<b>OBJECTIVEb>Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare but highly malignant tumor, and its diagnosis is mostly delayed and prognosis is poor. We report estrogen receptor (ER) expression in this tumor and our clinical experiences with 17 ACC cases.

<b>METHODSb>The data of the 17 patients (9 females and 8 males, age range from 16 to 69 years, mean age of 42.6 years) with ACC were reviewed, and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, treatment, and results of follow-up were evaluated. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect ER expression in tumor samples from the 17 patients.

<b>RESULTSb>At the time of diagnosis, 4 tumors were classified as Stage I, 4 as Stage II, 3 as Stage III, and 6 as Stage IV. Eight patients demonstrated positive nuclear immunostaining of ER. The prognosis of patients with ER positive was significantly better (P<0.05) than that of patients with ER negative, with 1- and 5-year survival rates at 86% and 60% for ER-positive patients, and 38% and 0% for ER-negative patients, respectively.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>ER-positivity may be one of the factors associated with a worse prognosis of ACC.

Adolescent ; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; mortality ; Adrenocortical Carcinoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; mortality ; Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; analysis ; Receptors, Estrogen ; analysis ; Risk Assessment ; methods ; Risk Factors ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate ; Young Adult

<b>OBJECTIVEb>To report a mathematical function that characterizes the double-pass line spread function (LSF) of the human eye. Determining analytical functions that represent the double-pass LSF is important because it allows modeling the optical performance of the eye.

<b>METHODSb>Optical section retinal images, generated in normal human eyes using a modified slit-lamp biomicroscope, were analyzed to derive the double-pass LSF by plotting the intensity distribution of laser light reflected/ scattered from the vitreoretinal interface. Three mathematical functions (Lorentzian, Gaussian, exponential) were fitted to the double-pass LSF and the root mean square error (RMSE) was calculated to provide a measure of the goodness of fit.

<b>RESULTSb>The Lorentzian function provided the best representation of the double-pass LSF of normal human eyes. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the Lorentzian fitted curve was positively correlated with age, indicating that the double-pass LSF broadens with age. Furthermore, the goodness of fit of the Lorentzian function was significantly better in younger subjects as compared with older subjects, suggesting that the fitted function to the double-pass LSF may vary according to age.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>The results demonstrate an age-related change in the double-pass LSF width and the goodness of fit of the Lorentzian function.

Adult ; Aged ; Humans ; Mathematics ; Middle Aged ; Retina ; physiology ; Vision, Ocular ; physiology

The effect of L-proline as a promoter on the condensation reaction of salicylaldehyde or its derivatives with ethyl acetoacetate in neutral ionic liquid [emim]BF4 was studied. All reactions were carried out under mild reaction conditions and achieved high yields. Moreover, the ionic liquid containing L-proline could be recycled and reused for several times without noticeably decreasing in productivity. The results show that the L-proline-[emim]BF4 system has a potential in contribution to the development of environmentally friendly and inexpensive processes in organic syntheses.
Coumarins ; chemical synthesis ; Ionic Liquids ; chemistry ; Proline ; chemistry

Biomineralization of Si by plants into phytolith formation and precipitation of Si into clays during weathering are two important processes of silicon's biogeochemical cycle. As a silicon-accumulating plant, the widely distributed and woody Phyllostachys heterocycla var. pubescens (moso bamboo) contributes to storing silicon by biomineralization and, thus, prevents eutrophication of nearby waterbodies through silicon's erosion of soil particles.A study on the organic pool and biological cycle of silicon (Si) of the moso bamboo community was conducted in Wuyishan Biosphere Reserve, China. The results showed that: (1) the standing crop of the moso bamboo community was 13355.4 g/m2, of which 53.61%, 45.82% and 0.56% are represented by the aboveground and belowground parts of moso bamboos, and the understory plants, respectively; (2) the annual net primary production of the community was 2887.1 g/(m2 x a), among which the aboveground part, belowground part, litterfalls, and other fractions, accounted for 55.86%, 35.30%, 4.50% and 4.34%, respectively; (3) silicon concentration in stem, branch, leaf, base of stem, root, whip of bamboos, and other plants was 0.15%, 0.79%, 3.10%, 4.40%, 7.32%, 1.52% and 1.01%, respectively; (4) the total Si accumulated in the standing crop of moso bamboo community was 448.91 g/m2, with 99.83% of Si of the total community stored in moso bamboo populations; (5) within moso bamboo community, the annual uptake, retention, and return of Si were 95.75, 68.43, 27.32 g/(m2 x a), respectively; (6) the turnover time of Si, which is the time an average atom of Si remains in the soil before it is recycled into the trees or shrubs, was 16.4 years; (7) the enrichment ratio of Si in the moso bamboo community, which is the ratio of the mean concentration of nutrients in the net primary production to the mean concentration of nutrients in the biomass of a community, was 0.64; and lastly, (8) moso bamboo plants stored about 1.26x10(10) kg of silicon in the organic pool made up by the moso bamboo forests in the subtropical area of China.
Biological Transport ; Biomass ; China ; Ecosystem ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Poaceae ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Silicon ; analysis ; metabolism

An improved approximate entropy (ApEn) is presented and applied to characterize surface electromyography (sEMG) signals. In most previous experiments using nonlinear dynamic analysis, this certain processing was often confronted with the problem of insufficient data points and noisy circumstances, which led to unsatisfactory results. Compared with fractal dimension as well as the standard ApEn, the improved ApEn can extract information underlying sEMG signals more efficiently and accurately. The method introduced here can also be applied to other medium-sized and noisy physiological signals.
Algorithms ; Cluster Analysis ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Electromyography ; methods ; Entropy ; Fractals ; Humans ; Models, Statistical ; Nonlinear Dynamics ; Pattern Recognition, Automated ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

Angiogenesis is required for solid tumor growth and facilitates tumor progression and metastasis. The inhibition effects of O-(chloroacetyl-carbamoyl) fumagillol (TNP-470), an angiogenesis inhibitor, and gemcitabine, a chemotherapeutic agent, on expression of growth factors were investigated using human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line, A549. The A549 cells were divided into four groups: control group, 10(-6) mg/ml gemcitabine treated group, 10(-4) mg/ml TNP-470 treated group and gemcitabine+TNP-470 treated group. The mRNA and protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors, FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (FLT-1) and kinase insert domain-containing receptor (KDR), in different groups were measured. The growth of A549 cell cultured with gemcitabine or TNP-470 was inhibited in an almost dose-dependent manner. Although gemcitabine (10(-6) mg/ml) alone and TNP-470 (10(-4) mg/ml) alone had no effect on the mRNA and protein expression of VEGF and its receptors (FLT-1, KDR) in A549 cells compared to the control (P>0.05), 10(-6) mg/ml gemcitabine in combination with 10(-4) mg/ml TNP-470 had significant effect (P<0.01). Moreover, combination of the two drugs significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of VEGF, FLT-1 and KDR compared to either drug alone (P<0.05). This study suggests that combined treatment with TNP-470 plus gemcitabine may augment the antiangiogenic and antineoplastic effects in lung cancer cells in vitro.
Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclohexanes ; administration & dosage ; Deoxycytidine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Disease Progression ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Sesquiterpenes ; administration & dosage ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; biosynthesis ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 ; biosynthesis ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 ; biosynthesis

<b>BACKGROUND AND AIMb>The Krüppel-like transcription factor KLF6 is a novel tumor-suppressor gene. It was inactivated in human prostate cancer and other tumors tissue, as the result of frequent mutation and loss of heterozygosity (LOH). However, there is no data reporting the levels of KLF6 both mRNA and protein in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). We therefore detected mutations and expression of KLF6 in HCC tissues and further observed the effect of it on cell growth in HCC cell lines.

<b>METHODSb>We analyzed the exon-2 of KLF6 gene by direct DNA sequencing, and detected the expression of KLF6 by RT-PCR and Western blot in 23 HCC tissues and corresponding nontumorous tissues. Loss of growth suppressive effect of the HCC-derived KLF6 mutant was characterized by in vitro growth curves plotted, flow cytometry and Western blotting.

<b>RESULTSb>KLF6 mutations were found in 2 of 23 HCC tissues and one of mutations was missense. Expression of KLF6 mRNA or protein was down-regulated in 8 (34.7%) or 9 (39.1%) of 23 HCC tissues. Wild-type KLF6 (wtKLF6) inhibited cellular proliferation and prolonged G1-S transition by inducing the expression of p21WAF1 following stable transfection into cultured HepG2 cells, but tumor-derived KLF6 mutant (mKLF6) had no effects.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>Our findings suggest that KLF6 may be involved in pathogenesis of HCC.

Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; pathology ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Kruppel-Like Factor 6 ; Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors ; genetics ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Mutation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Transfection

<b>OBJECTIVEb>Study blood vessel injury and gene expression indicating vascular endothelial cell apoptosis induced by mannitol with and without administration of anti-oxidative vitamins.

<b>METHODSb>Healthy rabbits were randomly divided into four groups. Mannitol was injected into the vein of the rabbit ear in each animal. Pre-treatment prior to mannitol injection was performed with normal saline (group B), vitamin C (group C) and vitamin E (group D). Blood vessel injury was assessed under electron and light microscopy. In a second experiment, cell culture specimen of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were treated with mannitol. Pre-treatment was done with normal saline (sample B), vitamin C (sample C) and vitamin E (sample D). Total RNA was extracted with the original single step procedure, followed by hybridisation and analysis of gene expression.

<b>RESULTSb>In the animal experiment, serious blood vessel injury was seen in group A and group B. Group D showed light injury only, and normal tissue without pathological changes was seen in group C. Of all 330 apoptosis-related genes analysed in human cell culture specimen, no significant difference was seen after pre-treatment with normal saline, compared with the gene chip without pre-treatment. On the gene chip pre-treated with vitamin C, 45 apoptosis genes were down-regulated and 34 anti-apoptosis genes were up-regulated. Pre-treatment with vitamin E resulted in the down-regulation of 3 apoptosis genes.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>Vitamin C can protect vascular endothelial cells from mannitol-induced injury.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; pathology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Mannitol ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Oligonucleotide Probes ; chemistry ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Rabbits ; Vitamins ; metabolism

The use of periosteum-derived progenitor cells (PCs) combined with bioresorbable materials is an attractive approach for tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to characterize the osteogenic differentiation of PC in 3-dimensional (3D) poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) fleeces cultured in medium containing allogeneic human serum. PCs were isolated and expanded in monolayer culture. Expanded cells of passage 3 were seeded into PLGA constructs and cultured in osteogenic medium for a maximum period of 28 d. Morphological, histological and cell viability analyses of three-dimensionally cultured PCs were performed to elucidate osseous synthesis and deposition of a calcified matrix. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of type I collagen, osteocalcin and osteonectin was semi-quantitively evaluated by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The fibrin gel immobilization technique provided homogeneous PCs distribution in 3D PLGA constructs. Live-dead staining indicated a high viability rate of PCs inside the PLGA scaffolds. Secreted nodules of neo-bone tissue formation and the presence of matrix mineralization were confirmed by positive von Kossa staining. The osteogenic differentiation of PCs was further demonstrated by the detection of type I collagen, osteocalcin and osteonectin gene expression. The results of this study support the concept that this tissue engineering method presents a promising method for creation of new bone in vivo.
Biocompatible Materials ; Bone Development ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Survival ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen ; chemistry ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Models, Statistical ; Osteogenesis ; Periosteum ; metabolism ; Polyglycolic Acid ; chemistry ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Tissue Engineering

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute a novel, extensive class of small RNAs (approximately 21 nucleotides), and play important gene-regulation roles during growth and development in various organisms. Here we conducted a homology search to identify homologs of previously validated miRNAs from silkworm genome. We identified 24 potential miRNA genes, and gave each of them a name according to the common criteria. Interestingly, we found that a great number of newly identified miRNAs were conserved in silkworm and Drosophila, and family alignment revealed that miRNA families might possess single nucleotide polymorphisms. miRNA gene clusters and possible functions of complement miRNA pairs are discussed.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Bombyx ; Cluster Analysis ; Computational Biology ; methods ; Drosophila melanogaster ; Genetic Complementation Test ; Genome ; MicroRNAs ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Multigene Family ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; Software ; Thermodynamics