[Measurement of morphological features of Oncomelania hupensis shells in Yunnan Province]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the morphological variation of Oncomelania hupensis shells in Yunnan Province, so as to provide insights into the understanding of O. hupensis genetic evolution and control.

METHODS

According to the O. hupensis density, geographical location, altitude, water system and environmental type, 12 administrative villages were sampled from 10 schistosomiasis-endemic counties (districts) in 3 prefectures (cities) of Yunnan Province as snail collection sites. From December 2021 to January 2022, about 200 snails were collected from each collection site, among which thirty adult snails (6 to 7 spirals) were randomly selected from each site, and the 11 morphological indexes of snail shells were measured and subjected to cluster analysis and principal component analysis.

RESULTS

Of O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province, the longest shell (7.33 mm) was detected in snails from Yongle Village, Eryuan County, with the shortest (4.68 mm) in Dongyuan Village, Gucheng District, and the largest angle of apex (59.47°) was measured in snails from Caizhuang Village, Midu County, with the smallest (41.40°) in Qiandian Village, Eryuan County. The mean coefficient of variation was 9.075% among O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province, with the largest coefficient of variation seen in the thickness of the labra brim (29.809%). Among O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province, the mean Euclidean distance was 2.26, with the shortest Euclidean distance seen between O. hupensis snails from Qiandian Village of Eryuan County and Wuxing Village of Dali City (0.26), and the largest found between O. hupensis snails from Caizhuang Village of Midu County and Cangling Village of Chuxiong County (8.17). Cluster analysis and principal component analysis classified O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province into three categories, including the O. hupensis snail samples from Caizhuang Village of Midu County, O. hupensis snail samples from Cangling Village of Chuxiong County, and O. hupensis snail samples from Qiandian Village of Eryuan County, Wuxing Village of Dali City, Yangwu Village of Yongsheng County, Xiaoqiao Village of Xiangyun County, Yongle Village of Eryuan County, Xiaocen Village of Dali City, Anding Village of Nanjian County, Dongyuan Village of Gucheng District, Lianyi Village of Heqing County, and Dianzhong Village of Weishan County. The variations in these three categories of snail samples were mainly measured in the principal component 2 related to the angle of apex and the thickness of the labra brim.

CONCLUSIONS

The variations in the Euclidean distance and morphological features of shells of O. hupensis from 12 localities of Yunnan Province gradually rise with the decrease in the latitude of the collection sites. The angle of apex is an indicator for the growth of O. hupensis whorl.

[The prevention and therapy of corneal ulcers in patients with large-area thermal burns]

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of ocular injury in patients with severe extensive thermal burns, and to explore the effective methods to prevent and treat corneal ulcers related to severe burns. Methods: A retrospective case series study. Between 2010 and 2019, Sixteen severe thermal burn patients with burn sizes>70% of the total body surface area involving the ocular region were admitted to the Burns and Plastic Surgery Division of Chinese PLA General Hospital, and consult with Ophthalmology Division. There were deep second-degree to fourth-degree burns in the eyelids. In the eleven surviving patients, 22 eyes presented ectropion. Eyelid full-thickness skin grafting (EFTSG) combined with or without tarsorrhaphy was performed in 20 eyes due to severe corneal exposure. Two eyes received partial blepharorrhaphy because of mild ectropion. The ocular manifestations and treatment outcomes were reviewed and assessed. Results: The majority of the patients were youth, and the average age was (36.8±10.4) years. The burn area was 84.0%±9.1% of the body surface area. Corneal ulcers secondary to lagophthalmos occurred at (35.1±15.6) days after burning in 75% (24/32) of eyes. Perforation was found in 18.8% (6/32) of eyes. Among the 22 operated eyes, the corneal ulcer was repaired in all 9 eyes receiving EFTSG with tarsorrhaphy, whereas ectropion recurred in 8 of 11 eyes only receiving EFTSG, and 4 eyes underwent further surgery due to corneal epithelial defects. Conclusions: In patients with severe large-area thermal burns, corneal ulcers are common complications. Prevention of corneal exposure is vital because the treatment of corneal ulceration is difficult due to eyelid deformity, inflammation and the absence of donor skin. Timely full-thickness skin grafting and blepharorrhaphy are effective approaches to preventing exposure keratopathy. To severe ulcers occur, conjunctival flap or Tenon's capsule covering combined with eyelid EFTSG and tarsorrhaphy is useful to rescue visual function.

Antimicrobial mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine and reversal of drug resistance: a narrative review

OBJECTIVE

In recent years, the extensive use of antibiotics worldwide has led to an increase in the number of drug-resistant bacterial strains, thus resulting in an increasingly severe degree of bacterial resistance. For thousands of years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has provided natural and unique advantages in the treatment of infectious diseases. Therefore, it is important to develop further and use TCM to treat clinical infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. The articles were analyzed to extract information on the antimicrobial effects of Chinese herbal medicines, compounded Chinese medicines, monomeric compounds of herbal origin, and the combined use of Chinese medicine and antimicrobial drugs and to determine the synergistic effect of the combination of Chinese medicine and antibiotics, as well as investigate the possibility of restoring the antibiotic sensitivity of drug-resistant strains.

RESULTS

The mechanisms underlying the antibacterial properties of TCM involve altering membrane permeability, inhibiting protein and nucleic acid synthesis, inhibiting enzyme activity in vivo, and controlling the ability of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the mechanism underlying TCM-induced reversal of bacterial drug resistance is discussed, particularly in terms of the elimination of resistant (R) plasmids and the inhibition of extended-spectrum β-lactamases, bacterial biofilm formation, and bacterial efflux pump activity.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper reviewed the recent relevant literature on antimicrobial action and its mechanisms, as well as the mechanisms of drug resistance reversal by TCM to provide a reference for clinical drug use, prevention and control of bacterial infection, and research and development of new drugs.

[Analysis of the new WHO guideline to accelerate the progress towards elimination of schistosomiasis in China]

On February 2022, WHO released the evidence-based guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis, with aims to guide the elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem in disease-endemic countries by 2030 and promote the interruption of schistosomiasis transmission across the world. Based on the One Health concept, six evidence-based recommendations were proposed in this guideline. This article aims to analyze the feasibility of key aspects of this guideline in Chinese national schistosomiasis control program and illustrate the significance to guide the future actions for Chinese national schistosomiasis control program. Currently, the One Health concept has been embodied in the Chinese national schistosomiasis control program. Based on this new WHO guideline, the following recommendations are proposed for the national schistosomiasis control program of China: (1) improving the systematic framework building, facilitating the agreement of the cross-sectoral consensus, and building a high-level leadership group; (2) optimizing the current human and livestock treatments in the national schistosomiasis control program of China; (3) developing highly sensitive and specific diagnostics and the framework for verifying elimination of schistosomiasis; (4) accelerating the progress towards elimination of schistosomiasis and other parasitic diseases through integrating the national control programs for other parasitic diseases.

[Decoding the evolution of preventive chemotherapy schemes for schistosomiasis in China to improve the precise implementation of the WHO guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis]

Preventive chemotherapy is one of the pivotal interventions for the control and elimination of schistosomiasis, which is effective to reduce the morbidity and prevalence of schistosomiasis. In order to promote the United Nations' sustainable development goals and the targets set for schistosomiasis control in the Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals: a road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021-2030, WHO released the guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis in 2022, with major evidence-based updates of the current preventive chemotherapy strategy for schistosomiasis. In China where great success has been achieved in schistosomiasis control, the preventive chemotherapy strategy for schistosomiasis has been updated several times during the past seven decades. This article reviews the evolution of the WHO guidelines on preventive chemotherapy and Chinese national preventive chemotherapy schemes, compares the current Chinese national preventive chemotherapy scheme and the recommendations for preventive chemotherapy proposed in the 2022 WHO guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis, and proposes recommendations for preventive chemotherapy during the future implementation of the 2022 WHO guideline, so as to provide insights into schistosomiasis control among public health professionals engaging in healthcare foreign aid.

Bounded Confidence Evolution of Opinions and Actions in Social Networks

Inspired by the continuous opinion and discrete action (CODA) model, bounded confidence and social networks, the bounded confidence evolution of opinions and actions in social networks is investigated and a social network opinions and actions evolutions (SNOAEs) model is proposed. In the SNOAE model, it is assumed that each agent has a CODA for a certain issue. Agents' opinions are private and invisible, that is, an individual agent only knows its own opinion and cannot obtain other agents' opinions unless there is a social network connection edge that allows their communication; agents' actions are public and visible to all agents and impact other agents' actions. Opinions and actions evolve in a directed social network. In the limitation of the bounded confidence, other agents' actions or agents' opinions noticed or obtained by network communication, respectively, are used by agents to update their opinions. Based on the SNOAE model, the evolution of the opinions and actions with bounded confidence is investigated in social networks both theoretically and experimentally with a detailed simulation analysis. Theoretical research results show that discrete actions can attract agents who trust the discrete action, and make agents to express extreme opinions. Simulation experiments results show that social network connection probability, bounded confidence, and the opinion threshold of action choice parameters have strong impacts on the evolution of opinions and actions. However, the number of agents in the social network has no obvious influence on the evolution of opinions and actions.

Impact of diabetic retinopathy on prognosis of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), and could increase the risks of adverse cardiovascular events among DM patients. Since heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and DM often coexist, our present study aimed to explore the associations of DR with adverse outcomes in HFpEF patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We conducted this study in a large, international population suffering from HFpEF (n = 3442) based on the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist (TOPCAT) trial. The associations of baseline DR with clinical outcomes were expressed as adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using the Cox proportional hazard regression models. The crude incidence rates of all the outcomes studied were significantly increased when DM patients with or without DR compared to those without DM (all P < 0.05), whereas there were no differences between DM patients without DR versus those with DR (all P > 0.05). In the multivariate cox regression analysis, DR was not significantly associated with increased risks of the primary composite outcome (HR, 1.178 [95% CI, 0.870-1.596]) and secondary outcomes including all-cause death, cardiovascular death, all-cause hospitalization, hospitalization for HF, myocardial infarction, and stroke (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results of current study suggested that DM but not DR could be regarded as an independent risk factor for the prognosis of HFpEF.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00094302.

A Differential Evolution-Based Consistency Improvement Method in AHP With an Optimal Allocation of Information Granularity

In the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), the reciprocal matrix is generated based on the pairwise comparisons completed among all the alternatives or attributes under consideration. To ensure reliability and validity of the decision solution, a certain modification of entries of the matrix is usually needed to improve the consistency of the reciprocal matrix. This study aims to present a consistency improvement method by admitting some level of information granularity in the evaluation process. This gives rise to a granular rather than numeric matrix of pairwise comparisons. First, with a given average level of information granularity, we present an optimal granularity model that is characterized by maximal consistency. One can maximize the consistency degree by invoking a process of allocation of information granularity across the corresponding modifications of the reciprocal matrix. Based on the optimal granularity model, an interactive consistency improvement process is presented with the involvement of the decision maker. Then, an adaptive differential evolution algorithm is applied to optimize entries of the modified reciprocal matrix. Detailed experiments along with a thorough comparative analysis are completed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Consistency-Driven Methodology to Manage Incomplete Linguistic Preference Relation: A Perspective Based on Personalized Individual Semantics

In linguistic decision-making problems, there may be cases when decision makers will not be able to provide complete linguistic preference relations. However, when estimating unknown linguistic preference values in incomplete preference relations, the existing research approaches ignore the fact that words mean different things for different people, that is, decision makers have personalized individual semantics (PISs) regarding words. To manage incomplete linguistic preference relations with PISs, in this article, we propose a consistency-driven methodology both to estimate the incomplete linguistic preference values and to obtain the personalized numerical meanings of linguistic values of the different decision makers. The proposed incomplete linguistic preference estimation method combines the characteristic of the personalized representation of decision makers and guarantees the optimum consistency of incomplete linguistic preference relations in the implementation process. Numerical examples and a comparative analysis are included to justify the feasibility of the PISs-based incomplete linguistic preference estimation method.

[Pancreas multidisciplinary team optimizes the diagnosis and treatment of pancreas-related diseases and improves the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients]

Objectives: To evaluate the role of pancreas multidisciplinary team(MDT) clinic in the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases,patient compliance with MDT advice,and the impact of MDT on the postoperative survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. Methods: The study included 927 patients(554 males,373 females,aged (58.1±13.3)years (range: 15 to 89 years)) that had visited the pancreas MDT clinic of Zhongshan Hospital from May 2015 to December 2021,and 677 patients(396 males, 281 females, aged (63.6±8.9)years(range: 32 to 95 years)) who underwent radical surgery and with pathologically confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma from January 2012 to December 2020,of whom 79 patients had attended the pancreas MDT. The clinical and pathological data were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Diseases were classified in accordance with 2010 WHO classification of tumors of the digestive system and usual clinical practices. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for drawing the survival curve and calculating the survival rate. The univariate analysis was done by Log-rank test and the multivariate analysis was done by COX proportional hazards model. Survival rates were compared using χ2 test. Results: Among the 927 patients that had visited the MDT clinic,233 patients(25.1%) were referred due to undetermined diagnosis. A direct diagnosis was made in 109 cases (46.8%,109/233) by the MDT clinic, of which 98 were consistent with the final diagnosis,resulting in an accuracy of 89.9%(98/109). The direct diagnosis rate in the recent years(36.6%(41/112),from June 2019 to December 2021) decreased compared to that in the previous years(56.2%(68/121),from May 2015 to May 2019),yet the accuracy in the recent years(90.2%,37/41) was basically the same as before (89.7%,61/68). The rate of compliance of the entire cohort was 71.5%(663/927), with the compliance rate in the recent two and a half years(81.4%,338/415) remarkably higher than that in the previous four years(63.4%,325/512). Patients with pancreatic cancer that attended the MDT exhibited a trend toward longer median postoperative survival than patients that did not attend the MDT,but the difference was not statistically significant(35.2 months vs.30.2 months,P>0.05). The 1-year and 3-year survival rates of patients that attended the MDT were significanly higher than patients that did not attend the MDT(88.6% vs. 78.4%,P<0.05;32.9% vs. 21.9%,P<0.05,respectively),but the 5-year survival rate was not statistically different(7.6% vs. 4.8%,P>0.05). Conclusions: The pancreas MDT clinic is an accurate and convenient way to diagnose intractable pancreatic diseases,and in the recent years the patients' compliance rate with MDT advice has increased. Pancreatic cancer patients that have attended the MDT have higher 1-year and 3-year postoperative survival rates,but the long-term survival benefits of MDT still needs to be proved by clinical studies on a larger scale.

In-site hydrogen bubble template method to prepare Ni coated metal meshes as effective bi-functional electrodes for water splitting

Metal substrates are frequently used as current collectors and supports for electrochemically active materials, but their effect on the physical and electrochemical performance of electrocatalysts is rarely investigated. In this study, the electrodeposition method was used to coat four different metal meshes with three-dimensional nickel porous structures using hydrogen bubbles as a template. The significant influence of the metal substrates on the morphology of deposited nickel was demonstrated. 3D porous structures formed on nickel, iron, copper, and titanium meshes via the hydrogen bubble template method varied significantly. It was found that differences in the physical adsorption of hydrogen and electrochemical hydrogen evolution on metal substrates are the fundamental reasons behind the diverse morphology of the coatings. Lattice matching of the substrate and the active material also plays an important role during the electrodeposition process. Electrocatalytic performance of the newly prepared materials in water electrolysis was evaluated using the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER). The results demonstrate the high electrocatalytic activity of Ni/FeM in the OER and HER, and the good stability of Ni/TiM in HER.

[Gene expression signature analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with for high altitude pulmonary hypertension and value for potential drug selection]

Objective: To investigate the gene expression characteristics of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with high altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) in Naxi residents living in Lijiang, Yunnan, and to explore the underlying pathogenesis and value for potential drug selection. Methods: This is a case-control study. Six patients with HPAH (HPAH group) and 4 normal subjects (control group) were selected from the Naxi residents who originally lived in Lijiang, Yunnan Province. The general clinical data of the two groups were collected, and the related indexes of pulmonary artery pressure were collected. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the subjects were collected for RNA sequencing. The differences on gene expression, regulatory network of transcription factors and drug similarity between the two groups were compared. The results were compared with the public data of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). Biological processes and signal pathways were analyzed and compared between HPAH and IPAH patients. Results: The age of 6 patients with HAPH was (68.1±8.3) years old, and there were 2 males (2/6). The age of 4 subjects in the control group was (62.3±10.9) years old, and there were 2 males (2/4). Tricuspid regurgitation velocity, tricuspid pressure gradient and pulmonary systolic pressure in HAPH group were significantly higher than those in control group (all P<0.05). The results of RNA sequencing showed that compared with the control group, 174 genes were significantly upregulated and 169 genes were downregulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HAPH group. These differentially expressed genes were associated with 220 biological processes, 52 molecular functions and 23 cell components. A total of 21 biological processes and 2 signal pathways differed between HPAH and IPAH groups, most of which were related to inflammation and immune response. ZNF384, SP1 and STAT3 were selected as highly correlated transcription factors by transcription factor prediction analysis. Trichostatin A and vorinostat were screened out as potential drugs for the treatment of HAPH by drug similarity analysis. Conclusions: There are significant differences in gene expression in peripheral blood monocytes between HAPH patients and normal population, and inflammation and immune dysfunction are the main pathogenic factors. Trichostatin A and Vorinostat are potential drugs for the treatment of HAPH.

[Contribution to global implementation of WHO guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis by learning successful experiences from the national schistosomiasis control program in China]

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that seriously hinders socioeconomic developments and threatens public health security. To achieve the global elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2030, WHO released the guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis on February, 2022, with aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for schistosomiasis morbidity control, elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem, and ultimate interruption of schistosomiasis transmission in disease-endemic countries. Following concerted efforts for decades, great achievements have been obtained for schistosomiasis control in China where the disease was historically highly prevalent, and the country is moving towards schistosomiasis elimination. This article reviews the successful experiences from the national schistosmiasis control program in China, and summarizes their contributions to the formulation and implementation of the WHO guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis. With the progress of the "Belt and Road" initiative, the world is looking forward to more China's solutions on schistosomiasis control.

POS1138 PERSISTENCY OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Background

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent arthritic disorder, characterized by joint paint, which is exacerbated by chronic depressive episodes. Depression in knee OA is also associated with declines in physical activity level and greater disability; however, the impact of persistent depressive symptoms on physical performance remains unclear.

Objectives

To determine how the persistence of depressive symptoms affects functional capacity in knee OA.

Methods

Participants (n=2,212) were from the Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort and included individuals with radiographic disease (Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥ 2) and complete data on study measures at baseline. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; range 0-60) at baseline and the first three follow-up visits. Physical Performance was measured using 20-meter gait speed (meters per second) during follow-up at the first four annual visits. Persistency of depressive symptoms was operationalized as a cumulative exposure using average severity over time. Gait speed was standardized so that outcome estimates could be interpreted in standard deviations. Time-invariant confounders measured at study enrollment included demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors. Time-varying confounders assessed concurrent to CES-D scores were body mass index, analgesic medications, pain, and other knee OA signs and symptoms. Marginal structural models accounting for time-dependent confounding and selective attrition were the primary method of analysis. The outcome model included all potential statistical interactions between depressive symptoms and follow-up time indicators. Post-estimation linear combinations estimated time-specific effects of time-averaged CES-D scores on standardized gait speed and differences in physical performance between participants with (i.e., CES-D=16) and without (i.e., CES-D=0) depressive symptoms satisfying screening criteria for major depression.

Results

The interaction between depressive symptoms and time was statistically significant (P=<0.001). Time-specific associations indicated that the largest negative impact of depressive symptoms on physical performance was from baseline through year one (β = -0.0077; 95% CI: -0.0125, 0.0030). However, the effect of persistent depressive symptoms decreased over time and reversed in magnitude and directionality, evidenced by the time-specific associations between time-averaged CES-D scores from baseline through year one and year two and gait speed at year two (β = -0.0033; 95% CI: -0.0084, 0.0019) and year three (β = 0.0014; 95% CI: -0.0046, 0.0074), respectively. Consequently, the strongest negative affect of depressive symptoms on gait speed (β = -0.1232; 95% CI: -0.1998, -0.0473) between participants with and without depressive symptoms satisfying screening criteria for major depression was when depressive symptoms were first measured closest to the initial gait speed assessment.

Conclusion

In the contrast to the dose-dependent relationship between chronic depressive episodes and pain in knee OA, study findings imply that the negative effect of depressive symptoms on physical performance decreases over time with increasing depression persistency. These results may reflect diminishing marginal effects, where the largest impact on physical performance in knee OA is during the first depressive episode closest to initial gait speed assessment, especially when averaged against improvement in symptoms over the same duration.

Acknowledgements

The OAI is a public-private partnership comprised of five contracts (N01-AR-2-2258; N01-AR-2-2259; N01-AR-2-2260; N01-AR-2-2261; N01-AR-2-2262) funded by the National Institutes of Health, a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services, and conducted by the OAI Study Investigators. Private funding partners include Merck Research Laboratories; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline; and Pfizer, Inc. Private sector funding for the OAI is managed by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. This manuscript was prepared using an OAI public use data set and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the OAI investigators, the NIH, or the private funding partners.

Disclosure of Interests

Rhea Mehta: None declared, Michelle Shardell: None declared, Alice Ryan: None declared, Yu Dong: None declared, Brock Beamer: None declared, Joseph Gallo: None declared, Elizabeth Stuart: None declared, Megan Schuler: None declared, Marc Hochberg Shareholder of: Dr. Marc C. Hochberg is the President of Rheumcon Corporation., Consultant of: Dr. Marc C. Hochberg receives consulting fees from Bioiberica SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Galapagos, IBSA Biotechniq SA, Novartis Pharma AG, Pfizer, Plexxikon, Samumed LLC, Theralogix LLC, and TissueGene Inc., Alan Rathbun: None declared

Odontogenic Differentiation Induced by TGF-β1 Binding Peptide-Modified Bioglass

Emerging evidence suggests that growth factors are crucial in regenerative endodontic therapy. To achieve the desired effects, the systematic administration of supraphysiologic concentrations of exogenous growth factors is commonly performed, but this is usually associated with high costs, technique, and safety issues. Here, we describe a novel biomaterial that can manipulate endogenous growth factors without the need for adding exogenous growth factors. Transforming growth factor β1 binding peptide (TGFp) was grafted onto the surface of a neutral pH phytic acid-derived bioactive glass (PSC) to synthesize modified bioactive glass (PSC-TGFp). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis results demonstrated that the TGFp was successfully grafted to the surface of the PSC. Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction showed that PSC-TGFp possessed good in vitro bioactivity. After soaking in simulated body fluid for 24 h, hydroxyapatite formed on the surface of PSC-TGFp. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that PSC-TGFp could capture endogenous transforming growth factor β1 from dentin matrix-extracted proteins (DMEP) and release it slowly over 21 d. Cytologic experiments revealed that PSC-TGFp after adsorbing DMEP could enhance the adhesion, migration, viability, and odontogenic differentiation of stem cells from apical papilla. The results highlight that PSC-TGFp may be a promising biomaterial to manipulate endogenous growth factors for regenerative endodontic therapy in the future.

Comparison of plant efficiencies of various power conversion systems for high-temperature reactor modules

The progress in the technology of conventional power plants with gas, steam and combined cycles suggests investigating to what extent such technology can be applied to power conversion systems for high-temperature reactors (HTR). HTR power conversion systems with steam cycle, offer the possibility of achieving steam parameters equivalent to those of currently constructed or planned conventional plants of similar high efficiency. Gas turbine and combined cycles also offer interesting prospects for obtaining high efficiency. This study, which is restricted to thermodynamic aspects, investigates the potential for increased efficiency in HTR module plants with 200 MWth. Steam and gas turbine cycles, with and without intermediate heat exchangers, and combined gas turbine/steam cycles, with and without intermediate heat exchangers, are investigated.

[Analysis of lactate dehydrogenase gene polymorphisms and prediction of B cell epitopes in four human Plasmodium species]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the polymorphism of Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) gene and predict B-cell epitopes in pLDH peptides in four species of human malaria parasites.

METHODS

The blood samples and epidemiological characteristics were collected from malaria cases in Yunnan Province registered in the National Notifiable Disease Report System. The pLDH genes of four human Plasmodium species were amplified using nested PCR assay and sequenced. The polymorphisms of pLDH genes was analyzed using the software MEGA version 7.0.26 and DnaSP version 5.10, and the B-cell epitopes were predicted in pLDH peptides using the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB).

RESULTS

The sequences of P. vivax LDH (PvLDH), P. falciparum LDH (PfLDH), P. ovale LDH (PoLDH) and P. malariae LDH (PmLDH) genes were obtained from 153, 29, 17 and 11 blood samples from patients with P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. ovale and P. malariae malaria, respectively, which included 15, 2, 4 and 2 haplotypes and had a nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.104. A high level of intra-species differentiation was seen in the PoLDH gene (π = 0.012), and the π values were all < 0.001 for PvLDH, PfLDH and PmLDH genes. Active regions of B-cell antigen were predicted in the pLDH peptide chain of four human malaria parasites, of 4 to 5 in each chain, and the activity score was approximately 0.430. Among these peptide chains, the "86-PGKSDKEWNRD-96" short-peptide was a B-cell epitope shared by all four species of human malaria parasites, and the "266-GQYGHS (T)-271" short-peptide was present in PvLDH and PoLDH peptide chains, while "212-EEVEGIFDR-220" was only found in the PvLDH peptide chain, and "208-LISDAE-213" was only seen in the PfLDH peptide chain.

CONCLUSIONS

The PoLDH gene polymorphism may be derived from the weak negative purification selection, while PvLDH, PfLDH and PmLDH genes may maintain a relatively conservative state. There may be two B-cell epitopes "212-EEVEGIFDR-220" and "208-LISDAE-213" in the proximal region of the C terminal in the pLDH peptide chain, which is feasible to differentiate between P. vivax and P. falciparum infections.

Microrods synthesized of MoO3 with corn straw as biological templates and its electrochemical performance in aqueous aluminum-ion battery

ABSTRACT. In this paper, MoO3 microrods were prepared using corn straw as biological template via roasting process The components and crystal characterization of the material were investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD)，scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the electrochemistry property and mechanism were studied. The results showed that the MoO3 material synthesized by template method is orthorhombic structures. The MoO3 particles were submicron and micron rods with uniform distribution and a smooth surface. MoO3 microrods had an average diameter that ranged from 1 to 2 μm. The result indicated that the MoO3 as the new negative of aluminum battery delivers a higher discharge capacity of 190 mA·h·g-1 at a scanning rate of 1 mV·s-1, which showing good capacity and cycling performance.                     KEY WORDS: Biological template, Corn straw, Aqueous aluminum-ion battery, MoO3   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2021, 35(3), 669-675. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v35i3.17

Consensus Reaching Based on Social Influence Evolution in Group Decision Making

A key issue in social network group decision making (SNGDM) is to determine the weights (i.e., social influences) of individuals. Notably, in some SNGDM scenarios, the social influences of individuals may evolve over time. Meanwhile, consensus reaching is another important issue in SNGDM. In this article, we are dedicated to disclosing the natural evolution process of social influence, and further to discussing the consensus reaching issue in SNGDM. First, we establish the social influence evolution model, where the individual's social influence is obtained by combining his/her intrinsic influence and network influence. Afterward, we design the consensus reaching process based on social influence evolution (CRP-SIE) to assist the individuals to reach a consensus. Furthermore, we use a hypothetical application to show the applicability of the proposed CRP-SIE. Finally, simulation analysis is adopted to investigate the effects of social influence evolution on consensus reaching in SNGDM, and comparative analysis is conducted to demonstrate the advantages of our proposal.

[Clinical and genetic spectrum of SCN2A gene associated epilepsy and episodic ataxia]

Objective: To explore the clinical manifestations and genetic characteristics of patients with epilepsy and episodic ataxia caused by SCN2A gene variation. Methods: The clinical data of seizure manifestation, imaging examination and genetic results of 5 patients with epilepsy and (or) episodic ataxia because of SCN2A gene variation admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2017 to January 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Among 5 patients, 4 were female and 1 was male. The onset age of epilepsy ranged from 4 days to 8 months. There were 2 cases of benign neonatal or infantile epilepsy and 3 cases of epileptic encephalopathy, in whom 1 case had development retardation,1 case transformed from West syndrome to infantile spasm and another one transformed from infantile spasm to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. One case of benign neonatal-infantile epilepsy was characterized by neonatal onset seizures and episodic ataxia developed at the age of 78 months. Electroencephalograms at first visit of 5 cases showed that 2 cases were normal, 1 case had focal epileptic discharge, and 2 cases had multi-focal abnormal discharge with peak arrhythmia. The brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 3 cases were nomal, 1 case was abnormal (brain atrophy with decreased white matter) and the results of 1 case was unknown. The follow-up time ranged from 17 months to 89 months. Four cases of epilepsy were controlled and 1 case died at 2 years of age. Two cases had normal intelligence and motor development, 2 had moderate to severe intelligence retardation and motor critical state, and 1 had moderate to severe intelligence and motor development retardation. SCN2A gene variations were identified in all cases. There were 4 missense variations and 1 frameshift variation. Three variations had not been reported so far, including c.4906A>G,c.3643G>T,c.638delT. Conclusions: Variations in SCN2A gene can cause benign neonatal or infantile epilepsy and epileptic encephalopathy. Some children develop episodic ataxia with growing age. The variation of SCN2A gene is mainly missense variation.

The aquaculture supply chain in the time of covid-19 pandemic: Vulnerability, resilience, solutions and priorities at the global scale

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had severe, unpredictable and synchronous impacts on all levels of perishable food supply chains (PFSC), across multiple sectors and spatial scales. Aquaculture plays a vital and rapidly expanding role in food security, in some cases overtaking wild caught fisheries in the production of high-quality animal protein in this PFSC. We performed a rapid global assessment to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related emerging control measures on the aquaculture supply chain. Socio-economic effects of the pandemic were analysed by surveying the perceptions of stakeholders, who were asked to describe potential supply-side disruption, vulnerabilities and resilience patterns along the production pipeline with four main supply chain components: a) hatchery, b) production/processing, c) distribution/logistics and d) market. We also assessed different farming strategies, comparing land- vs. sea-based systems; extensive vs. intensive methods; and with and without integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, IMTA. In addition to evaluating levels and sources of economic distress, interviewees were asked to identify mitigation solutions adopted at local / internal (i.e., farm-site) scales, and to express their preference on national / external scale mitigation measures among a set of a priori options. Survey responses identified the potential causes of disruption, ripple effects, sources of food insecurity, and socio-economic conflicts. They also pointed to various levels of mitigation strategies. The collated evidence represents a first baseline useful to address future disaster-driven responses, to reinforce the resilience of the sector and to facilitate the design reconstruction plans and mitigation measures, such as financial aid strategies.

Synthesis of C3-functionalized indole derivatives via Brønsted acid-catalyzed regioselective arylation of 2-indolylmethanols with guaiazulene

The first Brønsted acid catalyzed method for the construction of guaiazulenyl C3-functionalized indole derivatives was established. The reactions proceeded smoothly at ambient temperature by used (±)-10-camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) as catalyst,...

[ ≥ ]

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of retroperitoneal laparoscopic selective renal artery branch occlusion with nephron sparing surgery in patients with renal carcinoma of stage ≥ T1b. Methods: From July 2016 to September 2020, 35 patients with renal cancer ≥T1b underwent retroperitoneoscopic nephron sparing surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University. The surgical methods were retroperitoneoscopic nephron sparing surgery with total renal artery occlusion (group A) or selective renal artery branch occlusion (group B). Operation time, heat ischemia time, blood transfusion rate, positive margin rate, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications and length of hospital stay were compared between the two groups, and the total glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the single-nephron glomerular filtration rate (sGFR) of the offected kidneys were compared between the two groups before, 3 months after and 12 months after surgery. Results: Among the 35 patients, 19 were male and 16 were female, aged (55.7±8.4) years and the body mass index is (24.6±3.1) kg/m². The tumor diameter was (54.7±10.3) mm. The difference was statistically significant of operative time between group A and B [(103.5±14.3) vs (123.2±14.1) min,P=0.003]. There were no significant differences in thermal ischemia time, blood transfusion rate, positive margin, intraoperative blood loss, incidence of postoperative complications and length of hospital stay between the two groups (all P>0.05). The decrease of renal sGFR in the group A was significantly higher than group B at 3 months and 12 months after surgery [(23.1±3.6) vs (29.1±7.1) ml/min;(25.9±4.7) vs (30.7±7.2),both P<0.05]. Conclusion: Retroperitoneal laparoscopic selective renal artery branch occlusion and neon-sparing surgery for patients with ≥ T1b stage renal carcinoma is a safe and effective surgical method, which can well protect the renal function of patients in the early postoperative stage without increasing intraoperative blood loss and postoperative complications.

[Prospective clinical study on the influence of implant crown and bridge prostheses characteristics on peri-implant disease]

Objective: To investigate the influence of different characteristics of implant-supported fixed dental prostheses on the incidence of peri-implant disease. Methods: Prospective cohort was established for patients who received implant-supported fixed dental prostheses at the Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University between June 2014 and September 2015. Several patient-related factors, implant prostheses factors, and oral hygiene maintenance factors were collected. The Log-rank test was used to compare the peri-implant disease rates of various factors, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to conduct multivariate study on single factor significant factors to analyze the impact on the incidence of peri-implant disease. Results: A total of 214 subjects and 351 implants were included in the cohort, the follow-up period was (11.0±3.5) months. Finally, 43.0% (92/214) of patients and 37.3% (131/351) of implants developed peri-implant diseases. The incidence of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis was 41.1% (88/214) and 4.2% (9/214) at the subject level,and 34.2% (120/351) and 3.1% (11/351) at the implant level. Among the factors associated with the implant prosthesis, single factor Log-rank analysis showed that prostheses retention methods, proximal contact of the prostheses, occlusion situation were statistical significance (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards model showed that screw retention (hazard ratio=2.38, 95%CI: 1.42-3.99), proximal contact loss of the prostheses (hazard ratio=2.36, 95%CI: 1.31-4.27) were independent risk factors for peri-implant disease (P<0.05). Conclusions: Factors such as prostheses retention mode and proximal contact characteristics have important influence on the health status of the implant.

Preference–Approval Structures in Group Decision Making: Axiomatic Distance and Aggregation

Preference–approval structure combines the preference information of both ranking and approval, which extends the ordinal preference model by incorporating two categories of choice alternatives, that is, acceptable (good) and unacceptable (bad), in the preference modeling process. In this study, we present some axioms that imply the existence of a unique distance function of preference–approval structures. Based on theoretical analysis and simulation experiments, we further study a preferences aggregation model in the group decision-making context based on the proposed axiomatic distance function. In this model, the group preference is defined as a preference–approval structure that minimizes the sum of its distances to all preference–approval structures of individuals in the group under consideration. Particularly, we show that the group preference defined by the axiomatic distance–based aggregation model has close relationships with the simple majority rule and Cook and Seiford’s ranking.

[Effect of Echinococcus multilocularis infections on mitochondrial functions of macrophages]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the changes of mitochondrial metabolic functions of macrophages following Echinococcus multilocularis infections, so as to provide insights into the pathogenesis of alveolar echinococcosis.

METHODS

Two groups were assigned according to different treatment methods. In the culture group, mouse leukemic monocyte macrophage RAW264.7 cells were cultured with 2 000 E. multilocularis at a ratio of 500∶1, while RAW264.7 cells in the control group were given no treatment. Then, both the culture and control groups were further divided into the 24 h and 72 h subgroups. Mitochondria were stained with MitoTracker^® Deep Red FM and the mean fluorescence intensity of macrophage mitochondria was measured with the Cytation 5 Cell Imaging Multi-Mode Reader. The mitochondrial DNA copy number was quantified using the quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay, and the mitochondrial energy metabolism was monitored using the Seahorse XF assay. In addition, the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected using flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The mean fluorescence intensities of macrophage mitochondria were significantly lower in the 24 h (15 341 ± 2 532 vs. 17 823 ± 3 429; t = 6.379, P < 0.01) and 72 h (18 102 ± 3 505 vs. 21 511 ± 5 144; t = 17.680, P < 0.01) culture subgroups than in the corresponding control subgroups, and lower mitochondrial DNA copy numbers were measured in the 72 h culture subgroup than in the 72 h control group [(3.23 × 10⁹ ± 1.78 × 10⁷) vs. (4.39 × 10⁹ ± 3.70 × 10⁷); t = 8.85, P < 0.001]. The oxygen consumption rates were significantly greater in the 24 h [(241.70 ± 73.13) pmol/min vs. (69.05 ± 52.30) pmol/min; t = 7.89, P < 0.01] and 48 h culture groups [(249.50 ± 42.06) pmol/min vs. (60.28 ± 40.66) pmol/min; t = 8.64, P < 0.01] than in the corresponding control groups, and a higher extracellular acidification rate was seen in the 48 h culture group than in the 48 h control group ([ 111.6 ± 17.49) mpH/min vs. (35.05 ± 7.57) mpH/min; t = 16.90, P < 0.01]. In addition, flow cytometry detected higher mean fluorescence intensity of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (58 264 ± 10 087 vs. 4 307 ± 97; t = 12.930, P < 0.01) and lower mitochondrial membrane potential (9.833% ± 2.285% vs. 2.667% ± 0.208%; t = 6.645, P < 0.01) in the 72 h culture group than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

E. multilocularis infection may impair mitochondrial functions and inhibit oxidative phosphorylation of macrophages, resulting in increased macrophage glycolysis. It is speculated that the alteration of macrophage metabolic states may contribute to the mechanisms underlying the development and progression of alveolar echinococcosis.

[Observation and experiment: a causal perspective]

Observation and experiment and their related connotations and concepts remain vague, which affects the correct understanding of research design and the judgment of the validity of causal inference. This article borrows the concept of phase transition in physics, combines causal thinking and causal diagrams, firstly establishes the relationships among the attribute, state, event, and phenomenon, and then identifies two ways with the opposite causal structures to acquire phenomena-human observations and human manipulated experiments. In causal inference, the ways mentioned above, intervention and assignment of exposure are affected by their own causal mechanisms. Finally, intervention is a causal concept, a core link among known phenomena, unknown phenomena available for measurement, and natural causality. Based on this, the two strategies in classifying research design are analyzed, and intervention method and non-intervention method are proposed, as is comprehensive and concise. Observations and experiments provide the basis for all scientific knowledge and should be viewed as concepts with a unified connotation. The accurate classification of research designs based on the law of causality and measurement process may be one of the best options worthy of in-depth study.

Machine Learning-Based Comparative Analysis of Pan-Cancer and Pan-Normal Tissues Identifies Pan-Cancer Tissue-Enriched circRNAs Related to Cancer Mutations as Potential Exosomal Biomarkers

A growing body of evidence has shown that circular RNA (circRNA) is a promising exosomal cancer biomarker candidate. However, global circRNA alterations in cancer and the underlying mechanism, essential for identification of ideal circRNA cancer biomarkers, remain under investigation. We comparatively analyzed the circRNA landscape in pan-cancer and pan-normal tissues. Using co-expression and LASSO regularization analyses, as well as a support vector machine, we analyzed 265 pan-cancer and 319 pan-normal tissues in order to identify the circRNAs with the highest ability to distinguish between pan-cancer and pan-normal tissues. We further studied their expression in plasma exosomes from patients with cancer and their relation with cancer mutations and tumor microenvironment landscape. We discovered that circRNA expression was globally reduced in pan-cancer tissues and plasma exosomes from cancer patients than in pan-normal tissues and plasma exosomes from healthy controls. We identified dynein axonemal heavy chain 14 (DNAH14), the top back-spliced gene exclusive to pan-cancer tissues, as the host gene of three pan-cancer tissue-enriched circRNAs. Among these three circRNAs, chr1_224952669_224968874_+ was significantly elevated in plasma exosomes from hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer patients. It was also related to the cancer mutation chr1:224952669: G>A, a splice acceptor variant, and was increasingly transcription-driven in cancer tissues. Moreover, pan-cancer tissue-enriched and pan-normal tissue-enriched circRNAs were associated with distinct tumor microenvironment patterns. Our machine learning-based analysis provides insights into the aberrant landscape and biogenesis of circRNAs in cancer and highlights cancer mutation-related and DNAH14-derived circRNA, chr1_224952669_224968874_+, as a potential cancer biomarker.

[Recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of Behçet's syndrome in China]

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is classified among variable vessel vasculitis with unknown etiology and extensively heterogeneous clinical features. It is easily missed or misdiagnosed due to the lack of a specific laboratory diagnosis index. Based on the evidence and guidelines from China and other countries, the Chinese Rheumatology Association developed the standardization of diagnosis and treatment of BS. The purposes are: (1) To standardize the detection and interpretation of key indicators for BS; (2) To standardize rational management for BS patients with topical and systemic organ involvement to reduce complications and improve outcomes.

Early pregnancy prediction of spontaneous preterm birth before 32 completed weeks of pregnancy using plasma RNA: transcriptome discovery and initial validation of an RNA panel of markers

OBJECTIVE

To compare the second-trimester plasma cell-free (PCF) transcriptome of women who delivered at term with that of women with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) at or before 32 weeks of gestation and identify/validate PCF RNA markers present by 16 weeks of gestation.

DESIGN

Prospective case-control study.

SETTING

Academic tertiary care centre.

POPULATION

Pregnant women with known outcomes prospectively sampled.

METHODS

PCF RNAs extracted from women at 22-24 weeks of gestation (five sPTB up to 32 weeks and five at term) were hybridised to gene expression arrays. Differentially regulated RNAs for sPTB up to 32 weeks were initially selected based on P value compared with control (P < 0.01) and fold change (≥1.5×). Potential markers were then reordered by narrowness of distribution. Final marker selection was made by searching the Metacore™ database to determine whether the PCF RNAs interacted with a reported set of myometrial Preterm Initiator genes. RNAs were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and tested in a second group of 40 women: 20 with sPTB up to 32 weeks (mean gestation 26.5 weeks, standard deviation ±2.6 weeks), 20 with spontaneous term delivery (40.1 ± 0.9 weeks) sampled at 16-19+5  weeks of gestation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Identification of PCF RNAs predictive of sPTB up to 32 weeks.

RESULTS

Two hundred and ninety-seven PCR RNAs were differentially expressed in sPTB up to 32 weeks of gestation. Further selection retained 99 RNAs (86 mRNAs and 13 microRNAs) and five of these interacted in silica with seven Preterm Initiator genes. Four of five RNAs were confirmed and tested on the validation group. The expression of each confirmed PCF RNA was significantly higher in sPTB up to 32 weeks of gestation. In vitro study of the four mRNAs revealed higher expression in placentas of women with sPTB up to 32 weeks and the potential to interfere with myometrial quiescence.

CONCLUSIONS

The PCF RNA markers are highly associated with sPTB up to 32 weeks by 16 weeks of gestation.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Women destined for spontaneous preterm birth can be identified by 16 weeks of gestation with a panel of maternal plasma RNAs.

[Advances in research of pyroptosis in the mechanism of periodontal disease]

Pyroptosis is a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death that has been gradually recognized in recent years. It plays an important role in recognizing the invasion of exogenous pathogens and sensing endogenous danger signals. The initiation of pyroptosis depends on the activation of intracellular inflammasome and its downstream caspases, as well as the active fragment of the key protein Gasdermin. The invasion of periodontal pathogens induces an inflammatory response of the host, involving the activation of inflammasome and triggering pyroptosis as well. Meanwhile, it leads to the release of a large number of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 to amplify the inflammatory response and mediate periodontal tissue destruction eventually. This article reviews the research progress of the signaling pathways of pyroptosis, as well as its mechanism induced by periodontal pathogens and the mechanism of periodontal tissue damage in periodontitis in order to provide new targets and ideas for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.

Fabrication of Ag/TiO2 Cotton Fabric to Enhance Photocatalytic Degradation of Anionic Dye

Ag/TiO2 composite fabric was prepared by coprecipitation with TiCl4 as a titanium source and AgNO3 as a silver source. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analyzer (TG) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The photocatalytic activity of synthetic fabrics was measured by the degradation of anion dyes under ultraviolet light. The effects of silver loading concentration, fabric area, initial concentration, and photocatalytic time on photocatalytic activity were investigated. The experimental results showed that the degradation rate of Ag/TiO2 composite fabric on anion dyes could reach 70.76% in 50 minutes, indicating that the prepared Ag/TiO2 composite fabrics had high photocatalytic activity.

Role of hypoxia in inhibiting dendritic cells by VEGF signaling in tumor microenvironments: mechanism and application

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a central role in tumor initiation, development, immune escape, and clinical treatment. Hypoxia, an important characteristic of the TME, mediates vascular endothelial factor (VEGF) signaling through direct or indirect mechanisms. Directly, hypoxia promotes the expression of VEGF through hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) induction. Indirectly, VEGF inhibits dendritic cell (DC) maturation and function by binding to VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) and co-receptors expressed on cell membranes. Additionally, HIF can bypass VEGF/VEGFR and activate downstream signaling factors to promote tumor development. Currently, DC vaccine, anti-HIF and anti-VEGF therapies are widely used in clinical treatment, but their long-term effects remain limited. Therefore, a further understanding of the effects of hypoxia and VEGF signaling on DCs will help in the development of innovative combination therapies and the identification of new targets.

P–371 Clinical value assessment between endometrial receptivity array and immune profiling in patients with implantation failure

Study question

To evaluate whether the pregnancy outcomes could be improved in implantation failure patients by endometrial receptivity array, endometrial immune profiling, or a combination of both.

Summary answer

There was no statistical difference between different endometrial receptivity evaluation and treatment in improving the clinical pregnancy rate.

What is known already

Both endometrial receptivity array and endometrial immune profiling were promised to improve the endometrial receptivity and subsequent clinical pregnancy. However, less is known about the efficiency between each other and whether the combination could further enhance their clinical value.

Study design, size, duration

Between November 2019 and September 2020, 143 women with a history of at least two or more consecutive implantation failure in IVF/ICSI treatment in Chengdu Xinan Gynecology Hospital were included. They were divided into three groups: ‘ERA + Immune Profiling’ (n = 70), ‘Immune Profiling’ (n = 41), and ‘ERA’ (n = 32).

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Inclusion criteria were age ≤ 38, with normal uterus and uterine cavity. All patients were suggested to evaluate endometrial receptivity by ERA test (Igenomix, Valencia, Spain) and endometrial immune profiling based on immunohistochemistry simultaneously, who would be free to choose each or both evaluation approaches. Personal Embryo Transfer and/or personal medical care were adopted according to evaluation results. Clinical pregnancy was confirmed by gestational sacs observed under ultrasonography.

Main results and the role of chance

The overall prevalence of displaced window of implantation (WOI) is 84.3%, and nearly 74.8% (83/111) patients were diagnosed as endometrial immune dysregulation. Clinical Pregnancy rate and embryonic implantation rate decreased in the ‘Immune Test’ groups, but without a statistical difference (P = 0.311, and 0.158, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that different endometrial receptivity evaluation and treatment was not associated the clinical pregnancy rate, suggesting the performance of different endometrial receptivity evaluation and treatment is similar in improving the clinical pregnancy rate. Neither the immune profiling (CD56, P = 0.591; FOXP3, P = 0.195; CD68, P = 0.820; CD163, P = 0.926; CD1a, P = 0.561; CD57, P = 0.221; CD8, P = 0.427; CD138 CE, P = 0.372) nor histologic endometrial dating defined by Noyes criteria (P = 0.374) were associated with ERA phases.

Limitations, reasons for caution

Although the selection of evaluation approaches was based on patients’ willingness, the variances of baseline characteristics and immune profiling existed in different groups. The immunological treatment efficacy based on immune profiling was not evaluated before embryo transfer.

Wider implications of the findings: To our knowledge, this is the first study comparing the pregnancy outcomes after two typical endometrial receptivity evaluation approaches. The findings highlight the unsubstitutability for each assessment, indicating that both asynchronous and pathological WOI contribute to implantation failure.

Trial registration number

X2019004

Defensive Resource Allocation: The Roles of Forecast Information and Risk Control

In defensive resource allocation problems, the defender usually collects some forecast information about the attacker. However, the forecast information may be incorrect, which means that there could be a risk associated with the defender using it in their decision making. In this article, we propose a forecast and risk control (FRC) framework to manage the risk in defensive resource allocation with forecast information. In the FRC framework, we introduce a new measure of risk and three types of defense plans: riskless defense plan, risky defense plan, and risk-control defense plan. Several desirable properties based on the concepts of reward and penalty show that the risk-control defense plan is a general form to support defensive resource allocation. Subsequently, we study a specific defensive allocation problem with forecast information and develop an optimization model that considers the forecast information and the defender's risk tolerance level in order to obtain the risk-control defense plan with maximum reward. Furthermore, we provide some numerical analysis to illustrate the effects of forecast information and risk tolerance level on the risk-control defense plan. Finally, a numerical case study is presented to demonstrate the usability of a risk-control defense plan.

Prospects and Pitfalls: Next-Generation Tools to Control Mosquito-Transmitted Disease

Mosquito-transmitted diseases, including malaria and dengue, are a major threat to human health around the globe, affecting millions each year. A diverse array of next-generation tools has been designed to eliminate mosquito populations or to replace them with mosquitoes that are less capable of transmitting key pathogens. Many of these new approaches have been built on recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing. These initiatives have driven the development of pathogen-resistant lines, new genetics-based sexing methods, and new methods of driving desirable genetic traits into mosquito populations. Many other emerging tools involve microorganisms, including two strategies involving Wolbachia that are achieving great success in the field. At the same time, other mosquito-associated bacteria, fungi, and even viruses represent untapped sources of new mosquitocidal or antipathogen compounds. Although there are still hurdles to be overcome, the prospect that such approaches will reduce the impact of these diseases is highly encouraging.

Multiomics metabolic and epigenetics regulatory network in cancer: A systems biology perspective

Genetic, epigenetic, and metabolic alterations are all hallmarks of cancer. However, the epigenome and metabolome are both highly complex and dynamic biological networks in vivo. The interplay between the epigenome and metabolome contributes to a biological system that is responsive to the tumor microenvironment and possesses a wealth of unknown biomarkers and targets of cancer therapy. From this perspective, we first review the state of high-throughput biological data acquisition (i.e. multiomics data) and analysis (i.e. computational tools) and then propose a conceptual in silico metabolic and epigenetic regulatory network (MER-Net) that is based on these current high-throughput methods. The conceptual MER-Net is aimed at linking metabolomic and epigenomic networks through observation of biological processes, omics data acquisition, analysis of network information, and integration with validated database knowledge. Thus, MER-Net could be used to reveal new potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets using deep learning models to integrate and analyze large multiomics networks. We propose that MER-Net can serve as a tool to guide integrated metabolomics and epigenomics research or can be modified to answer other complex biological and clinical questions using multiomics data.

Fizeau drag in graphene plasmonics

Dragging of light by moving media was predicted by Fresnel¹ and verified by Fizeau's celebrated experiments² with flowing water. This momentous discovery is among the experimental cornerstones of Einstein's special relativity theory and is well understood^3,4 in the context of relativistic kinematics. By contrast, experiments on dragging photons by an electron flow in solids are riddled with inconsistencies and have so far eluded agreement with the theory^5-7. Here we report on the electron flow dragging surface plasmon polaritons^8,9 (SPPs): hybrid quasiparticles of infrared photons and electrons in graphene. The drag is visualized directly through infrared nano-imaging of propagating plasmonic waves in the presence of a high-density current. The polaritons in graphene shorten their wavelength when propagating against the drifting carriers. Unlike the Fizeau effect for light, the SPP drag by electrical currents defies explanation by simple kinematics and is linked to the nonlinear electrodynamics of Dirac electrons in graphene. The observed plasmonic Fizeau drag enables breaking of time-reversal symmetry and reciprocity¹⁰ at infrared frequencies without resorting to magnetic fields^11,12 or chiral optical pumping^13,14. The Fizeau drag also provides a tool with which to study interactions and nonequilibrium effects in electron liquids.

[Hepatic echinococcus granulosus: a clinicopathological analysis of thirteen cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics of hepatic echinococcus granulosus (HEG). Methods: Thirteen cases of HEG were collected from Linzhi People's Hospital between January 2017 to October 2020, and their clinicopathologic features, ultrasound classification, immunophenotype and histochemical data were analyzed, retrospectively and the relevant literature was reviewed. Results: Thirteen patients (5 male patients, 8 female patients) were included in this cohort, and the mean age was 40 years. The most common clinical presentation was mild abdominal distention and pain (9/13). Based on WHO-IWGE ultrasound standardized classification, these cases were classified into 5 types, including type CL (1 case), type CE1 (2 cases), type CE2 (4 cases), type CE3 (3 cases) and type CE4 (3 cases). Gross examination revealed a solitary cyst localized in the liver, varying from 2.7 to 13.5 cm in diameter, and most of them(10/13)were more than 10 cm. Histopathologically, these cysts possessed a thin inner germinal layer and outer adventitial layer, and a central cavity filled with a clear"hydatid"fluid. The germinal layer was continuous and generated brood capsules and protoscoleces. The laminated membranes were clearly demonstrated by elastic fiber and Gomori's stains. Inside the"mother"cyst, there were a varying number of"daughter"vesicles of variable sizes. The inflammatory reaction around the cyst consisted of eosinophils, mononuclear cells immediately next to the cyst layer and sometimes formed granuloma and giant cells resembling the Langhan's type giant cells. The lymphoid cells were positive for CD20 and CD3. The CD68 immunohistochemistry clearly demonstrated epithelioid cells of granuloma in two cases. Moreover, immunohistochemistry revealed plasma cells were locally positive for CD38, IgG and IgG4, but not meeting the criteria for IgG4 related lesion. Conclusions: Hepatic echinococcus granulosus is a zoonotic parasitic disease prevalent in pastoral areas such as Tibet. It is important to understand its clinical features, ultrasound characteristics and histological morphology.

[Rapamycin activates autophagy by inhibiting mTOR pathway to alleviate early osteoporosis in rats with skeletal fluorosis]

Objective: To investigate the effects of rapamycin target protein (mTOR) pathway and autophagy on bone formation and bone resorption in fluorosis osteoporosis in rats. Methods: In September 2018, a rat model of skeletal fluorosis was established by intragastric administration of fluorine. The experimental animals were divided into control group, 10 mgF(-)/kg group, 20 mgF(-)/kg group, 2 mg/kg rapamycin (RAPA) +10 mgF(-)/kg group and 2 mg/kg RAPA+20 mgF(-)/kg group, 20 per group. The experiment lasted for 3 months. The changes of bone tissue in rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Bone mineral density (BMD) and biomechanical indexes, such as Modulus of elasticity, Stiffness, Maximum stress and Maximum load, were measured by BMD and biomechanical biometer. Serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) , osteocalcin (BGP) , osteoprotectin (OPG) , type I procollagen amino-terminal peptide (PINP) , tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP) and nuclear factor kappa B receptor activator ligand (RANKL) were determined by enzymatic linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) . Bone tissue phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) , autophagy-related index selective autophagy adaptor protein p62, microtubule associated protein II (LC3-II) , ALP, osteoblastic transcription factor (Osterix) , and RNT Expression of related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and bone resorption indicator RANKL were detected by Western blotting. Results: Compared with the control group, dental fluorosis in the 10 mgF(-)/kg and 20 mgF(-)/kg groups was significantly increased, periosteum thickness and absorption lacunae appeared, and BGP, OPG, PINP, TRACP and RANKL in serum contents were increased (P<0.05) , BMD, Modulus of elasticity, Stiffness, Maximum stress and Maximum load of bone tissue decreased significantly (P<0.05) , and the expressions of p-mTOR and p62 were decreased (P<0.05) , also the expressions of ALP, Osterix, Runx2 and RANKL were increased (P<0.05) . Compared with 10 mgF(-)/kg and 20 mgF(-)/kg groups, there were no obvious dental fluorosis symptoms in 2 mg/kg RAPA+10 mgF(-)/kg group and 2 mg/kg RAPA+20 mgF(-)/kg group, and serum ALP, BGP and OPG levels were significantly increased (P<0.05) . TRACP and RANKL contents were significantly decreased (P<0.05) . BMD, Modulus of elasticity, Stiffness, Maximum stress and Maximum load were significantly increased (P<0.05) . The levels of p-mTOR, p62 and RANKL in bone tissues were decreased (P<0.05) , and the expressions of LC3-II, LC3-II/LC3-I, ALP, Osterix and Runx2 were increased (P<0.05) . Conclusion: RAPA may activate autophagy by inhibiting mTOR phosphorylation, and inhibit bone resorption while promoting bone formation, thus alleviating early osteoporosis in skeletal fluorosis rats.

LncRNA HMGA1P4 promotes cisplatin-resistance in gastric cancer

OBJECTIVE

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HMGA1P4 has been previously reported to be upregulated in gastric cancer (GC). This study aims to investigate the role of HMGA1P4 in cisplatin (DDP)-resistant GC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

HMGA1P4 levels in DDP-resistant GC tissues and cells were determined. Regulatory effects of HMGA1P4 on proliferative and apoptotic abilities in DDP-resistant GC cells and their parental cells were assessed. At last, expression levels of genes associated with multidrug-resistance (MDR) (MDR1, MRP1, mTOR and HIF-1α) and apoptosis (Bax, Bcl-2 and Caspase3) were determined in DDP-resistant GC cells.

RESULTS

Results revealed that HMGA1P4 was upregulated in DDP-resistant GC tissues and cells. Overexpression of HMGA1P4 stimulated proliferative rate and suppressed apoptosis in both DDP-resistant GC cells and their parental cells. Moreover, in DDP-resistant GC cells, overexpression of HMGA1P4 upregulated MDR-related genes and downregulated apoptosis-related genes.

CONCLUSIONS

HMGA1P4 is upregulated in DDP-resistant GC tissues and cells, and triggers the progression of DDP-resistance in GC.

Effects of miR-18a on proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by regulating RUNX1

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-18a on the proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer (GC) cells, and to elucidate the possible underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this study, the expression of miR-18a in GC tissues and para-cancer tissues was verified by in situ hybridization (ISH) of GC tissue microarray (TMA). Meanwhile, the effect of miR-18a expression on the prognosis of GC patients was evaluated. GC AGS cell line was selected and transfected with miR-18a mimic and mimic control (NC) to up-regulate miR-18a expression in vitro. Thereafter, changes in cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration after transfection were detected by biological functional assays. Luciferase reporter gene assay was carried out to verify the target gene Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) modulated by miR-18a. Finally, the Spearman's grade correlation coefficient was calculated to explore the correlation between the expressions of miR-18a and RUNX1.

RESULTS

ISH results of TMA showed that overexpression of miR-18a in GC tissues was significantly associated with low survival rate of patients (p<0.001). High expression of miR-18a remarkably enhanced the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells (p<0.05). Besides, it has been predicted in biology that RUNX1 is one of the target genes of miR-18a. Luciferase reporter gene assay showed that Luciferase activity in cells transfected with wild-type (WT) RUNX1 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) was significantly reduced (p<0.05). Moreover, the protein expression of RUNX1 decreased remarkably in GC cells with over-expression of miR-18a (p<0.05). All these findings indicated that the expression of miR-18a was negatively correlated with RUNX1 in GC cells (p<0.001, r=0.86).

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-18a exerts a high predictive value for the prognosis of GC patients by directly targeting the transcription factor RUNX1. All our findings may provide therapeutic candidates for GC identification.