Dydrogesterone has no effect on uterine fibroids when used to prevent miscarriage in pregnant women with uterine fibroids

Objectives: To analyse the effect of dydrogesterone use during pregnancy on uterine fibroids, pregnancy complications, and pregnancy outcome. Material and methods: In all, 372 pregnant women with uterine fibroids who were treated at the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Shandong University were included in this study. Thirty-three of these women received dydrogesterone and constituted the treatment group, and the 27 women who were found to have uterine fibroids during the first trimester but did not receive intervention to prevent miscarriage composed the control group. The changes in uterine fibroids before and after pregnancy and the pregnancy complications were recorded; immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of progesterone receptor (PR) and proliferation- and apoptosis-related proteins in the uterine fibroid tissue. Results: No significant difference was observed in the change in uterine fibroid volume during pregnancy between the treatment group and the control group (p > 0.05). The percentage of uterine fibroids with red degeneration was lower in the treatment group than in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant. No significant difference was observed in newborn weight, height, Apgar score, threatened miscarriage, or premature birth, among other characteristics, between the two groups (p > 0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed no significant difference in the expression of PR, cyclinD1, insulin-like growth factor (IGF1), or B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) between the two groups. Conclusions: The use of dydrogesterone during pregnancy has no significant effect on uterine fibroids, pregnancy progression, or pregnancy outcomes in pregnant patients with uterine fibroids

Identifying risk factors for cesarean scar pregnancy: a retrospective study of 79 cases

 Objectives: To explore the possible risk factors for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), the incidence of which is increasing rapidly in China. Material and methods: 79 patients with CSP and 69 non-CSP expectant mothers with at least 1 previous cesarean section were employed in the study. The obstetric histories of the participants were collected and analyzed using Chi square test. Results: We found that 77.2% CSP patients had ≥ 3 pregnancies and only 36.2% women had ≥ 3 pregnacies in non-CSP group. During the previous cesarean delivery, 21.5% of CSP patients had entered the first stage of labor, which was 43.5% in non-CSP group (P < 0.05). Cephalopelvic disproportion occurred in 51.9% of CSP patients, which was significantly higher than that (23.2%) in non-CSP group (P < 0.01). 11.4% of CSP patients had undergone cesarean section due to breech and shoulder presentation in the past, which was only 1.4% in non-CSP group. However, no significance was noted (P > 0.05). We did not find significant differences between the CSP and non-CSP patients in maternal age, multiple cesarean sections, gestational age, emergency or elective caesarean section. Conclusions: Multiple pregnancies, absence of the first stage of labor, and cephalopelvic disproportion might be the risk factors for the occurrence of CSP.  

A 2-Styryl-1,8-naphthyridine derivative as a versatile fluorescent probe for the selective recognition of Hg²⁺, Ag⁺ and F⁻ ions by tuning the solvent

A novel fluorescent probe 1 has been synthesized by a microwave reaction, and its ion-binding and fluorescence-sensing properties have been investigated under different solvent conditions. The analysis results indicated that probe 1 can act as a multiple analysis probe by simply tuning the solvent. Probe 1 exhibited high selectively toward Hg²⁺ through fluorescence quenching in H₂O/DMF. In H₂O/1,4-dioxane solution, probe 1 selectively recognized and discriminated between Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺ displaying ratiometric behaviour. Moreover, probe 1 readily recognized the anion F⁻ via the ratiometric fluorescent mode in CH3CN. Furthermore, distinct colour changes were observed under UV light, which can be seen by the naked eye and thus used for distinguishing Hg²⁺, Ag+ and F⁻ from the other ions screened herein using probe 1. Interestingly, almost pure white light emission was evident by simply tuning the F⁻ anion-concentration, which makes this system a potential candidate for smart and tunable luminescent materials

Variable-Permeability Well-Testing Models and Pressure Response in Low-Permeability Reservoirs with non-Darcy Flow

This paper proposes the concept of variable-permeability effect and sets up the one-dimensional and two-dimensional non-Darcy well testing models. The finite difference algorithm is employed to solve the differential equations of the variable-permeability model, and the non-convergence of the numerical solutions is solved by using the geometric mean of permeability. The type curves of pressure and pressure derivative with variable-permeability effect are obtained, and sensitivity analysis is conducted. The results show that the type curves upturn in the middle and late sections, and the curves turn more upward with the severer of the variable-permeability effect. The severer the non-Darcy effect is, the less obviously the curve upturns caused by boundary effect. Furthermore, the boundary effect is increased by increasing the number of impermeable boundaries or decreasing the distance between the well and boundary

Highly selective recognition of Al3+ and I- ions using a bifunctional fluorescent probe

A tripodal fluorescent probe L1 armed with rhodamine B and 1-naphthaleneisothiocyanates was prepared in high yield. A study of the recognition properties revealed that probe L1 exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity towards Al3⁺ through a “FRET” fluorescence response and colorimetric response with low detection limits of the order of 10-8 M. Meanwhile, probe L1 also possessed high recognition capability for I⁻ through fluorescent decay, which given there are comparatively few selective fluorescent probes for I⁻, is significant. Furthermore, the complexation mechanisms were fully investigated by spectral titrations, 1H NMR spectroscopic titrations and mass spectrometry. The utility of probe L1 as a biosensor in living cells (PC3 cells) towards Al3⁺ ions has also been demonstrated

De novo glomerular osteopontin expression in rat crescentic glomerulonephritis

De novo glomerular osteopontin expression in rat crescentic glomerulonephritis. Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted acidic glycoprotein that has potent monocyte chemoattractant and adhesive properties. Up-regulation of tubular OPN expression is thought to promote interstitial macrophage infiltration in experimental nephritis; however, the role of OPN in glomerular lesions, particularly crescent formation, is unknown. The present study used Northern blotting, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to examine OPN expression in a rat model of accelerated anti-GBM glomerulonephritis. Osteopontin mRNA and protein is expressed by some parietal epithelial cells, thick ascending limbs of Henle and medullary tubules and collecting ducts in normal rat kidney. De novo OPN mRNA and protein expression was evident in glomerular visceral and parietal epithelial cells in anti-GBM glomerulonephritis. Glomerular OPN expression preceded and correlated with macrophage infiltration in the development of hypercellularity, focal and segmental lesions and, notably, crescent formation. There was marked up-regulation of OPN expression by tubular epithelial cells that also preceded and correlated with interstitial macrophage (r = 0.93, P < 0.001) and T-cell infiltration (r = 0.85, P < 0.001). Both glomerular and tubular OPN expression correlated significantly with proteinuria (P < 0.001) and a reduction in creatinine clearance (P < 0.01). In addition, double immunohistochemistry showed co-expression of osteopontin and one of its ligands, CD44, in intrinsic renal cells. CD44 and OPN expression by parietal epithelial cells was evident in crescent formation, while virtually all OPN-positive tubules expressed CD44. Infiltrating macrophages and T-cells were CD44-positive, but only a small proportion of T-cells and few macrophages showed OPN expression. Interestingly, strong OPN mRNA and protein expression was seen in macrophage multinucleated giant cells. In summary, this study suggests that OPN promotes macrophage and T-cell infiltration in the development of renal lesions in rat anti-GBM glomerulonephritis, including glomerular crescent and multinucleated giant cell formation

ATAD2 Overexpression Identifies Colorectal Cancer Patients with Poor Prognosis and Drives Proliferation of Cancer Cells

ATPase family AAA domain-containing 2 (ATAD2) has been identified as a critical modulator involved in cell proliferation and invasion. The purpose of this study was to explore the expression of ATAD2 in CRC tissues as well as its relationship with degree of malignancy. Data containing three independent investigations from Oncomine database demonstrated that ATAD2 is overexpressed in CRC compared with normal tissue, and similar result was also found in 32 pairs of CRC tissues by qPCR. The protein expression of ATAD2 was examined in six CRC cell lines and 300 CRC specimens. The results showed that high expression of ATAD2 was significantly correlated with tumor size (P<0.001), serum CEA (P=0.012), lymph node metastasis (P=0.018), liver metastasis (P=0.025), and clinical stage (P=0.004). Kaplan-Meier method suggested that higher ATAD2 protein expression significantly associated with the overall survival (OS) of CRC patients (P<0.001) and was an independent predictor of poor OS. Functional studies showed that suppression of ATAD2 expression with siRNA could significantly inhibit the growth in SW480 and HCT116 cells. These results indicated that ATAD2 could serve as a prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for CRC