Correlates of Consistent Condom Use Among Female Entertainment Workers in Shanghai, China: A Repeated Measures Analysis

Female entertainment workers (FEWs) in China are at increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, but correlates of their risky sexual behaviour remain poorly understood. Using data from a series of four surveys, this paper employs repeated measures analysis to identify individual and social correlates of consistent condom use among FEWs in Shanghai. Results reveal that both individual cognitive and social influence factors are statistically significant in their bivariate relationships to consistent condom use with a stable or non-stable partner; only prevention motivation and perceived self-efficacy in condom use remain significant in the multiple regressions. When individual and social correlates are examined together, only peer support for condom use remains a significant and independent correlate of consistent condom use in sex with a non-stable partner. Behavioural intervention is urgently needed and should take a multilevel approach, emphasizing individual prevention motivation and behavioural skills training and promoting peer/social support

Delineating Interpersonal Communication Networks: A Study of the Diffusion of an Intervention Among Female Entertainment Workers in Shanghai, China

Diffusion of innovation (DOI) is widely cited in the HIV behavior change literature; however there is a dearth of research on the application of DOI in interventions for sex workers. Following a randomized-controlled trial of HIV risk reduction among female entertainment workers (FEWs) in Shanghai, China, we used qualitative approaches to delineate potential interpersonal communication networks and contributing factors that promote diffusion of information in entertainment venues. Results showed that top-down communication networks from the venue owners to the FEWs were efficient for diffusion of information. Mammies/madams, who act as intermediaries between FEWs and clients form an essential part of FEWs\u27 social networks but do not function as information disseminators due to a conflict of interest between safer sex and maximizing profits. Diffusion of information in large venues tended to rely more on aspects of the physical environment to create intimacy and on pressure from managers to stimulate communication. In small venues, communication and conversations occurred more spontaneously among FEWs. Information about safer sex appeared to be more easily disseminated when the message and the approach used to convey information could be tailored to people working at different levels in the venues. Results suggest that safer sex messages should be provided consistently following an intervention to further promote intervention diffusion, and health-related employer liability systems in entertainment venues should be established, in which employers are responsible for the health of their employees. Our study suggests that existing personal networks can be used to disseminate information in entertainment venues and one should be mindful about the context-specific interactions between FEWs and others in their social networks to better achieve diffusion of interventions

An Ecological Monitoring of the Plateau Pika and Its Impact on Grassland–An Experiment in the Yushu District, Qinghai Province of China

The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae; see Fig.1 for photo) is a small mammal that lives in the alpine grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau. There are several uncertainties existing in the ecological behavior of the plateau pika and its impact on the alpine grasslands, and this impact has long been a subject under discussion. The mammal will have created both positive and negative impacts to the plateau environment and the alpine ecology. In China the plateau pika is regarded as a pest and has been a target of control or extermination because it is a competitor with livestock for food.It also putatively destroys fragile high-altitude grasslands and accelerates the spread of deserts. On the other hand, some scientists have believed that the plateau pika is important for alpine grasslands and the ecology, by tilling the soil and also by functioning as a keystone species for biodiversity of the plateau. This paper summarizes a part of the pika’s behavior identified through the experiment conducted during the summer of 2012 in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

The Mechanism of Downregulated Interstitial Fluid Drainage Following Neuronal Excitation.

The drainage of brain interstitial fluid (ISF) has been observed to slow down following neuronal excitation, although the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is yet to be elucidated. In searching for the changes in the brain extracellular space (ECS) induced by electrical pain stimuli in the rat thalamus, significantly decreased effective diffusion coefficient (DECS) and volume fraction (α) of the brain ECS were shown, accompanied by the slowdown of ISF drainage. The morphological basis for structural changes in the brain ECS was local spatial deformation of astrocyte foot processes following neuronal excitation. We further studied aquaporin-4 gene (APQ4) knockout rats in which the changes of the brain ECS structure were reversed and found that the slowed DECS and ISF drainage persisted, confirming that the down-regulation of ISF drainage following neuronal excitation was mainly attributable to the release of neurotransmitters rather than to structural changes of the brain ECS. Meanwhile, the dynamic changes in the DECS were synchronized with the release and elimination processes of neurotransmitters following neuronal excitation. In conclusion, the downregulation of ISF drainage following neuronal excitation was found to be caused by the restricted diffusion in the brain ECS, and DECS mapping may be used to track the neuronal activity in the deep brain

The impact of subclinical hypothyroidism on growth and development in infants and young children aged 0 to 5 years

Introduction: The objective was to investigate the growth and development of infants and young children with mild subclinical hypothyroidism aged 0 to 5 years, especially those aged 0 to 2 years. Material and methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of the birth status, physical growth, and neuromotor development of patients aged 0 to 5 years, who were diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism during newborn screening (NBS) in Zhongshan between 2016 and 2019. Based on preliminary results, we compared 3 groups: with thyroid-stimulating factor (TSH) value of 5–10 mIU/L (442 cases), TSH value of 10–20 mIU/L (208 cases), and TSH above 20 mIU/L (77 cases). Patients with TSH value above 5 mIU/L were called back for repeat testing and were divided into 4 groups as follows: mild subclinical hypothyroidism group 1 with a TSH value of 5–10 mIU/L in both initial screening and repeat testing; mild subclinical hypothyroidism group 2 with TSH value above 10 mIU/L in initial screening; and TSH value of 5–10 mIU/L in repeat testing; the severe subclinical hypothyroidism group with TSH value of 10–20 mIU/L in both the initial screening and repeat testing and the congenital hypothyroidism group. Results: There were no significant differences in the maternal age, type of delivery, gender, length, and weight at birth between the preliminary groups; however, the gestational age at birth was significantly different (F = 5.268, p = 0.005). The z-score for length at birth was lower in the congenital hypothyroidism group compared to the other 3 groups but showed no difference at 6 months of age. The z-score for length in mild subclinical hypothyroidism group 2 was lower compared to the other 3 groups but showed no difference at 2–5 years of age. At 2 years of age there was no significant difference in the developmental quotient (DQ) of the Gesell Developmental Scale between the groups. Conclusion: The gestational age at birth affected the neonatal TSH level. Intrauterine growth in infants with congenital hypothyroidism was retarded compared to that of infants with subclinical hypothyroidism. Neonates with a TSH value of 10–20 mIU/L in the initial screening and a TSH value of 5–10 mIU/L in the repeat testing showed developmental delay at 18 months but caught up at age 2 years. There was no difference in neuromotor development between the groups. Levothyroxine in patients with mild subclinical hypothyroidism is not required, but we recommend that the growth and development of such infants and young children continues to be monitored

Relationship between Soil Chemical and Physical Properties and Vegetation in the Latest Decade of Alpine Grasslands of Southern Qinghai, China

The Tibetan Plateau is one of the most important ecosystems in the world (Yang et al. 2009), particularly because of the global importance of its climate (Tian et al. 2008; Wang et al. 2008). Grassland ecosystems on the plateau are sensitive to global change, because the plateau is located in marginal land areas where the growth and distribution of plants depend heavily on local climatic conditions (Zhang et al. 1996). The alpine grassland of Qinghai Province in China has been traditionally used for extensive grazing by sheep and yak (Bos grunniens), but is now degraded from overgrazing. This study investigated the relationship between soil chemical and physical properties and vegetation of alpine grasslands of southern Qinghai, China

Expression profile analysis of microRNAs in prostate cancer by next-generation sequencing

Purpose: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of tumor mortality among males in western societies. In China, the diagnostic and fatality rate of PCa is increasing yearly. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small single stranded non-coding RNA molecules (~22 nucleotides) which impede protein production by directly interacting with 3’-untranslated regions of the target mRNAs. miRNAs are crucial regulators in malignant tumors. Recent profiling research suggests that miRNAs are aberrantly expressed in PCa, and these have been implicated in the regulation of apoptosis, cell cycle, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, PCa stem cells, and androgen receptor pathway.Methods: To find miRNAs differentially expressed in PCa and their relation to prognostic factors and therapeutic potentials, we studied 24 surgical specimens from men who underwent radical prostatectomy, through high-throughput Illumina sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) methods. Moreover, a variety of biological information softwares and databases were applied to predict the target genes of miRNA, molecular functions, and signal pathways. We also discuss the functional significance of the differentially expressed miRNAs and the molecular pathways/targets regulated by these miRNAs.Results: Many miRNAs were differentially expressed (fold change 2, P&lt;0.05) by sequencing. This was confirmed by qRT-PCR in more clinical tissue samples. In the tumors, miRNAs (miR-125b-5p, miR-126-5p, miR-141, miR-151a-5p, miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p) were significantly upregulated with downregulation of miR-486-5p and miR-488. In addition, 13 novel miRNAs were identified from three prostate tissue libraries, with 12 of them assayed in 21 human normal tissues by qRT-PCR. Multiple databases indicated target genes for these differentially expressed miRNAs. Function annotation of target genes indicated that most of them tend to target genes involved in signal transduction and cell communication, especially cancer-related PI3K-Akt and p53 signaling pathway. Moreover, miR-141 and miR-488 post-transcriptionally regulated androgen receptor (AR) expression, and inhibited the growth and metastasis of prostate gland epithelial cells.Conclusion: The small RNA transcriptomes obtained in this study uncovers the differentially expressed miRNAs, and provides a better understanding of the expression and function of miRNAs in the development of PCa and reveals several miRNAs in PCa that may have biomarker and therapeutic potentials.-----------------------------------------Cite this article as:  Song C, Chen H, Ru G, Ding Q, Yang W. Expression profile analysis of microRNAs in prostate cancer by next-generation sequencing. Int J Cancer Ther Oncol 2015; 3(4):3405.[This abstract was presented at the BIT’s 8th Annual World Cancer Congress, which was held from May 15-17, 2015 in Beijing, China.]</p

Expression profile analysis of microRNAs in prostate cancer by next-generation sequencing

Purpose: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of tumor mortality among males in western societies. In China, the diagnostic and fatality rate of PCa is increasing yearly. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small single stranded non-coding RNA molecules (~22 nucleotides) which impede protein production by directly interacting with 3’-untranslated regions of the target mRNAs. miRNAs are crucial regulators in malignant tumors. Recent profiling research suggests that miRNAs are aberrantly expressed in PCa, and these have been implicated in the regulation of apoptosis, cell cycle, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, PCa stem cells, and androgen receptor pathway.Methods: To find miRNAs differentially expressed in PCa and their relation to prognostic factors and therapeutic potentials, we studied 24 surgical specimens from men who underwent radical prostatectomy, through high-throughput Illumina sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) methods. Moreover, a variety of biological information softwares and databases were applied to predict the target genes of miRNA, molecular functions, and signal pathways. We also discuss the functional significance of the differentially expressed miRNAs and the molecular pathways/targets regulated by these miRNAs.Results: Many miRNAs were differentially expressed (fold change 2, P&lt;0.05) by sequencing. This was confirmed by qRT-PCR in more clinical tissue samples. In the tumors, miRNAs (miR-125b-5p, miR-126-5p, miR-141, miR-151a-5p, miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p) were significantly upregulated with downregulation of miR-486-5p and miR-488. In addition, 13 novel miRNAs were identified from three prostate tissue libraries, with 12 of them assayed in 21 human normal tissues by qRT-PCR. Multiple databases indicated target genes for these differentially expressed miRNAs. Function annotation of target genes indicated that most of them tend to target genes involved in signal transduction and cell communication, especially cancer-related PI3K-Akt and p53 signaling pathway. Moreover, miR-141 and miR-488 post-transcriptionally regulated androgen receptor (AR) expression, and inhibited the growth and metastasis of prostate gland epithelial cells.Conclusion: The small RNA transcriptomes obtained in this study uncovers the differentially expressed miRNAs, and provides a better understanding of the expression and function of miRNAs in the development of PCa and reveals several miRNAs in PCa that may have biomarker and therapeutic potentials.-----------------------------------------Cite this article as:  Song C, Chen H, Ru G, Ding Q, Yang W. Expression profile analysis of microRNAs in prostate cancer by next-generation sequencing. Int J Cancer Ther Oncol 2015; 3(4):3405.[This abstract was presented at the BIT’s 8th Annual World Cancer Congress, which was held from May 15-17, 2015 in Beijing, China.

A Purified Serine Protease from Nereis virens and Its Impaction of Apoptosis on Human Lung Cancer Cells

Nereis active protease (NAP) is a novel fibrinolytic active serine protease from the polychaete Nereis virens. In this study, NAP was purified from Nereis virens and the effects of NAP on human lung cancer cells were investigated. Our results indicated that NAP inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of H1299 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, the activation of Bax and cleaved-caspase 3/9, the release of cytochrome C, and the suppression of Bcl-2 and poly-ADP ribose polymerase were observed in NAP-treated H1299 cells by flow cytometry and Western blotting. Moreover, the expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2 mRNA were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and the Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio was increased in the NAP-treated cell lines. The results indicated that NAP-induced apoptosis may be related to mitochondria mediated apoptosis and occurs through caspase-dependent pathways. Then, the effects of NAP on tumor growth in animal models were observed, where 5 or 10 mg/kg of NAP noticeably reduced tumor volume and weight and increased apoptosis as determined by Western blotting when compared to the negative control group. Therefore, our findings suggest that NAP could be a hopeful anticancer medicine for its propensity to inhibit growth and induce of apoptosis in human lung cancer cells