The role of WNT signalling in urothelial cell carcinoma

Urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) of the bladder is one of the most common malignancies, causing considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is unique among the epithelial carcinomas as two distinct pathways to tumourigenesis appear to exist: low grade, recurring papillary tumours usually contain oncogenic mutations in FGFR3 or HRAS whereas high grade, muscle invasive tumours with metastatic potential generally have defects in the pathways controlled by the tumour suppressors p53 and retinoblastoma. Over the last two decades, a number of transgenic mouse models of UCC, containing deletions or mutations of key tumour suppressor genes or oncogenes, have helped us understand the mechanisms behind tumour development. In this summary, I present my work investigating the role of the WNT signalling cascade in UCC.     

Ospemifene plus fractional CO2 laser: a powerful strategy to treat postmenopausal vulvar pain

Abstract

This study is a single-center, retrospective analysis of postmenopausal women presenting with dyspareunia and vulvar pain, aiming to evaluate relative effectiveness of vestibular CO₂ laser therapy as a treatment. Three monthly sessions of laser were performed to each patient and thereafter a three-months follow-up was stablished. A total number of 72 patients undergoing vestibular laser treatment were recruited from patient files in the period between 2016 and 2018. Among these, 39 women also received a concomitant treatment with ospemifene (60?mg/day) during the study period. There was a statistically significant reduction of all the symptoms in both groups up to the three month follow-up. Regarding dryness and dyspareunia, the relief tent to be more prominent in the ospemifene?+?laser group at all follow-ups and remained statistically significant at three-month follow-up. Specifically, vestibular dryness was significantly lower in the ospemifene?+?laser group compared with the laser treatment group (?87% vs???34%, respectively), and the vestibular health score started declining faster in the ospemifene?+?laser group. Although, additional research is needed to understand the mechanism of action, our data shows that a combination regimen of laser and ospemifene may improve clinical effectiveness for long-term treatment of symptoms associated with the under-recognized genitourinary syndrome of menopause.     

Stress Management and Resiliency Training for public school teachers and staff: A novel intervention to enhance resilience and positively impact student interactions

BackgroundBurnout in teachers has been linked to decreased effectiveness as educators, and suboptimal interactions with students. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the outcomes of a brief Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) program for public school staff.Materials and methodsThis single-arm, prospective trial involved an investigation of the effects of a brief SMART program on participant stress, anxiety, resilience, gratitude, happiness, life satisfaction, and quality of life (QOL).ResultsSignificant improvements were noted in participant anxiety (P < 0.001), stress (P = 0.003), gratitude (P = 0.001), happiness (P < 0.001), life satisfaction (P < 0.001), and QOL (P < 0.001). Most participants reported that the skills learned positively affected interactions with students (77.2%) and coworkers (72.2%).ConclusionsThe SMART program showed promising effectiveness for improving anxiety, stress, gratitude, happiness, life satisfaction and QOL. Given the prevalence and impact of teacher burnout, larger, controlled trials and broader dissemination of the intervention are warranted.     

糖尿病小鼠小肠绒毛杯状细胞分泌黏原颗粒的变化

目的：观察糖尿病小鼠小肠绒毛杯状细胞分泌的黏原颗粒是否改变,为进一步研究糖尿病的消化系统并发症提供形态学基础。方法分别选取3,5,8,10月龄db/db糖尿病小鼠及相应年龄段的db/+m正常小鼠,每组6只,标本用4%多聚甲醛灌流固定后,从距Treitz韧带约10 cm处切下一段空肠,用PAS染色方法对小肠杯状细胞分泌的黏原颗粒进行观察。结果糖尿病组小肠绒毛易被破坏,糖尿病组中杯状细胞的分泌物比同月份正常对照组显著增加(P<0.05)；糖尿病组中3月龄的杯状细胞分泌物最多,8月龄最少,并且8月龄分别与3月龄、5月龄比较均存在着显著差异(P<0.05)；正常对照组随月龄增长无显著性差异(P>0.05)。结论糖尿病时杯状细胞分泌物增多可能对小肠绒毛有保护作用。     

不同海拔高原官兵亚健康状态的调查研究

目的：调查研究不同海拔高度官兵的亚健康状态。方法抽取4种海拔(1500、3700、5380、5390 m)的高原边防和后勤官兵共344名，进行康奈尔健康量表测评。测评结果建立数据库，用SPSS 17.0进行数据分析，测量相关数据的前后变化。结果数据结果显示不同海拔高度的官兵健康状况随海拔高度的变化存在差异，而高原边防和后勤官兵的整体健康状况差异不大。结论高原官兵要改善亚健康状态，应该从思想教育，心理调整和保障制度等多方面着手，切实保障官兵健康和提高部队战斗力。     

Characterization of membrane occupation and recognition nexus repeat containing 3, meiosis expressed gene 1 binding partner,in mouse male germ cells

Mammalian spermatogenesis is a well-organized process of cell development and differentiation. Meiosis expressed gene 1 (MEIG1) plays an essential role in the regulation of spermiogenesis. To explore potential mechanisms of MEIG1''s action, a yeast two-hybrid screen was conducted, and several potential binding partners were identified; one of them was membrane occupation and recognition nexus repeat containing 3 (MORN3). MORN3 mRNA is only abundant in mouse testis. In the testis, Morn3 mRNA is highly expressed in the spermiogenesis stage. Specific anti-MORN3 polyclonal antibody was generated against N-terminus of the full-length MORN3 protein, and MORN3 expression and localization was examined in vitro and in vivo. In transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells, the antibody specifically crossed-reacted the full-length MORN3 protein, and immunofluorescence staining revealed that MORN3 was localized throughout the cytoplasm. Among multiple mouse tissues, about 25 kDa protein, was identified only in the testis. The protein was highly expressed after day 20 of birth. Immunofluorescence staining on mixed testicular cells isolated from adult wild-type mice demonstrated that MORN3 was expressed in the acrosome in germ cells throughout spermiogenesis. The protein was also present in the manchette of elongating spermatids. The total MORN3 expression and acrosome localization were not changed in the Meig 1-deficient mice. However, its expression in manchette was dramatically reduced in the mutant mice. Our studies suggest that MORN3 is another regulator for spermatogenesis, probably together with MEIG1.     

嵌顿痔不同治疗方法疗效分析

目的探讨嵌顿痔不同治疗方法的疗效。方法回顾性分析2009年8月至2012年8月迁西县人民医院确诊为嵌顿痔的160例患者的临床资料,其中采取外剥内扎法的80例患者作为A组,吻合器痔上黏膜环切术(PPH)结合外痔血栓剥除术的80例患者作为B组。对比分析两组患者的手术时间、住院时间、住院费用等指标及临床疗效,对比分析两组术后6个月并发症发生情况。结果B组患者的手术时间、住院时间显著少于A组[(15.4±1.1)min比(38.7±0.5)min,(5.3±0.6)d比(12.4±1.3)d,P<0.01];B组患者的有效率显著高于A组(88.8%比66.3%),而总体并发症发生率及复发率显著低于A组(17.5%比33.8%,5%比18.8%,P<0.05)。结论 PPH结合外痔血栓剥除术临床疗效显著。