grants,funding rate,funding category and supported faculty,and the change of NSFC guidelines. Research topics,ideas and contents of NSFC funded projects are generalized and characteristics,problems and future trends are also analyzed to provide reference for research on drug toxicology.

Objective:To compare the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at three different relatively high frequencies on neuropathic pain so as to find the best frequency.Methods:One hundred Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, a TMS group and a control stimulation group. The TMS group was further divided into a 5Hz group, a 10Hz group, and a 20Hz group. The rats in the model, control stimulation and TMS groups received constriction injury of the sciatic nerve, while the rats in the sham group were given a sham version of the operation. On the third day after the operation the rats in the TMS group and the control stimulation group began to receive TMS treatment. Neuropatic pain was evaluated on the day before the operation, and on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th days after the operation. The evaluations included the paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL) and the paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT).Results:The average PWTLs and PWMTs in all of the TMS groups increased with the TMS treatment. Those of the 10Hz and 20Hz groups were significantly higher than the 5Hz group′s average, while there were no significant differences between the 10Hz group and 20Hz group.Conclusions:High-frequency TMS at different frequencies has different effects on neuropathic pain, at least in rats. The treatment efficacy at 10 and 20Hz is superior to that at 5Hz.

Arteriovenous Malformations ; pathology ; therapy ; Brain Diseases ; pathology ; therapy ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; methods ; Humans ; Polyvinyls ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To investigate the effect of ginsenoside-rg1 (G-Rg1) on rat’s cardiomyocytes H9c2 with its mechanism of signal pathwayin vitro.
Methods: H9c2 cells were cultured and treated in different conditions by following groups:①Blank control group,②Hypoxia alone group, the cells were treated for (2, 6, 12, 24, 48) hr respectively,③G-Rg1 group, the cells were treated by G-Rg1 at (5, 10, 50) μmol/L respectively,④YC-1 group, which is the speciifc inhibitor of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α),⑤YC-1 + G-Rg1 group,⑥Wortmannin group, which is the speciifc inhibitor for protein kinase B (Akt) phosphorylation and⑦Wortmannin + G-Rg1 group. Each experiment was conducted with 5 replicates. The effects of G-Rg1, hypoxia and YC-1 on cell activity and injury were studied; intracellular mRNA expressions of HIF-1α, glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were examined by RT-PCR; protein expressions of HIF-1α, GLUT-1, HO-1, activating transcription factor-6 (ATF-6), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) and Akt with its signal pathway factors were measured by Western blot analysis.
Results: The time of hypoxia was negatively related to cell activity (r=-0.8580,P<0.05) and positively related to LDH overlfow rate (r=0.9201,P<0.05). G-Rg1 (10μmol/L) group showed increased cell activity than Hypoxia alone (24 hr) group (87.8% vs 62.6 %,P<0.05), while decreased LDH overlfow (25.0% vs 74.8%,P<0.05), and up-regulated mRNA expressions of HIF-1α, GLUT-1 and HO-1, P<0.05. YC-1+ G-Rg1 group had decreased cell activity than G-Rg1 group (68.0% vs 87.8%,P<0.05), while increased LDH overlfow (56.4% vs 25.0%,P<0.05). Meanwhile, YC-1 clashed the effect of G-Rg1 on protein expressions of HIF-1α, GLUT-1, HO-1, ATF-6 and CHOP,P<0.05; wortmannin clashed the effect of G-Rg1 on protein expressions of HIF-1α, CHOP,P<0.05 and suppressed the two phosphorylation sites for Akt activation,P<0.05.
Conclusion: G-Rg1 may protect rat’s H9c2 cellsin vitro by activating expressions of HIF-1α with its downstream factors and inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress, which might be related to the effect of G-Rg1 on Akt activation.

In order to explore reasonable artificial cultivation pattern of Thesium chinense, the biological characteristics and nutrients change in the process of winter dormancy of T. chinense was studied. The phenological period of T. chinense was observed by using fixed-point notation and the starch grains changes were determined dynamically by PAS-vanadium iron hematoxylin staixjing method. Soluble sugar and starch content were measured by anthrone-sulfuric acid method and amylase activity was determined by DN'S method. The results showed that the normal life cycle of T. chinense was two years. T. chinense was growing by seed in the first year, but growing by the root neck bud in the second year. During the process of dormancy, starch and soluble sugar could mutual transformation in different periods. T. chinense had sufficient carbohydrate to maintain growth and also a lot of small molecules to improve their ability to fight against adversity.
Plant Dormancy ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Santalaceae ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Seasons ; Starch ; analysis ; metabolism

Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; methods ; Negative Staining ; methods ; Viruses ; ultrastructure