Evaluation of cisplatin-hydrogel for improving localized antitumor efficacy in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer, one of the most common disease, has become a major public health problem worldwide. Cisplatin (DDP) has been a widely used drug for the treatment of cancer, also usually applied in gastric cancer in clinic. However, the side effects including toxicity and drug-resistance restricted the usage of DDP in clinic, so we prepared a DDP-complexed hydrogel (DDP-Gel) and investigated its efficacy in gastric cancer. For in vivo studies, MKN45-Luc cells were injected into BLAB/C node mice subcutaneously to establish gastric cancer with orthotopically grown tumors. Mice bearing tumors were treated with normal saline, DDP and DDP-Gel. Body weight and survival condition were observed and recorded. The treatment efficacy in vivo was detected by luciferase imaging and histological evaluation was performed by H&E staining of different organs. Additionally, normal ICR mice were treated with different doses of DDP/DDP-Gel to calculate their LD₅₀ in vivo. The results showed that DDP-Gel prolonged survival time and ameliorated body weight changes of mice bearing tumors. DDP-Gel exhibited higher efficacy to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis, compared to DDP. Besides, LD₅₀ of DDP-Gel was 166.0?mg/kg, 13.2 folds higher than DDP. As a conclusion, DDP-Gel showed a more effective and safer function than DDP in gastric cancer, which indicating that DDP-Gel might be a novel strategy for gastric cancer therapy.     

Food-grade titanium dioxide decreases hematocrit and hemoglobin and increases compulsive-like behavior in male mice

Food-grade titanium dioxide (E171) is widely used as a food additive, and it is known that after oral consumption, E171 is translocated into the bloodstream reaching the highest titanium level at 6 h. E171 is accumulated in some organs triggering toxicity, but the effects on the blood parameters after oral consumption have been less studied. Recently, evidence shows that oral exposure to E171 induces behavioral signs of anxiety and depression. The relation between blood alterations and psychiatric disorders has been previously demonstrated. However, the oral exposure to E171 effects on alterations in blood parameters and effects linked to alterations in animal behavior has not been explored. In this short communication, we aimed to investigate the effects of E171 on specific blood parameters (hematocrit, hemoglobin, number of erythrocytes, and leukocytes) and anxiety and compulsive-like behavior in males and females orally exposed to ~5 mg/kg for 4 weeks. The results showed that E171 decreased hematocrit and hemoglobin in male but not in female mice while leukocyte and erythrocyte count remained unaltered. Oral consumption of E171 decreased the levels of anxiety-like behavior in females but not in male mice, while compulsive-like behavior was increased in both male and female mice.     

血清窖蛋白-1在慢性阻塞性肺疾病相关肺动脉高压患者中的表达及意义

目的 研究血清窖蛋白-1 （Cav-1） 在慢性阻塞性肺疾病 （COPD） 相关肺动脉高压 （PAH） 患者中的表达及其意义。方法 选取稳定期COPD患者65例， 根据是否合并PAH分成COPD组 ［肺动脉收缩压 （PASP） ＜40 mmHg， 35例］ 及COPD-PAH组 （PASP ≥40 mmHg， 30例）。另选取在本院健康体检的志愿者30例作为对照组。对比各组基线资料、 动脉血气分析、 肺功能指标， 以及血清Cav-1、 白细胞介素 （IL） -6和肿瘤坏死因子-α （TNF-α） 的表达水平。绘制受试者工作特征 （ROC） 曲线， 评价Cav-1对COPD合并PAH的诊断价值。结果 COPD-PAH组与COPD组第一秒用力呼吸容积 （FEV1） /用力肺活量 （FVC）、 FEV1占预计值百分比 （FEV1%） 及氧分压 ［p （O2 ）］ 低于对照组， 而二氧化碳分压 ［p （CO2 ）］、 PASP均高于对照组 （P＜0.01）。COPD-PAH组p （O2 ） 低于COPD组， p （CO2 ）、 PASP均高于COPD 组 （P＜0.01）。对照组、 COPD组及COPD-PAH组Cav-1表达水平呈逐渐降低趋势， 而IL-6、 TNF-α表达水平呈逐渐升高趋势 （P＜0.01）。血清Cav-1诊断COPD合并PAH的ROC曲线下面积为0.902 （0.821～0.955）， 最佳截断值为 6.66 μg/L， 此时诊断敏感度为76.7%， 特异度为85.7%， 与多普勒超声诊断仪测量PASP结果比较一致性较好 （Kappa 值=0.627）。结论 血清Cav-1在COPD相关PAH患者表达明显下调， 可以作为预测COPD相关PAH的新型血清标志物。     

Magnetic resonance elastography with guided pressure waves

Magnetic resonance elastography aims to non-invasively and remotely characterize the mechanical properties of living tissues. To quantitatively and regionally map the shear viscoelastic moduli in vivo, the technique must achieve proper mechanical excitation throughout the targeted tissues. Although it is straightforward, ante manibus, in close organs such as the liver or the breast, which practitioners clinically palpate already, it is somewhat fortunately highly challenging to trick the natural protective barriers of remote organs such as the brain. So far, mechanical waves have been induced in the latter by shaking the surrounding cranial bones. Here, the skull was circumvented by guiding pressure waves inside the subject's buccal cavity so mechanical waves could propagate from within through the brainstem up to the brain. Repeatable, reproducible and robust displacement fields were recorded in phantoms and in vivo by magnetic resonance elastography with guided pressure waves such that quantitative mechanical outcomes were extracted in the human brain.     

Personal characteristics and school contextual variables associated with student self-determination in Spanish context

Background: Most theoretical models of self-determination suggest that both environmental and personal factors influence the development of self-determination. The design and implementation of interventions must be conducted with foreknowledge of such mediating and moderating factors if the intervention is to be successful.

Methods: The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which several personal factors and school characteristics affect and explain students’ self-determination. A total of 232 students with intellectual disability from Spain participated. Their self-determination level was assessed by the ARC-INICO Scale.

Results: Students with moderate levels of intellectual disability obtained significantly lower scores on self-determination than their peers with mild intellectual disability. There were significant differences in relation to the level of support needs and their experience with transition programs. The level of support needs was a significant predictor.

Conclusion: These findings contribute to current research in this field and practical implications were discussed.