Role of miR-16-5p in the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-16-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to explore the possible underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

100 pairs of cancerous and para-cancerous tissues surgically removed in our hospital were collected. Real Time quantitative-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of miR-16-5p in tissues. Bioinformatics and Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay were used to screen and verify the potential target genes of miR-16-5p, respectively. Human HCC SMMC-7721 cells were used for functional experiments. Cell proliferation was detected by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. Cell invasion and migration were evaluated by transwell and scratch wound-healing assay, respectively. The protein expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated markers were measured by Western blot (WB) assay.

RESULTS

QRT-PCR showed that miR-16-5p expression in HCC tissues was significantly lower than that of adjacent normal liver tissues. At the cellular level, miR-16-5p was lowly expressed in HCC cells (SMMC-7721). Bioinformatics websites (including Targetscan, PicTar, miRanda) predicted that insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) was a potential target gene of miR-16-5p. Meanwhile, IGF1R was selected for further investigation due to its metastatic function. The results showed that no significant difference was found in the mRNA expression level of IGF1R in HCC tissues. However, the protein level of IGF1R was significantly up-regulated, which was negatively correlated with miR-16-5p. Combined with Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay, it was confirmed that miR-16-5p could regulate the expression of IGF1R in a targeted manner. Furthermore, down-regulation of IGF1R significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of miR-16-5p on the proliferation and metastasis of SMMC-7721 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that miR-16-5p suppressed invasion and migration of HCC cells, mechanically by directly targeting and inhibiting IGF1R protein expression. The newly identified miR-16-5p/IGF1R axis might provide new insights into the pathogenesis of HCC and novel potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of HCC.

Protecting medical staff from skin injury/disease caused by personal protective equipment during epidemic period of COVID-19: experience from China

Linked articles: COVID‐19 SPECIAL FORUM. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020; 34: e210–e216.

[Epidemiological investigation on clinical characteristics of 801 inpatients with chronic wounds]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of 801 inpatients with chronic wounds. Methods: The medical records of patients with chronic wounds who were admitted to the General Hospital of Southern Theater Command of PLA (hereinafter referred to as the author's unit) from January 2013 to December 2017, including gender, occupation, wound type, age, department distribution, recovery status, recovery time, hospitalization time, hospitalization cost, treatment method, clinical outcome, and medical expenses were retrospectively analyzed. Data were statistically analyzed with chi-square test, Fisher's exact probability test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test. Results: Of 245 037 inpatients admitted to the author's unit within 5 years, 801 (3.3‰) patients with chronic wounds met the inclusion criteria. The composition ratio of chronic wound patients during the 5 years was 2.4‰ (106/44 230)-3.9‰ (191/49 342). Among chronic wound patients, there were 527 males and 274 females, with manual labor, retired, and unemployed patients accounted for a large proportion. The main type of chronic wound was unhealed wound after surgery, accounting for 28.2% (226/801), followed by diabetic wound, accounting for 22.7% (182/801) and traumatic wound, accounting for 16.5% (132/801). There was statistically significant difference in gender distribution of patients with different types of chronic wounds (χ(2)=28.236, P<0.05). The main types of wound in male patients were unhealed wound after surgery, diabetic wound, and traumatic wound, while the main types of wound in female patients were diabetic wound and unhealed wound after surgery. There was statistically significant difference in the age group distribution of patients with different types of chronic wounds (P<0.01). Patients aged 41-60 years had a high incidence of unhealed wound after surgery and traumatic wound, and patients aged 61-80 years had a high incidence of diabetic wound. Patients with chronic wounds in department of orthopedics had the highest recovery rate, followed by comprehensive department. There were statistically significant differences in hospitalization time and hospitalization cost of patients with chronic wounds admitted to different departments (χ(2)=47.390, 107.390, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in cure status and cure time of patients with chronic wounds admitted to different departments (χ(2)=7.163, 15.510, P>0.05). Patients treated with surgery in combination with drug had higher recovery rates than patients given other treatment methods. There was no statistically significant difference in the cure rate of patients with different treatment methods (χ(2)=7.600, P>0.05). There were statistically significant differences in cure time, hospitalization cost, and hospitalization time of patients given different treatment methods (χ(2)=38.067, 130.520, 130.890, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in hospitalization cost and hospitalization time of patients with different clinical outcomes (χ(2)=2.070, 5.790, P>0.05). The total medical cost of 801 patients with chronic wounds was about 47 million yuan, of which the total hospitalization cost per capita was 50, 725 yuan, with a minimum of 1 164 yuan and a maximum of about 1.16 million yuan per capita, and with drug and materials costs accounted for high proportions of the total cost. Conclusions: Patients with chronic wounds in the author's unit are mainly physical labor and middle-aged and elderly people, with more male patients than female patients. The main type of wound is unhealed wound after surgery, which brings serious economic burden to the patients and the society. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the public knowledge about chronic wounds and improve the awareness of prevention and treatment.

Porphyromonas gingivalis Promotes Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression in an Immune Microenvironment

Increasing evidence has revealed a significant association between microorganisms and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Porphyromonas gingivalis, the keystone pathogen in chronic periodontitis, is considered an important potential etiologic agent of OSCC, but the underlying immune mechanisms through which P. gingivalis mediates tumor progression of the oral cancer remain poorly understood. Our cohort study showed that the localization of P. gingivalis in tumor tissues was related to poor survival of patients with OSCC. Moreover, P. gingivalis infection increased oral lesion multiplicity and size and promoted tumor progression in a 4-nitroquinoline-1 oxide (4NQO)–induced carcinogenesis mouse model by invading the oral lesions. In addition, CD11b+ myeloid cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) showed increased infiltration of oral lesions. Furthermore, in vitro observations showed that MDSCs accumulated when human-derived dysplastic oral keratinocytes (DOKs) were exposed to P. gingivalis, and CXCL2, CCL2, interleukin (IL)–6, and IL-8 may be potential candidate genes that facilitate the recruitment of MDSCs. Taken together, our findings suggest that P. gingivalis promotes tumor progression by generating a cancer-promoting microenvironment, indicating a close relationship among P. gingivalis, tumor progression of the oral cancer, and immune responses.

Age-Specific Predictive Models of the Upper Quintile of Periodontal Attachment Loss

A practical method to identify people who are most affected by periodontitis in their age group is currently unavailable. We focused on individuals with mean clinical attachment loss (CAL) above the 80th percentile within each of 10 age groups (5-y intervals between 30 and 74 y as well as ≥75 y). We developed predictive models using combined data from 2 cohorts (2009 to 2010 and 2011 to 2012) from the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; development cohort [DC], n = 6,757), and we carried out external validation using data from a third NHANES cohort (2013 to 2014; validation cohort [VC], n = 3,447). We used 1) age-specific logistic regression models with stepwise selection to identify significant demographic variables, habits, medical conditions, and selected clinical periodontal parameters (proportion of teeth with probing depth ≥4 mm at incisors and molars and with visible [≥2 mm] recession) and to calculate propensity scores (PSs); 2) Youden's J statistic to select optimum PS cutoffs to maximize diagnostic performance using receiver operating characteristic curves; and 3) bootstrap resampling with 1,000 replicates to validate the age-specific models and adjust the PS and optimal PS cutoffs for overfitting. The bootstrap-adjusted PSs were used as single predictors of mean CAL over the 80th percentile in the VC. The age-specific upper quintiles of mean CAL ranged between 1.63 and 3.24 mm in the DC and between 1.87 and 3.20 mm in the VC. The area under the curve of the models exceeded 0.85 in all age groups in the DC and 0.84 in the VC, indicating well-validated diagnostic performance. In the DC, sensitivity values ranged between 0.75 and 0.97 and exceeded 0.83 in 8 of 10 age groups. Corresponding values in the VC ranged between 0.56 and 0.89 and exceeded 0.68 in 8 of 10 age groups. We conclude that modeling that incorporates readily obtainable variables through a brief patient interview and an abbreviated periodontal examination accurately identifies individuals who are most affected by periodontitis in different ages.

Electrophysiological effects of melatonin on rat trigeminal ganglion neurons that participate in nociception in vitro

OBJECTIVE

Melatonin (MT) is a hormone mainly produced by the pineal gland. It may be involved in the regulation of nociception, the mechanisms of which remain unclear. In the present study, electrophysiological effects of MT on neurons were studied.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cultured neurons were isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats trigeminal ganglia (TG). The neuron was voltage clamped using the whole cell patch clamp technique. We recorded resting membrane potential, action potential threshold and number, action potential duration and GABA-activated inward currents in the presence of 0.01 μM, 10 μM MT, and in the absence of MT.

RESULTS

In the presence of high concentration of MT, the spontaneous action potential disappeared and action potential threshold was significantly increased. GABA-activated inward currents were recorded and blocked by GABAA receptor antagonist, bicuculline, in the majority of TG neurons (91% 40/44). Continuous perfusion of MT could cause a decrease of GABA-activated currents. The inhibiting effect was dose-dependent and irreversible.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that MT has several electrophysiological effects on TG neurons, which may be involved in the peripheral mechanisms of orofacial pain.

Integrating transcriptome-wide association study and mRNA expression profiling identified candidate genes and pathways associated with osteomyelitis

Objective: Osteomyelitis (OM) is an acute or chronic inflammatory process, characterized by severe inflammation and progressive bone destruction. Limited efforts have been made to explore the genetic basis of OM.Method: The genome-wide association study data set of OM was obtained from the UK Biobank. A transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) of OM was conducted by the FUSION tool using the gene expression reference weights of lymphocytes and blood. The OM-associated genes identified by TWAS were subjected to gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis to explore OM-related gene sets. The TWAS results of OM were finally compared with a genome-wide mRNA expression profiling of OM to detect common genes and gene sets.Results: TWAS of OM detected 86 genes for lymphocytes and 387 genes for blood. Comparing the genes identified by TWAS and mRNA expression profiling detected eight common genes for OM, including VWF (p_TWAS = 0.0030, p_mRNA = 3.44 × 10^-9), CCDC50 (p_TWAS = 0.0130, p_mRNA = 0.0003), and TPD52 (p_TWAS = 0.0180, p_mRNA = 1 × 10^-6). GO analysis of the genes identified by TWAS detected multiple OM-associated GO terms, e.g. peroxisomal matrix (p_TWAS = 0.0082), extracellular exosome (p_TWAS = 0.0248), and monooxygenase activity (p_TWAS = 0.0040). Further comparing the GO results of TWAS and mRNA expression profiling detected one common GO term, named extracellular exosome (p_TWAS = 0.0248, p_mRNA = 0.0027).Conclusion: This integrative study of TWAS and mRNA expression profiling detected multiple candidate genes and GO terms for OM. Our results provide novel clues for understanding the pathogenesis of OM.

Reduction in mortality risk with opioid agonist therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Opioid agonist therapies are effective medications that can greatly improve the quality of life of individuals with opioid use disorder. However, there is significant uncertainty about the risks of cause-specific mortality in and out of treatment.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review and meta-analysis explored the association between methadone and buprenorphine with cause-specific mortality among opioid-dependent persons.

METHODS

We searched six online databases to identify relevant cohort studies, calculating all-cause and overdose-specific mortality rates during periods in and out of treatment. We pooled mortality estimates using multivariate random effects meta-analysis of the crude mortality rate per 1000 person-years of follow-up as well as relative risks comparing mortality in vs. out of treatment.

RESULTS

A total of 32 cohort studies (representing 150 235 participants, 805 423.6 person-years, and 9112 deaths) met eligibility criteria. Crude mortality rates were substantially higher among methadone cohorts than buprenorphine cohorts. Relative risk reduction was substantially higher with methadone relative to buprenorphine when time in-treatment was compared to time out-of-treatment. Furthermore, the greatest mortality reduction was conferred during the first 4 weeks of treatment. Mortality estimates were substantially heterogeneous and varied significantly by country, region, and by the nature of the treatment provider.

CONCLUSION

Precautions are necessary for the safer implementation of opioid agonist therapy, including baseline assessments of opioid tolerance, ongoing monitoring during the induction period, education of patients about the risk of overdose, and coordination within healthcare services.

Platelets in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients with High Platelet Reactivity after Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Exhibit Upregulation of miR-204-5p

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients treated with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) show individual differences in platelet reactivity (PR). Here, we aim to find differences in the platelet microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of high PR and low PR patients to serve as potential biomarkers. ADP-induced platelet aggregation (PAG) was used to determine PR. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to profile differentially expressed platelet miRNAs in high PR (PAG>50%) and low PR (PAG≤50%) patients. We used real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (RT-qPCR) to validate the sequencing results. Finally, we statistically evaluated the diagnostic value of the miRNAs and explored their molecular function using bioinformatic analysis. The results show that miR-204-5p was confirmed to be significantly upregulated in the high PR group. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of miR-204-5p was 0.667, and its expression significantly correlated with the Gensini score. Stepwise binary logistic regression analysis suggested that miR-204-5p expression level was an independent predictor of PR. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis showed that miR-204-5p may be associated with platelet synapse formation and platelet vesicle release. Our data indicates that platelet miR-204-5p may serve as a novel biomarker of PR to guide treatment with antiplatelet drugs.

Integrating transcriptome-wide association study and mRNA expression profiling identifies novel genes associated with bone mineral density

To scan novel candidate genes associated with osteoporosis, a two-stage transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) of bone mineral density (BMD) was conducted. The BMD-associated genes identified by TWAS were then compared with the gene expression profiling of BMD in bone cells, B cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. We identified multiple candidate genes and gene ontology (GO) terms associated with BMD.

INTRODUCTION

Osteoporosis (OP) is a metabolic bone disease characterized by decrease in BMD. Our objective is to scan novel candidate genes associated with OP.

METHODS

A transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) was performed by integrating the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary of bone mineral density (BMD) with two pre-computed mRNA expression weights of peripheral blood and muscle skeleton. Then, another independent GWAS data of BMD was used to verify the discovery results. The BMD-associated genes identified between discovery and replicate TWAS were further subjected to gene ontology (GO) analysis implemented by DAVID. Finally, the BMD-associated genes and GO terms were further compared with the mRNA expression profiling results of BMD to detect the common genes and GO terms shared by both DNA-level TWAS and mRNA expression profile analysis.

RESULTS

TWAS identified 95 common genes with permutation P value < 0.05 for peripheral blood and muscle skeleton, such as TMTC4 in muscle skeleton and DDX17 in peripheral blood. Further comparing the genes detected by discovery-replicate TWAS with the differentially expressed genes identified by mRNA expression profiling of OP patients found 18 overlapped genes, such as MUL1 in muscle skeleton and SPTBN1 in peripheral blood. GO analysis of the genes identified by discovery-replicate TWAS detected 12 BMD-associated GO terms, such as negative regulation of cell growth and regulation of glycogen catabolic process. Further comparing the GO results of discovery-replicate TWAS and mRNA expression profiles found 6 overlapped GO terms, such as membrane and cell adhesion.

CONCLUSION

Our study identified multiple candidate genes and GO terms for BMD, providing novel clues for understanding the genetic mechanism of OP.

Proteomics analysis of preadipocytes between fat and lean broilers

1. Reducing excessive chicken body fat deposition is a main goal of the poultry industry. Preadipocytes are important in adipose tissue growth and development. 2. To discover proteins related to chicken fat deposition, two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) was used to identify differentially expressed proteins in preadipocytes derived from Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content (NEAUHLF). 3. A total of 46 differentially expressed protein spots were found in the preadipocytes between fat and lean broilers. Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis showed the protein spots corresponded to 33 different proteins. The proteins were mainly related to biological oxidation, cell proliferation, cytoskeleton, lipid metabolism, molecular chaperone, protein synthesis and signal transduction. 4. From the perspective of protein expression, these results lay a foundation for further study of the genetic mechanism of broiler adipose tissue growth and development.

[Effects of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells and platelet-rich plasma on healing of wounds with full-thickness skin defects in mice]

Objective: To investigate the effects of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on healing of wounds with full-thickness skin defects in mice. Methods: ADSCs were isolated from the lumbar and abdominal fat donated voluntarily by a healthy woman undergoing liposuction in the Department of Plastic Surgery of Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area Command, and the cells were cultured and identified. ADSCs of the second passage were used in the following experiments. The venous blood of the volunteer was taken, and PRP was obtained by secondary centrifugation. Thirty-six C57BL/6 mice were divided into simple injury group (n=12), simple ADSCs treatment group (n=12), and ADSCs+ PRP treatment group (n=12) according to the random number table. Each mouse was inflicted with a 1 cm×1 cm wound with full-thickness skin defect on the back. Immediately after injury, the wounds of mice in simple injury group were subcutaneously injected with 1 mL normal saline, the wounds of mice in simple ADSCs treatment group were subcutaneously injected with 1 mL phosphate buffer solution-blended ADSCs suspension (with concentration of 5×10(5) /mL, the same below), and the wounds of mice in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group were subcutaneously injected with 1 mL mixture of PRP and ADSCs (1∶2 volume ratio). Three mice in each group were taken on post injury day (PID) 3, 5, 7, and 14 to observe the gross condition of wound, and the wound healing rate was calculated. On PID 3, 5, and 7, the non-healing wound tissue and 0.5 cm normal skin tissue around the wound margin were taken after gross observation. The inflammation, re-epithelialization, and angiogenesis of tissue were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and the re-epithelialization rate was calculated. The collagen synthesis of tissue was observed by masson staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe the expression of macrophages of tissue samples collected on PID 3 and 5. Data were processed with analysis of variance of factorial design and Least-Significant Difference test. Results: (1) On PID 3, the wounds of mice in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group were with granulation tissue regeneration, redness, and swelling, and the wounds of mice in the other two groups were ruddy and with effusion. On PID 5, the wounds of mice in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group had less redness and swelling, which were dry with obvious scab, and wounds of mice in the other two groups were obviously red and swollen. On PID 7, scab formed basically on wounds of mice in the three groups. On PID 14, the wounds of mice in the three groups basically healed, and their crusts were off. On PID 3, 5, 7, and 14, the wound healing rates of mice in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group were obviously higher than those of the other two groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). On PID 5 and 7, the wound healing rates of mice in simple ADSCs treatment group were obviously higher than those of simple injury group (P<0.01). (2) On PID 3, granulation tissue regeneration of wounds in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group was more than that in the other two groups. On PID 5, inflammatory reaction of wounds of mice was mild in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group, which was severe in the other two groups. On PID 7, the re-epithelialization process of wounds of mice was almost completed in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group, and the number of new vessels was more in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group than in the other two groups. The migration distance of regenerated epithelia around the wound edge in simple injury group and simple ADSCs treatment group was short. On PID 3, 5, and 7, the re-epithelialization rates of wounds of mice in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group were (37.6±4.5)%, (59.1±1.3)%, and (89.2±4.3)%, respectively, significantly higher than (25.7±1.5)%, (34.5±4.4)%, and (50.8±2.7)% in simple injury group and (29.1±0.8)%, (42.6±2.9)%, and (72.9±3.0)% in simple ADSCs treatment group (P<0.01). On PID 5 and 7, the re-epithelialization rates of wounds of mice in simple ADSCs treatment group were significantly higher than those in simple injury group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). (3) On PID 3 and 5, a quite large number of new collagen fibers appeared in granulation tissue of wounds of ADSCs+ PRP treatment group, while the collagen fibers in the other two groups were less. On PID 7, the granulation tissue of mice in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group decreased, and a large number of new collagen fibers appeared. The collagen fibers in wounds tissue of mice in simple ADSCs treatment group increased, while the collagen fibers deposited in wounds tissue of mice in simple injury group was still less. (4) On PID 3 and 5, the numbers of macrophages in wounds tissue of mice in simple ADSCs treatment group were 4.7±0.6 and 5.3±0.6 respectively, obviously lower than 6.3±0.6 and 7.7±0.6 in injury group (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the numbers of macrophages in wounds tissue of mice in ADSCs+ PRP treatment group were 3.0±1.1 and 2.7±0.5, significantly lower than those in the other two groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: Human PRP and ADSCs are involved in the early inflammation, metaphase of tissue proliferation, and re-epithelialization and shaping process of late stage of wounds with full-thickness skin defects in mice. The combination of ADSCs and PRP may be a comparatively good combination to improve the speed and quality of wound healing.

Predictive value of diffusion-weighted MR imaging in early response to chemoradiotherapy of esophageal cancer: a meta-analysis

The results of diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DW-MRI) in predicting early response to chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer varied in different studies. We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the predictive values of DW-MRI and compare the diagnostic efficacy of different apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs). A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify relevant articles published before November 2017. The quality of study was assessed using Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under receiver operating characteristic curve of ADC values were calculated to determine the diagnostic performance. Seven studies with a total of 236 patients were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, DOR, and area under curve were 93% (95% CI 77%-98%), 85% (95% CI 72%-93%), 78 (95% CI 15-401), and 0.91 (95% CI 0.89-0.94), respectively, for the ▵ADC; and 75% (95% CI 62%-84%), 90% (95% CI 67%-97%), 26 (95% CI 6-110), and 0.85 (95% CI 0.82-0.88), respectively, for the post-ADC. For pre-ADC, meta-analysis was not performed because of conflicting results. In conclusions, our results demonstrate that DW-MRI has good performance for evaluating the response to chemoradiation therapy in patients with esophageal cancer. ▵ADC and post-ADC are promising reliable and valuable predictors.

[Analysis of body composition and resting metabolic rate of 858 middle-aged and elderly people in urban area of Beijing]

Objective: To understand the overweight rate and obesity rate in middle-aged and elderly people in urban area of Beijing, and analyze the changes of body composition and resting metabolic rate with age. Methods: From November 2014 to December 2015, body composition measurement and resting metabolic rate detection were conducted among 858 people aged 51 to 99 years, including 760 men, 98 women, who received physical examination at Beijing Hospital. Results: The overweight rate was 51.4%, and the obesity rate was 16.9%. The overweight rate was 26.5% and the obesity rate was 14.3% in women, significantly lower than those in men (54.6% and 17.2%) (P<0.001). The distribution of skeletal muscle volume, muscle index, body fat percentage, visceral fat area and resting metabolic rate in different age groups were different (P<0.001). In the normal weight group, the skeletal muscle volume, muscle index and resting metabolic rate in age group ≥80 years decreased obviously (P<0.05). At the same time, the body fat percentage and visceral fat area increased obviously (P<0.05). However, the skeletal muscle volume, muscle index and resting metabolic rate of the overweight and obese groups began to decrease obviously in age group 70- years (P<0.05), and the decrease in age group ≥80 years was more obvious. At the same time, body fat percentage and visceral fat area increased significantly in age group 70- years (P<0.05). Conclusion: The overweight and obesity rates were high in the middle-aged and elderly people in the urban area of Beijing, and the rates were higher in men than in women. With the increase of age, the skeletal muscle volume, muscle index and resting metabolic rate gradually decreased, while the percentage of body fat and visceral fat area increased; Overweight and obese people had earlier changes in body composition and resting metabolic rate.

Effects of asymmetry and hot-spot shape on ignition capsules

Asymmetric implosion of inertial confinement fusion capsules is known, both experimentally and computationally, to reduce thermonuclear performance. This work shows that low-mode asymmetries degrade performance as a result of a decrease in the hydrodynamic disassembly time of the hot-spot core, which scales with the minimum dimension of the hot spot. The asymmetric shape of a hot spot results in decreased temperatures and areal densities and allows more alpha particles to escape, relative to an ideal spherical implosion, thus reducing alpha-energy deposition in the hot spot. Here, we extend previous ignition theory to include the hot-spot shape and quantify the effects of implosion asymmetry on both the ignition criterion and the capsule performance. The ignition criterion becomes more stringent with increasing deformation of the hot spot. The new theoretical results are validated by comparison with existing experimental data obtained at the National Ignition Facility. The shape effects on thermonuclear performance are relatively more noticeable for capsules having self-heating and high yields. The degradation of thermonuclear burn can be as high as 45% for shots with a yield lower than 2×10^{15} and less than 30% for shots with a higher yield.

Proteotoxic Stress Desensitizes TGF-beta Signaling Through Receptor Downregulation in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Background:

Proteotoxic stress and transforming growth factor (TGFβ)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are two main contributors of intraocular fibrotic disorders, including proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). However, how these two factors communicate with each other is not well-characterized.

Objective:

The aim was to investigate the regulatory role of proteotoxic stress on TGFβ signaling in retinal pigment epithelium.

Methods:

ARPE-19 cells and primary human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were treated with proteasome inhibitor MG132 and TGFβ. Cell proliferation was analyzed by CCK-8 assay. The levels of mesenchymal markers α-SMA, fibronectin, and vimentin were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blot, and immunofluorescence. Cell migration was analyzed by scratch wound assay. The levels of p-Smad2, total Smad2, p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), total ERK1/2, p-focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and total FAK were analyzed by western blot. The mRNA and protein levels of TGFβ receptor-II (TGFβR-II) were measured by real-time PCR and western blot, respectively.

Results:

MG132-induced proteotoxic stress resulted in reduced cell proliferation. MG132 significantly suppressed TGFβ-induced upregulation of α-SMA, fibronectin, and vimentin, as well as TGFβ-induced cell migration. The phosphorylation levels of Smad2, ERK1/2, and FAK were also suppressed by MG132. Additionally, the mRNA level and protein level of TGFβR-II decreased upon MG132 treatment.

Conclusion:

Proteotoxic stress suppressed TGFβ-induced EMT through downregulation of TGFβR-II and subsequent blockade of Smad2, ERK1/2, and FAK activation.

Investigation of periodically driven systems by x-ray absorption spectroscopy using asynchronous data collection mode

We report the development, testing, and demonstration of a setup for modulation excitation spectroscopy experiments at the Inner Shell Spectroscopy beamline of National Synchrotron Light Source - II. A computer algorithm and dedicated software were developed for asynchronous data processing and analysis. We demonstrate the reconstruction of X-ray absorption spectra for different time points within the modulation pulse using a model system. This setup and the software are intended for a broad range of functional materials which exhibit structural and/or electronic responses to the external stimulation, such as catalysts, energy and battery materials, and electromechanical devices.

Parietofrontal network upregulation after motor stroke

Objective

Motor recovery after stroke shows a high inter-subject variability. The brain's potential to form new connections determines individual levels of recovery of motor function. Most of our daily activities require visuomotor integration, which engages parietal areas. Compared to the frontal motor system, less is known about the parietal motor system's reconfiguration related to stroke recovery. Here, we tested if functional connectivity among parietal and frontal motor areas undergoes plastic changes after stroke and assessed the behavioral relevance for motor function after stroke.

Methods

We investigated stroke lesion-induced changes in functional connectivity by measuring high-density electroencephalography (EEG) and assessing task-related changes in coherence during a visually guided grip task with the paretic hand in 30 chronic stroke patients with variable motor deficits and 19 healthy control subjects. Quantitative changes in task-related coherence in sensorimotor rhythms were compared to the residual motor deficit.

Results

Parietofrontal coupling was significantly stronger in patients compared to controls. Whereas motor network coupling generally increased during the task in both groups, the task-related coherence between the parietal and primary motor cortex in the stroke lesioned hemisphere showed increased connectivity across a broad range of sensorimotor rhythms. Particularly the parietofrontal task-induced coupling pattern was significantly and positively related to residual impairment in the Nine-Hole Peg Test performance and grip force.

Interpretation

These results demonstrate that parietofrontal motor system integration during visually guided movements is stronger in the stroke-lesioned brain. The correlation with the residual motor deficit could either indicate an unspecific marker of motor network damage or it might indicate that upregulated parietofrontal connectivity has some impact on post-stroke motor function.

Screening for Diabetes Risk Using Integrated Dental and Medical Electronic Health Record Data

Undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes present a serious public health challenge. We previously reported that data available in the dental setting can serve as a tool for early dysglycemia identification in a primarily Hispanic, urban population. In the present study, we sought to determine how the identification approach can be recalibrated to detect diabetes or prediabetes in a White, rural cohort and whether an integrated dental-medical electronic health record (iEHR) offers further value to the process. We analyzed iEHR data from the Marshfield Clinic, a health system providing care in rural Wisconsin, for dental patients who were ≥21 y of age, reported that they had never been told they had diabetes, had an initial periodontal examination of at least 2 quadrants, and had a glycemic assessment within 3 mo of that examination. We then assessed the performance of multiple predictive models for prediabetes/diabetes. The study outcome, glycemic status, was gleaned from the medical module of the iEHR based on American Diabetes Association blood test cutoffs. The sample size was 4,560 individuals. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the best performance was achieved by a model that took advantage of the iEHR. Predictors included age, sex, race, ethnicity, number of missing teeth, percentage of teeth with at least 1 pocket ≥5 mm from the dental EHR, and overweight/obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking status from the medical EHR. The model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.71 (95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.72), yielding a sensitivity of 0.70 and a specificity of 0.62. Across a range of populations, informed by certain patient characteristics, dental care team members can play a role in helping to identify dental patients with undiagnosed diabetes or prediabetes. The accuracy of the prediction increases when dental findings are combined with information from the medical EHR. Knowledge Transfer Statement: Prediabetes and diabetes often go undiagnosed for many years. Early identification and care can lead to improved glycemic outcomes and prevent wide-ranging morbidity, including adverse oral health consequences, in affected individuals. Information available in the dental office can be used by clinicians to identify those who remain undiagnosed or are at risk; the accuracy of this prediction increases when combined with information from the medical electronic health record.

[Regenerative rehabilitation medicine: new requirement, new fusion and new direction]

Regenerative rehabilitation medicine is not just the combination of two disciplines of regenerative medicine and rehabilitation medicine but the new fusion of two disciplines, and it represents the development direction of regenerative medicine and rehabilitation medicine. With the improvement of people's demands for tissue injury or disease recovery, new technology and means should be required, and regenerative rehabilitation medicine will emerge and develop rapidly. It will play a key role in repair, regeneration and rehabilitation of diseases or injuries in patients.

Quantum Wires and Waveguides Formed in Graphene by Strain

Confinement of electrons in graphene to make devices has proven to be a challenging task. Electrostatic methods fail because of Klein tunneling, while etching into nanoribbons requires extreme control of edge terminations, and bottom-up approaches are limited in size to a few nanometers. Fortunately, its mechanical flexibility raises the possibility of using strain to alter graphene's properties and create novel straintronic devices. Here, we report transport studies of nanowires created by linearly-shaped strained regions resulting from individual folds formed by layer transfer onto hexagonal boron nitride. Conductance measurements across the folds reveal Coulomb blockade signatures, indicating confined charges within these structures, which act as quantum dots. Along folds, we observe sharp features in traverse resistivity measurements, attributed to an amplification of the dot conductance modulations by a resistance bridge incorporating the device. Our data indicates ballistic transport up to ∼1 μm along the folds. Calculations using the Dirac model including strain are consistent with measured bound state energies and predict the existence of valley-polarized currents. Our results show that graphene folds can act as straintronic quantum wires.

Feasibility study of iterative model reconstruction combined with low tube voltage, low iodine load, and low iodine delivery rate in craniocervical CT angiography

AIM

To investigate the feasibility of iterative model reconstruction (IMR) combined with low tube voltage, low iodine load, and low iodine deliver rate in craniocervical computed tomography angiography (CTA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty patients were randomly divided into two groups (n=30 for each): group A: 120 kVp, 50 ml of iopromide at a flow rate of 5 ml/s; filtered back projection (FBP) reconstruction; group B: 80 kVp, 30 ml of iohexol at 4.5 ml/s; hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR) for group B1 and IMR for group B2. CT attenuation values, image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), subjective image quality, effective dose (ED), iodine load, and iodine delivery rate (IDR) were compared.

RESULTS

CT attenuation values of the arteries were higher in groups B1 and B2 than group A. The SNR and CNR were higher, while image noise was lower, for group B2 compared with groups B1 and A. The best subjective image quality was obtained with group B2. ED, iodine load, and IDR reduction of 69.6%, 51.4%, 27%, respectively, was obtained in group B compared with group A.

CONCLUSION

IMR combined with 80 kVp and 30 ml of iohexol at a flow rate of 4.5 ml/s for craniocervical CTA can reduce ED, iodine load, and IDR, while improving image quality.

Layer Polarizability and Easy-Axis Quantum Hall Ferromagnetism in Bilayer Graphene

We report magnetotransport measurements of graphene bilayers at large perpendicular electric displacement fields, up to ∼1.5 V/nm, where we observe crossings between Landau levels with different orbital quantum numbers. The displacement fields at the studied crossings are primarily determined by energy shifts originating from the Landau level layer polarizability or polarization. Despite decreasing Landau level spacing with energy, successive crossings occur at larger displacement fields, resulting from decreasing polarizability with orbital quantum number. For particular crossings we observe resistivity hysteresis in displacement field, indicating the presence of a first-order transition between states exhibiting easy-axis quantum Hall ferromagnetism.

Mixing with applications to inertial-confinement-fusion implosions

Approximate one-dimensional (1D) as well as 2D and 3D simulations are playing an important supporting role in the design and analysis of future experiments at National Ignition Facility. This paper is mainly concerned with 1D simulations, used extensively in design and optimization. We couple a 1D buoyancy-drag mix model for the mixing zone edges with a 1D inertial confinement fusion simulation code. This analysis predicts that National Ignition Campaign (NIC) designs are located close to a performance cliff, so modeling errors, design features (fill tube and tent) and additional, unmodeled instabilities could lead to significant levels of mix. The performance cliff we identify is associated with multimode plastic ablator (CH) mix into the hot-spot deuterium and tritium (DT). The buoyancy-drag mix model is mode number independent and selects implicitly a range of maximum growth modes. Our main conclusion is that single effect instabilities are predicted not to lead to hot-spot mix, while combined mode mixing effects are predicted to affect hot-spot thermodynamics and possibly hot-spot mix. Combined with the stagnation Rayleigh-Taylor instability, we find the potential for mix effects in combination with the ice-to-gas DT boundary, numerical effects of Eulerian species CH concentration diffusion, and ablation-driven instabilities. With the help of a convenient package of plasma transport parameters developed here, we give an approximate determination of these quantities in the regime relevant to the NIC experiments, while ruling out a variety of mix possibilities. Plasma transport parameters affect the 1D buoyancy-drag mix model primarily through its phenomenological drag coefficient as well as the 1D hydro model to which the buoyancy-drag equation is coupled.

[Experimental research on the effects of different activators on the formation of platelet-rich gel and the release of bioactive substances in human platelet-rich plasma]

Objective: To explore the effects of calcium gluconate and thrombin on the formation of platelet-rich gel (PRG) and the release of bioactive substances in human platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and the clinical significance. Methods: Six healthy blood donors who met the inclusion criteria were recruited in our unit from May to August in 2016. Platelet samples of each donor were collected for preparation of PRP. (1) PRP in the volume of 10 mL was collected from each donor and divided into thrombin activation group (TA, added with 0.5 mL thrombin solution in dose of 100 U/mL) and calcium gluconate activation group (CGA, added with 0.5 mL calcium gluconate solution in dose of 100 g/L) according to the random number table, with 5 mL PRP in each group. Then the PRP of the two groups was activated in water bath at 37 ℃ for 1 h. The formation time of PRG was recorded, and the formation situation of PRG was observed within 1 hour of activation. After being activated for 1 h, one part of PRG was collected to observe the distribution of fibrous protein with HE staining, and another part of PRG was collected to observe platelet ultrastructure under transmission electron microscope (TEM). After being activated for 1 h, the supernatant was collected to determine the content of transforming growth factor β(1, )platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor, and insulin-like growth factorⅠby enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. (2) Another 10 mL PRP from each donor was collected and grouped as above, and the platelet suspension was obtained after two times of centrifugation and resuspension with phosphate buffered saline, respectively. And then they were treated with corresponding activator for 1 h as that in experiment (1). Nanoparticle tracking analyzer was used to detect the concentrations of microvesicles with different diameters and total microvesicles derived from platelet. Data were processed with t test. Results: (1) The formation time of PRG in group TA was (228±40) s, and the PRG volume reached the maximum at this moment. The PRG volume shrunk to the minimum after 30 minutes of activation. The formation time of PRG in group CGA was (690±71) s, and the PRG volume reached the maximum at this moment. After 55 minutes of activation, the PRG volume shrunk to the minimum. The formation time of PRG in group TA was obviously shorter than that in group CGA (t=15.17, P<0.01). (2) HE staining showed that after 1 hour of activation, the red-stained area of fibrous protein in PRG of group TA was large and densely distributed, while that of group CGA was small and loosely distributed. TEM revealed that after 1 hour of activation, the platelets in PRG of group TA were fragmented, while lysing platelet structure, lysing α granule structure, intact α granule structure, and intact dense body structure were observed in PRG of group CGA. (3) The content of PDGF-BB released by PRP in group TA was (7.4±0.8) ng/mL, which was obviously higher than that in group CGA [(4.9±0.5) ng/mL, t=5.41, P<0.01]. The content of bFGF released by PRP in group CGA was (960±151) pg/mL, which was significantly higher than that in group TA [(384±56) pg/mL, t=8.75, P<0.01]. The content of the other 4 growth factors released by PRP in the two groups was close (with t values from 0.11 to 1.97, P values above 0.05). (4) The concentrations of total microvesicles, microvesicles with diameter more than 100 nm, and exosomes with diameter less than or equal to 100 nm derived from platelet in group CGA were (165.8±15.1)×10(8)/mL, (142.4±12.3)×10(8)/mL, and (23.4±2.9)×10(8)/mL respectively, which were significantly higher than those in group TA [(24.7±4.6)×10(8)/mL, (22.6±4.0)×10(8)/mL, and (2.1±0.7)×10(8)/mL, with t values from 17.36 to 22.66, P values below 0.01]. Conclusions: Calcium gluconate can slowly activate PRP, resulting in slowly shrunk PRG with high content of bFGF and high concentration of microvesicles, which is suitable for repairing articular cavity and sinus tract wound. Thrombin can rapidly activate PRP, resulting in quickly shrunk PRG with high content of PDGF-BB and a certain concentration of microvesicles, which is suitable for repairing acute trauma.

Suppressed decomposition of organometal halide perovskites by impermeable electron-extraction layers in inverted solar cells

The area of thin-film photovoltaics has been overwhelmed by organometal halide perovskites. Unfortunately, serious stability concerns arise with perovskite solar cells. For example, methyl-ammonium lead iodide is known to decompose in the presence of water and, more severely, even under inert conditions at elevated temperatures. Here, we demonstrate inverted perovskite solar cells, in which the decomposition of the perovskite is significantly mitigated even at elevated temperatures. Specifically, we introduce a bilayered electron-extraction interlayer consisting of aluminium-doped zinc oxide and tin oxide. We evidence tin oxide grown by atomic layer deposition does form an outstandingly dense gas permeation barrier that effectively hinders the ingress of moisture towards the perovskite and—more importantly—it prevents the egress of decomposition products of the perovskite. Thereby, the overall decomposition of the perovskite is significantly suppressed, leading to an outstanding device stability.

The stability issue of perovskite-based solar cells is in part due to electrode corrosion. Here, Brinkmann et al. develop an impermeable bilayered electron-extraction layer between the active layer and the electrode, suppressing decomposition of the perovskite and preventing corrosion from the inside.

Tunable Plasmonic Reflection by Bound 1D Electron States in a 2D Dirac Metal

We show that the surface plasmons of a two-dimensional Dirac metal such as graphene can be reflected by linelike perturbations hosting one-dimensional electron states. The reflection originates from a strong enhancement of the local optical conductivity caused by optical transitions involving these bound states. We propose that the bound states can be systematically created, controlled, and liquidated by an ultranarrow electrostatic gate. Using infrared nanoimaging, we obtain experimental evidence for the locally enhanced conductivity of graphene induced by a carbon nanotube gate, which supports this theoretical concept.