Decreased Expression of Plasma MicroRNA in Patients with Methamphetamine (MA) Use Disorder

Recent research have revealed that circulating miRNAs may offer noninvasive biomarkers for human disease, offering the prospect for earlier diagnosis, and improved precision of diagnoses. The diagnoses of drug use disorders is still mainly based on subjective report and no objective biomarkers available. Many animal and cell studies found that miRNAs were involved in substance use disorders, including alcohol, morphine, cocaine and amphetamine use disorders. However, no study on circulating miRNAs for drug use disorders so far. We investigated the differential expression of plasma miRNAs in 124 patients with methamphetamine (MA) use disorders. Based on the preliminary results from microarray screen, plasma expression of 6 candidate miRNAs were measured by Quantitative real-time RT-PCR. We found that the expression of miR181a, miR15b, miR- let-7e, miR- let-7d in plasma were decreased compared to normal controls. The expression of the altered miRNAs were negative correlated with drug use frequencies in past months. Our findings suggested that miR-181a, miR-15b, miR-let-7e and miR-let-7d may play a potential role in the pathology of MA use disorder, and could serve as a potential peripheral biomarker for MA use disorder when confirmed by future studies. Further study are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanism modulated by miRNAs and explore potential novel intervention targets.

Neither Preconceptional Weekly Multiple Micronutrient nor Iron-Folic Acid Supplements Affect Birth Size and Gestational Age Compared with a Folic Acid Supplement Alone in Rural Vietnamese Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Maternal nutritional status before and during early pregnancy plays a critical role in fetal growth and development. The benefits of periconception folic acid (FA) supplementation in the prevention of neural tube defects is well recognized, but the evidence for preconception micronutrient interventions for improving pregnancy outcomes is limited.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate whether preconception supplementation with weekly iron and folic acid (IFA) or multiple micronutrients (MMs) improves birth outcomes compared with FA alone.

METHODS

We recruited 5011 women of reproductive age in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial in Vietnam and provided weekly supplements containing either 2800 μg FA, 60 mg Fe and 2800 μg FA (IFA), or the same amount of FA and iron plus other MMs until they conceived (n = 1813). All pregnant women received daily IFA through delivery, and were followed up for birth outcomes, including birth weight, gestational age, preterm delivery and small for gestational age (SGA). Group comparisons were done with the use of ANOVA or chi-square tests for both intention-to-treat (n = 1599) and per-protocol analyses (women consumed supplements ≥26 wk before conception; n = 824). Effect modification by baseline underweight or anemia status was tested with the use of generalized linear models.

RESULTS

The mean age of the women was 26 y, 30% were underweight, and <10% were nulliparous. The groups were similar for most baseline characteristics. The mean ± SD duration of the preconception intervention was 33 ± 25 wk and compliance was high (>90%). Infants born to the 3 groups of women did not differ (P ≥ 0.05) on mean ± SD birth weight (3076.8 ± 444.5 g) or gestational age (39.2 ± 2.0 wk), or prevalence of SGA (12%), low birth weight (5%) and preterm delivery (10%). There were no significant differences in women who consumed supplements ≥26 wk before conception or by baseline underweight or anemia.

CONCLUSION

Weekly supplementation with MMs or IFA before conception did not affect birth outcomes compared with FA in rural Vietnamese women. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01665378.

Abnormal bone mineral density and bone turnover marker expression profiles in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax

BACKGROUND

To examine the bone mineral density (BMD) and the role of bone biomarkers, including bone formation marker procollagen type I aminoterminal propeptide (PINP) and N-terminal midmolecule fragment osteocalcin (N-MID), bone resorption marker b-C-telopeptides of type I collagen (b-CTX) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP5b) in the pathogenesis of PSP.

METHODS

Eighty-three consecutive primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) patients (PSP group) and 87 healthy individuals (control group) were enrolled in this study. General data, including gender, age, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI), were recorded. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA), and ELISA were used to evaluate bone mineral density and expression levels of bone metabolism markers, including PINP, b-CTX, TRACP5b, N-MID, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH VD).

RESULTS

Mean height was significantly greater in the PSP group compared with the control group, whereas weight and BMI were lower. Patients in the PSP group had significantly lower average bone mineral density, which mainly manifested as osteopenia (11/12, 91.7%); however, only one patient (8.3%) developed osteoporosis. Serum overexpression of PINP, b-CTX, TRACP5b, and N-MID were found in PSP patients. Expression of 25-OH VD was low in PSP patients. Bone resorption markers showed positive linear relationships with bone formation markers in all participants; whereas only TRACP5b expression negatively correlated with 25-OH VD. Expression levels of all bone turnover markers negatively correlated with BMI. Regression analysis identified risk factors of PSP as age, height, weight, and TRACP5b and 25-OH VD expression levels; whereas gender and PINP, b-CTX, and N-MID expression levels were not significantly associated with the onset of PSP.

CONCLUSIONS

It had lower bone mineral density in PSP patients. Bone formation marker PINP, N-MID and bone resorption marker b-CTX, TRACP5b were upregulated in PSP patients. 25-OH VD expression was relatively low in this population of PSP patients. Age, height, weight, and expression levels of TRACP5b and 25-OH VD may be risk factors for PSP.

Duration of Untreated Psychosis in Chinese and Mauritian: Impact of Clinical Characteristics and Patients' and Families' Perspectives on Psychosis

Background

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is a potentially modifiable prognostic factor of course and prognosis of psychiatric disorders. Few studies have demonstrated that different cultural backgrounds or perspectives on psychosis may be important factors to the DUP. This study attempted to explore whether the DUP was different in Chinese and Mauritians and to clarify potential influencing factors to a long DUP (>3 months).

Methods

200 patients from China and 100 patients from Mauritius were enrolled in the study. Their respective family members were also recruited. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected, and the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale was adapted to measure the stigma in all subjects. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to find the potential influencing factors to the long DUP.

Results

35.3% of the enrolled patients had a long DUP. No significant difference was found in frequency of long DUP between the two countries. Chinese patients had relatively less perceptions of stigma. Furthermore, Chinese patients with a long DUP had more perception of breakup due to mental illness (OR = 2.22, p = 0.04) and more families’ perception of the patient being disinherited due to mental illness (OR = 6.47, p = 0.01). Mauritian patients with a long DUP were less likely to have high monthly income (OR = 0.12, p<0.01), while they had less patients’ awareness of mental illness (OR = 0.31, p<0.05) and less families’ awareness of mental illness (OR = 0.14, p<0.01).

Conclusion

The results of this study underlined the importance of DUP in economic conditions, racial and sociocultural factors, and public awareness on psychosis in developing countries.

Identifying Enclosed Chemical Reaction and Dynamics at the Molecular Level Using Shell-Isolated Miniaturized Plasmonic Liquid Marble

Current microscale tracking of chemical kinetics is limited to destructive ex situ methods. Here we utilize Ag nanocube-based plasmonic liquid marble (PLM) microreactor for in situ molecular-level identification of reaction dynamics. We exploit the ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) capability imparted by the plasmonic shell to unravel the mechanism and kinetics of aryl-diazonium surface grafting reaction in situ, using just a 2-μL reaction droplet. This reaction is a robust approach to generate covalently functionalized metallic surfaces, yet its kinetics remain unknown to date. Experiments and simulations jointly uncover a two-step sequential grafting process. An initial Langmuir chemisorption of sulfonicbenzene diazonium (dSB) salt onto Ag surfaces forms an intermediate sulfonicbenzene monolayer (Ag-SB), followed by subsequent autocatalytic multilayer growth of Ag-SB3. Kinetic rate constants reveal 19-fold faster chemisorption than multilayer growth. Our ability to precisely decipher molecular-level reaction dynamics creates opportunities to develop more efficient processes in synthetic chemistry and nanotechnology.

Use of and barriers to access to opioid analgesics: a worldwide, regional, and national study

BACKGROUND

Despite opioid analgesics being essential for pain relief, use has been inadequate in many countries. We aim to provide up-to-date worldwide, regional, and national data for changes in opioid analgesic use, and to analyse the relation of impediments to use of these medicines.

METHODS

We calculated defined daily doses for statistical purposes (S-DDD) per million inhabitants per day of opioid analgesics worldwide and for regions and countries from 2001 to 2013, and we used generalised estimating equation analysis to assess longitudinal change in use. We compared use data against the prevalence of some health disorders needing opioid use. We surveyed 214 countries or territories about impediments to availability of these medicines, and used regression analyses to establish the strength of associations between impediments and use.

FINDINGS

The S-DDD of opioid analgesic use more than doubled worldwide between 2001-03 and 2011-13, from 1417 S-DDD (95% CI -732 to 3565; totalling about 3.01 billion defined daily doses per annum) to 3027 S-DDD (-1162 to 7215; totalling about 7.35 billion defined daily doses per annum). Substantial increases occurred in North America (16,046 S-DDD [95% CI 4032-28,061] to 31,453 S-DDD [8121-54,785]), western and central Europe (3079 S-DDD [1274-4883] to 9320 S-DDD [3969-14,672]), and Oceania (2275 S-DDD [763-3787] to 9136 S-DDD [2508-15,765]). Countries in other regions have shown no substantial increase in use. Impediments to use included an absence of training and awareness in medical professionals, fear of dependence, restricted financial resources, issues in sourcing, cultural attitudes, fear of diversion, international trade controls, and onerous regulation. Higher number of impediments reported was significantly associated with lower use (unadjusted incidence rate ratio 0.39 [95% CI 0.29-0.52]; p<0.0001), but not when adjusted for gross domestic product and human development index (0.91 [0.73-1.14]; p=0.4271).

INTERPRETATION

Use of opioid analgesics has increased, but remains low in Africa, Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and eastern and southeastern Europe. Identified impediments to use urgently need to be addressed by governments and international agencies.

FUNDING

International Narcotics Control Board, UN.

Enhanced Fibroblast Cellular Ligamentization Process to Polyethylene Terepthalate Artificial Ligament by Silk Fibroin Coating

Artificial ligaments utilized in reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are usually made of polyethylene terepthalate (PET) because of its good mechanical properties in vivo. However, it was found that the deficiencies in hydrophilicity and biocompatibility of PET hindered the process of ligamentization. Therefore, surface modification of the PET is deemed as a solution in resolving such problem. Silk fibroin (SF), which is characterized by good biocompatibility and low immunogenicity in clinical applications, was utilized to prepare a coating on the PET ligament (PET+SF) in this work. At first, decrease of hydrophobicity and appearance of amino groups were found on the surface of artificial PET ligament after coating with SF. Second, mouse fibroblasts were cultured on the two different kinds of ligament in order to clarify the possible effect of SF coating. It was proved that mouse fibroblasts display better adhesion and proliferation on PET+SF than PET ligament according to the results of several technical methods including SEM observation, cell adhesive force and spread area test, and mRNA analysis. Meanwhile, methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide and DNA content tests showed that biocompatibility of PET+SF is better than PET ligament. In addition, collagen deposition tests also indicated that the quantity of collagen in PET+SF is higher than PET ligament. Based on these results, it can be concluded that SF coating is suggested to be an effective approach to modify the surface of PET ligament and enhance the "ligamentization" process in vivo accordingly.

Experimental Investigation on Curing Stress in Polymer Composite Using Digital Gradient Sensing Technique

The curing stress and deformation of epoxy resin and aramid fiber/epoxy composites was measured using Digital Gradient Sensing (DGS) technique. First, the working principle of the DGS method was explained, and the governing equations were derived based on angular deflections of light rays. Then the angle deflection of light rays due to curing stress of epoxy resin was measured, and the effect of the fiber bundle and aramid fiber fabric on the stress distribution during formation was analyzed. The experimental results show that angular deflections of light rays can be related to nonuniform distribution of curing stress in epoxy. The fiber bundles and fabric style have important effects on the curing stress distribution. These results play an important role for predicting curing stress and deformation of fiber reinforced composites.

Dynamics Associated with Prolonged Ensiling and Aerobic Deterioration of Total Mixed Ration Silage Containing Whole Crop Corn

This study investigated the dynamics associated with prolonged ensiling and aerobic deterioration of whole crop corn (WCC) silages and total mixed ration (TMR) silages containing WCC (C-TMR silages) to clarify the differences that account for the enhanced aerobic stability of TMR silages. Laboratory-scale barrel silos were randomly opened after 7, 14, 28, and 56 d of ensiling and were subjected to analyses of fermentation quality, microbial and temperature dynamics during aerobic exposure. WCC and C-TMR silages were both well preserved and microorganisms were inhibited with prolonged ensiling, including lactic acid bacteria. Yeast were inhibited to below the detection limit of 500 cfu/g fresh matter within 28 d of ensiling. Aerobic stability of both silages was enhanced with prolonged ensiling, whereas C-TMR silages were more aerobically stable than WCC silages for the same ensiling period. Besides the high moisture content, the weak aerobic stability of WCC silage is likely attributable to the higher lactic acid content and yeast count, which result from the high water-soluble carbohydrates content in WCC. After silo opening, yeast were the first to propagate and the increase in yeast levels is greater than that of other microorganisms in silages before deterioration. Besides, increased levels of aerobic bacteria were also detected before heating of WCC silages. The temperature dynamics also indicated that yeast are closely associated with the onset of the aerobic deterioration of C-TMR silage, whereas for WCC silages, besides yeast, aerobic bacteria also function in the aerobic deterioration. Therefore, the inclusion of WCC might contribute to the survival of yeast during ensiling but not influence the role of yeast in deterioration of C-TMR silages.

Room temperature ferromagnetic Zn0.98Co0.02O powders with improved visible-light photocatalysis

The realization of ferromagnetic diluted magnetic semiconductors requires the fine tuning of the energy levels of the band structure, which might have important applications in photocatalysis.

Fe2O3 nanoparticles suppress Kv1.3 channels via affecting the redox activity of Kvβ2 subunit in Jurkat T cells

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are promising nanomaterials in medical practice due to their special magnetic characteristics and nanoscale size. However, their potential impacts on immune cells are not well documented. This study aims to investigate the effects of Fe2O3 nanoparticles (Fe2O3-NPs) on the electrophysiology of Kv1.3 channels in Jurkat T cells. Using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, we demonstrate that incubation of Jurkat cells with Fe2O3-NPs dose- and time-dependently decreased the current density and shifted the steady-state inactivation curve and the recovery curve of Kv1.3 channels to a rightward direction. Fe2O3-NPs increased the NADP level but decreased the NADPH level of Jurkat cells. Direct induction of NADPH into the cytosole of Jurkat cells via the pipette abolished the rightward shift of the inactivation curve. In addition, transmission electron microscopy showed that Fe2O3-NPs could be endocytosed by Jurkat cells with relatively low speed and capacity. Fe2O3-NPs did not significantly affect the viability of Jurkat cells, but suppressed the expressions of certain cytokines (TNFα, IFNγ and IL-2) and interferon responsive genes (IRF-1 and PIM-1), and the time courses of Fe2O3-NPs endocytosis and effects on the expressions of cytokines and interferon responsive genes were compatible. We conclude that Fe2O3-NPs can be endocytosed by Jurkat cells and act intracellularly. Fe2O3-NPs decrease the current density and delay the inactivation and recovery kinetics of Kv1.3 channels in Jurkat cells by oxidizing NADPH and therefore disrupting the redox activity of the Kvβ2 auxiliary subunit, and as a result, lead to changes of the Kv1.3 channel function. These results suggest that iron oxide nanoparticles may affect T cell function by disturbing the activity of Kv1.3 channels. Further, the suppressing effects of Fe2O3-NPs on the expressions of certain inflammatory cytokines and interferon responsive genes suggest that iron oxide nanoparticles may exert modulatory effects on T cell immune activities and anti-inflammation effects.

The effect of age and gender on motor vehicle driver injury severity at highway-rail grade crossings in the United States

INTRODUCTION

Based on the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) database, there were 25,945 highway-rail crossing accidents in the United States between 2002 and 2011. With an extensive database of highway-rail grade crossing accidents in the United States from 2002 to 2011, estimation results showed that there were substantial differences across age/gender groups for driver's injury severity.

METHOD

The study applied an ordered probit model to explore the determinants of driver injury severity for motor vehicle drivers at highway-rail grade crossings.

RESULTS

The analysis found that there are important behavioral and physical differences between male and female drivers given a highway-rail grade crossing accident happened.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Older drivers have higher fatality probabilities when driving in open space under passive control especially during bad weather condition. Younger male drivers are found to be more likely to have severe injuries at rush hour with high vehicle speed passing unpaved highway-rail grade crossings under passive control. Synthesizing these results led to the conclusion that the primary problem with young is risk-taking and lack of vehicle handling skills. The strength of older drivers lies in their aversion to risk, but physical degradation issues which result in longer reaction/perception times and degradation in vision and hearing often counterbalance this attribute.

Voluntary and Involuntary Psychiatric Admissions in China

OBJECTIVE

This study examined admission patterns, including voluntary, involuntary, and partly voluntary admissions to Chinese psychiatric hospitals, in relation to sociodemographic and clinical factors, before a new mental health law was implemented in 2013.

METHODS

Previously admitted patients were interviewed within one week after discharge from 16 psychiatric hospitals across China. Patients' basic sociodemographic and clinical data, including results from the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) and the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire (ITAQ), were collected.

RESULTS

Among 797 patients, 224 (28%) had voluntary admissions, 336 (42%) had involuntary admissions, and 237 (30%) had partly voluntary admissions. Male gender, history of hospitalization, diagnosis of schizophrenia and related disorders, and high MOAS score were the risk factors for involuntary admissions, whereas more years of education, higher ITAQ score, and outpatient treatment before the index admission were its protective factors. A diagnosis of schizophrenia-related disorder and high MOAS score were the risk factors for partly voluntary admission, whereas more education and high ITAQ score were its protective factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Perception of dangerousness and poor insight about mental illness were significant factors in involuntary psychiatric admissions in China. Factors contributing to the changes in patterns of psychiatric admissions after China's implementation of the mental health law are important topics for further research.

Vibrations of thin plates with small clamped patches

Eigenvalues of fourth-order elliptic operators feature prominently in stability analysis of elastic structures. This paper considers out-of-plane modes of vibration of a thin elastic plate perforated by a collection of small clamped patches. As the radius of each patch shrinks to zero, a point constraint eigenvalue problem is derived in which each patch is replaced by a homogeneous Dirichlet condition at its centre. The limiting problem is consequently not the eigenvalue problem with no patches, but a new type of spectral problem. The discrepancy between the eigenvalues of the patch-free and point constraint problems is calculated. The dependence of the point constraint eigenvalues on the location(s) of clamping is studied numerically using techniques from numerical algebraic geometry. The vibrational frequencies are found to depend very sensitively on the number and centre(s) of the clamped patches. For a range of number of punctures, we find spatial clamping patterns that correspond to local maxima of the base vibrational frequency of the plate.

GABRB2 Haplotype Association with Heroin Dependence in Chinese Population

Substance dependence is a frequently observed comorbid disorder in schizophrenia, but little is known about genetic factors possibly shared between the two psychotic disorders. GABRB2, a schizophrenia candidate gene coding for GABAA receptor β2 subunit, is examined for possible association with heroin dependence in Han Chinese population. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GABRB2, namely rs6556547 (S1), rs1816071 (S3), rs18016072 (S5), and rs187269 (S29), previously associated with schizophrenia, were examined for their association with heroin dependence. Two additional SNPs, rs10051667 (S31) and rs967771 (S32), previously associated with alcohol dependence and bipolar disorder respectively, were also analyzed. The six SNPs were genotyped by direct sequencing of PCR amplicons of target regions for 564 heroin dependent individuals and 498 controls of Han Chinese origin. Interestingly, it was found that recombination between the haplotypes of all-derived-allele (H1; OR = 1.00) and all-ancestral-allele (H2; OR = 0.74) at S5-S29 junction generated two recombinants H3 (OR = 8.51) and H4 (OR = 5.58), both conferring high susceptibility to heroin dependence. Additional recombination between H2 and H3 haplotypes at S1-S3 junction resulted in a risk-conferring haplotype H5 (OR = 1.94x109). In contrast, recombination between H1 and H2 haplotypes at S3-S5 junction rescued the risk-conferring effect of recombination at S5-S29 junction, giving rise to the protective haplotype H6 (OR = 0.68). Risk-conferring effects of S1-S3 and S5-S29 crossovers and protective effects of S3-S5 crossover were seen in both pure heroin dependent and multiple substance dependence subgroups. In conclusion, significant association was found with haplotypes of the S1-S29 segment in GABRB2 for heroin dependence in Han Chinese population. Local recombination was an important determining factor for switching haplotypes between risk-conferring and protective statuses. The present study provide evidence for the schizophrenia candidate gene GABRB2 to play a role in heroin dependence, but replication of these findings is required.

Probabilistic models of genetic variation in structured populations applied to global human studies

Motivation: Modern population genetics studies typically involve genome-wide genotyping of individuals from a diverse network of ancestries. An important problem is how to formulate and estimate probabilistic models of observed genotypes that account for complex population structure. The most prominent work on this problem has focused on estimating a model of admixture proportions of ancestral populations for each individual. Here, we instead focus on modeling variation of the genotypes without requiring a higher-level admixture interpretation.

Results: We formulate two general probabilistic models, and we propose computationally efficient algorithms to estimate them. First, we show how principal component analysis can be utilized to estimate a general model that includes the well-known Pritchard–Stephens–Donnelly admixture model as a special case. Noting some drawbacks of this approach, we introduce a new ‘logistic factor analysis’ framework that seeks to directly model the logit transformation of probabilities underlying observed genotypes in terms of latent variables that capture population structure. We demonstrate these advances on data from the Human Genome Diversity Panel and 1000 Genomes Project, where we are able to identify SNPs that are highly differentiated with respect to structure while making minimal modeling assumptions.

Availability and Implementation: A Bioconductor R package called lfa is available at http://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/lfa.html.

Contact:jstorey@princeton.edu

Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.