Colostomy is a simple and effective procedure for severe chronic radiation proctitis

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of diverting colostomy in treating severe hemorrhagic chronic radiation proctitis(CRP). METHODS: Patients with severe hemorrhagic CRP who were admitted from 2008 to 2014 were enrolled into this study. All CRP patients were diagnosed by a combination of pelvic radiation history, clinical rectal bleeding, and endoscopic findings. Inclusion criteria were CRP patients with refractory bleeding with moderate to severe anemia with a hemoglobin level < 90 g/L. The study group included patients who were treated by diverting colostomy, while the control group included patients who received conservative treatment. The remission of bleeding was defined as complete cessation or only occasional bleeding that needed no further treatment. The primary outcome was bleeding remission at 6 mo after treatment. Quality of life beforetreatment and at follow-up was evaluated according to EORTC QLQ C30. Severe CRP complications were recorded during follow-up.RESULTS: Forty-seven consecutive patients were enrolled, including 22 in the colostomy group and 27 in the conservative treatment group. When compared to conservative treatment, colostomy obtained a higher rate of bleeding remission(94% vs 12%), especially in control of transfusion-dependent bleeding(100% vs 0%), and offered a better control of refractory perianal pain(100% vs 0%), and a lower score of bleeding(P < 0.001) at 6 mo after treatment. At 1 year after treatment, colostomy achieved better remission of both moderate bleeding(100% vs 21.5%, P = 0.002) and severe bleeding(100% vs 0%, P < 0.001), obtained a lower score of bleeding(0.8 vs 2.0, P < 0.001), and achieved obvious elevated hemoglobin levels(P = 0.003), when compared to the conservative treatment group. The quality of life dramatically improved after colostomy, which included global health, function, and symptoms, but it was not improved in the control group. Pathological evaluation after colostomy found diffused chronic inflammation cells, and massive fibrosis collagen depositions under the rectal wall, which revealed potential fibrosis formation. CONCLUSION: Diverting colostomy is a simple, effective and safe procedure for severe hemorrhagic CRP. Colostomy can improve quality of life and reduce serious complications secondary to radiotherapy.

Formalin irrigation for hemorrhagic chronic radiation proctitis

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of a modified topical formalin irrigation method in refractory hemorrhagic chronic radiation proctitis(CRP). METHODS: Patients with CRP who did not respond to previous medical treatments and presented with grade II-III rectal bleeding according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events were enrolled. Patients with anorectal strictures, deep ulcerations, and fistulas were excluded. All patients underwent flexible endoscopic evaluation before treatment. Patient demographics and clinical data, including primary tumor, radiotherapy and previous treatment options, were collected. Patients received topical 4% formalin irrigation in a clasp-knife position under spinal epidural anesthesia in the operating room. Remission of rectal bleeding and related complications were recorded. Defecation, remission of bleeding, and other symptoms were investigated at follow-up. Endoscopic findings in patients with rectovaginal fistulas were analyzed.RESULTS: Twenty-four patients(19 female, 5 male) with a mean age of 61.5 ± 9.5 years were enrolled. The mean time from the end of radiotherapy to the onset of bleeding was 11.1 ± 9.0 mo(range: 2-24 mo). Six patients(25.0%) were blood transfusion dependent. The median preoperative Vienna Rectoscopy Score(VRS) was 3 points. Nineteen patients(79.2%) received only one course of topical formalin irrigation, and five(20.8%) required a second course. No side effects were observed. One month after treatment, bleeding cessation was complete in five patients and obvious in14; the effectiveness rate was 79.1%(19/24). For longterm efficacy, 5/16, 1/9 and 0/6 patients complained of persistent bleeding at 1, 2 and 5 years after treatment, respectively. Three rectovaginal fistulas were found at 1 mo, 3 mo and 2 years after treatment. Univariate analysis showed associations of higher endoscopic VRS and ulceration score with risk of developing rectovaginal fistula. CONCLUSION: Modified formalin irrigation is an effective and safe method for hemorrhagic CRP, but should be performed cautiously in patients with a high endoscopic VRS.

Efficacy and complications of argon plasma coagulation for hemorrhagic chronic radiation proctitis

BACKGROUND Chronic radiation proctitis(CRP) is a complication which occurs in 1%-5% of patients who undergo radiotherapy for pelvic malignancies. Although a wide range of therapeutic modalities are available, there is no literature to date showing any particularly appropriate therapeutic modality for each disease stage. Argon plasma coagulation(APC) is currently recommended as the firstchoice treatment for hemorrhagic CRP, however, its indication based on longterm follow-up is still unclear. On the hypothesis that the long-term efficacy and safety of APC are not fully understood, we reviewed APC treatment for patients with hemorrhagic CRP from a single center.AIM To assess the long-term efficacy and safety of APC for hemorrhagic CRP.METHODS This is a retrospective study of consecutive patients treated with APC for hemorrhagic CRP from January 2013 to October 2017. Demographics, clinical variables, and typical endoscopic features were recorded independently. Success was defined as either cessation of bleeding or only occasional traces of bloody stools with no further treatments for at least 12 mo after the last APC treatment.We performed univariate and multivariate analyses to identify factors associated with success and risk factors for fistulas.RESULTS Forty-five patients with a median follow-up period of 24 mo(range: 12-67 mo)were enrolled. Fifteen(33.3%) patients required blood transfusion before APC.Successful treatment with APC was achieved in 31(68.9%) patients. The mean number of APC sessions was 1.3(1-3). Multivariate analysis showed that APC failure was independently associated with telangiectasias present on more than50% of the surface area [odds ratio(OR) = 6.53, 95% confidence interval(CI): 1.09-39.19, P = 0.04] and ulcerated area greater than 1 cm^2(OR = 8.15, 95%CI: 1.63-40.88, P = 0.01). Six(13.3%) patients had severe complications involving rectal fistulation. The only factor significantly associated with severe complications was ulcerated area greater than 1 cm^2(P = 0.035).CONCLUSION The long-term efficacy of APC for hemorrhagic CRP is uncertain in patients with telangiectasias present on > 50% of the surface area and ulceration > 1 cm^2.

Prognostic value of preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen/tumor size in rectal cancer

BACKGROUND Carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)is a commonly used biomarker in colorectal cancer.However,controversy exists regarding the insufficient prognostic value of preoperative serum CEA alone in rectal cancer.Here,we combined preoperative serum CEA and the maximum tumor diameter to correct the CEA level,which may better reflect the malignancy of rectal cancer.AIM To assess the prognostic impact of preoperative CEA/tumor size in rectal cancer.METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 696 stage I to III rectal cancer patients who underwent curative tumor resection from 2007 to 2012.These patients were randomly divided into two cohorts for cross-validation:training cohort and validation cohort.The training cohort was used to generate an optimal cutoff point and the validation cohort was used to further validate the model.Maximally selected rank statistics were used to identify the optimum cutoff for CEA/tumor size.The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to plot the survival curve and to compare the survival data.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the prognostic value of CEA/tumor size.The primary and secondary outcomes were overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS),respectively.RESULTS In all,556 patients who satisfied both the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included and randomly divided into the training cohort(2/3 of 556,n=371)and the validation cohort(1/3 of 556,n=185).The cutoff was 2.429 ng/mL per cm.Comparison of the baseline data showed that high CEA/tumor size was correlated with older age,high TNM stage,the presence of perineural invasion,high CEA,and high carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA 19-9).Kaplan-Meier curves showed a manifest reduction in 5-year OS(training cohort:56.7%vs 81.1%,P<0.001;validation cohort:58.8%vs 85.6%,P<0.001)and DFS(training cohort:52.5%vs 71.9%,P=0.02;validation cohort:50.3%vs 79.3%,P=0.002)in the high CEA/tumor size group compared with the low CEA/tumor size group.Univariate and multivariate analyses identified CEA/tumor size as an independent prognostic factor for OS(training cohort:hazard ratio(HR)=2.18,95%confidence interval(CI):1.28-3.73,P=0.004;validation cohort:HR=4.83,95%CI:2.21-10.52,P<0.001)as well as DFS(training cohort:HR=1.47,95%CI:0.93-2.33,P=0.096;validation cohort:HR=2.61,95%CI:1.38-4.95,P=0.003).CONCLUSION Preoperative CEA/tumor size is an independent prognostic factor for patients with stage I-III rectal cancer.Higher CEA/tumor size is associated with worse OS and DFS.

MiR-34a overexpression enhances the inhibitory effect of doxorubicin on HepG2 cells

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the third leading cause of death from malignant tumors worldwide. More than 50% of HCC cases occur in China. The prognosis remains poor and overall efficacy is still unsatisfactory. Chemotherapy resistance is the most important reason for the poor outcome. Much progress has been made in the study of chemotherapy resistance of HCC;however, the specific mechanisms of progression of HCC have still only been partially established.Therefore, the mechanism of chemotherapy resistance in HCC requires more research.AIM To investigate the effect of miR-34 a expression on the growth inhibition of HepG2 cells by doxorubicin.METHODS A recombinant lentiviral vector containing miR-34 a was constructed and transfected into HepG2 cells. The expression of miR-34 a was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(commonly known as RT-PCR) before and after transfection. Cells were exposed to 2 μM doxorubicin or phosphatebuffered saline before and after transfection. Cell viability in each group was detected by MTT assay, and cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. Changes in expression levels of phospho(p)-p53, sirtuin(SIRT) 1,cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase(CDK) 4, CDK6, BCL-2, multidrug resistance protein(MDR) 1/P glycoprotein(P-gp), and AXL were detected by Western blotting.RESULTS Recombinant lentiviral vector LV-hsa-mir-34 a was successfully constructed by restriction endonuclease digestion and sequencing. RT-PCR showed that expression of miR-34 a in HepG2 cells was significantly upregulated after transfection(P < 0.01). MTT assay showed that growth of HepG2 cells was inhibited after upregulation of miR-34 a, and viability was significantly decreased after combined treatment with doxorubicin(P < 0.01). Flow cytometry showed that the number of HepG2 cells in G1 phase increased, and G1 phase arrest was more obvious after intervention with doxorubicin(P < 0.01). The apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells was increased after upregulation of miR-34 a, and became more obvious after intervention with doxorubicin(P < 0.01). Western blotting showed that upregulation of miR-34 a combined with treatment with doxorubicin caused significant changes in the expression levels of p-p53, SIRT1, cyclin D1, CDK4,CDK6, BCL-2, MDR1/P-gp and AXL proteins(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION MiR-34 a may enhance the inhibitory effect of doxorubicin by downregulating MDR1/P-gp and AXL, which may be related to p53 expression.

Hard X-ray Imager (HXI) onboard the ASO-S mission

Hard X-ray Imager(HXI)is one of the three scientific instruments onboard the Advanced Spacebased Solar Observatory(ASO-S)mission,which is proposed for the 25th solar maximum by the Chinese solar community.HXI is designed to investigate the non-thermal high-energy electrons accelerated in solar flares by providing images of solar flaring regions in the energy range from 30 keV to 200 keV.The imaging principle of HXI is based on spatially modulated Fourier synthesis and utilizes about 91 sets of bi-grid sub-collimators and corresponding LaBr3 detectors to obtain Fourier components with a spatial resolution of about 3 arcsec and a time resolution better than 0.5 s.An engineering prototype has been developed and tested to verify the feasibility of design.In this paper,we present background,instrument design and the development and test status of the prototype.

Risk factors for sporadic colorectal cancer in southern Chinese

AIM:To investigate the role of smoking, alcohol drinking, family history of cancer, and body mass index(BMI) in sporadic colorectal cancer in southern Chinese.METHODS:A hospital-based case-control study was conducted from July 2002 to December 2008.There were 706 cases and 723 controls with their sex and age(within 5 years) matched.An unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between smoking, alcohol drinking, family history of cancer, BMI and sporadic colorectal cancer.RESULTS:No positive association was observed between smoking status and sporadic colorectal cancer risk.Compared with the non alcohol drinkers, the current and former alcohol drinkers had an increased risk of developing sporadic colorectal cancer(CRC)(adjusted OR = 8.61 and 95% CI = 6.15-12.05;adjusted OR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.27-4.17).Moreover, the increased risk of developing sporadic CRC was significant in those with a positive family history of cancer(adjusted OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.12-3.34) and in those with their BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m2(adjusted OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.10-1.75).Stratification analysis showed that the risk of developing both colon and rectal cancers was increased in current alcohol drinkers(adjusted OR = 7.60 and 95% CI = 5.13-11.25;adjusted OR = 7.52 and 95% CI = 5.13-11.01) and in those with their BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m2(adjusted OR = 1.38 and 95% CI = 1.04-1.83;adjusted OR = 1.35 and 95% CI = 1.02-1.79).The risk of developing colon cancer, but not rectal cancer, was found in former alcohol drinkers and in those with a positive family history of cancer(adjusted OR = 2.51 and 95% CI = 1.24-5.07;adjusted OR = 1.82 and 95% CI = 1.17-2.82).CONCLUSION:Alcohol drinking, high BMI(≥ 24.0 kg/m2) and positive family history of cancer are the independent risk factors for colorectal cancer in southern Chinese.

Notch1 downregulation combined with interleukin-24 inhibits invasion and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells

AIM: To confirm the anti-invasion and anti-migration effects of down-regulation of Notch1 combined with interleukin(IL)-24 in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) cells.METHODS: γ-secretase inhibitors(GSIs) were used to down-regulate Notch1.Hep G2 and SMMC7721 cells were seeded in 96-well plates and treated with GSI-I or/and IL-24 for 48 h.Cell viability was measured by MTT assay.The cellular and nuclear morphology was observed under a fluorescence microscope.To further verify the apoptotic phenotype,cell cultures were also analyzed by flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining.The expression of Notch1,SNAIL1,SNAIL2,E-cadherin,IL-24,XIAP and VEGF was detected by Western blot.The invasion and migration capacities of HCC cells were detected by wound healing assays.Notch1 and Snail were downregulated by RNA interference,and the target proteins were analyzed by Western blot.To investigate the mechanism of apoptosis,we analyzed Hep G2 cells treated with si Notch1 or si CON plus IL-24 or not for 48h by caspase-3/7 activity luminescent assay.RESULTS: GSI-I at a dose of 2.5 μmol/L for 24 h caused a reduction in cell viability of about 38% in Hep G2 cells.The addition of 50 ng/m L IL-24 in combination with 1 or 2.5 μmol/L GSI-I reduced cell viability of about 30% and 15%,respectively.Treatment with IL-24 alone did not induce any cytotoxic effect.In SMMC7721 cells with the addition of IL-24 to GSI-I(2.5 μmol/L),the reduction of cell viability was only about 25%.Following GSI-I/IL-24 combined treatment for 6 h,the apoptotic rate of Hep G2 cells was 47.2%,while no significant effect was observed in cells treated with the compounds employed separately.Decreased expression of Notch1 and its associated proteins SNAIL1 and SNAIL2 was detected in Hep G2 cells.Increased E-cadherin protein expression was noted in the presence of IL-24 and GSI-I.Furthermore,the increased GSI-I and IL-24 in Hep G2 cell was associated with downregulation of MMP-2,XIAP and VEGF.In the absence of treatment,Hep G2 cells could migrate into the scratched space in 24 h.With IL-24 or GSI-I treatment,the wound was still open after 24 h.And the distance of the wound closure strongly correlated with the concentrations of IL-24 and GSI-I.Treatment of Notch-1 silenced Hep G2 cells with 50 ng/m L IL-24 alone for 48 h induced cytotoxic effects very similar to those observed in non-silenced cells treated with GSI-I/IL-24 combination.Caspase-3/7 activity was increased in the presence of si Notch1 plus IL-24 treatment.CONCLUSION: Down-regulation of Notch1 by GSI-I or si RNA combined with IL-24 can sensitize apoptosis and decrease the invasion and migration capabilities of Hep G2 cells.

Prevalence of Three Shrimp Viruses in Zhejiang Province in 2008

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV),Taura syndrome virus (TSV) and Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) are three shrimp viruses responsible for major pandemics affecting the shrimp farming industry. Shrimps samples were collected from 12 farms in Zhejiang province,China,in 2008 and analyzed by PCR to determine the prevalence of these viruses. From the 12 sampling locations,8 farms were positive for WSSV,8 for IHHNV and 6 for both WSSV and IHHNV. An average percentage of 57.4% of shrimp individuals were infected with WSSV,while 49.2% were infected with IHHNV. A high prevalence of co-infection with WSSV and IHHNV among samples was detected from the following samples:Bingjiang (93.3%),liuao (66.7%),Jianshan (46.7%) and Xianxiang (46.7%). No samples exhibited evidence of infection with TSV in collected samples. This study provides comprehensive information of the prevalence of three shrimp viruses in Zhejiang and may be helpful for disease prevention control in this region.

Clinicopathological characteristics and surgical outcomes of sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the sixth most common type of cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.Sarcomatoid HCC,which contains poorly differentiated carcinomatous and sarcomatous components,is a rare histological subtype of HCC that differs from conventional HCC.It is highly aggressive and has a poor prognosis.Its clinicopathological characteristics,surgical outcomes and underlying mechanisms of its highly aggressive nature have not been fully elucidated.AIM To examine the clinicopathological characteristics and surgical outcomes of sarcomatoid HCC and explore the histogenesis of sarcomatoid HCC.METHODS In total,196 patients[41 sarcomatoid HCC and 155 high-grade(Edmondson-Steiner grade III or IV)HCC]who underwent surgical resection between 2007 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed.The characteristics and surgical outcomes of sarcomatoid HCC were compared with those of patients with high-grade HCC.The histological composition of invasive and metastatic sarcomatoid HCCs was evaluated.RESULTS Sarcomatoid HCC was more frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage with a larger tumor and higher rates of nonspecific symptom,adjacent organ invasion and lymph node metastasis than high-grade HCC(all P<0.05).Compared with high-grade HCC patients,sarcomatoid HCC patients are less likely to have typical dynamic imaging features of HCC(44.4%vs 72.7%,P=0.001)and elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein levels(>20 ng/mL;36.6%vs 78.7%,P<0.001).The sarcomatoid group had a significantly shorter median recurrence-free survival(5.6 mo vs 16.4 mo,log-rank P<0.0001)and overall survival(10.5 mo vs 48.1 mo,log-rank P<0.0001)than the high-grade group.After controlling for confounding factors,the sarcomatoid subtype was identified as an independent predictor of poor prognosis.Pathological analyses indicated that invasive and metastatic lesions were mainly composed of carcinomatous components.CONCLUSION Sarcomatoid HCC was associated with a more advanced stage,atypical dynamic imaging,lower serum alpha-fetoprotein levels and a worse prognosis.The highly aggressive nature of sarcomatoid HCC is perhaps mediated by carcinomatous components.

The first data release(DR1) of the LAMOST regular survey

The Large sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope（LAMOST） general survey is a spectroscopic survey that will eventually cover approximately half of the celestial sphere and collect 10 million spectra of stars, galaxies and QSOs. Objects in both the pilot survey and the first year regular survey are included in the LAMOST DR1. The pilot survey started in October 2011 and ended in June 2012, and the data have been released to the public as the LAMOST Pilot Data Release in August 2012. The regular survey started in September 2012, and completed its first year of operation in June 2013. The LAMOST DR1 includes a total of 1202 plates containing 2 955 336 spectra, of which 1 790 879 spectra have observed signalto-noise ratio（SNR） ≥ 10. All data with SNR ≥ 2 are formally released as LAMOST DR1 under the LAMOST data policy. This data release contains a total of 2 204 696 spectra, of which 1 944 329 are stellar spectra, 12 082 are galaxy spectra and 5017 are quasars. The DR1 not only includes spectra, but also three stellar catalogs with measured parameters： late A,FGK-type stars with high quality spectra（1 061 918 entries）, A-type stars（100 073 entries）, and M-type stars（121 522 entries）. This paper introduces the survey design, the observational and instrumental limitations, data reduction and analysis, and some caveats. A description of the FITS structure of spectral files and parameter catalogs is also provided.

Association of perioperative blood pressure with long-term survival in rectal cancer patients

Background:Several studies suggested that hypertension is positively related to cancer incidence and mortality.In this study,we investigated the association between perioperative blood pressure(BP) and long?term survival out?comes in patients with rectal cancer.Methods:This study included a cohort of 358 patients with stages I–III rectal cancer who underwent a curative resection between June 2007 and June 2011.Both pre? and postoperative BPs were measured,by which patients were grouped(low BP:<120/80 mm Hg;high BP:ints were di≥120/80 mm Hg).The survival outcomes were compared between these two groups.The primary endposease?free survival(DFS) and cancer?specific survival(CSS).Results:Univariate analysis showed that patients with high preoperative systolic BP had lower 3?year DFS(67.2% vs.82.1%,P = 0.041) and CSS rates(81.9% vs.94.8%,P = 0.003) than patients with low preoperative systolic BP,and the associations remained significant in the Cox multivariate analysis,with the adjusted hazard ratios equal to 1.97 [95% confidence interval(CI) = 1.08–3.60,P = 0.028] and 2.85(95% CI = 1.00–8.25,P = 0.050),respectively.Similarly,in postoperative evaluation,patients with high systolic BP had significantly lower 3?year CSS rates than those with low systolic BP(78.3% vs.88.9%,P = 0.032) in univariate analysis.Moreover,high pre? and/or postoperative systolic BP presented as risk factors for CSS in the subgroups of patients who did not have a history of hypertension,with and/or without perioperative administration of antihypertensive drugs.Conclusions:High preoperative systolic BP was an independent risk factor for both CSS and DFS rates,and high postoperative systolic BP was significantly associated with a low CSS rate in rectal cancer patients.Additionally,our results suggest that rectal cancer patients may get survival benefit from BP control in perioperative care.However,further studies should be conducted to determine the association between BP and CSS and targets of BP control.

Site-directed mutagenesis identified the key active site residues of alcohol acyltransferase PpAAT1 responsible for aroma biosynthesis in peach fruits

The aroma of peach fruit is predominantly determined by the accumulation of γ-decalactone and ester compounds.A previous study showed that the biosynthesis of these aroma compounds in peach fruit is catalyzed by PpAAT1,an alcohol acyltransferase.In this work,we investigated the key active site residues responsible for γ-decalactone and ester biosynthesis.A total of 14 candidate amino acid residues possibly involved in internal esterification and 9 candidate amino acid residues possibly involved in esterification of PpAAT1 were assessed via site-directed mutagenesis.Analyses of the in vitro enzyme activities of PpAAT1 and its site-directed mutant proteins(PpAAT1-SMs)with different amino acid residue mutations as well as the contents of γ-decalactone in transgenic tobacco leaves and peach fruits transiently expressing PpAAT1 and PpAAT1-SMs revealed that site-directed mutation of H165 in the conserved HxxxD motif led to lost enzymatic activity of PpAAT1 in both internal esterification and its reactions,whereas mutation of the key amino acid residue D376 led to the total loss ofγ-decalactone biosynthesis activity of PpAAT1.Mutations of 9 and 7 other amino acid residues also dramatically affected the enzymatic activity of PpAAT1 in the internal esterification and esterification reactions,respectively.Our findings provide a biochemical foundation for the mechanical biosynthesis ofγ-decalactone and ester compounds catalyzed by PpAAT1 in peach fruits,which could be used to guide the molecular breeding of new peach species with more favorable aromas for consumers.

Data release of the LAMOST pilot survey

This paper describes the data release of the LAMOST pilot survey, which includes data reduction, calibration, spectral analysis, data products and data access. The accuracy of the released data and the information about the FITS headers of spectra are also introduced. The released data set includes 319 000 spectra and a catalog of these objects.

Design and verification of the HXI collimator on the ASO-S mission

A space-borne hard X-ray collimator,comprising 91 pairs of grids,has been developed for the Hard X-ray Imager(HXI).The HXI is one of the three scientific instruments onboard the first Chinese solar mission:the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory(ASO-S).The HXI collimator(HXI-C)is a spatial modulation X-ray telescope designed to observe hard X-rays emitted by energetic electrons in solar flares.This paper presents the detailed design of the HXI-C for the qualification model that will be inherited by the flight model.Series tests on the HXI-C qualification model are reported to verify the ability of the HXI-C to survive the launch and to operate normally in on-orbit environments.Furthermore,results of the X-ray beam test for the HXI-C are presented to indirectly identify the working performance of the HXI-C.

Expression of TAC1 and Its Receptors TACR1,TACR2,TACR3 Genes in Different Goat Tissues Under Different Photoperiods

This study was conducted to analyze the regulation mechanisms of TAC1,TACR1,TACR2 and TACR3 genes on reproduction of goat under different photoperiods. The expression conditions of TAC1,TACR1,TACR2 and TACR3 genes in 12 tissues( oviduct,ovary,uterus,gluteus,mesenteric fat,brain,cerebellum,medulla oblongata,hart,lung,liver,kidney) of adult Henan Huai goat under different photoperiods( short day light,Light 8 h∶ dark 16 h,and long day light,light 16 h∶ dark 8 h) were analyzed by q-PCR method. TAC1,TACR1,TACR2 and TACR3 genes were expressed in all the 12 tissues of goats,with different expression characteristics; and the expression levels of all the genes were affected by photoperiod and changing of light signal between light and dark under short photoperiod. Shifting of light signal from dark to light was more conductive to the expression of these genes in all tissues than that of light signal from light to dark.There were significant differences in the expression levels of genes between light shifting from light to dark and from dark to light when the genes were expressed at a higher level in some tissues. TAC1 and TACR2 genes were expressed at a higher level than TACR1 and TACR3 genes in the various tissues,which implied that TACR2 is a receptor given priority to combine with TAC1 when TAC1 is functional.

Progesterone is neuroprotective by inhibiting cerebral edema after ischemia

Ischemic edema can alter the structure and permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Recent studies have reported that progesterone reduces cerebral edema after cerebral ischemia. However, the underlying mechanism of this effect has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, progesterone effectively reduced Evans blue extravasation in the ischemic penumbra, but not in the ischemic core, 48 hours after cerebral ischemia in rats. Progesterone also inhibited the down-regulation of gene and protein levels of occludin and zonula occludens-1 in the penumbra. These results indicate that progesterone may effectively inhibit the down-regulation of tight junctions, thereby maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier and reducing cerebral edema.

Hepatocyte isolation from resected benign tissues: Results of a 5-year experience

AIM To analyze retrospectively a 5-year experience of human hepatocyte isolation from resected liver tissues with benign disease.METHODS We established a method of modified four-step retrograde perfusion to isolate primary human hepatocytes. Samples were collected from the resected livers of patients with intrahepatic duct calculi(n = 7) and liver hemangioma(n = 17). Only the samples weighing ≥ 15 g were considered suitable for hepatocyte isolation. By using the standard trypan blue exclusion technique, hepatocyte viability and yield were immediately determined after isolation.RESULTS Twenty-four liver specimens, weighing 15-42 g, were immediately taken from the margin of the removed samples and transferred to the laboratory for hepatocyte isolation. Warm ischemia time was 5-35 min and cold ischemia time was 15-45 min. For the 7 samples of intrahepatic duct calculi, the method resulted in a hepatocyte yield of 3.49 ± 2.31 × 10~6 hepatocytes/g liver, with 76.4% ± 10.7% viability. The 17 samples of liver hemangioma had significantly higher yield of cells(5.4 ± 1.71 × 10~6 cells/g vs 3.49 ± 2.31 × 10~6 cells/g, P < 0.05) than the samples of intrahepatic duct calculi. However, there seems to be no clear difference in cell viability(80.3% ± 9.67% vs 76.4% ± 10.7%, P > 0.05). We obtained a cell yield of 5.31 ± 1.87 × 10~6 hepatocytes/g liver when the samples weighed > 20 g. However, for the tissues weighing ≤ 20 g, a reduction in yield was found(3.08 ± 1.86 × 10~6 cells/g vs 5.31 ± 1.87 × 10~6 cells/g, P < 0.05).CONCLUSION Benign diseased livers are valuable sources for largenumber hepatocyte isolation. Our study represents the largest number of primary human hepatocytes isolated from resected specimens from patients with benign liver disease. We evaluated the effect of donor liver characteristics on cell isolation, and we found that samples of liver hemangioma can provide better results than intrahepatic duct calculi, in terms of cell yield. Furthermore, the size of the tissues can affect the outcome of hepatocyte isolation.

Polysubstituted Phenyl Glucosides Produced by the Fungus Metarrhizium anisopliae

MetarhizosidesA-G(1-7),seven new polysubstituted phenyl glucosides,were isolated from the extracts of solid rice medium of a marine-derived fungus Metarrhizium anisopliae.Compounds 1-7 all contain a polysubstituted phenyl group and the sugar unit is identified as 4'-O-methyl-β-D-glucopyranose.Their structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy and chemical method.These compounds were evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity by using LPS-stimulated murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells and the cytotoxicities against four human cancer cell lines.