Objective:This study aimed to clarify the correlation of SPRY4-IT1 expression with the clinicopathological character-istics and prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), as well as the role of SPRY4-IT1 in promoting ES-CC cell growth. Methods:Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for SPRY4-IT1 expression was performed on 50 paired can-cerous and adjacent non-cancerous esophageal specimens. Small interfering RNA was used to suppress SPRY4-IT1 expression to fur-ther explore its role in tumor progression. Cell viability was tested in vitro by MTT assay (OD=490 nm), and cell apoptosis and cell cy-cle were investigated by flow cytometry. Results:We found markedly elevated SPRY4-IT1 expression in cancerous tissues compared with adjacent non-cancerous tissues (90%, P<0.01). Relative SPRY4-IT1 expression levels were correlated with some clinicopathologi-cal characteristics, such as tumor size (χ2=5.333, P=0.021), elevated TNM (2009) stage classi fi cation (χ2=5.556, P=0.018), and de-creased overall survival rates (χ2=5.296, P=0.021). SPRY4-IT1 expression level was not correlated with patient age, gender, smoking status, or alcohol consumption (all P>0.05). Further experiments showed that SPRY4-IT1 expression levels were significantly higher in three ESCC cell lines than in the normal human esophageal epithelial cell line Het-1A. In vitro assays of the ESCC cell line KYSE30 demonstrated that knockdown of SPRY4-IT1 expression by small interfering RNA reduced cell growth, mediated cell cycle arrest at the G0-G1 phase, and promoted cell apoptosis (all P<0.01). Conclusion:SPRY4-IT1 was overexpressed in ESCC tissues and ESCC cell lines and promoted the growth of ESCC cells. The dysregulated expression of long non-coding RNA SPRY4-IT1 may play an important role in the process of ESCC development and may be developed as a useful biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of ESCC.

Objective To assess the level of radiation exposures of operators in three typical types of interventional fluoroscopic procedures.Methods Alderson Radiation Therapy (ART) phantom was used to stimulate the practices of diagnosis and therapy using TLDs for dose measurement.The radiation exposures of eye lens, neck, and breast were measured when the lead shielding of machine was on/off and the equivalent dose and effective dose to the eye lens were estimated.Results Radiation exposure of head was obviously reduced by 85% -90% when the lead shielding was on.The doses in different procedures were different.In cerebral angiography the dose equivalent of eye len was the highest in the three procedures.The annual effective dose for the operators was smaller in peripheral vascular interventions than that in cardiovascular interventional therapy and that in cerebral angiography.Conclusions The operators involved in intervention will receive an annual effective dose of less than 20 mSv as recommended by the ICRP under the protection conditions provided by the current study, except for eye lens.Attention should be paid to the protection of the eyes of operators.

To explore the spatial distribution mechanism of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), PhyML v3.0 was used to build phylogenetic tree using JEV sequences in the dataset. PAUP v4.0 and Migrapyhla softz ware were then used to analyze the migration events. The results showed that a total of 95 migration events were observed during the dispersal of JEV throughout Asia. Further analysis revealed that Thailand, and several Chinese provinces (including Shandong, Shanghai, Sichuan and Yunnan), were the main migration sources of JEV. JEV spread from these migration sources as follows: from Thailand to Australia, Cambodia, Tibet and India; from Shanghai to eastern coastal Asian regions and Yunnan; from Shandong to Korea, Zhejiang, Hubei, Shanxi and Liaoning; from Sichuan mainly to inland regions of China, as well as Vietnam and Japan; and from Yunnan to Zhejiang. This study indicated that frequent migration events occurred during the dispersal of JEV in the Asia and Pacific regions, and that Thailand, Shandong, Shanghai, Sichuan and Yunnan were the sources of JEV dispersal.
Asia ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; physiology ; Encephalitis, Japanese ; epidemiology ; transmission ; virology ; Phylogeny

AIM: To clone mouse pdx-1 gene and construct its eukaryotic expression vector for expression of pdx-1 in mouse embryonic stem cells.METHODS: Mouse pdx-1 cDNA fragment was amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from mouse pancreatic cDNA. The purified fragment was recombinated with a eukaryotic expression vector carrying enhanced green fluorescent protein, pEGFP-N1. The pdx-1 cDNA fragment was inserted into the multi-clone sites of the vector to construct a new plasmid, pEGFP/pdx-1. E.colli strain DH5? was transfected with the new recombinant plasmid to expand it. Plasmid DNA extracted from the expanded DH5? was identifed by cutting with Hind Ⅲ, BamHⅠ nuclease and by DNA sequencing. Identified plasmid DNA was transfected into mouse embryonic stem cell line MESPU13 by carrying with liposome. RESULTS: A 876 bp cDNA fragment was amplified from mouse pancreatic cDNA by PCR and it was inserted into the vector pEGFP-N1 correctly. The fragment was defined to be pdx-1 gene by nuclease digestion and DNA sequencing. Mouse embryonic stem cell line MESPU13 was transfected with the new recombinant plasmid DNA. The green fluorescent protein report gene and pdx-1 gene expressed in transfected mouse embryonic stem cells within 24 h. CONCLUSION: Mouse pdx-1 gene is cloned and its recombinant eukaryotic expression vector carrying green fluorescent protein is constructed successfully. It provides a useful tool for further research on the function of pdx-1.

Objective To discuss the significance of region Ⅵ lymph nodes dissection in treatment of patients with clinical cervical nodes negative(cN0)papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC).Methods Clinical data of 38 cases of cN0 PTC treated with region Ⅵ lymph nodes dissection were retrospectively analyzed.The related literature was reviewed.The cervical nodes dissection scope and the key operation points in treatment of cN0 PTC were discussed.Results No permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve injury or parathyroid damage happened.14 cases(36.84％)had occult lymph node metastasis to region Ⅵ lymph nodes.After more than 5 years of follow-up,all the cases had excellent life quality.3 cases(7.89％)were found lymph node metastasis to lateral cervical region and they were given functional neck dissection.No recurrence or metastasis occurred to the 3 cases during more than 2 years of follow-up.Conclusion Region Ⅵ lymph node dissection in treatment of cN0 PTC is safe,reliable,and with less complications.

Objective To evaluate functional activity of the subcortical nuclei in Wilson's disease (WD) using resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI),and to evaluate damage to the functional conjunction in the extracorticospinal tract in WD patients.Methods Twenty-two patients with WD (between January 2015 and January 2016),including 18 with cerebral type and 4 with hepatic type,and 20 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled.Neurological symptoms were scored using the modified Young Scale.Patients with cerebral type WD were divided into 4 subgroups.All study subjects underwent rs-fMRI of the brain.The values of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (REHO) in the thalamus,caudate nucleus,putamen and globus pallidus were determined.The relationships between rsfMRI metrics and clinical status were evaluated.Results ALFF values were lower in the caudate nucleus,putamen and right thalamus of WD patients than in controls (t =-3.07,-3.00,-3.12,-2.46,-2.20;P =0.005,0.006,0.004,0.020,0.036),while REHO values were lower in the left caudate nucleus and left thalamus of WD patients (t =-2.38,-2.16;P =0.025,0.040).In the caudate nucleus (P =0.032,0.029,0.023),thalamus (P =0.022,0.041,0.035) ALFF values were lower in group 4 than in other groups.REHO values of the putamen (P =0.040,0.017,0.040) and thalamus (P =0.024,0.029 7,0.041) were higher in group 4 than in other groups.ALFF values in the caudate nucleus (t =-0.29,P=0.037),and thalamus (t =-1.77,P =0.042) were lower,and REHO values in the caudate nncleus (t =-1.46,P =0.040) were lower,in patients of cerebral type than in hepatic type patients.Conclusions The damage to the functional activity of the subcortical nuclei may occur in the WD patients.The functional activity of nuclei may be different between hepatic and cerebral type patients.Damage to the activity of neurons in the putamen and thalamus may correlate with psychiatric symptoms in WD patients.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with extremely severe burns.Methods:Totally 46 patients with extremely severe burn in the dust explosion of aluminum powder in Kunshan, Jiangsu province on August 2, 2014 were included in this study. The patients were divided into the survival group and death group according to the prognosis of the patients. The patients' age, sex, burn degree, white blood cell, and lactic acid at admission, lactic acid at 48 h, creatinine, albumin, urine volume, blood calcium, acute physiology and chronic health score system II (APACHE II) and SOFA scores, and 90 d mortality were collected. COX regression analysis was used to analyze the possible relationship between the indicators of the two groups and the prognosis.Results:There were no significant differences in white blood cell at admission, creatinine, albumin, urine volume, SOFA score, and APACHE II score in the survival group compared with those in the death group (all P>0.05) and burn degree, the levels of lactic acid at admission, lactic acid at 48 h and blood calcium were significantly different (all P<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that age, albumin and lactic acid at 48 h were independent predictors of death in patients with severe burn ( P<0.05), and these are independent outcome predictors of patients with severe burns ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Age, albumin level and lactic acid at 48 h are independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with severe burns.

Objective To summarize the image features of primary retrograde type A aortic dissection by CTA examination, aiming to improve the precise diagnosis of this type of specific aortic dissection, and to provide imaging evidence for subsequent therapies.Methods The CTA data of 17 patients with primary retrograde type A aortic dissection treated in Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command from January 2010 to December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed.The image features including the dissection type, the location and quantity of intimal tear, the aorta involving area, and the origin of branch vessels were analyzed.Results Nine cases of the total 17 patients had pericardial/pleural effusion.Fourteen patients showed intramural hematoma in ascending aorta, while 3 patients showed active blood flow and thrombosis formation in false lumen of ascending aorta.Five patients showed aortic ulcers and intramural hematoma in descending aorta, and the other 12 patients showed typical dissection image with active blood flow in both true and false lumen,among the 12 patients, there were obvious intimal separations observed in 11 cases, while multiple aortic ulcers in 1 case.Abdominal aorta was involved in l0 cases of the above 11 patients.All of the abdominal branch vessels were originated from true lumen in 2 of the 10 patients,and the other 8 patients showed 1-2 vessels originated from false lumen.Conclusion Primary retrograde type A aortic dissection is relatively rare.However,specific imaging features different from typical aortic dissection can be observed in this type of aortic lesion.Careful viewing of CTA image is extremely necessary for accurate diagnosis.

Investigation on the pathways of embryonic stem cells differentiation into insulin-producing cells is of importance to pancreatic tissue-engineering. Instead of passing through the classic multi-step-inducing method, the expanded embryonic stem cells that were cultured and expanded in the presence of mouse embryonic fibroblast feed-layer and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) were induced into insulin-producing cells directly. The results showed a similar consequence from two different inducing cultures. Without passing through a so-called indispensable differentiation phase, the neural-precursor-cell-stage, the expanded embryonic stem cells could be induced into insulin-producing cells. The insulin-producing cells population resulting from our modified method were similar to that resulting from the classic multi-step method (passing through the neural-precursor-cells-stage), thus suggesting that neural-precursor-cell-phase is not the indispensable checkpoint of embryonic stem cell differentiation into insulin-producing cells. Embryonic stem cells can be induced into insulin-producing cell by classic multi-step inducing method or by direct inducing method.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; cytology ; Mice ; Neural Stem Cells ; cytology

Objective: To establish a method for determining the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of Poly(Lactide-co-Glycolide Acid) (PLGA) using Size Exclusion Chromatography-Refractive Index-Multiangle Laser Light Scattering (SEC-RI-MALLS) and Size Exclusion Chromatography-Refractive Index (SEC-RID), and to compare the results obtained from these two methods.
Methods: For SEC-RI-MALLS, tetrahydrofuran was used as the mobile phase, Shodex GPC KF-803L was employed as the chromatographic column with a flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature at 30 ℃, and an injection volume of 100 μL. For SEC-RID, tetrahydrofuran was also used as the mobile phase, Agilent PLgel 5 μm MIXD-D was used as the chromatographic column with a flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature at 30 ℃, differential detector temperature at 35 ℃, and an injection volume of 20 μL. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution were calculated using Agilent’s GPC software. The newly established methods were validated methodologically, and the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of 13 batches of samples were determined.
Results: The precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability tests for SEC-RI-MALLS showed RSD values of 1.35%, 1.58%, 1.53%, and 1.26%, respectively. The SEC-RID method exhibited good linearity (r=0.999 9), with RSD values for precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability tests (n=6) of 2.05%, 1.62%, 1.30%, and 2.97%, respectively. The results obtained from SEC-RI-MALLS were lower than those from SEC-RID, and the molecular weight distribution coefficient was smaller, but the results from the paired T-test performed with the value measured by SEC-RID method and the value measured by SEC-RI-MALLS method multiplied a conversion coefficient of 1.5 showed no significant difference between the two methods.
Conclusion: Both methods are stable and reliable, and can be used for the determination of PLGA molecular weight and molecular weight distribution based on the specific situations.