Conformational Stability of Poly (N-Isopropylacrylamide) Anchored on the Surface of Gold Nanoparticles

To verify the temperature sensitive failure of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) anchored on the surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), the UV-Vis spectra with temperature variations of the following aqueous solutions respectively containing AuNPs-PNIPAM, Au-PNIPAM/PNIPAM, PNIPAM, in different media (including salt, ethanol, HCl and cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB)), were systematically determined. The results indicated that the UV-Vis spectrum of AuNPs-PNIPAM suspension hardly changed even above the Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM, but that of Au-PNIPAM/PNIPAM sharply increased only in absorbance intensity. A possible mechanism of the failed temperature sensitivity of PNIPAM anchored on the surface of AuNPs was proposed. Being different from free PNIPAM molecules, a strong interaction exists among PNIPAM molecules anchored on the surface of AuNPs, restraining the change in conformation of PNIPAM. The temperature sensitivity of Au-PNIPAM/PNIPAM originates from the free PNIPAM molecules rather than the anchored PNIPAM one. The changing electrostatic interaction could effectively regulate the aggregation behavior of AuNPs-PNIPAM and enhance its sensitivity to temperature.     

Single- Versus Double-Unit Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation for Hematologic Diseases: A Systematic Review

Controversial results exist regarding the clinical benefits of single- vs double-unit umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) in patients with hematologic diseases. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate this issue. The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to May 2018. A total of 25 studies including 6571 recipients were identified. Although double-unit UCB contained higher doses of total nucleated cells and CD34⁺ cells, it offered no advantages over single-unit UCB in terms of hematologic recovery, including the rate and speed of neutrophil and platelet engraftment. Double-unit UCBT was associated with higher incidences of grades II-IV acute and extensive chronic graft-vs-host disease, accompanied by a lower relapse incidence, which may be attributed to a graft-vs-graft effect induced by double-unit UCB. However, transplant-related mortality, disease-free survival, and overall survival were comparable between single- and double-unit UCBT. Although double-unit UCBT confers no clinical advantages over single-unit UCBT, certain patients, such as those at high risk of relapse, might benefit from double-unit UCBT, a possibility that needs to be clarified in future randomized trials.     

Differentiation of hepatic abscess from metastasis on contrast-enhanced dynamic computed tomography in patients with a history of extrahepatic malignancy: emphasis on dynamic change of arterial rim enhancement

Abdominal Radiology - The objective of the study is to identify computed tomography (CT) findings that differentiate hepatic abscess from hepatic metastasis in a patient with a history of...     

Three-dimensional echocardiography of mitral Barlow's disease with infective endocarditis: Perforations or cleft-like indentations?

Barlow's disease is a complicated form of degenerative mitral valve (MV) disease. Infective endocarditis (IE) often occurs on the basis of primary heart diseases and may be combined with valve perforations. Cleft-like indentations (CLIs) were suggested by Ring et al. in 2013. They are located at the inter-scallop position and involve at least one-half of the valve. Herein, we report a case of Barlow's disease combined with IE and CLIs, which was confirmed intra-operatively and by histopathological examination. The CLIs were misdiagnosed by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography as perforations, but rightly interpreted by preoperative three-dimensional echocardiography. The possibility of CLIs should be considered in the evaluation of mitral regurgitation caused by myxomatous MV diseases.     

基于信息化的化疗相关性恶心呕吐多维管理模式的构建

目的 构建基于信息化的化疗相关性恶心呕吐的多维管理模式。方法 通过查阅文献、质性访谈、专家会议法开发化疗相关性恶心呕吐症状管理微信公众号,构建基于信息化的医护患共同参与的多维管理模式。结果 建立了化疗相关性恶心呕吐的症状管理平台,包括：患者端微信公众号和医护电脑端,明确了使用方法、医护职责,确定了以症状管理平台为媒介的化疗相关性恶心呕吐的多维管理模式。结论 基于信息化的化疗相关性恶心呕吐的多维管理模式具有较强的科学性和实用性,满足了患者和医护症状管理的需求,及时发现患者有无发生化疗相关性恶心呕吐,给予对应的预防和干预措施,提高患者生活质量,保证化疗顺利进行。     

Mice reconstituted with DNA polymerase beta-deficient fetal liver cells are able to mount a T cell-dependent immune response and mutate their Ig genes normally

The ubiquitously expressed, error-prone DNA polymerase beta (polbeta) plays a role in base excision repair, and the involvement of this molecule in the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) process of DNA repair has recently been demonstrated in yeast. Polbeta-deficient mice are not viable, and studies on conditional mutants revealed a competitive disadvantage of polbeta(-/-) vs. wild-type cells. We show here that polbeta-deficient mice survive up to day 18.5 postcoitum, but die perinatally; a circumstance that allowed the investigation of a potential role of polbeta in lymphocyte development by transfer of fetal liver cells (FLC) derived from polbeta(-/-) embryos into lethally irradiated hosts. FLC transfers using mutant cells lead to an almost normal reconstitution of the lymphocyte compartment, indicating that polbeta-deficiency does not prevent V(D)J recombination, which is known to employ factors of the NHEJ pathway. Mice reconstituted with polbeta(-/-) FLC mount a normal T cell-dependent immune response against the hapten (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl) acetyl (NP). Moreover, germinal center B cells from NP-immunized reconstituted mice show normal levels and patterns of somatic point mutations in their rearranged antibody genes, demonstrating that polbeta is not critically involved in somatic hypermutation.     

The (4;11)(q21;q23) chromosome translocations in acute leukemias involve the VDJ recombinase.

Chromosomal region 11q23 is frequently rearranged in acute lymphocytic leukemias (ALLs) and in acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs), mostly in reciprocal exchanges with various translocation partners. The most common of these translocations is t(4;11)(q21;q23). It is present in approximately 10% of ALL patients, most frequently in very young children. We have recently cloned a region of chromosome 11, the ALL-1 locus, found to be rearranged in malignant cells from patients with the t(4;11), t(9;11), t(11;19), t(1;11), t(6;11), t(10;11), and del(11q23) chromosomal abnormalities. Here we report the cloning and characterization of chromosomal breakpoints from leukemic cells with t(4;11) aberrations. The breakpoints cluster in regions of 7-8 kilobases on both chromosomes 4 and 11. The presence of heptamer- and nonamer-like sequences at the sites of breakage suggests that the VDJ recombinase utilized for immunoglobulin gene rearrangement is also directly involved in these translocations. We also show that leukemic cells with t(4;11) express altered RNAs transcribed from the derivative chromosomes 11 and 4.     

内镜筛查及切除息肉病理检查在早期大肠癌诊断中的意义

为探讨临床内镜筛查及切除息肉病理检查在早期大肠癌诊断中的价值，总结分析了北医大三院１９７８年至１９９６年９月所有大肠镜检查的资料。１８年间行大肠镜检查１８１２３例、内镜下息肉切除２３４５例，共发现早期大肠癌８０例、８６个癌灶，占同期发现大肠癌总数的１５．１％（８６／５６９）。早期大肠癌的诊断率呈上升趋势，特别是１９８７年开展临床内镜筛查以来升高尤为显著。相关分析显示早期大肠癌的诊断率与内镜检查特别是内镜下息肉切除后的病理检查密切相关，提示该两项方法为诊断早期大肠癌的有效方法。