Exposure to thermal environment is one of the main concerns for manned space exploration. By focusing on the works performed on thermoregulation at microgravity or simulated microgravity, we endeavored to review the investigation on space thermal environmental physiology. First of all, the application of medical requirements for the crew module design from normal thermal comfort to accidental thermal emergencies in a space craft will be addressed. Then, alterations in the autonomic and behavioral temperature regulation caused by the effect of weightlessness both in space flight and its simulation on the ground are also discussed. Furthermore, countermeasures like exercise training, simulated natural ventilation, encouraged drink, etc., in the protection of thermoregulation during space flight is presented. Finally, the challenge of space thermal environment physiology faced in the future is figured out.
Aerospace Medicine ; Body Temperature Regulation ; Environment ; Exercise ; Humans ; Space Flight ; Weightlessness ; Weightlessness Simulation

Lipoproteins are biological lipids carriers. The natural and reconstituted lipoprotein based drug delivery systems have been extensively developed in recent years. This article reviews the development of natural and reconstituted low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein based vehicles in the antitumor area.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Apolipoproteins B ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Peptides ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Pharmaceutical Vehicles ; chemistry

AlM: To study the clinical effect of the application of microscopic pterygium resection combined with different concentration of mitomycin C ( MMC) .
METHODS:A total of 110 cases of pterygium patients (120 eyes) were randomly divided into control group (58 eyes) and observation group (62 eyes) according to the odd and even number method. The control group adopted the pterygium resection combined 0. 3mg/mL MMC, and the observation group was given pterygium resection combined 0. 2mg/mL MMC. The cure rate and the recurrence rate, eyesight before and after the treatment, two groups of cornea and sclera wound healing situation, the incidence of postoperative complications were compared.
RESULTS: The cure rate and recurrence rate of the control group was 84. 5% and 15. 5% respectively, and the observation group was 93. 6% and 6. 5% respectively, the differences were statistically significant (P<0. 05). There were statistical differences of vision of the two groups before and after treatment (P<0. 05), and there were no statistical differences of the two groups between the two groups after treatment (P>0. 05). The cornea, sclera, wound healing time of the observation group were less than the control group, and there were statistical differences between the two groups ( P < 0. 05 ). The incidence of complications was 13. 8% in the control group and 3. 2% in observation group, with statistically significant difference (P<0. 05).
CONCLUSlON: The application effect of microscopic pterygium resection combined with MMC is remarkable, and the joint of 0. 2mg/mL concentration of MMC is more safe and effective, and is worth popularizing in clinical application.

AIM To prepare diosgenin nanosuspensions.METHODS The nanosuspensions prepared by media milling method were solidificated by freeze drying method.With particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) as evaluation indices,stabilizer kind,ratio of diosgenin to stabilizer,ratio of preliminary nanosuspension volume to grinding bead amount,milling time,lyoprotectant kind and its amount as influencing factors,single factor test was applied to screening preparation and solidification processes.The morphology of nanosuspensions was observed,then the particle sizes and polydispersity indices of nanosuspensions and freeze-dried powder were determined.RESULTS The optimal conditions were determined to be 6:1 for ratio of diosgenin to Pluronic F127 (stabilizer Ⅰ),50:1 for ratio of diogenin to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS,stabilizer Ⅱ),1:4 for ratio of preliminary nanosuspension volume to grinding bead amount,120 min for milling time,and 8％ PEG-6000 and 2％ mannitol as lyoprotectants.The average particle size and polydispersity index of rod-like or flaky nanosuspensions were (348.1 ±14.2) nm and 0.244 ± 0.059,respectively,which were lower than those of freeze-dried powder.At room temperature,the particle sizes of nanosuspensions and freeze-dried powder remained stable within 35 d and 3 months,respectively.CONCLUSION The physical stability of diosgenin freeze-dried powder is superior to that of its nanosuspensions,which can be used after being reconstituted.

In order to study the possible mechanism of CD226 monoclonal antibody (mAb)-mediated intracellular message transduction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), the influence of CD226 mAb and its cross-linking by secondary antibody (II Ab) on the concentration changes in [Ca(2+)](i) in the HUVECs under different conditions were determined by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The main results are as follows. (1) When the culture medium was balanced by Hanks Buffer, [Ca(2+)](i) in HUVECs increased slowly after stimulation by CD226 mAb, whereas [Ca(2+)](i) increase was accompanied by [Ca(2+)](o) decrease after the mAb was cross-linked by goat anti-mouse IgG. Then [Ca(2+)](i) and [Ca(2+)](o) all returned to the normal level. (2) When the culture medium was balanced by D-Hanks buffer, [Ca(2+)](i) in HUVECs showed little variation when the cells were stimulated by CD226 mAb, but [Ca(2+)](i) decreased markedly after cross-linking. (3) When HUVECs were pretreated with EGTA, there was no variation in [Ca(2+)](i) of HUVECs after CD226 mAb stimulation alone or cross-linking of the mAb. Our results suggest that stimulation by CD226 mAb and cross-linking by goat anti-mouse IgG induce the variation of [Ca(2+)](i) in HUVECs under different conditions and the variation of [Ca(2+)](i) in HUVECs may play an important role in many physiological and pathological processes.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; pharmacology ; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte ; immunology ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; metabolism ; physiology ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo observe MET-associated alteration during the trans-differentiation from MSCs to neuron-like cells, and to explore the possible molecular mechanism.

METHODSBone marrow MSCs were isolated from rat femur and purified in continuous cell culture. After induced differentiation to neuron-like cells by the combination of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), cells were tested by comparative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the relative expression of MET biomarkers and transcription factors, and for cell cycle by flow cytometry. Meanwhile, target genes of Wnt/β-catenin pathway were also analyzed by comparative PCR to determine the possible involvement.

RESULTSIn MSC-induced neuron-like cells, MET-associated transcription factors such as Snail, Slug, ZEB1, ZEB2, and Twist were significantly attenuated in expression level. The Mesenchymal marker Vimentin expression level was increased. Membrane protein E-cad was slightly down-regulated, while N-cad level was marginally elevated. Percentage of proliferating cells (S phase in cell cycle) markedly shrank from 40.42% for MSCs to 6.76% for MSC-derived neuron. Additionally, Wnt/β-catenin target genes β-catenin and c-myc were decreasingly expressed.

CONCLUSIONChemically induced trans-differentiation from MSC to neuron caused similar MET-featured alteration in gene expression and proliferation to known MET, which might be underlied by deactivation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Animals ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Neurons ; cytology ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc ; metabolism ; Rats ; Wnt Signaling Pathway ; beta Catenin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility and clinical value of whole body diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (WB-DWI) in detection of bone metastases.

METHODSTotally 38 patients with malignant tumors and suspected bone metastases were enrolled. All patients underwent WB-DWI and bone scintigraphy within 2 weeks. The skeletal system was divided into 13 regions: skull, sternum, clavicle, cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, sacrum, ribs, pelvic bone, scapula, humerus, femur, and tibia/fibula. Bone metastases were assessed for both modalities in a separate consensus reading and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated.

RESULTSWB-DWI identified 214 pathological lesions in 20 patients, while bone scintigraphy demonstrated 197 lesions in 20 patients. Concordance between WB-DWI and bone scintigraphy occurred in 34 of 38 patients. There was no statistical difference between these two modalities (P = 0.488). Compared with bone scintigraphy, the regions missed by WB-DWI were mainly located in skull, thoracic spine, humerus, and tibia/fibula. WB-DWI was more sensitive in the detection of metastases to the cervical spine, lumbar spine, sacrum, pelvis, ribs and femur. No statistical significance was found among the ADC values of bone metastases in different skeletal areas, and the mean ADC value was (0.75 +/- 0.10) x 10(-3) mm2/s. Furthermore, WB-DWI revealed more metastases to the lymph lodes and extraskeletal organs. Conclusion WB-DWI has high accordance with skeletal scintigraphy in detecting bone metastases, and the two modalities are complementary to each other.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; secondary ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology ; Whole Body Imaging ; methods ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo assess the association of the A260G and A386G single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the DAZL gene with male infertility in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province.

METHODSWe collected the peripheral blood samples from 317 idiopathic infertile males with azoospermia or oligozoospermia and 246 normal fertile men, and genotyped the polymorphic loci of the A260G and A386G polymorphisms of the DAZL gene using the SNaPshot technique.

RESULTSThe DAZL gene A260G was found genetically polymorphic in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province, with the gene frequencies and their distribution consistent to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequencies of the AA, AG and GG genotypes of the A260G polymorphism were 92.3%, 7.3%, and 0.4% respectively in the normal controls and 94.3%, 5.7%, and 0% in the infertile patients, with no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P = 0.43, OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.413-1.46). Heterozygosis (AG) of A386G was found in 1 of the control males but not in the infertile patients, while homozygosis (GG) of A386G was not observed in either group (P = 0.259, OR = 0.698, 59% CI: 0.374-1.306).

CONCLUSIONA260G and A386G SNPs of the DAZL gene are not associated with spermatogenic failure and neither represents a molecular marker for the genetic diagnosis of male infertility in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Azoospermia ; genetics ; China ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Markers ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; genetics ; Male ; Oligospermia ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo summarize the experience of urethral reconstruction using circular fasciocutaneous flap for the treatment of complex anterior urethral strictures.

METHODThe circular fasciocutaneous flap was harvested from the distal penile shaft or foreskin. Then the circular configuration was converted into longitudinal strip of skin which was rotated to ventral side to repair the exposured urethral strictures using the ventral onlay method. The surveillance protocol after urethroplasty was urination observation, regularly uroflowmetry and urethrography examination.

RESULTSFrom Nov. 2006 to Oct. 2012, 15 cases were treated. The mean age was 45 years (20-76 years) and mean follow-up period was 18 months(3 months-3 years). Stricture was caused by chronic urethritis in 4 cases, long-term urethral catheterization in 3 cases, transurethral perfusion chem other aphy in 3 cases, transurethral prostatectomy in 3 cases and hypospadias after surgery in 2 patients. The mean stricture length was 7.0 cm (3.5-12.0 cm). The overall success rate was 80.0% (12/15). Recurrence stenosis was noted in 2 cases and diverticulum formation in 1 case.

CONCLUSIONSThe penile circular fasciocutaneous flap can be used for anterior urethral stricture in nearly any length. The flap has the characteristics of hairless, adequate mobile and length, well-vascularized pedicle and easy to harvest. The onlay reconstruction provides excellent cosmetic results, less trauma, higher success rate. Therefore it should be one of the preferred techniques for complex anterior urethral stricture repair.

Follow-Up Studies ; Foreskin ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; surgery ; Male ; Penis ; surgery ; Prostatectomy ; adverse effects ; Recurrence ; Surgical Flaps ; transplantation ; Urethra ; surgery ; Urethral Stricture ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the academic level and influence of "Chinese Journal of Applied Physiology" through statistical analysis for the fund sponsored articles published in the recent ten years.

METHODSThe articles of "Chinese Journal of Applied Physiology" from 1999 to 2008 were investigated. The number and the percentage of the fund sponsored articles, the fund organization and the author region were quantitatively analyzed by using the literature metrology method.

RESULTSThe number of the fund sponsored articles increased unceasingly. The ratio of the fund from local government significantly enhanced in the latter five years. Most of the articles were from institutes located at Beijing, Zhejiang and Tianjin.

CONCLUSION"Chinese Journal of Applied Physiology" has a fine academic level and social influence.

Bibliometrics ; China ; Periodicals as Topic ; statistics & numerical data ; Physiology