In order to explain the formation process of slope hazards, and to identify the key factors leading to instability of a slope, Emeishan basalt saprolite in vadose zones of the Touzhai landslide in ...Zhaotong, Yunnan, was studied. The formation and evolution of Emeishan basalt saprolite was examined using, amongst other techniques, field investigations,thin section analysis, scanning electron microscopy（SEM） observations, chemical analysis, physical and water-physical property tests of rock masses. Field observations revealed that the majority of the weathered rock blocks were presented as a concentric layer structure in which an internal corestone was enveloped with several layers of external saprolized crust. Chemical and mineralogical analysis identified that iron was the most sensitive element and that the weathering progress usually started with the oxidation of Fe2＋ to Fe3＋ in rock blocks. Alkaline elements such as Si, Ca, Mg, Na and K were also dissolved and Fe and Al were concentrated in saprolized crusts. Results indicated that loss on ignition（LOI） also increased significantly. SEM results showed that the weathering intensity of thebasalt blocks decreased gradually from the outside to the inside, and the mineral morphology significantly differed on both sides of the weathering front. The saprolized crusts presented cellular microstructure features due to the generation of micropore and clay minerals. Thin section analysis showed that plagioclase was relatively more stable than pyroxene and chlorite during weathering. With a centripetal propagation of the weathering front, saprolized crusts became thicker and corestones became smaller; fresh Emeishan basalt blocks gradually turned into saprolized blocks. Due to the loose structure and low strength of saprolite, the quality of the Emeishan basalt mass significantly deteriorated, this being a potentially important factor which caused the Touzhai landslide to occur.
S1; The objective of this study was to determine the genotype effects of the bovine insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and its binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) genes on growth and development traits in ...beef cows,including 130 Chinese Simmental,42 Nanyang,and 47 Luxi Yellow cattle.Sequence variations in the bovine IGF-I and IGFBP3 genes were investigated by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP).SSCPs were detected in 6 fragments,which is the 5'-flanking region,the 2nd exon,the 5th exon,and the 5th intron of the IGF-I gene,and the 2nd exon,the 3rd exon of the IGFBP3 gene.Two polymorphisms,an A-to-G transition in the 2nd exon of the IGF-I gene and a T-to-C transition in the 2nd exon of IGFBP3 gene were detected in 3 breeds.The allele frequencies of 2 polymorphisms were 0.0411 (A),0.9589 (B),and 0.7237 (A),0.2763 (B),respectively.These 2 loci were analyzed to associate with body weight,height at withers,body length,heart girth,rump width,and beef production index (BPI) at 0,6,12,24,and 36-month old.The 1GFBP3 locus was shown to be associated with rump width,heart girth at 24-month and 36-month.Animals with BB genotype had higher rump width (24.86±0.47) cm at 24-month and (27.50±0.63) cm at 36-month.The heart girth was highest for the individuals with BB genotype (171.33±1.84) cm and higher than those with AB genotype (166.68±1.13) cm (P＜0.05) at 36-month.
Patients with HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer, despite initially benefiting from the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab and the EGFR/HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib, will ...eventually have progressive disease. HER2-based vaccines induce polyclonal antibody responses against HER2 that demonstrate enhanced anti-tumor activity when combined with lapatinib in murine models. We wished to test the clinical safety, immunogenicity, and activity of a HER2-based cancer vaccine, when combined with lapatinib.
We immunized women (n = 12) with metastatic, trastuzumab-refractory, HER2-overexpressing breast cancer with dHER2, a recombinant protein consisting of extracellular domain (ECD) and a portion of the intracellular domain (ICD) of HER2 combined with the adjuvant AS15, containing MPL, QS21, CpG and liposome. Lapatinib (1250 mg/day) was administered concurrently. Peripheral blood antibody and T cell responses were measured.
This regimen was well tolerated, with no cardiotoxicity. Anti-HER2-specific antibody was induced in all patients whereas HER2-specific T cells were detected in one patient. Preliminary analyses of patient serum demonstrated downstream signaling inhibition in HER2 expressing tumor cells. The median time to progression was 55 days, with the majority of patients progressing prior to induction of peak anti-HER2 immune responses; however, 300-day overall survival was 92% (95% CI: 77-100%).
dHER2 combined with lapatinib was safe and immunogenic with promising long term survival in those with HER2-overexpressing breast cancers refractory to trastuzumab. Further studies to define the anticancer activity of the antibodies induced by HER2 vaccines along with lapatinib are underway.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00952692.
The present study was designed to search for compounds with analgesic activity from the Schizophyllum commune (SC), which is widely consumed as edible and medicinal mushroom world. Thin layer ...chromatography (TLC), tosilica gel column chromatography, sephadex LH 20, and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) were used to isolate and purify compounds from SC. Structural analysis of the isolated compounds was based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The effects of these compounds on voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels were evaluated using patch clamp. The analgesic activity of these compounds was tested in two types of mouse pain models induced by noxious chemicals. Five phenolic acids identified from SC extracts in the present study included vanillic acid, m-hydroxybenzoic acid, o-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid, 3-hydroxy-5-methybenzoic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. They inhibited the activity of both tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-r) and tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-s) NaV channels. All the compounds showed low selectivity on NaV channel subtypes. After intraperitoneal injection, three compounds of these compounds exerted analgesic activity in mice. In conclusion, phenolic acids identified in SC demonstrated analgesic activity, facilitating the mechanistic studies of SC in the treatment of neurasthenia.
An important breakthrough: five phenolic acids which were identified from SC inhibited the activity of TTX-r and TTX-s NaV channels. What's more, three of them exerted analgesic activity in mice.
The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection varies by geographic locations. Studies indicate that the infection rate of H. pylori was previously high in China but that rates had been ...declining worldwide over recent decades.
(1) to determine the current prevalence of H. pylori infection among children and adults residing in areas with high (Muping County, Shandong) and low (Yanqing County, Beijing) incidences of gastric cancer in China, and (2) to compare the prevalence for 2006 with the prevalence for the early 1990s.
Using Warthin-Starry silver staining of gastric mucosal biopsy specimens and H. pylori stool antigen tests (HpSA), we tested a total of 2065 asymptomatic children aged 8 - 15 years and adults aged 40 - 79 years in the above two regions from May to July 2006. We evaluated 520 children and 526 adults from Muping, and 516 children and 503 adults from Yanqing. Subjects were selected randomly and H. pylori status was determined by HpSA in children and either HpSA or histology of gastric biopsies in adults. Data obtained in the early 1990s in the same two areas of China were also collected and studied.
For children, the prevalence of H. pylori infection was significantly higher in Muping (37.69%) than it was in Yanqing (25.58%, P < 0.001). In both regions, the prevalence of H. pylori increased with age but was not related to gender. A significant difference was observed between 8 - 9-years old and 10 - 11-years old (P < 0.05), but not between other adjoining age groups (P > 0.05). From 1991 to 2006 H. pylori prevalence among 8 - 10-year-old children decreased in Muping (60.00% vs 32.07%, P < 0.001), but not Yanqing (24.06% vs 19.10%, P > 0.05). In the adult group, H. pylori prevalence was 50.95% in Muping, which was significantly higher than the 41.35% positive rate in Yanqing (P < 0.01). But there were no statistically significant differences between different age groups of 40 - 49, 50 - 59, and 60 - 79 years, or between males and females. A significant decrease in H. pylori prevalence in both regions was observed when the results of 2006 were compared with the data obtained in 1990 in Muping (50.95% vs 73.78%, P < 0.001) and in 1992 in Yanqing (41.35% vs 55.35%, P < 0.01).
After fifteen years, the prevalence of H. pylori infection among both children and adults remained significantly higher in areas with a high incidence of gastric cancer in China compared with that in areas with a low incidence of gastric cancer. H. pylori infection rates have decreased in the general Chinese population during recent years.
Background
For initial respiratory management, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is increasingly used for preterm infants, especially for gestational age less than 32 weeks. However, ...neonatologists are concerned about the potential risks of CPAP support failure.
Objectives
To examine the association between different initial respiratory support modalities and the outcomes of preterm infants at <32 weeks of gestation across multiple neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in China.
Methods
This study was carried out over a period of 12 months in 2018. Unadjusted relative risks (RR) for demographic and clinical characteristics were calculated for CPAP failure and CPAP success in the total cohort using log‐linear model based on generalised estimating equations for clustered observations.
Results
Among 1560 preterm infants delivered at <32 weeks, the incidence of CPAP failure was 10.3%. After adjustment for demographic and clinical factors, the relative risk of mortality (RR 7.54, 95% CI 5.56, 10.44), pneumothorax (RR 9.85, 95% CI 2.89, 61.53), pulmonary haemorrhage (RR 7.78, 95% CI 4.51, 14.64) and BPD (RR 3.65, 95% CI 3.65, 4.51) were considerably higher for infants in the CPAP failure group than those in the CPAP‐S group. However, the risk of poor outcomes in CPAP failure infants was similar to that of those in the initial mechanical ventilation (MV) group.
Conclusions
Continuous positive airway pressure failure was associated with an increased risk of mortality and major morbidities, including BPD, pulmonary haemorrhage and pneumothorax, and was comparable to the risk associated with initial MV.
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