Hi Good Day

Life is about choices

Thu, 28 May 2009 10:28:28 +0000

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I'd be twins!" He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don' t get it. You can' t be positive all the time. How do you do it?"

Michael replied, each morning I wake up and say to myself 'Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right. It isn't that easy." I protested.

"Yes it is, " Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line is: It's your choice how you live life. " I reflected on what Michael said.

Soon thereafter, I left the big enterprise that I had worked in for years to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often though about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling off 60 feet from a communications tower.

After l8 hours of surgery, and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon-to-born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael continued, "... the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the operation room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, l read 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me" said Michael. "She asked me if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I said. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled", 'Gravity'" Over their laughter, I told them, 'I'm choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'."

Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.

I learned from him that every day we have a choice to live fully. Attitude is everything.

Tags - life , choices , motivator

Let yourself go

Wed, 27 May 2009 09:39:27 +0000

Several years ago I received a post card from a friend in Jackson Hole, Wyo., who wrote, " I am skiing with abandon!" I wondered what he meant, for when I ski it is always with trepidation. I believe he meant he was skiing skillfully, joyfully, peacefully and confidently. Although I have no hopes of ever skiing that way, I do dream of living with abandon. I believe that men and women through the ages who have led successful lives have captured these five secrets of living life to the fullest.

1.Have a self you respect. This means having a deep sense of responsibility for your thoughts and actions. It means keeping your word, and being faithful to self, family and work. It means believing in what you do and working hard. It means setting your own internal standards, and not comparing yourself to others. It's not a question of being better than someone else; respect and integrity demand that you be better than you thought you could be.

Winston Churchill exemplified integrity an respect in the face of opposition. During his last year in office, he attended an official ceremony. Several rows behind him two gentlemen began whispering. "That's Winston Churchill." "They say he is getting senile." "They say he should step aside and leave the running of the nation to more dynamic and capable men." When the ceremony was over, Churchill turned to the men and said, "Gentlemen, they also say he is deaf!"

Churchill knew that one secret to a self you can respect is to choose a course of action based on what is right, not expedient, and not waver from it when criticized.

2.Commit yourself to others. Believe in others, and take time to nurture their dreams. A wise man said, "If you want one year's prosperity, grow grain. But if you want ten years' prosperity, grow men and women."

You can build into the lives of your family, friends and colleagues by providing nutrients of gratitude and encouragement, and by investing your time and energy in their aspirations. If a tree is given minimal nourishment, it will live, but it will not grow. But if nourishment is given over and beyond what is needed for life, the tree will live and grow upward, producing fruit.

3.Turn disappointments into strengths. Individuals who live with abandon have discovered that personal trials make them more sensitive and loving, while building endurance and character. They have learned that achievements worth remembering are stained with the blood of diligence and etched with the scars of disappointment.

The pages of history are filled with the heroic stories of undaunted men and women who triumphed over disabilities and adversities to demonstrate victorious spirits. Raise him in abject poverty, and you have an Abraham Lincoln. Make her blind and deaf, and you have a Helen Keller.

4.Enjoy life's process, not just life's rewards. We live in a goal-oriented society that wants problems resolved now. We want three-minute oatmeal, one-hour dry cleaning, and instant success. But to live with abandon, we must live one day at a time, savoring the little victories, realizing that life is an endless journey in self-discovery and personal fullfillment. It means taking time to hug your kids, kiss your spouse and let the other fellow ahead of you on the freeway.

5.Become involved in something bigger than yourself. I do not believe you will live happily if you set out to live life for yourself alone. Choose a cause bigger than you are and work at it in a spirit of excellence. It will become a part of you as you see your goals through to the end. Measure success not by what you've done, but what you could do.

Tags - life , yourself , successful

Work with the Now

Tue, 26 May 2009 00:58:58 +0000

There are some people who are completely happy with themselves, their lives, and their prospects for the future. While they can be considered to be more fortunate than most, most who do not fall into that category are not as bad off as they tend to believe. Instead, they are simply lacking something, or making mistakes, which are standing in the way of their lives being as fulfilling as they would prefer. Some even go as far as to not realize the immense potential they possess.

What is the main difference between those lucky individuals whose lives seem to be wonderfully on-track and those who, often despite every step of trying on their part, appear to have all of the odds stacked against them? While in some cases it is a matter of some people having better luck than others, those whose lives are content in the moment and proceeding in the direction of their choice, do not live in the past.

Whether you are thinking about your personality or your life in general, success means focusing on the here-and-now. While it is important to acknowledge the choices and experiences which resulted in you being where you are today, it is equally important to not allow yourself to become so caught up in thoughts of the past that the present day passes you by.

Self-motivation is the key to ensuring that you do not continue repeating the same mistakes. You may have had one or more errors in judgment which led you to take the wrong path, or to make mistakes that were not in your best interest. You can acknowledge this without rehashing them over and over again in your mind, and simply be determined to make different, better decisions today.

Then is over; this is now. The less time and effort you put into looking at the past, the more you will have for living and experiencing this day. You will also find that letting go of the past will give you a deeper sense of strength. Instead of allowing past mistakes and worries to drain your energies, you will have a renewed energy to live your life to the fullest and enjoy it more.

Being content with yourself and optimistic about your future is not difficult. Whatever is in the past is over; learn from it and move on. When you are self-motivated enough to do this, you will see that moving ahead is the best definition of living life.

With that said, what can you do now? Sure it is easy for me to tell you to forget the past, yet it is a whole different practice to actually do it. Life is a complex set of events much of which of course is real, yet a large amount is just your view of what really happened.

Let me explain with an example. I know not everyone is a football fan but I am guessing most have watched at least part of a game on TV. Most plays and almost all the important plays are played over and over on the TV screen right after the play happened.

How many times have you watched a play and were certain and I mean certain of the outcome, say the player caught a pass, then watching the instant replay you realize you were totally wrong, the player dropped the pass. What you were certain you saw, never happened.

The first step in trying to minimize the effects of your past in order to concentrate on your future is to find out how much of the past that you are certain happened were just mistakes on your part.

A quick example might be as a teenager you tried to build a piece of furniture out of scrape wood in your father’s workshop. The piece of furniture looked good when you finished but fell apart before you could show your father and you assumed your were a lousy carpenter and the rest of your life you have avoided building anything. Yet the reality was the scrap wood you used was faulty and not your building ability.

Yet the rest of your life you have believed mistakenly you are a poor builder of things.

Tags - work , now , future , help , life

Photos of cute panda cubs of china

Mon, 25 May 2009 04:25:58 +0000

A panda cub gazes at the camera before taking a group photo with other twelve cubs born in 2008 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, January 21 2009. All of them will be greeting the public during the Spring Festival after months of close care in nurseries.

Thirteen panda cubs born in 2008 pose for a group photo with their keepers at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, January 21 2009. All of them will be greeting the public during the Spring Festival after months of close care in nurseries.

A keeper takes a panda cub to its enclosure at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, January 21 2009. Thirteen giant panda cubs born in 2008 will be greeting the public during the Spring Festival after months of close care in nurseries.

A keeper holds a panda cub in her arm at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, January 21 2009. Thirteen giant panda cubs born in 2008 will be greeting the public during the Spring Festival after months of close care in nurseries.

Tags - photos , cute , panda , cubs , china

Educational Tourism Panda Base Of China

Sat, 23 May 2009 16:17:17 +0000

As a demonstration project of giant panda ex-situ conservation, the Chengdu Panda Base has not only dedicated itself to giant panda conservation, but has also made great efforts to combine natural scenery and man-made landscapes to create wonderful and humane living areas for giant pandas, red pandas, and other Chinese endangered animals. With the efforts of all the staff at the Panda Base, we have made great strides in the name of environmental protection to share with the world.

Our Giant Panda Museum, along with satellite museums in our Research Center and Panda Hospital provides 7,000m 2 of educational space to foreign and domestic visitors. We worked with design companies from the United States to create modern, interactive learning experiences. Through these learning areas, visitors will come to understand the depth of research and commitment it takes to help endangered species to survive in our world that is dangerously dominated by human influence. People the world over need to understand that this amount of research cannot be done for all the plants and animals that are in danger, and that conservation depends on all of us. Our Base is a unique facility and network for some very fortunate species.

As a famous sightseeing destination and a window to the wild, we improved our service facilities for tourists. Our efforts have made the Panda Base attractive to foreign and domestic audiences. We will fully use the resource of our endangered animals to strengthen conservation education to the public, and develop the Panda Base to be a unique educational tourism destination.

Tags - educational , tourism , panda , base , china

A panda evacuated from quake-hit Sichuan Province eats bamboo

Sat, 23 May 2009 16:12:40 +0000

A panda evacuated from quake-hit Sichuan Province eats bamboo in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province, March 15, 2009. An activity titled "10,000 Miles March of Thanks" was held here by Wolong China Panda Protection Research Center. The Wolong Panda Breeding Base was damaged in the earthquake in 2008, and pandas were removed to eight cities, namely Beijing, Chengdu, Nanjing, Kunming, Fuzhou, Zunyi, Wuhan and Guangzhou.

Tags - panda , evacuated , quake , sichuan , eats , bamboo , china

齐天大圣 Great Sage Equal of Heaven

Sat, 23 May 2009 16:03:07 +0000

Monkey King, or known to the Chinese old and young as Xi You Ji (Journey to the West), is one of the renowned classical Chinese novels dated back some four hundred years ago, the other three being Shui Hu (The Water Margins), Hong Lou Meng (Dream of the Red Mansion), and San Guo (Romance of Three Kingdoms).
Monkey King is based on a true story of a famous monk, Xuan Zang of the Chinese Tang Dynasty (602-664). After a decade of trials and tribulations, he arrived on foot to what is today India, the birthplace of Buddhism. He was there for the true Buddhist holy books. When he returned, Xuan Zang translated the Sutras into Chinese, thus making a great contribution to the development of Buddhism in China.

Tags - china , great , sage , equal , heaven

Shu brocade-the Preface the Best Running Script in the world

Fri, 22 May 2009 15:46:21 +0000

On a late spring day in March of the 9th year (353A.D.) in Mu Emperor’s Yonghe period (East Jin Dynasty) Wang xizhi born in Linxi of Shandong together with his friends had a gather at Lanting(Orchid Pavilion) where they drank wine and wrote poems with great delight. By help of magic power of inebriation Wangxizhi wrote the preface to the collection of poems on a silk cloth as thin as the wings of a cicada with amazing ease and smoothness as if with immortals’ help. The whole preface composed of 324 Chinese characters in 28 lines was finished without any letup. Correspondence and rhymes with deep emotion materialized by the strokes the feelings of great thoroughness expressed incisively and vividly among the characters it is really a wonder in deed. Especially each of the 20 repeated Chinese character “zhi” differs from another with their own marvelous grace and lingering charm which sufficiently displays the profound accomplishments of the writer in calligraphy. Preface to Lanting Poem Collection (“the Preface”)is reputed as “the Best Running Script in the world” by later generations and became the symbolic writing in the history of calligraphy.
    Li Shimin Taizong Emperor of the Tang Dynasty affectionately appreciated the handwriting of Wangxizhi. When got the authentic work he ordered Feng Chengsu and Zhu Suiliang and other calligraphers from Hongwen Academy of Literature to copy the model outline of the Preface and granted the copies to his lords and ministers. It is said that the authentic work was buried with Li Shimin the emperor of the Tang Dynasty and was never seen again.
    In Tang Dynasty brocade officials were staffed specially for the production of Shu brocade (brocade from Sichuan ). As the Preface was favored by many lords and literati the handicraftsmen of Shu brocade meticulously produced the first generation of the Preface in Chinese character pattern for convenient collection and handing down.
    To meet the growing material and cultural needs of people and reappear the glory history of the millenarianism modern Shu brocade handicraftsmen have now developed and produced based on the study of the relevant ancient rare books the second generation of the Preface in Chinese character pattern. Value plus is thoroughly realized by Shu brocade in Chinsese character pattern the nonmaterial cultural heritage on which Chinese characters of the whole preface appear in different and natural postures and posts even the seals and the forky strokes are wonderfully processed with infinite verve.

Tags - preface , best , running , script , world , shu , brocade

China’s home-made malaria vaccine to be tested on humans

Sun, 17 May 2009 08:35:17 +0000

SHANGHAI, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- A China-developed malaria vaccine will soon undergo clinical trials in Shanghai -- a move China hopes it will contribute to global prevention efforts of the deadly disease.
Seventy healthy adult volunteers will receive the vaccine, code-named PfCP2.9, at the Changhai Hospital in Shanghai. If the eight-month trail is successful, full clinical trials will be conducted on adults and children in areas where malaria is most prevalent, a source close to the program said on Wednesday.

The trails will be funded by the worldwide non-profit fund PATH,and its Malaria Vaccine Initiative. Shanghai-based Wanxing Biological Pharmacy Co., Ltd., is also engaged in the research and development of the vaccine. The two organizations signed an agreement to carry out the clinical trails in Shanghai on Wednesday.

The trails will receive 2 million U.S. dollars from PATH which will also provide technical support and data analysis.

The PfCP2.9 malaria vaccine, developed by medical experts with the Shanghai No. 2 Medical College of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), is one of 20 new malaria vaccines around the world which have received funding from PATH for clinical trials. A hundred vaccine development teams had applied for funding.

PATH is working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the worldwide campaign to fund a low cost and effective malaria vaccine.

One-third of the world population is threatened by malaria. In Africa alone, more than a million children under the age of five die of malaria every year.

In China, most malaria victims come from the southern provinces of Yunnan and Hainan.

Clinical test of the PfCP2.9 malaria vaccine has also been approved by China's State Food and Drug Administration. Enditem

Tags - china , home-made , malaria , vaccine , humans

Application of intraoperative round window electrocochleography for screening the patients with auditory neuropathy

Sat, 16 May 2009 08:30:11 +0000

Abstract:

Background Most patients with auditory neuropathy (AN) could receive good even the best effects after cochlear implantation. How to diagnose AN objectively and accurately is very important. In this study, we screened the patients with AN according to the presence or absence of compound action potential (CAP) of intraoperative round window electrocochleography (RW ECochG).

Methods Intraoperative RW ECochG was performed on 32 patients with profound sensorineural deafness, who had normal cochlea during cochlear implantation surgery under general anesthesia in the standard operating room. The cochlear microphonic (CM) and CAP of RW ECochG was observed and recorded.

Results The presence of CM but the absence of CAP of RW ECochG occurred in 12 among the 32 patients. They were suspected to suffer from AN. The rest patients who had CM and CAP of RW ECochG were thought not to suffer from AN.

Conclusion Application of intraoperative RW ECochG during the cochlear implantation surgery may objectively and accurately screen the patients with AN, and can give a meaningful clue for implanted device working.

Tags - application , intraoperative , electrocochleography , screening , auditory , neuropathy

Issues about the nocebo phenomena in clinics

Wed, 13 May 2009 08:23:31 +0000

Abstract:
Abridged from fulltext

During clinical work, some side-effects may occur to patients, part of which are caused by the specific pharmacological effects of drugs and some of which are non-specific. Although these phenomena happen from time to time, burdening the anguish and expenditure of patients, their na... ...

Tags - issues , about , nocebo , phenomena , clinics

Effects of advanced glycosylation end products and rosiglitazone on the expression and secretion of galectin-3 in human renal mesangial cells

Tue, 12 May 2009 08:19:43 +0000

Abstract:

Background Galectin-3 is the most recently identified advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) binding protein. This study aimed to investigate the effects of AGEs and rosiglitazone on the expression and secretion of galectin-3 in cultured human renal mesangial cells (HRMCs).

Methods HRMCs were incubated with different concentrations of AGE-bovine serum albumin (BSA) (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/L) for different time (0, 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours), and exposed to AGE-BSA in the presence of different concentrations of rosiglitazone (1, 10, and 100 μmol/L). The mRNA and protein expression of galectin-3 in HRMCs were analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. The culture medium of HRMCs was collected and concentrated, and the content of galectin-3 in the medium was detected by Western blotting.

Results Both RT-PCR and Western blotting revealed that AGE-BSA up-regulated the expression of galectin-3 in HRMCs in a concentration- (P <0.05) and time-dependent (P <0.05) manner compared with the control. Compared with the control, AGE-BSA elevated the content of galectin-3 in the culture medium of HRMCs time- and concentration- dependently (P <0.05, respectively). Both protein and mRNA expression of galectin-3, and its content in the medium of HRMCs exposed to different concentrations of rosiglitazone in the presence of AGE-BSA were increased compared with those of cells exposed to AGE-BSA alone (P <0.05). Rosiglitazone increased the expression and secretion of galectin-3 in a dose-dependent manner (P <0.05).

Conclusions AGEs up-regulates the expression and secretion of galectin-3 in HRMCs. Rosiglitazone further enhances the upregulation of galectin-3 in HRMCs induced by AGEs, which suggests that rosiglitazone may play a role of reno-protection via up-regulation of galectin-3.

Tags - effects , advanced , glycosylation , rosiglitazone , expression , secretion , human , mesangial , cells

An increase in intracelluar free calcium ions modulated by cholinergic receptors in rat facial nucleus

Mon, 11 May 2009 08:16:11 +0000

Abstract:

Background Ca2+ in the central nervous system plays important roles in brain physiology, including neuronal survival and regeneration in rats with injured facial motoneurons. The present research was to study the modulations of intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations by cholinergic receptors in rat facial nucleus, and the mechanisms of the modulations.

Methods The fluorescence intensity of facial nucleus in Fluo-3 AM loaded acute brainstem slices was detected by applying intracellular free Ca2+ measurement technique via confocal laser scanning microscope. The changes of fluorescence intensity of facial nucleus indicate the average changes of intracellular free Ca2+ levels of the neurons.

Results Acetylcholine was effective at increasing the fluorescence intensity of facial nucleus. Muscarine chloride induced a marked increase of fluorescence intensity in a concentration dependent fashion. The enhancement of fluorescence intensity by muscarine chloride was significantly reduced by thapsigargin (depletor of intracellular Ca2+ store; P <0.01), rather than Ca2+ free artifical cerebrospinal fluid or EGTA (free Ca2+ chelator; P >0.05). And the increase of fluorescence intensity was also significantly inhibited by pirenzepine (M1 subtype selective antagonist; P <0.01) and 4-DAMP (M3 subtype selective antagonist; P <0.01). In addition, fluorescence intensity was markedly increased by nicotine. The enhancement of fluorescence intensity by nicotine was significantly reduced by EGTA, nifedipine (L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channel blocker), dihydro-β-erythroidine (α4β2 subtype selective antagonist), and in Ca2+ free artificial cerebrospinal fluid (P <0.01), but not in the presence of mibefradil (M-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channel blocker) or thapsigargin (P >0.05).

Conclusions The data provide the evidence that muscarinic receptors may induce the increase of intracellular free Ca2+ levels through the Ca2+ release of intracellular Ca2+ stores, in a manner related to M1 and M3 subtypes of muscarinic receptors in rat facial nucleus. Nicotine may increase intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations via the influx of extracellular Ca2+ mainly across L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, in a manner related to the α4β2 subtype of nicotinic receptors.

Chinese Medical Journal 2009;122(9):1049-1055
This study was supported by : Youth Science Foundation of Qingdao University(No. 2007)

Tags - increase , intracelluar , free , calcium , ions , modulated , cholinergic , receptors , rat , facial , nucleus

Inhibition of collagen-induced arthritis by DNA vaccines encoding TCR Vβ5.2 and TCR Vβ8.2

Sun, 10 May 2009 08:18:30 +0000

Abstract:

Background Arthritogenic T lymphocytes with common T cell receptor (TCR) Vβ clonotypes, infiltrating in the articulars of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, play a central role in the pathogenesis of RA. TCR Vβ5.2 and TCR Vβ8.2 are the main pathogenic T cell clonotypes in the course of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) progression in Lewis rats. To investigate a TCR-based immunotherapy for RA, we constructed recombinant DNA vaccines encoding TCR Vβ5.2 and TCR Vβ8.2, and evaluated the inhibitive effects of the two vaccines on CIA rats.

Methods Genes encoding TCR Vβ5.2 and TCR Vβ8.2 were amplified by RT-PCR from spleen lymphocytes of Lewis rats and cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pTargeT. The expression of vaccines was confirmed by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The inhibitive effects of the vaccines on articulars of CIA rats were assessed with arthritis index evaluation and histology. Interferon γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin (IL)-4 production by spleen lymphocytes were tested with enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) technique, the changes in peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte populations were tested by flow cytometry, and the level of anti-CII antibody in serum was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results Recombinant DNA vaccines pTargeT-TCR Vβ5.2 and pTargeT-pTCR Vβ8.2 were successfully constructed. Both vaccines inhibited CIA, which alleviated the arthritis index score (P <0.05), decreased the level of IFN-γ (P <0.05), and reduced the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ lymphocytes (P <0.05) and the anti-CII antibody in serum (P <0.05). In addition, the histological change in DNA-vaccinated rats was less serious than CIA rats. Compared to pTCR Vβ 8.2 and pTCR Vβ 5.2 groups, the group that was injected with a combination of the two vaccines showed stronger inhibitive effects on CIA than either individual vaccine.

Conclusion The recombinant plasmids pTargeT-TCR Vβ5.2 and pTargeT-TCR Vβ8.2 have obvious inhibatory effects on CIA rats and better effects could be achieved when the vaccines were used in combination.

Chinese Medical Journal 2009;122(9):1039-1048
This study was supported by : Natural Science Foundation of Beijing(No.7052011)

Tags - inhibition , collagen-induced , arthritis , dna , vaccines , encoding , vβ5.2 , tcr , vβ8.2

Activated changes of platelet ultra microstructure and plasma granule membrane protein 140 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Sat, 09 May 2009 08:08:27 +0000

Abstract:

Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Platelet activation may play an important role in pathologic progress in lung cancer. In this study, we aimed to clarify the influence of activated platelets on lung cancer generation and growth, and the relationship among these functional and ultrastructural changes of platelets and the severity of pathogenetic condition in these patients with NSCLC.

Methods One hundred and thirty-six cases of patients with pathologically confirmed NSCLC were included in this study. Fifty-four healthy people were enrolled as controls. The change of ultra microstructure and activity of blood platelets were observed under the transmission and scanning electron microscope. Simultaneous determination of plasma granule membrane protein 140 (GMP-140) was made.

Results Transmission electron microscopy showed remarkable changes of ultra microstructure of platelets in patients with NSCLC, including swelling, increase of α-granules, vesicles, and glycogenosome. Scanning electron microscopy showed many more surface processes and wrinkles on platelets in patients with NSCLC. The reference plasma levels of GMP-140 of healthy controls were (18.2±2.7) μg/L. The plasma levels of GMP-140 in patients with NSCLC were (47.8±12.3) μg/L, which were much higher than those of the controls. There was a medium positive correlation between plasma levels of GMP-140 and amount of α-granules (r=0.514, P <0.01) and a high positive correlation between plasma levels of GMP-140 and area of platelet (r=0.84, P <0.01) in patients with NSCLC. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed significant shift to the left in patients with NSCLC whose α-granules per platelet were 19 or more compared to those 18 or less (Log rank statistic, χ2= 17.38, P <0.01).

Conclusions There are significant activated changes of ultra microstructure and increased activity of blood platelets in patients with NSCLC. These activated platelets may play an important role in the generation and growth of lung cancer. These changes can be used as a diagnostic index of severity, progression, and prognosis of NSCLC.

Chinese Medical Journal 2009;122(9):1026-1031
This study was supported by : Type A Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China(No. 2005A106)

Tags - activated , changes , platelet , ultra , microstructure , plasma , granule , membrane , cell , lung , cancer

BIT’s 7th Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery Science and Technology (IDDST)

Fri, 08 May 2009 08:48:27 +0000

BIT Life Sciences and Organizing Committee are organizing the 7th Annual World Congress of International Drug Discovery Science and Technology (IDDST) as part of their dedication to offer professionals in drug discovery filed a multidisciplinary platform to learn about the latest scientific updates and current industry standards. The congress with the theme “Milestones of Innovative Therapeutics” will be held during October 22-25, 2009, Everbright Convention and Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China. On behalf of organizing committee, we're pleased to network and explore partnering opportunities.

The IDDST congress is initiated by BIT Life Sciences in 2003, with 6 years' contribution in this field, it has attracted more 800 world renowned speakers with over 40,000 professionals around the world as a leading international event for the professionals to pinpoint and identify opportunities and market needs, explore Asian demand and get updated on latest breakthroughs in drug R&D.

In 2009, this is an exciting time for those in drug discovery and development field once again. With the emphasis on the practical, actionable ideas for accelerating discovery and early development, the 7th congress will be the great opportunity for the world's leading scientists and executives to share with you the latest advancements in viral studies and their strategic approaches to win the race to bring in the next blockbuster drug to market and milestones of innovative therapeutics. Through IDDST congress 2009, you will gain a full coverage on the up-to-date with the booming drug R&D industry and its partnering potential in Asia, also deeply understand the market and current situation to get what you need, such as the strategies of major pharma players in integrating scientific, technological, talent and business resources in a flat world to increase business competitive capacities.

For IDDST 2009, BIT Life Sciences is pleased to provide the participants:

* Access to All Eight Tracks Program
* Gain Insights into Therapeutics Area
* Network with 1200+ Participants
* Present Your Research in over 60+ Sessions
* View the Latest Technology and Services in over 100+ Exhibitions
* Develop Strategic Relationships by Interactive Roundtable Discussions

The event is held in Shanghai, one of largest and most prosperous cities in China. There are many excursions to suit your interests. October is a wonderful time to visit, and we encourage you to extend your trip and get to know the rest of China as well.

We look forward to seeing you in Shanghai for a stimulating and enjoyable conference.

Kindest regards,

Call for Abstracts for oral presentation and posters:

We invite abstracts of proffered papers on the Biopharmaceuticals, Cellular Hit Identification Chemistry, Clinical Pharmacology, Clinical R&D, DMPK, Drug Safety & Metabolism, Enabling Technologies, HTS, Lead Discovery & Profiling, Medicinal Chemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, R&D, Structural Biochemistry, Target Discovery, Toxicology Translational Sciences, etc. Topics are not limited above. Any new proposed topic is welcomed. Abstracts of superior quality will be selected by the Committee for presentation after abstracts submitted within 2 weeks, and published in the congress proceedings. They will be available for viewing online at the website, along with slide presentations and posters.

Call for Exhibitors:

Exhibit Hall
Enjoy facilitated networking opportunities with over 100 qualified delegates by participating as an exhibitor. Spread awareness of your latest products or services, as well as your unique corporate image.

Sponsorship and Media Information:
Showcase your company's expertise, brand your solutions and develop revenue opportunities with qualified decision-makers by becoming an active Corporate Sponsor. We can customize any opportunity to meet your current marketing and sales objectives.

Tags - bit , annual , congress , international , drug , discovery , science , technology , iddst

Predictive value of RIFLE classification on prognosis of critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with continuous renal replacement therapy

Fri, 08 May 2009 08:07:34 +0000

Abstract:

Background The optimal timing to start continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) for acute kidney injury (AKI) patients has not been accurately established. The recently proposed risk, injury, failure, loss, end-stage kidney disease (RIFLE) criteria for diagnosis and classification of AKI may provide a method for clinicians to decide the “optimal timing” for starting CRRT under uniform guidelines. The present study aimed: (1) to analyze the correlation between RIFLE stage at the start of CRRT and 90-day survival rate after CRRT start, (2) to further investigate the correlation of RIFLE stage with the malignant kidney outcome in the 90-day survivors, and (3) to determine the influence of the timing of CRRT defined by RIFLE classification on the 90-day survival and malignant kidney outcome in 90-day survivors.

Methods A retrospective cohort analysis was performed on the data of 106 critically ill patients with AKI, treated with CRRT during a 6-year period in a university affiliated surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Information such as sex, age, RIFLE stage, sepsis, sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, number of organ failures before CRRT, CRRT time during SICU, survival, and kidney outcome conditions at 90 days after CRRT start was collected. According to their baseline severity of AKI at the start of CRRT, the patients were assigned to three groups according to the increasing severity of RIFLE stages: RIFLE-R (risk of renal dysfunction, R), RIFLE-I (injury to the kidney, I) and RIFLE-F (failure of kidney function, F) using RIFLE criteria. The malignant kidney outcome was classified as RIFLE-L (loss of kidney function, L) or RIFLE-E (end-stage kidney disease, E) using RIFLE criteria. The correlation between RIFLE stage and 90-day survival rate was analyzed among these three RIFLE-categorized groups. Additionally, the association between RIFLE stage and the malignant kidney outcome (RIFLE-L+RIFLF-E) in the 90-day survivors was analyzed.

Results Fifty-three of the overall 106 patients survived to 90 days after the start of CRRT. There were 16, 22 and 68 patients in RIFLE-R, RIFLE-I and RIFLE-F groups respectively with corresponding 90-day survival rate of 75.0% (12/16), 63.6% (14/22) and 39.7% (27/68) (P <0.01, compared among groups). The percentage of the malignant kidney outcome of 90-day survivors in the RIFLE-R, RIFLE-I, and RIFLE-F groups was 16.7% (2/12), 21.4% (3/14) and 55.6% (15/27), respectively (P for trend <0.01). After adjustment for other baseline risk factors, the relative risk (RR) for the 90-day mortality significantly increased with baseline RIFLE stage. Patients in RIFLE-F had a higher RR of 1.96 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06–3.62) than patients in RIFLE-I (RR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.55–2.15) compared with patients in RIFLE-R (P for trend <0.01). Similarly, baseline RIFLE stage also significantly correlated with the odds ratio (OR) for the malignant kidney outcome in 90-day survivors (P for trend <0.05). Ninety-day survivors in the RIFLE-F group had a borderline significantly highest OR of 6.88 (95% CI: 0.85–55.67).

Conclusions The RIFLE classification may be used to predict 90-day survival after starting CRRT and the malignant kidney outcome of 90-day survivors in the critically ill patients with AKI treated with CRRT. Starting CRRT prior to RIFLE-F stage may be the optimal timing. Prospective, multi-center, randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm its predictive value in these patients.

Chinese Medical Journal 2009;122(9):1020-1025
This study was supported by : WU Jie-ping Medical Foundation, China(No. 320.6750.07140)

Tags - predictive , rifle , classification , prognosis , critically , il , treated , continuous , replacement , therapy

Relationship between perinatal characteristics and later activities of daily living in Chinese elderly people

Fri, 08 May 2009 08:03:59 +0000

Abstract:

Background There are no reports on the association between perinatal characteristics and comprehensive physical function in Chinese elderly people. In this study, we traced 875 subjects who were born at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) of China from 1921 to 1941. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of perinatal characteristics on activities of daily living (ADL) function in the geriatric period.

Methods Birth data of 875 subjects were obtained from obstetric birth records of PUMCH. Adulthood data collection was conducted in the outpatient clinics of PUMCH. During the clinic visits, trained research staff administered physical examinations, activities of daily living scale and a demographic questionnaire. ADLs of all subjects were assessed with the activities of daily living scale.

Results There were 101 subjects whose ADL function was limited and the rate of ADL limitation was 11.5%. Binary logistic regression analyses results showed that the main influencing factors of ADL were age, maternal age at birth, occupation, daily exercise and chronic disease. Subjects whose maternal age at their birth exceeded 35 years were at 2.202 times (1.188–4.083) greater risk of ADL limitation when we applied multivariate logistic regression models.

Conclusions This study validated the relationship between perinatal characteristics and ADL in the geriatric period. An older maternal age at birth could predict a higher ADL limitation rate in the geriatric period.

Chinese Medical Journal 2009;122(9):1015-1019
This study was supported by : NIH/NIA Program Project(No. P01 5P01AG17937-03) Chinese Medical Board of New York, Inc., New York(No. 99-69)

Tags - relationship , between , perinatal , characteristics , activities , living , chinese , elderly , people