A pretreatment scheme for plasmid extraction contained sugar, high concentration lysozyme and mild lysozyme removal

To address the issue of low efficiency in extracting plasmid DNA (pDNA) from Lactobacillus plantarum by breaking the cell wall, we proposed an effective pretreatment scheme. This study investigated the impacts of lysozyme concentrations and glucose, as well as centrifugal forces during lysozyme removal in the pretreatment system. The efficiency of pDNA extraction was assessed using non-staining method, acridine orange staining method (AO staining) and agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE). Furthermore, the glucose high lysozyme method was compared to the commercial kit method and the lysozyme removal method using L. plantarum PC518, 9L15, JS193 and Staphylococcus aureus USA300. The results indicated that the pDNA extraction concentrations from the four tested strains were increased by 8.9, 7.2, 8.5 and 3.6 times, respectively, compared to the commercial kit method. Furthermore, they increased by 1.9, 1.5, 1.8, and 1.4 times, respectively, compared to the lysozyme removal method. The maximum average concentration of pDNA extraction (from L. plantarum PC518) reached 590.8 ± 31.9 ng/ul. In conclusion, the incorporation of sugar, high concentration lysozyme and mild lysozyme removal proved to be effective enhancements in improving the efficiency of pDNA extraction from L. plantarum. Using the pretreatment scheme, the concentration of pDNA extraction was significantly increased, approaching levels comparable to pDNA extraction from Gram-negative bacteria.

[UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with network pharmacology for exploring antiinflammatory mechanism of Eurycoma longifolia]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the mechanisms that mediate the anti-inflammatory activity of Eurycoma longifolia.

METHODS

Kunming mouse models of xylene-induced ear swelling and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute pneumonia were used to compare the anti- inflammatory activities of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Eurycoma longifolia. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS was used to identify the chemical composition in the ethanol extract of Eurycoma longifolia, based on which the potential antiinflammatory targets of Eurycoma longifolia were screened using the databases including SwissADME, SwissTargetPrediction, and Genecards. The String database was used to generate the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and Cytoscape was used for network topology analysis and screening the core targets. The enrichment of the core targets was analyzed using Metascape database, the core components and targets were docked with Autodock software, and the docking results were visualized using Pymol software. In a RAW264.7 cell model of LPS-induced inflammation, the Griess reagent was used to measure NO level, and Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of MAPK1, JAK2, and STAT3 proteins to verify the anti- inflammatory mechanism of Eurycoma longifolia.

RESULTS

The ethanol extract (75%) of Eurycoma longifolia (ELE) was the active site, which contained a total of 37 chemical components. These chemical compounds and diseases had 541 targets, involving the JAK/STAT3, cAMP and other signaling pathways. Twelve indicator components were identified, which all showed good results of molecular docking with two core targets involved in the signaling pathways. In the cell validation experiment, treatment of the cells with low-, medium-, and high-dose ELE significantly reduced NO release in the cells, and ELE at the medium dose significantly decreased the cellular expressions of JAK2 and STAT3.

CONCLUSION

The anti-inflammatory activity of Eurycoma longifolia is attributed primarily to its active ingredients bitter lignin and alkaloids, which may regulate the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway by targeting JAK2 and STAT3.

Measurements of the Elliptic and Triangular Azimuthal Anisotropies in Central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au and p+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The elliptic (v_{2}) and triangular (v_{3}) azimuthal anisotropy coefficients in central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV are measured as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) at midrapidity (|η|<0.9), via the azimuthal angular correlation between two particles both at |η|<0.9. While the v_{2}(p_{T}) values depend on the colliding systems, the v_{3}(p_{T}) values are system independent within the uncertainties, suggesting an influence on eccentricity from subnucleonic fluctuations in these small-sized systems. These results also provide stringent constraints for the hydrodynamic modeling of these systems.

[Incidence and prognosis of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain: a national multi-center survey of 35 566 population]

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.

The potential role of plant secondary metabolites on antifungal and immunomodulatory effect

With the widespread use of antibiotic drugs worldwide and the global increase in the number of immunodeficient patients, fungal infections have become a serious threat to global public health security. Moreover, the evolution of fungal resistance to existing antifungal drugs is on the rise. To address these issues, the development of new antifungal drugs or fungal inhibitors needs to be targeted urgently. Plant secondary metabolites are characterized by a wide variety of chemical structures, low price, high availability, high antimicrobial activity, and few side effects. Therefore, plant secondary metabolites may be important resources for the identification and development of novel antifungal drugs. However, there are few studies to summarize those contents. In this review, the antifungal modes of action of plant secondary metabolites toward different types of fungi and fungal infections are covered, as well as highlighting immunomodulatory effects on the human body. This review of the literature should lay the foundation for research into new antifungal drugs and the discovery of new targets. KEY POINTS: • Immunocompromised patients who are infected the drug-resistant fungi are increasing. • Plant secondary metabolites toward various fungal targets are covered. • Plant secondary metabolites with immunomodulatory effect are verified in vivo.

Preparation and Properties of Natural Polysaccharide-Based Drug Delivery Nanoparticles

In recent years, natural polysaccharides have been widely used in the preparation of drug delivery systems. In this paper, novel polysaccharide-based nanoparticles were prepared by layer-by-layer assembly technology using silica as a template. The layers of nanoparticles were constructed based on the electrostatic interaction between a new pectin named NPGP and chitosan (CS). The targeting ability of nanoparticles was formed by grafting the RGD peptide, a tri-peptide motif containing arginine, glycine, and aspartic acid with high affinity to integrin receptors. The layer-by-layer assembly nanoparticles (RGD-(NPGP/CS)₃NPGP) exhibited a high encapsulation efficiency (83.23 ± 6.12%), loading capacity (76.51 ± 1.24%), and pH-sensitive release property for doxorubicin. The RGD-(NPGP/CS)₃NPGP nanoparticles showed better targeting to HCT-116 cells, the integrin αvβ3 high expression human colonic epithelial tumor cell line with higher uptake efficiency than MCF7 cells, the human breast carcinoma cell line with normal integrin expression. In vitro antitumor activity tests showed that the doxorubicin-loaded nanoparticles could effectively inhibit the proliferation of the HCT-116 cells. In conclusion, RGD-(NPGP/CS)₃NPGP nanoparticles have potential as novel anticancer drug carriers because of their good targeting and drug-carrying activity.

Observation of Directed Flow of Hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in sqrt[s_{NN}]=3 GeV Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report here the first observation of directed flow (v_{1}) of the hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in mid-central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV at RHIC. These data are taken as part of the beam energy scan program carried out by the STAR experiment. From 165×10^{6} events in 5%-40% centrality, about 8400 _{Λ}^{3}H and 5200 _{Λ}^{4}H candidates are reconstructed through two- and three-body decay channels. We observe that these hypernuclei exhibit significant directed flow. Comparing to that of light nuclei, it is found that the midrapidity v_{1} slopes of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H follow baryon number scaling, implying that the coalescence is the dominant mechanism for these hypernuclei production in the 3 GeV Au+Au collisions.

Beam Energy Dependence of Triton Production and Yield Ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}) in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the triton (t) production in midrapidity (|y|<0.5) Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7-200  GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The nuclear compound yield ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity (dN_{ch}/dη) and follows a scaling behavior. The dN_{ch}/dη dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27 GeV, with a significance of 2.3σ and 3.4σ, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1σ. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller p_{T} acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

In Situ Polymerized Flame Retardant Gel Electrolyte for High-Performance and Safety-Enhanced Lithium Metal Batteries

A flame retardant gel electrolyte (FRGE) is deemed as one of the most promising electrolytes to relieve the problems of safety hazards and interfacial incompatibility of Li metal batteries. Herein, a novel solvent triethyl 2-fluoro-2-phosphonoacetate (TFPA) with outstanding flame retardancy is introduced in the polymer skeleton synthesized by in situ polymerization of the monomer polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) and the cross-linker pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PETEA). The FRGE exhibits superb interfacial compatibility with Li metal anodes and inhibits uncontrolled Li dendrite growth. This can be ascribed to the restriction of free phosphate molecules by the polymer skeleton, thus realizing a stable cycling performance over 500 h at 1 mA cm^-2 and 1 mAh cm^-2 in the Li||Li symmetric cell. In addition, the high ionic conductivity (3.15 mS cm^-1) and Li⁺ transference number (0.47) of the FRGE further enhance the electrochemical performance of the correspondent battery. As a result, the LiFePO₄|FRGE|Li cell exhibits excellent long-term cycling life with a capacity retention of 94.6% after 700 cycles. This work points to a new pathway for the practical development of high-safety and high-energy-density Li metal-based batteries.

Clinical value of GRACE score combined with DFR in predicting short-term prognosis of patients undergoing early PCI after thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical value of the Global Registry of Arterial Events in Acute Coronary Syndromes (GRACE) score combined with the D-dimer/fibrinogen ratio (DFR) in predicting the short-term prognosis of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) early after thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 102 patients who underwent PCI early after thrombolysis for AMI during April 2020 to January 2022 in our hospital were picked as study subjects. These subjects were assigned as the good prognosis group (without adverse cardiovascular events) and poor prognosis group (with adverse cardiovascular events) according to whether adverse cardiovascular events occurred during hospitalization and follow-up. Changes in GRACE scores and DFR levels in patients with different prognoses were analyzed. The GRACE score and DFR level of patients with different prognosis were analyzed. The clinic pathological characteristics were collected, and the risk factors for poor prognosis of AMI patients were analyzed by logistic risk regression; ROC curve was used to analyze the prognostic value of GRACE score combined with DFR in early PCI patients after AMI thrombolysis.

RESULTS

Compared with the good prognosis group, the GRACE score and DFR level in the poor prognosis group were much higher (p<0.001). Significant differences existed in blood pressure, ejection fraction, number of diseased branches, and Killip grading between the patients with good prognosis and those with poor prognosis (p<0.05). There existed no significant difference in clinical medication between the patients with good prognosis and those with poor prognosis (p>0.05). Logistic multivariate analysis indicated that GRACE score, DFR, ejection fraction, number of lesion branches, and Killip grade were all risk factors influencing the prognosis of patients undergoing early PCI after thrombolysis in AMI (p<0.05). The ROC curve was established and the area under the curve (AUC) of GRACE score, DFR, and combined detection were 0.815, 0.783, and 0.894, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity were 80.24%, 60.42%, 83.71%, 66.78%, 91.42% and 77.83%, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of combined detection were higher than those of the two alone and had a higher predictive value for the short-term prognosis of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The GRACE score combined with DFR was of great value in diagnosing the short-term prognosis of patients undergoing PCI early after thrombolysis for AMI. Furthermore, the GRACE score, DFR, ejection fraction, number of lesion branches, and Killip classification were all important factors influencing the short-term prognosis of patients, which were of great significance in determining the prognosis of patients.

A Salivary Gland Resident Macrophage Subset Regulating Radiation Responses

Radiotherapy of head and neck cancers frequently leads to irreversible hypofunction of salivary glands, which severely compromises the quality of life and is extremely difficult to treat. We found recently that salivary gland resident macrophages are sensitive to radiation and interact with epithelial progenitors and endothelial cells through homeostatic paracrine factors. Heterogeneous subpopulations of resident macrophages are present in other organs with distinct functions, whereas subpopulations of salivary gland resident macrophages with distinct functions or transcriptional profiles have not been reported yet. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we found that mouse submandibular glands (SMGs) contain 2 distinct self-renewing resident macrophage subsets, an MHC-IIhi subset present in many other organs and an uncommon Csf2r+ subset. The main source of Csf2 in SMGs are innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that rely on IL15 for maintenance, while the main source of IL15 protein is Csf2r+ resident macrophages, indicating a homeostatic paracrine interaction between these cells. Csf2r+ resident macrophages are the major source of hepatocyte growth factor (Hgf) that regulates homeostasis of SMG epithelial progenitors. Meanwhile, Csf2r+ resident macrophages are responsive to Hedgehog signaling that can rescue salivary function impaired by radiation. Consistently, irradiation persistently decreased numbers of ILCs and levels of IL15 and Csf2 in SMGs, which were all recovered by transient activation of Hedgehog signaling after radiation. Csf2r+ resident macrophages and MHC-IIhi resident macrophages share transcriptome profiles of perivascular macrophages and macrophages associated with nerves and/or epithelial cells in other organs, respectively, and such niche preferences were supported by lineage tracing and immunofluorescent staining. These findings reveal an uncommon resident macrophage subset that regulates the homeostasis of the salivary gland and is promising as the target to restore salivary gland function impaired by radiation.

Baicalin alleviates silica-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting TLR4/NF-?B pathway in rats

Silicosis is an occupational lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. The disease is characterized by early lung inflammation and late irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. Here we report the effect of Baicalin, a main flavonoid compound from the roots of Chinese herbal medicine Huang Qin on silicosis in a rat model. Results showed Baicalin (50 or 100 mg/kg/day) can mitigate the silica-induced lung inflammation and reduce the harm of alveolar structure and the blue region of collagen fibers in rat lung at 28 days after administration. At the same time, Baicalin also diminished the level of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in lung tissues. The protein expression of collagen I (Col-1), alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and vimentin were down-regulated while E-cadherin (E-cad) was increased in Baicalin-treated rats. In addition, the Toll Like Receptor 4 (TLR4)/ nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway was enabled at 28 days after silica infusion, and the treatment of Baicalin diminished the expression of TLR4 and NF-?B in the lungs of rat with silicosis. These results suggested that Baicalin inhibited the pulmonary inflammatory and fibrosis in a rat model of silicosis, which could be attributed to inhibition of the TLR4/NF-kappaB pathway.

Baicalin alleviates silica-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting TLR4/NF-?B pathway in rats

Silicosis is an occupational lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. The disease is characterized by early lung inflammation and late irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. Here we report the effect of Baicalin, a main flavonoid compound from the roots of Chinese herbal medicine Huang Qin on silicosis in a rat model. Results showed Baicalin (50 or 100 mg/kg/day) can mitigate the silica-induced lung inflammation and reduce the harm of alveolar structure and the blue region of collagen fibers in rat lung at 28 days after administration. At the same time, Baicalin also diminished the level of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in lung tissues. The protein expression of collagen I (Col-1), alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and vimentin were down-regulated while E-cadherin (E-cad) was increased in Baicalin-treated rats. In addition, the Toll Like Receptor 4 (TLR4)/ nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway was enabled at 28 days after silica infusion, and the treatment of Baicalin diminished the expression of TLR4 and NF-?B in the lungs of rat with silicosis. These results suggested that Baicalin inhibited the pulmonary inflammatory and fibrosis in a rat model of silicosis, which could be attributed to inhibition of the TLR4/NF-kappaB pathway.

Controllable reduction of NiCoO2@NiCo core-shell nanospheres on CNTs for high-performance electrochemical energy storage

The performances of energy storage devices are strongly dependent on the electrode materials. Owing to the high theoretical capacity, NiCoO₂ is a promising transition metal oxide for supercapacitors. Despite many efforts have been devoted, it still lacks of effective methods to overcome its shortcomings such as low conductivity and poor stability, in order to achieve its theoretical capacity. Herein, utilizing the thermal reducibility of trisodium citrate and its hydrolyzate, a series of NiCoO₂@NiCo/CNT ternary composites in which NiCoO₂@NiCo core-shell nanospheres deposited on CNT surface with adjustable metal contents are synthesized. Benefiting from the enhanced synergistic effect of both metallic core and CNTs, the optimized composite exhibits an extremely high specific capacitance (2660 F g^-1 at 1 A g^-1, the effective specific capacitance of the loaded metal oxide is 4199 F g^-1, close to the theoretical value), an excellent rate performance and stability, when the metal content is about 37%. After depolarized calculation, the energy storage mechanism of the composite is reasonably analyzed. By controlling the contents of hexamethylenetetramine, trisodium citrate and CNTs in the reactant, the roles of them are distinguished. This study reveals an efficient novel strategy for transition metal oxides to maximize the electrochemical performances.

[High expression of MYH9 inhibits apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer cells through activating the AKT/c-Myc pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) in regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cisplatin sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

Six NSCLC cell lines (A549, H1299, H1975, SPCA1, H322, and H460) and a normal bronchial epithelial cell line (16HBE) were examined for MYH9 expression using Western blotting. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect MYH9 expression in a tissue microarray containing 49 NSCLC and 43 adjacent tissue specimens. MYH9 knockout cell models were established in H1299 and H1975 cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and the changes in cell proliferation cell were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) and clone formation assays; Western blotting and flow cytometry were used to detect apoptosis of the cell models, and cisplatin sensitivity of the cells was evaluated using IC50 assay. The growth of tumor xenografts derived from NSCLC with or without MYH9 knockout was observed in nude mice.

RESULTS

MYH9 expression was significantly upregulated in NSCLC (P < 0.001), and the patients with high MYH9 expression had a significantly shorter survival time (P=0.023). In cultured NSCLC cells, MYH9 knockout obviously inhibited cell proliferation (P < 0.001), promoted cell apoptosis (P < 0.05), and increased their chemosensitivity of cisplatin. In the tumor-bearing mouse models, the NSCLC cells with MYH9 knockout showed a significantly lower growth rate (P < 0.05). Western blotting showed that MYH9 knockout inactivated the AKT/c- Myc axis (P < 0.05) to inhibit the expression of BCL2- like protein 1 (P < 0.05), promoted the expression of BH3- interacting domain death agonist and the apoptosis regulator BAX (P < 0.05), and activated apoptosis-related proteins caspase-3 and caspase-9 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

High expression of MYH9 contributes to NSCLC progression by inhibiting cell apoptosis via activating the AKT/c-Myc axis.

Construction and Performance Evaluation of Nicandra physalodes (Linn.) Gaertn. Polysaccharide-Based Nanogel

The nanogels made from these polysaccharides and their derivatives are often used to construct drug delivery systems owing to their biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic, water-soluble, and bioactive characteristics. In this work, a novel pectin with unique gelling properties was extracted from the seed of Nicandra physalodes (NPGP). The structural research indicated that NPGP was a low methoxyl pectin with a high content of galacturonic acid. NPGP-based nanogels (NGs) were accomplished employing the water in oil (W/O) nano-emulsion method. The cysteamine containing reduction-responsive bond and integrin-targeting RGD peptide were also grafted onto NPGP. The anti-tumor drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) was loaded during the formation of NGs, and the performance of DOX delivery was studied. The NGs were characterized by UV-vis, DLS, TEM, FT-IR, and XPS. The results showed that the prepared NGs were nanosized (167.6 ± 53.86 nm), had excellent encapsulation efficiency (91.61 ± 0.85%), and possessed a fine drug loading capacity (8.40 ± 0.16%). The drug release experiment showed that DOX@NPGP-SS-RGD had good redox-responsive performance. Furthermore, the results of cell experiments revealed good biocompatibility of prepared NGs, along with selective absorption by HCT-116 cells through integrin receptor-mediated endocytosis to play an anti-tumor effect. These studies indicated the potential application of NPGP-based NGs as targeted drug delivery systems.

The choice of spectral similarity algorithms influences suspected soil sample provenance

Similarity algorithms are commonly used in soil forensic applications to help identify similar samples from an existing reference library as possible source locations of unknown target samples. These algorithms are well-suited to compare soil spectra. However, different similarity algorithms may lead to different clusters of similar samples, and thus different strengths of evidence in forensic investigations. To quantify this, we conducted a study to evaluate the influence of seven similarity algorithms on soil provenance, using as a sample set a soil spectral library consisting of 280 soil profiles from Anhui Province, China. This library includes three spatial scales of datasets: provincial (DS_p), county (DS_c) and field (DS_f). A set of ten samples covering a wide range of spectra variations were selected from the DS_f dataset as the "unknown" samples, with the remaining being used as the reference samples. This study aimed to: (1) evaluate how several commonly-used similarity algorithms, namely Euclidean distance (ED), Mahalanobis distance (MD), Spectral angle mapper (SAM), and Spectral information divergence (SID), as well as variants of several of these measured in standardized principal component space computed from the spectra (ED_PCA, MD_PCA and SAM_PCA), influence the identification of the matched similar samples; (2) determine the overlap in sample selection between different similarity algorithms; (3) propose best practices for similarity algorithms applied to soil forensic analysis using spectroscopy. The use of different similarity algorithms did influence the selection of most similar samples. The similarity algorithms calculated in PC space (ED_PCA, MD_PCA and SAM_PCA) performed slightly better than their counterparts calculated in spectral space. Due to the availability of a detailed spectral library, regardless of the different similarity algorithms used, the matched most similar samples were all located close to the unknowns, mostly within 3 km, with one exception. That is, the varied choices of different similarity algorithms hardly influenced the conclusion of soil provenance in this case. In general, MD_PCA, SAM and ED were the best similarity algorithms overall. However, since there was no single best algorithms for all cases, we recommend the joint use of MD_PCA, SAM and ED as an ensemble. Indications of possible sample provenance from these similarity measured can be useful evidence to complement evidence from other methods in a forensic investigation.

[Analysis of 7 cases of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia with DEK-NUP214 fusion gene]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, treatment regime, and outcome of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with DEK-NUP214 fusion gene. Methods: The clinical data, genetic and molecular results, treatment process and survival status of 7 cases of DEK-NUP214 fusion gene positive AML children admitted to the Pediatric Blood Diseases Center of Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from May 2015 to February 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: DEK-NUP214 fusion gene positive AML accounted for 1.02% (7/683) of pediatric AML diagnosed in the same period, with 4 males and 3 females. The age of disease onset was 8.2 (7.5, 9.5) years. The blast percentage in bone marrow was 0.275 (0.225, 0.480), and 6 cases were M5 by FAB classification. Pathological hematopoiesis was observed in all cases except for one whose bone marrow morphology was unknown. Three cases carried FLT3-ITD mutations, 4 cases carried NRAS mutations, and 2 cases carried KRAS mutations. After diagnosis, 4 cases received IAE induction regimen (idarubicin, cytarabine and etoposide), 1 case received MAE induction regimen (mitoxantrone, cytarabine and etoposide), 1 case received DAH induction regimen (daunorubicin, cytarabine and homoharringtonine) and 1 case received DAE induction regimen (daunorubicin, cytarabine and etoposide). Complete remission was achieved in 3 cases after one course of induction. Four cases who did not achieved complete remission received CAG (aclarubicin, cytarabine and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor), IAH (idarubicin, cytarabine and homoharringtonine), CAG combined with cladribine, and HAG (homoharringtonine, cytarabine and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) combined with cladribine reinduction therapy, respectively, all 4 cases reached complete remission. Six patients received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after 1-2 sessions of intensive consolidation treatment, except that one case was lost to follow-up after complete remission. The time from diagnosis to HSCT was 143 (121, 174) days. Before HSCT, one case was positive for flow cytometry minimal residual disease and 3 cases were positive for DEK-NUP214 fusion gene. Three cases accepted haploid donors, 2 cases accepted unrelated cord blood donors, and 1 case accepted matched sibling donor. The follow-up time was 20.4 (12.9, 53.1) months, the overall survival and event free survival rates were all 100%. Conclusions: Pediatric AML with DEK-NUP214 fusion gene is a unique and rare subtype, often diagnosed in relatively older children. The disease is characterized with a low blast percentage in bone marrow, significant pathological hematopoiesis and a high mutation rate in FLT3-ITD and RAS genes. Low remission rate by chemotherapy only and very high recurrence rate indicate its high malignancy and poor prognosis. Early HSCT after the first complete remission can improve its prognosis.

[Correlation between pelvic relapses of rectal cancer after radical and R0 resection: A regression model-based analysis]

Objective: To propose a new staging system for presacral recurrence of rectal cancer and explore the factors influencing radical resection of such recurrences based on this staging system. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, clinical data of 51 patients with presacral recurrence of rectal cancer who had undergone surgical treatment in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital between January 2008 and September 2022 were collected. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) primary rectal cancer without distant metastasis that had been radically resected; (2) pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer confirmed by multi-disciplinary team assessment based on CT, MRI, positron emission tomography, physical examination, surgical exploration, and pathological examination of biopsy tissue in some cases; and (3) complete inpatient, outpatient and follow-up data. The patients were allocated to radical resection and non-radical resection groups according to postoperative pathological findings. The study included: (1) classification of pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer according to its anatomical characteristics as follows: Type I: no involvement of the sacrum; Type II: involvement of the low sacrum, but no other sites; Type III: involvement of the high sacrum, but no other sites; and Type IV: involvement of the sacrum and other sites. (2) Assessment of postoperative presacral recurrence, overall survival from surgery to recurrence, and duration of disease-free survival. (3) Analysis of factors affecting radical resection of pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer. Non-normally distributed measures are expressed as median (range). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups. Results: The median follow-up was 25 (2-96) months with a 100% follow-up rate. The rate of metachronic distant metastasis was significantly lower in the radical resection than in the non-radical resection group (24.1% [7/29] vs. 54.5% [12/22], χ²=8.333, P=0.026). Postoperative disease-free survival was longer in the radical resection group (32.7 months [3.0-63.0] vs. 16.1 [1.0-41.0], Z=8.907, P=0.005). Overall survival was longer in the radical resection group (39.2 [3.0-66.0] months vs. 28.1 [1.0-52.0] months, Z=1.042, P=0.354). According to univariate analysis, age, sex, distance between the tumor and anal verge, primary tumor pT stage, and primary tumor grading were not associated with achieving R0 resection of presacral recurrences of rectal cancer (all P>0.05), whereas primary tumor pN stage, anatomic staging of presacral recurrence, and procedure for managing presacral recurrence were associated with rate of R0 resection (all P<0.05). According to multifactorial analysis, the pathological stage of the primary tumor pN1-2 (OR=3.506, 95% CI: 1.089-11.291, P=0.035), type of procedure (transabdominal resection: OR=29.250, 95% CI: 2.789 - 306.811, P=0.005; combined abdominal perineal resection: OR=26.000, 95% CI: 2.219-304.702, P=0.009), and anatomical stage of presacral recurrence (Type III: OR=16.000, 95% CI: 1.542 - 166.305, P = 0.020; type IV: OR= 36.667, 95% CI: 3.261 - 412.258, P = 0.004) were all independent risk factors for achieving radical resection of anterior sacral recurrence after rectal cancer surgery. Conclusion: Stage of presacral recurrences of rectal cancer is an independent predictor of achieving R0 resection. It is possible to predict whether radical resection can be achieved on the basis of the patient's medical history.

[Cross-sectional study of low anterior resection syndrome in patients who have survived more than 5 years after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer]

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) in patients who had survived for more than 5 years after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer and to analyze its relationship with postoperative time. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study. The study cohort comprised patients who had survived for at least 5 years (60 months) after undergoing sphincter- preserving radical resection of pathologically diagnosed rectal adenocarcinoma within 15 cm of the anal verge in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital from January 2005 to May 2016. Patients who had undergone local resection, had permanent stomas, recurrent intestinal infection, local recurrence, history of previous anorectal surgery, or long- term preoperative defecation disorders were excluded. A LARS questionnaire was administered by telephone interview, points being allocated for incontinence for flatus (0-7 points), incontinence for liquid stools (0-3 points), frequency of bowel movements (0-5 points), clustering of stools (0-11 points), and urgency (0-16 points). The patients were allocated to three groups based on these scores: no LARS (0-20 points), minor LARS (21-29 points), and major LARS (30-42 points). The prevalence of LARS and major LARS in patients who had survived more than 5 years after surgery, correlation between postoperative time and LARS score, and whether postoperative time was a risk factor for major LARS and LARS symptoms were analyzed. Results: The median follow-up time of the 160 patients who completed the telephone interview was 97 (60-193) months; 81 (50.6%) of them had LARS, comprising 34 (21.3%) with minor LARS and 47 (29.4%) with major LARS. Spearman correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between LARS score and postoperative time (correlation coefficient α=-0.016, P=0.832). Multivariate analysis identified anastomotic height (RR=0.850, P=0.022) and radiotherapy (RR=5.760, P<0.001) as independent risk factors for major LARS; whereas the postoperative time was not a significant risk factor (RR=1.003, P=0.598). The postoperative time was also not associated with LARS score rank and frequency of bowel movements, clustering, or urgency (P>0.05). However, the rates of incontinence for flatus (3/31, P=0.003) and incontinence for liquid stools (8/31, P=0.005) were lower in patients who had survived more than 10 years after surgery. Conclusions: Patients with rectal cancer who have survived more than 5 years after sphincter-preserving surgery still have a high prevalence of LARS. We found no evidence of major LARS symptoms resolving over time.

[DTX2 overexpression promotes migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells through the Notch2/Akt axis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of changes in DTX2 expression level on migration and invasion of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and explore the mechanism.

METHODS

Two CRC cell lines SW620 and LoVo were transfected with a specific shRNA targeting DTX2 (DTX2-shRNA) or a DTX2-overexpressing plasmid (pcDNA-DTX2), and the transfection efficiency was evaluated with RT-qPCR and Western blotting. Scratch and Transwell assays were used to assess the changes in migration and invasion ability of the transfected cells, and the cellular expression levels of Notch2, NICD, AKT, p-Akt and MMP-2/9 proteins were detected with Western blotting. The CRC cells were co-transfected with pcDNA-DTX2 and Notch2 siRNA to assess the effect of Notch2 knockdown on DTX2 overexpression-induced enhancement of cell migration and invasion.

RESULTS

The expression levels of DTX2 at both the mRNA and protein levels were significantly decreased in CRC cells transfected with DTX2- shRNA (P < 0.01) and increased in cells transfected with pcDNA-DTX2 (P < 0.01). Scratch and Transwell assays showed that the migration and invasion abilities of CRC cells were significantly lowered following DTX2 knockdown (P < 0.01) and were enhanced in cells with DTX2 overexpression (P < 0.01). The expression levels of Notch2, NICD, p-Akt and MMP-2 proteins decreased significantly in CRC cells with DTX2 knockdown (P < 0.05) and increased obviously in DTX2-overexpressing cells (P < 0.05). In both of the two CRC cell lines, transfection with Notch2 siRNA obviously reversed the effect of DTX2 overexpression in promoting cell migration and invasion (P < 0.01) and expressions of the related proteins.

CONCLUSION

DTX2 overexpression promotes migration and invasion of CRC cells through the Notch2/Akt axis, suggesting the potential of DTX2 as a new biological indicator of CRC.

[Quantitative analysis of lipid metabolism-related differential proteins in patients with alcoholic liver disease]

Objective: To screen and identify differential proteins, analyze lipid metabolism-related proteins and pathways, and explore their functions and biological processes in liver tissue of patients with alcoholic liver disease using tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling technology. Methods: Liver tissues that met the inclusion criteria were collected. Eight samples from patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and three samples from the normal control group were screened out. The TMT technique was used to screen differential proteins, perform signaling pathway enrichment analysis, and analyze protein interaction networks to explore the biological processes involved in them. Results: Proteomic analysis identified 2 741 kinds of differentially expressed proteins in the two groups of data with statistical significance (P < 0.05). The standard criteria of P < 0.05 and |log2(foldchange)| > 1 had screened out 106 kinds of differentially expressed proteins. Compared with the control group, the alcoholic liver disease group had 12 kinds of up-regulated proteins and 94 kinds of down-regulated proteins. Among them, there were 2 kinds of up-regulated differential proteins related to lipid metabolism and 14 kinds of down-regulated differential proteins. The results of bioinformatics analysis showed that these proteins were primarily involved in biological processes such as lipid transport, regulation of lipase activity, fatty acid binding, and cholesterol metabolism in lipid metabolism and also had a close link to signal pathways related to lipid metabolism such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathways, cholesterol metabolism, triglyceride metabolism, and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes. Conclusion: The 16 kinds of lipid metabolism-related differential proteins may be the key proteins in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease.

Measurement of Sequential ϒ Suppression in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV with the STAR Experiment

We report on measurements of sequential ϒ suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) through both the dielectron and dimuon decay channels. In the 0%-60% centrality class, the nuclear modification factors (R_{AA}), which quantify the level of yield suppression in heavy-ion collisions compared to p+p collisions, for ϒ(1S) and ϒ(2S) are 0.40±0.03(stat)±0.03(sys)±0.09(norm) and 0.26±0.08(stat)±0.02(sys)±0.06(norm), respectively, while the upper limit of the ϒ(3S) R_{AA} is 0.17 at a 95% confidence level. This provides experimental evidence that the ϒ(3S) is significantly more suppressed than the ϒ(1S) at RHIC. The level of suppression for ϒ(1S) is comparable to that observed at the much higher collision energy at the Large Hadron Collider. These results point to the creation of a medium at RHIC whose temperature is sufficiently high to strongly suppress excited ϒ states.

A8 MICROBIAL ACTIVATION OF INTESTINAL DENDRITIC CELLS IS CRITICAL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NORMAL BEHAVIOR

Background

Accumulating evidence suggests that gut microbiota affects brain development and its function. It is well known that compared with conventional mice (SPF), germ-free (GF) mice display higher exploratory behavior, which normalizes after bacterial colonization. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms and first critical steps initiating microbiota-gut-brain communication, which lead to establishment of normal behavior.

Purpose

To investigate the role of immune system in the establishment of normal behavior after bacterial colonization.

Method

We assessed behavior in GF mice before and after colonization with SPF microbiota, Altered Schaedler Flora (ASF) or the single bacterial strain E. coli JM83, and compared them to SPF mice, using the light-dark preference and tail suspension tests. Levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and c-Fos expression were measured by immunofluorescence in the hippocampus and amygdala. Colonic and brain gene expression were assessed using a NanoString technology. The immunodeficient MyD88-/- Ticam1- and SCID mice were used to study the role of the innate and adaptive immune systems. To demonstrate the role of the dendritic cells (DCs), we measured behavior before and after mono-colonization with E. coli JM83 in GF mice treated with cosalane and fingolimod, that inhibit DCs activation and migration, respectively. Brain levels of CD11b, CD11c and CD103 as DCs markers was assessed by immunofluorescence.

Result(s)

Compared to SPF mice, GF mice showed higher exploratory and less depressive-like behavior. The ex-germ-free mice colonized with ASF microbiota, or mono-colonized with E. coli JM83 showed similar normalization of behavior as those colonized with SPF microbiota. Mono-colonization with E. coli reduced both BDNF and c-fos levels in the hippocampus and amygdala. While colonization of GF SCID mice induced same change in behavior as in wild-type mice, GF MyD88-/-Ticam1-/- mice did not alter their behavior. Mono-colonization affected multiple genes in the colon and the brain, associated with innate immunity and neural plasticity. Treatment with both cosalane and fingolimod prevented behavioral changes after colonization, which was paralleled by absence of CD11b+CD103+CD11c+ cells in the brain, otherwise found in high numbers in control mono-colonized mice and absent in germ-free mice.

Conclusion(s)

The innate immune system, through activation and migration of intestinal dendritic cells into the brain, initiates the neuro-immune signaling within the gut-brain axis and leads to normalization of behavior after bacterial colonization. Our findings may impact several psychiatric conditions, in which altered innate immune signaling has been implicated.

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Balsam Family Foundation

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Integrating surface structure via triphenyl phosphate treatment to stabilize Li-rich Mn-based cathode materials

Li-rich Mn-based layered oxides (LLOs) have emerged as one of the most promising cathode materials for the next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their high energy density, high specific capacity, and environmental friendliness. These materials, however, have drawbacks such as capacity degradation, low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE), voltage decay, and poor rate performance due to irreversible oxygen release and structural deterioration during cycling. Herein, we present a facile method of triphenyl phosphate (TPP) surface treatment to create an integrated surface structure on LLOs that includes oxygen vacancies, Li₃PO₄, and carbon. When used for LIBs, the treated LLOs show an increased initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 83.6% and capacity retention of 84.2% at 1C after 200 cycles. It is suggested that the enhanced performance of the treated LLOs can be attributed to the synergetic functions of each component in the integrated surface, such as the oxygen vacancy and Li₃PO₄ being able to inhibit the evolution of oxygen and accelerate the transport of lithium ions, while the carbon layer can restrain undesirable interfacial side reactions and reduce the dissolution of transition metals. Furthermore, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) prove an enhanced kinetic property of the treated LLOs cathode, and ex-situ X-ray diffractometer shows a suppressed structural transformation of TPP-treated LLOs during the battery reaction. This study provides an effective strategy for constructing an integrated surface structure on LLOs to achieve high-energy cathode materials in LIBs.

Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C_{5}, C_{6}) and factorial cumulants (κ_{5}, κ_{6}) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sqrt[s_{NN}]) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C_{6}/C_{2} for 0%-40% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μ_{B}≤110  MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κ_{n}, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μ_{B}∼750  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μ_{B}∼24  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and higher collision energies.

The KNee OsteoArthritis Prediction (KNOAP2020) challenge: An image analysis challenge to predict incident symptomatic radiographic knee osteoarthritis from MRI and X-ray images

OBJECTIVES

The KNee OsteoArthritis Prediction (KNOAP2020) challenge was organized to objectively compare methods for the prediction of incident symptomatic radiographic knee osteoarthritis within 78 months on a test set with blinded ground truth.

DESIGN

The challenge participants were free to use any available data sources to train their models. A test set of 423 knees from the Prevention of Knee Osteoarthritis in Overweight Females (PROOF) study consisting of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray image data along with clinical risk factors at baseline was made available to all challenge participants. The ground truth outcomes, i.e., which knees developed incident symptomatic radiographic knee osteoarthritis (according to the combined ACR criteria) within 78 months, were not provided to the participants. To assess the performance of the submitted models, we used the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROCAUC) and balanced accuracy (BACC).

RESULTS

Seven teams submitted 23 entries in total. A majority of the algorithms were trained on data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. The model with the highest ROCAUC (0.64 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.57-0.70)) used deep learning to extract information from X-ray images combined with clinical variables. The model with the highest BACC (0.59 (95% CI: 0.52-0.65)) ensembled three different models that used automatically extracted X-ray and MRI features along with clinical variables.

CONCLUSION

The KNOAP2020 challenge established a benchmark for predicting incident symptomatic radiographic knee osteoarthritis. Accurate prediction of incident symptomatic radiographic knee osteoarthritis is a complex and still unsolved problem requiring additional investigation.

Outreach, Screening, and Randomization of APOE ε4 Carriers into an Alzheimer's Prevention Trial: A global Perspective from the API Generation Program

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention trials require a large outreach and screening funnel to identify cognitively unimpaired adults who meet the study's inclusion criteria, such as certain clinical or demographic criteria, genetic risk factors, and/or biomarker evidence of the disease.

OBJECTIVES

Describe tactics and strategies to identify and enroll cognitively unimpaired adults with one (heterozygotes [HT]) or two (homozygotes [HM]) copies of the APOE ε4 allele, a genetic risk factor for dementia due to AD, into the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative (API) Generation Program, the largest and only prevention trials for late onset AD using this enrichment technique.

DESIGN AND SETTING

The Generation Program was comprised of two global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group adaptive design with variable treatment duration clinical trials. Generation Study 1 randomized participants into one of two cohorts: Cohort 1 which evaluated CAD106 vs. placebo or Cohort 2 which evaluated umibecestat vs placebo. Generation Study 2 randomized participants into two doses of umibecestat vs. placebo. The Generation Program was terminated early in 2019, while enrollment was still occurring.

PARTICIPANTS

Both Generation Study 1 and Generation Study 2 enrolled cognitively unimpaired APOE ε4 HMs aged 60-75; Generation Study 2 also enrolled APOE ε4 HTs ages 60-75 with elevated brain amyloid.

METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS

Describe results of the centralized and localized outreach, recruitment, screening strategies and tactics as well as characteristics of sites successful at enrolling genetically eligible participants, with a particular focus on APOE ε4 HMs given the 2-3% prevalence of this genotype.

RESULTS

At the time the trial program was terminated, 35,333 individuals had consented to the optional prescreening ICF1a/ICFA and provided a sample of DNA for APOE genotyping, 1,138 APOE ε4 HMs consented to screening for Generation Study 1 (ICF1b), and 1,626 APOE ε4 carriers were randomized into either Generation Study 1 or Generation Study 2. Genetic testing registries, partnerships with genetic testing/counseling companies, and the optional prescreening ICF1a/ICFA were the most successful strategies for identifying genetically eligible participants for screening.

CONCLUSIONS

It is feasible to recruit, screen and randomize cognitively unimpaired APOE ε4 carriers, particularly APOE ε4 HMs for a global AD prevention trial. The Generation Program was on track to complete enrollment by end of 2019. Factors that were key to this success included: working with sites to develop customizable outreach, recruitment, and screening programs specific to their site needs, providing forums for sites to exchange best practices, and developing partnerships between the sponsor team and trial sites.

Simulated nitrogen deposition promotes the carbon assimilation of shrubs rather than tree species in an evergreen broad-leaved forest

Although understory addition of nitrogen (UAN) is commonly used to simulate nitrogen deposition in field studies in forest ecosystems, it ignores the effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on the canopy. We studied the effects of nitrogen deposition simulated by UAN and by canopy addition of nitrogen (CAN) on leaf structure, chemical properties, Calvin cycle, and photosynthate distribution strategy of representative woody plant species in a subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest in South China. The results showed that maximum photosynthetic rate (A_max) of shrub species Blastus cochinchinensis and Ardisia quinquegona under CAN treatments was significantly higher than that of UAN treatments at the same N addition concentration. The concentrations of intermediates (PGK, DPGA and G3P) in Calvin cycle of B. cochinchinensis and A. quinquegona, and Castanea henryi were significantly increased with CAN treatments, but the opposite was true with UAN treatments. CAN25 significantly increased starch concentrations of shrub species Lasianthus chinensis and B. cochinchinensis, and significantly decreased sucrose concentrations of shrub species A. quinquegona and tree species C. henryi. Correlation analyses showed that nitrogen application amount under different modes helped explain the changes in A_max and Calvin cycle intermediates. In summary, nitrogen deposition may promote the A_max and Calvin cycle of shrub species, and the adaptability of shrub species to nitrogen deposition is higher than that of tree species, which may help to explain the degradation of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest.

Collision-System and Beam-Energy Dependence of Anisotropic Flow Fluctuations

Elliptic flow measurements from two-, four-, and six-particle correlations are used to investigate flow fluctuations in collisions of U+U at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV, Cu+Au at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and Au+Au spanning the range sqrt[s_{NN}]=11.5-200  GeV. The measurements show a strong dependence of the flow fluctuations on collision centrality, a modest dependence on system size, and very little if any, dependence on particle species and beam energy. The results, when compared to similar LHC measurements, viscous hydrodynamic calculations, and trento model eccentricities, indicate that initial-state-driven fluctuations predominate the flow fluctuations generated in the collisions studied.

[Research progress in the association of periodontitis and gestational diabetes mellitus]

Periodontitis is the main cause of adult tooth loss, which seriously affects oral health and acts as a high-risk factor for varieties of systemic diseases. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance occurred or firstly identified during pregnancy. Prevalence of GDM is increasing over the past years worldwide. Besides adverse effects toward maternal and infant health in perinatal period, GDM also has long-term effects. Current studies have demonstrated that there is a bidirectional relationship between periodontitis and diabetes; however, the exact relationship between periodontitis and GDM remains elusive. In this paper, first reviewed the clinical association of periodontitis and GDM, and then discussed the underlying mechanisms of the two diseases, finally summarized the positive effect of periodontal therapy in controlling GDM. This paper will provide theoretical basis for the prevention diagnosis and therapy for the related diseases, promoting the maternal and infant health.

Carbon-coated iron nanopowder as a sintering aid for water-atomized iron powder

The paper examines the influence of carbon coating on iron nanopowder used as a sintering aid for water-atomized iron powder. Iron nanopowder without such a coating was used as a reference sintering aid to isolate the influence of the carbon coating. Both nanopowder variants were characterised using XPS and HRTEM. The results showed a core–shell structure for both variants. The iron nanopowder is covered by a 3–4 nm thick iron oxide layer, while the carbon-coated iron nanopowder is encapsulated with several nanometric carbon layers. Thermogravimetry conducted in a pure hydrogen environment shows a multipeak behaviour for the carbon-coated iron nanopowder, while a single peak behaviour is observed for the iron nanopowder. Two types of micro/nanobimodal powders were obtained by mixing the nanopowder with water-atomized iron powder. Improved linear shrinkage was observed during sintering when the carbon-coated iron nanopowder was added. This can be explained by the reduction in surface diffusion in the nanopowder caused by the carbon coating, which allows the nanopowder to sinter at higher temperatures and improves densification. Carbon and oxygen analysis, density measurements, optical microscopy and JMatPro calculations were also performed.

Maturation of subtilisin-like protease NbSLP1 from microsporidia Nosema bombycis

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites and possess a unique way of invading hosts, namely germination. Microsporidia are able to infect almost all animal cells by germination. During the process, the polar tube extrudes from the spores within, thus injecting infectious sporoplasm into the host cells. Previous studies indicated that subtilisin-like protease 1 (NbSLP1) of microsporidia Nosema bombycis were located at the polar cap of germinated spores where the polar tube extrusion. We hypothesized that NbSLP1 is an essential player in the germination process. Normally, SLP need to be activated by autoproteolysis under conditions. In this study, we found that the signal peptide of NbSLP1 affected the activation of protease, two self-cleavage sites were involved in NbSLP1 maturation between Ala¹⁰⁴Asp¹⁰⁵ and Ala¹²⁴Asp¹²⁵ respectively. Mutants at catalytic triad of NbSLP1 confirmed the decreasing of autoproteolysis. This study demonstrates that intramolecular proteolysis is required for NbSLP1 maturation. The protease undergoes a series of sequential N-terminal cleavage events to generate the mature enzyme. Like other subtilisin-like enzymes, catalytic triad of NbSLP1 are significant for the self-activation of NbSLP1. In conclusion, clarifying the maturation of NbSLP1 will be valuable for understanding the polar tube ejection mechanism of germination.