[Association of nutritional status with clinical outcomes of stroke patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion after emergency endovascular treatment]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the influence of nutritional status on 90-day functional outcomes of stroke patients with acute large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation after endovascular treatment (EVT).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the baseline, laboratory, surgical and 90-day follow-up data of patients with stroke resulting from acute large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation, who underwent emergency endovascular treatment in our hospital from July, 2015 to December, 2020. A favorable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale score ≤2 at 90 days. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to explore the relationship between nutritional status and 90-day functional outcomes of the patients.

RESULTS

A total of 459 patients (mean age of 68.29±11.21 years, including 260 males) were enrolled in this study. According to their prognostic nutritional index (PNI), the patients were divided into normal nutrition group (392 cases, 85.4%), moderate malnutrition group (44 cases, 9.6%), and severe malnutrition group (23 cases, 5.0%). Univariate analysis showed that the patients with good clinical outcomes had a lower proportion of malnutrition with a younger age, a lower rate of diabetes, lower baseline blood pressure, lower baseline NIHSS score, higher baseline ASPECT score, and higher rates of good collateral circulation and complete vascular recanalization. Multivariate analysis showed that in addition to age, diabetes, baseline systolic blood pressure, successful recanalization, baseline ASPECT score, baseline NIHSS score and collateral circulation, a greater PNI was a protective factor for a good 90-day outcome of patients after EVT (moderate vs severe: OR=0.245, 95% CI: 0.066-0.908, P=0.035; normal vs severe: OR=0.185, 95% CI: 0.059-0.581, P=0.004).

CONCLUSION

Nutritional status an important factor affecting the 90-day outcomes after EVT of stroke patients with acute large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation.

Optimising diffusion-weighted imaging of the thyroid gland using dedicated surface coil

AIM

To assess the feasibility of applying field-of-view (FOV) optimised and constrained undistorted single-shot (FOCUS) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the thyroid gland by comparing its image quality with conventional DWI (C-DWI) qualitatively and quantitatively using a dedicated surface coil exclusively designed for the thyroid gland at 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this prospective study, 32 healthy volunteers who had undergone 3 T the thyroid gland MRI with FOCUS-DWI and C-DWI were enrolled. Two independent reviewers assessed the overall image quality, artefacts, sharpness, and geometric distortion based on a five-point Likert scale. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were quantified for both sequences. Interobserver agreement, qualitative scores, and quantitative parameters were compared between two sequences.

RESULTS

Agreement between the two readers was good for FOCUS-DWI (κ = 0.714-0.778) and moderate to good for C-DWI (κ = 0.525-0.672) in qualitative image quality assessment. Qualitatively, image quality (overall image quality, artefacts, sharpness, and geometric distortion) was significantly better in FOCUS-DWI than that in the C-DWI (all p<0.05); however, quantitatively, FOCUS-DWI had significantly lower SNRs (p<0.001) and CNRs (p=0.012) compared with C-DWI. The ADC value on FOCUS-DWI was significantly higher than that on C-DWI (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

FOCUS-DWI depicted the thyroid gland with significantly better image quality qualitatively and less ghost artefacts, but had significantly lower SNR and CNR quantitatively, compared with C-DWI, suggesting that both DWI sequences have advantages and could be chosen for different purposes.

Evidence for Nonlinear Gluon Effects in QCD and Their Mass Number Dependence at STAR

The STAR Collaboration reports measurements of back-to-back azimuthal correlations of di-π^{0}s produced at forward pseudorapidities (2.6<η<4.0) in p+p, p+Al, and p+Au collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV. We observe a clear suppression of the correlated yields of back-to-back π^{0} pairs in p+Al and p+Au collisions compared to the p+p data. The observed suppression of back-to-back pairs as a function of transverse momentum suggests nonlinear gluon dynamics arising at high parton densities. The larger suppression found in p+Au relative to p+Al collisions exhibits a dependence of the saturation scale Q_{s}^{2} on the mass number A. A linear scaling of the suppression with A^{1/3} is observed with a slope of -0.09±0.01.

[MiR-372-5p regulates PI3K/AKT/CXCL12 signaling pathway by targeting PTEN to promote colorectal cancer cell metastasis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether miR-372-5p regulates PI3K/AKT/CXCL12 signaling pathway by targeting PTEN to promote metastasis of colorectal cancer cells.

METHODS

We detected the differential expression of miR-372-5p using RT-qRCR in colorectal cancer and adjacent tissues, colorectal cancer cells and normal intestinal epithelial cells. Bioinformatic analysis and double luciferase assay were performed for verification of the targeting relationship between miR-372-5p and PTEN. Western blotting was used to assess the effects of transfection with miR-372-5p inhibitor and miR-372-5p mimics alone, co-transfection with miR-372-5p inhibitor and si-PTEN, and co-transfection with miR-372-5p mimics and PI3K inhibitor on the expressions of PTEN and CXCL12 and the activation of PI3K/AKT signal pathway; Transwell assay and scratch assay were used to examine the changes in the migration ability of the transfected cells, the cells co-transfected with miR-372-5p mimics and si-CXCL12, and the cells treated with conditioned medium from HCT116 cells transfected with miR-372-5p mimics.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-372-5p was significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissues than in adjacent tissues, and higher in HCT116 and SW620 cells than in NCM460 cells (P < 0.01). Double luciferase assay confirmed that PTEN was a potential target gene of miR-372-5p (P < 0.05). Transfection of HCT116 cells with miR-372-5p mimics obviously decreased PTEN protein expression, increase CXCL12 expression and the phosphorylation level of AKT, and lowered the cell migration ability, while transfection with miR-372-5p inhibitor produced the opposite effects (P < 0.05); si-PTEN obviously neutralized the effect of miR-372-5p inhibitor (P < 0.01). PI3K inhibitor significantly decreased CXCL12 expression and inhibited the cell migration (P < 0.05), and this effect was mitigated by miR-372-5p mimics (P < 0.01). Treatment with the conditioned medium from HCT116 cells transfected with miR-372-5p mimics significantly enhanced the migration ability of NCM460 cells, and this effect was suppressed by transfection with si-CXCL12 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

MiR-372-5p activates PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by targeting PTEN and up-regulates CXCL12 expression to promoting metastasis of colorectal cancer cells.

MRI-based radiomics analysis in differentiating solid non-small-cell from small-cell lung carcinoma: a pilot study

AIM

To investigate the ability of a T2-weighted (W) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics signature to differentiate solid non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) from small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present retrospective study enrolled 152 eligible patients (NSCLC = 125, SCLC = 27). All patients underwent MRI using a 3 T scanner and radiomics features were extracted from T2W MRI. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression model was used to identify the optimal radiomics features for the construction of a radiomics model to differentiate solid NSCLC from SCLC. Threefold cross validation repeated 10 times was used for model training and evaluation. The conventional MRI morphology features of the lesions were also evaluated. The performance of the conventional MRI morphological features, and the radiomics signature model and nomogram model (combining radiomics signature with conventional MRI morphological features) was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

Five optimal features were chosen to build a radiomics signature. There was no significant difference in age, gender, and the largest diameter. The radiomics signature and conventional MRI morphological features (only pleural indentation and lymph node enlargement) were independent predictive factors for differentiating solid NSCLC from SCLC. The area under the ROC curves (AUCs) for MRI morphological features, and the radiomics model, and nomogram model was 0.69, 0.85, and 0.90 (ROC), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The T2W MRI-based radiomics signature is a potential non-invasive approach for distinguishing solid NSCLC from SCLC.

[Inhibition of Sonic Hedgehog signaling inhibits fibrous scar formation and adversely affects functional outcome after ischemic brain injury in rats]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of inhibiting Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling on fibrous scar formation and functional outcome after ischemic brain injury.

METHODS

Adult SD rats were randomized into sham-operated group, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion (I/R) group, I/R with intraventricular empty adenoviral vector (rAd-NC) injection group, and I/R with adenovirus-mediated Shh knockdown (rAd-ShShh) group. After the treatments, the neurological deficits of the rats were assessed, and the protein and mRNA expressions of fibronectin (Fn), α-SMA, and Shh in the ischemic hemisphere were detected with immunofluorescence assay and qPCR; TUNEL staining was used for detecting neural cell apoptosis. In the cell experiment, primary meningeal fibroblasts isolated from neonatal SD rats were pretreated for 24 h with TGF-β1 or TGF-β1 plus cyclopamine (CYC) before oxygen-glucose deprivation for 150 min followed by reoxygenation for 72 h (OGD/R). CCK-8 assay and scratch test were performed to examine the changes in cell proliferation and migration, and immunofluorescence assay, qPCR and Western blotting were used for detecting cell transformation and the expressions of Shh, α-SMA, and Fn.

RESULTS

Cerebral I/R injury significantly increased the protein and mRNA expressions of Shh, α-SMA, and Fn in the ischemic hemisphere of the rats, but their expression levels were significantly lowered by intraventricular injection of rAd-Shshh (P < 0.05), which obviously increased cell apoptosis in the ischemic hemisphere (P < 0.05) and improved modified mNSS and modified Bederson scores of the rats (P < 0.05). In the cell experiment, pretreatment with TGF-β1 and TGF-β1+CYC both increased the viability of the primary meningeal fibroblasts after OGD/R. TGF-β1 significantly enhanced the migration ability and induced obvious transformation of the exposed cells (P < 0.05), but these effects were significantly attenuated by co-treatment with CYC (P < 0.05). The expressions of Shh, α-SMA and Fn in the TGF-β1 group were all significantly higher in TGF-β1-treated cells (P < 0.05) and were obviously lowered by co-treatment with CYC (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Inhibition of Shh signaling may inhibit fibrous scar formation and functional recovery in rats after ischemic brain injury.

[Chaihu Guizhi Decoction plus or minus formula combined with capecitabine inhibits IL-6/STAT3 signaling to suppress triple-negative breast cancer xenografts in nude mice]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of Chaihu Guizhi Decoction (CHGZD) combined with capecitabine on growth and apoptosis of subcutaneous triple-negative breast cancer xenografts in nude mice and explore the possible mechanism.

METHODS

Nude mouse models bearing subcutaneous triple-negative breast cancer xenografts were randomized into 6 groups (n=10) for treatment with distilled water (model group), low (10.62 g/kg), medium (21.23 g/kg) and high (42.46 g/kg) doses of CHGZD, capecitabine (0.2 mg/kg), or the combination of CHGZD (42.46 g/kg) and capecitabine (0.2 mg/k) once daily for 21 consecutive days. The general condition of mice was observed, and after 21-day treatments, the tumors were dissected for measurement of tumor volume and weight and histopathological examination with HE staining. Serum IL-6 levels of the mice were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression levels of IL-6, STAT3, p-STAT3, Bax, Bcl-2 and cyclin D1 in the tumor tissues were detected using real-time PCR and Western blotting.

RESULTS

Compared with those in the model group, the tumor-bearing mice receiving treatments with CHGZD showed significantly increased food intake with good general condition, sensitive responses, increased body weight, and lower tumor mass (P < 0.01). Compared with capecitabine treatment alone, treatment with CHGZD alone at the medium and high doses and the combined treatment all resulted in significantly higher tumor inhibition rates (P < 0.01), induced obvious tumor tissue degeneration and reduced the tumor cell density. Treatments with CHGZD, both alone and in combination with capecitabine, significantly decreased serum IL-6 level, lowered the mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and STAT3, the protein expressions of IL-6, STAT3 and P-STAT3 (P < 0.05), and the mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2 and cyclin D1 (P < 0.05), and increased the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax in the tumor tissues (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

CHGZD combined with capecitabine can significantly inhibit tumor growth in nude mice bearing triple-negative breast cancer xenografts, the mechanism of which may involve the inhibition of IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway and regulation of Bax, Bcl-2 and cyclin D1 expressions to suppress tumor cell proliferation and differentiation and induce cell apoptosis.

E2F7/8 is involved in cardiomyocyte polyploidy but does not affect myocardial reperfusion injury recovery

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): CSC fellowship

Background

Polyploidy cells consist of more than two complete sets of homologous chromosomes. Although a characteristic feature of cardiomyocytes and observed in all mammalian species, its molecular mechanism and biological functions are still unknown. Cardiomyocytes polyploidy in rodents occurs mainly through incomplete cytokinesis and increases with age. Studies have demonstrated that E2F7/8 transcription factors are key regulators of polyploidy in the liver and pancreas, however, it remains unclear if E2F7/8 control the generation of polyploidy cardiomyocytes and what the functional consequence is post-myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods

By using a tamoxifen inducible Cre/LoxP approach in new-born mice, we deleted E2F7/8 transcription factors ubiquitously and evaluated the biological significance of postnatal E2F7/8 loss. Mice underwent myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) and heart function was assessed by 4D-echocardiography. Cardiomyocyte nucleus polyploidy was measured by FACS and microscope.

Results

Deficiency of E2F7/8 significantly suppress cardiomyocyte mononucleated and multinucleated polyploidy, as well as dramatically decreased hepatocytes polyploidy. E2F7/8 defect also led to a decrease in cardiac stress related marker lever such as ANP, BNP, MMP2, β-MHC/α-MHC and an increase in CD31 expression level. Surprisingly, E2F7/8 deletion did not have impact on cardiac function and dimensions post-IRI.

Conclusion

In summary, we identified that E2F7/8 activity is involved in the cellular polyploidy in the heart but did not affect myocardial function after myocardial injury.

Measurements of Proton High-Order Cumulants in sqrt[s_{NN}]=3 GeV Au+Au Collisions and Implications for the QCD Critical Point

We report cumulants of the proton multiplicity distribution from dedicated fixed-target Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3.0  GeV, measured by the STAR experiment in the kinematic acceptance of rapidity (y) and transverse momentum (p_{T}) within -0.5<y<0 and 0.4<p_{T}<2.0  GeV/c. In the most central 0%-5% collisions, a proton cumulant ratio is measured to be C_{4}/C_{2}=-0.85±0.09 (stat)±0.82 (syst), which is 2σ below the Poisson baseline with respect to both the statistical and systematic uncertainties. The hadronic transport UrQMD model reproduces our C_{4}/C_{2} in the measured acceptance. Compared to higher energy results and the transport model calculations, the suppression in C_{4}/C_{2} is consistent with fluctuations driven by baryon number conservation and indicates an energy regime dominated by hadronic interactions. These data imply that the QCD critical region, if created in heavy-ion collisions, could only exist at energies higher than 3 GeV.

Measurements of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H Lifetimes and Yields in Au+Au Collisions in the High Baryon Density Region

We report precision measurements of hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H lifetimes obtained from Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3.0  GeV and 7.2 GeV collected by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, and the first measurement of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H midrapidity yields in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3.0  GeV. _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H, being the two simplest bound states composed of hyperons and nucleons, are cornerstones in the field of hypernuclear physics. Their lifetimes are measured to be 221±15(stat)±19(syst)  ps for _{Λ}^{3}H and 218±6(stat)±13(syst)  ps for _{Λ}^{4}H. The p_{T}-integrated yields of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H are presented in different centrality and rapidity intervals. It is observed that the shape of the rapidity distribution of _{Λ}^{4}H is different for 0%-10% and 10%-50% centrality collisions. Thermal model calculations, using the canonical ensemble for strangeness, describes the _{Λ}^{3}H yield well, while underestimating the _{Λ}^{4}H yield. Transport models, combining baryonic mean-field and coalescence (jam) or utilizing dynamical cluster formation via baryonic interactions (phqmd) for light nuclei and hypernuclei production, approximately describe the measured _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H yields. Our measurements provide means to precisely assess our understanding of the fundamental baryonic interactions with strange quarks, which can impact our understanding of more complicated systems involving hyperons, such as the interior of neutron stars or exotic hypernuclei.

Abnormal actions detection of robotic arm via 3D convolution neural network and support vector data description

Robotic arms are powerful assistants in many industrial production environments, and they run periodically in accordance with preset actions to complete specified operations. However, they may act abnormally when encountering unexpected situation and then lead to unnecessary loss. Recognizing the abnormal actions of robotic arms through surveillance video can automatically help us to understand their operating status and discover possible abnormalities in time. We designed a deep learning architecture based on 3D convolution for abnormal action recognition. The 3D convolutional layer can extract the spatial and temporal features of the robotic arm movements from the video frame difference sequence. The features are compressed and streamlined by the maximum pooling layer to obtain concise and effective robotic arm action features. Finally, the fully connected layer is used to classify the features to recognize the abnormal robotic arm tasks. Support vector data description (SVDD) model is employed to detect abnormal actions of the robotic arm, and the well-trained SVDD model can distinguish the normal actions from the three kinds of abnormal actions with the Area Under Curve (AUC) 99.17%.

Probing the Gluonic Structure of the Deuteron with J/ψ Photoproduction in d+Au Ultraperipheral Collisions

Understanding gluon density distributions and how they are modified in nuclei are among the most important goals in nuclear physics. In recent years, diffractive vector meson production measured in ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs) at heavy-ion colliders has provided a new tool for probing the gluon density. In this Letter, we report the first measurement of J/ψ photoproduction off the deuteron in UPCs at the center-of-mass energy sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV in d+Au collisions. The differential cross section as a function of momentum transfer -t is measured. In addition, data with a neutron tagged in the deuteron-going zero-degree calorimeter is investigated for the first time, which is found to be consistent with the expectation of incoherent diffractive scattering at low momentum transfer. Theoretical predictions based on the color glass condensate saturation model and the leading twist approximation nuclear shadowing model are compared with the data quantitatively. A better agreement with the saturation model has been observed. With the current measurement, the results are found to be directly sensitive to the gluon density distribution of the deuteron and the deuteron breakup process, which provides insights into the nuclear gluonic structure.

Search for the Chiral Magnetic Effect via Charge-Dependent Azimuthal Correlations Relative to Spectator and Participant Planes in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The chiral magnetic effect (CME) refers to charge separation along a strong magnetic field due to imbalanced chirality of quarks in local parity and charge-parity violating domains in quantum chromodynamics. The experimental measurement of the charge separation is made difficult by the presence of a major background from elliptic azimuthal anisotropy. This background and the CME signal have different sensitivities to the spectator and participant planes, and could thus be determined by measurements with respect to these planes. We report such measurements in Au+Au collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. It is found that the charge separation, with the flow background removed, is consistent with zero in peripheral (large impact parameter) collisions. Some indication of finite CME signals is seen in midcentral (intermediate impact parameter) collisions. Significant residual background effects may, however, still be present.

Development of a micro-electrochemical machining nanosecond pulse power supply

Micro-electrochemical machining (micro-ECM) has been widely used for microscale and nanoscale processing of materials. The performance of the nanosecond pulse power supply is directly related to the precision of micro-ECM, which is one of the core technologies for micro-ECM. In this work, a nanosecond pulse power supply, with adjustable pulse frequency, duty cycle, and voltage, was designed with an STM32F103VET6 single-chip microcomputer as the control core and a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor as the chopper switch component. The performance test has shown that the power supply can produce a continuous pulse with the highest frequency of 8 MHz, the shortest pulse width of 50 ns, the maximum peak current of 12 A, and the maximum voltage of 10 V. As compared with the power supply reported in the literature, the present power supply demonstrated the enhanced output current and improved waveform of the nanosecond pulse output, which could result in better machining accuracy and efficiency for micro-ECM.

Leptin Aggravates Periodontitis by Promoting M1 Polarization via NLRP3

Periodontitis is characterized by periodontal pocket formation, loss of attachment, and alveolar bone resorption. Both innate and adaptive immunity are involved in the pathogenesis of this oral chronic inflammatory disease. Accumulating evidence indicates a critical role of leptin in periodontal diseases. However, the mechanism by which leptin promotes periodontitis pathogenesis remains unclear. In the present study, we observed an elevated expression of leptin in the serum of periodontitis mice compared to that in healthy controls. There was a higher extent of M1 phenotype macrophage infiltration in mice periodontitis samples than in healthy controls. A positive correlation was observed between the serum leptin levels and M1 macrophages. Treatment with leptin increased M1 macrophage polarization and decreased M2 macrophage polarization in RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, leptin facilitated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced M1 phenotype macrophage polarization in RAW 264.7 cells. In bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) generated from leptin-deficient obese (ob/ob) mice, M1 macrophage polarization was significantly attenuated after LPS stimulation compared to the healthy controls. With regards to the molecular mechanism, we found that leptin activated the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and promoted M1 polarization via the NLRP3 inflammasome in vitro. In BMDMs generated from Nlrp3^-/- mice, M1 macrophage polarization was significantly attenuated after synchronous stimulation with leptin and LPS compared with BMDMs produced by healthy controls. The NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 also prevented leptin-mediated M1 macrophage polarization in RAW 264.7 cells. Nlrp3^-/- periodontitis models indicated that leptin aggravates the periodontal response to the ligature by promoting M1 macrophage polarization via the NLRP3 inflammasome. Taken together, we show that leptin promotes the progression of periodontitis via proinflammatory M1 macrophage skewing, and targeting leptin/NLRP3 signaling may be a feasible approach for treating periodontitis.

Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 4

This paper is the fourth contribution in the Genera of Phytopathogenic Fungi (GOPHY) series. The series provides morphological descriptions and information about the pathology, distribution, hosts and disease symptoms, as well as DNA barcodes for the taxa covered. Moreover, 12 whole-genome sequences for the type or new species in the treated genera are provided. The fourth paper in the GOPHY series covers 19 genera of phytopathogenic fungi and their relatives, including Ascochyta, Cadophora, Celoporthe, Cercospora, Coleophoma, Cytospora, Dendrostoma, Didymella, Endothia, Heterophaeomoniella, Leptosphaerulina, Melampsora, Nigrospora, Pezicula, Phaeomoniella, Pseudocercospora, Pteridopassalora, Zymoseptoria, and one genus of oomycetes, Phytophthora. This study includes two new genera, 30 new species, five new combinations, and 43 typifications of older names.

Taxonomic novelties: New genera:Heterophaeomoniella L. Mostert, C.F.J. Spies, Halleen & Gramaje, Pteridopassalora C. Nakash. & Crous; New species:Ascochyta flava Qian Chen & L. Cai, Cadophora domestica L. Mostert, R. van der Merwe, Halleen & Gramaje, Cadophora rotunda L. Mostert, R. van der Merwe, Halleen & Gramaje, Cadophora vinacea J.R. Úrbez-Torres, D.T. O’Gorman & Gramaje, Cadophora vivarii L. Mostert, Havenga, Halleen & Gramaje, Celoporthe foliorum H. Suzuki, Marinc. & M.J. Wingf., Cercospora alyssopsidis M. Bakhshi, Zare & Crous, Dendrostoma elaeocarpi C.M. Tian & Q. Yang, Didymella chlamydospora Qian Chen & L. Cai, Didymella gei Qian Chen & L. Cai, Didymella ligulariae Qian Chen & L. Cai, Didymella qilianensis Qian Chen & L. Cai, Didymella uniseptata Qian Chen & L. Cai, Endothia cerciana W. Wang. & S.F. Chen, Leptosphaerulina miscanthi Qian Chen & L. Cai, Nigrospora covidalis M. Raza, Qian Chen & L. Cai, Nigrospora globospora M. Raza, Qian Chen & L. Cai, Nigrospora philosophiae-doctoris M. Raza, Qian Chen & L. Cai, Phytophthora transitoria I. Milenković, T. Májek & T. Jung, Phytophthora panamensis T. Jung, Y. Balci, K. Broders & I. Milenković, Phytophthora variabilis T. Jung, M. Horta Jung & I. Milenković, Pseudocercospora delonicicola C. Nakash., L. Suhaizan & I. Nurul Faziha, Pseudocercospora farfugii C. Nakash., I. Araki, & Ai Ito, Pseudocercospora hardenbergiae Crous & C. Nakash., Pseudocercospora kenyirana C. Nakash., L. Suhaizan & I. Nurul Faziha, Pseudocercospora perrottetiae Crous, C. Nakash. & C.Y. Chen, Pseudocercospora platyceriicola C. Nakash., Y. Hatt, L. Suhaizan & I. Nurul Faziha, Pseudocercospora stemonicola C. Nakash., Y. Hatt., L. Suhaizan & I. Nurul Faziha, Pseudocercospora terengganuensis C. Nakash., Y. Hatt., L. Suhaizan & I. Nurul Faziha, Pseudocercospora xenopunicae Crous & C. Nakash.; New combinations:Heterophaeomoniella pinifoliorum (Hyang B. Lee et al.) L. Mostert, C.F.J. Spies, Halleen & Gramaje, Pseudocercospora pruni-grayanae (Sawada) C. Nakash. & Motohashi., Pseudocercospora togashiana (K. Ito & Tak. Kobay.) C. Nakash. & Tak. Kobay., Pteridopassalora nephrolepidicola (Crous & R.G. Shivas) C. Nakash. & Crous, Pteridopassalora lygodii (Goh & W.H. Hsieh) C. Nakash. & Crous; Typification: Epitypification:Botrytis infestans Mont., Cercospora abeliae Katsuki, Cercospora ceratoniae Pat. & Trab., Cercospora cladrastidis Jacz., Cercospora cryptomeriicola Sawada, Cercospora dalbergiae S.H. Sun, Cercospora ebulicola W. Yamam., Cercospora formosana W. Yamam., Cercospora fukuii W. Yamam., Cercospora glochidionis Sawada, Cercospora ixorana J.M. Yen & Lim, Cercospora liquidambaricola J.M. Yen, Cercospora pancratii Ellis & Everh., Cercospora pini-densiflorae Hori & Nambu, Cercospora profusa Syd. & P. Syd., Cercospora pyracanthae Katsuki, Cercospora horiana Togashi & Katsuki, Cercospora tabernaemontanae Syd. & P. Syd., Cercospora trinidadensis F. Stevens & Solheim, Melampsora laricis-urbanianae Tak. Matsumoto, Melampsora salicis-cupularis Wang, Phaeoisariopsis pruni-grayanae Sawada, Pseudocercospora angiopteridis Goh & W.H. Hsieh, Pseudocercospora basitruncata Crous, Pseudocercospora boehmeriigena U. Braun, Pseudocercospora coprosmae U. Braun & C.F. Hill, Pseudocercospora cratevicola C. Nakash. & U. Braun, Pseudocercospora cymbidiicola U. Braun & C.F. Hill, Pseudocercospora dodonaeae Boesew., Pseudocercospora euphorbiacearum U. Braun, Pseudocercospora lygodii Goh & W.H. Hsieh, Pseudocercospora metrosideri U. Braun, Pseudocercospora paraexosporioides C. Nakash. & U. Braun, Pseudocercospora symploci Katsuki & Tak. Kobay. ex U. Braun & Crous, Septogloeum punctatum Wakef.; Neotypification:Cercospora aleuritis I. Miyake; Lectotypification: Cercospora dalbergiae S.H. Sun, Cercospora formosana W. Yamam., Cercospora fukuii W. Yamam., Cercospora glochidionis Sawada, Cercospora profusa Syd. & P. Syd., Melampsora laricis-urbanianae Tak. Matsumoto, Phaeoisariopsis pruni-grayanae Sawada, Pseudocercospora symploci Katsuki & Tak. Kobay. ex U. Braun & Crous.

Citation: Chen Q, Bakhshi M, Balci Y, Broders KD, Cheewangkoon R, Chen SF, Fan XL, Gramaje D, Halleen F, Horta Jung M, Jiang N, Jung T, Májek T, Marincowitz S, Milenković T, Mostert L, Nakashima C, Nurul Faziha I, Pan M, Raza M, Scanu B, Spies CFJ, Suhaizan L, Suzuki H, Tian CM, Tomšovský M, Úrbez-Torres JR, Wang W, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Yang Q, Yang X, Zare R, Zhao P, Groenewald JZ, Cai L, Crous PW (2022). Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 4. Studies in Mycology101: 417–564. doi: 10.3114/sim.2022.101.06.

Gestational bisphenol A exposure impairs hepatic lipid metabolism by altering mTOR/CRTC2/SREBP1 in male rat offspring

Lipid metabolism is an important biochemical process in the body. Recent studies have found that environmental endocrine disruptors play an important role in the regulation of lipid metabolism. Bisphenol A (BPA), a common environmental endocrine disruptor, has adverse effects on lipid metabolism, but the mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of gestational BPA exposure on hepatic lipid metabolism and its possible mechanism in male offspring. The pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to BPA (0, 0.05, 0.5, 5 mg/kg/day) from day 5 to day 19 of gestation to investigate the levels of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), and the expression of liver lipid metabolism-related genes in male offspring rats. The results showed that compared with the control group, the TG and TC levels in serum and liver in BPA-exposed groups was increased. And the expressions of liver fatty acid oxidation related genes, such as peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor α (PPARα) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1α (CPT1α), were down-regulated. However, the expressions of fatty acid synthesis related genes, such as sterol regulatory element binding proteins 1 (SREBP-1), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD-1), were up-regulated. The increased protein levels of mTOR and p-CRTC2 suggested that CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 2 (CRTC2) might be an important mediator in the mTOR/SREBP-1 pathway. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that mTOR/CRTC2/SREBP-1 could be affected by gestational BPA exposure, which may involve in the lipid metabolic disorders in later life.

Corrigendum to: Physicochemical insights of irradiation-enhanced hydroxyl radical generation from ZnO nanoparticles

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/c5tx00384a.].

Measurement of the Sixth-Order Cumulant of Net-Proton Multiplicity Distributions in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=27, 54.4, and 200 GeV at RHIC

According to first-principle lattice QCD calculations, the transition from quark-gluon plasma to hadronic matter is a smooth crossover in the region μ_{B}≤T_{c}. In this range the ratio, C_{6}/C_{2}, of net-baryon distributions are predicted to be negative. In this Letter, we report the first measurement of the midrapidity net-proton C_{6}/C_{2} from 27, 54.4, and 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The dependence on collision centrality and kinematic acceptance in (p_{T}, y) are analyzed. While for 27 and 54.4 GeV collisions the C_{6}/C_{2} values are close to zero within uncertainties, it is observed that for 200 GeV collisions, the C_{6}/C_{2} ratio becomes progressively negative from peripheral to central collisions. Transport model calculations without critical dynamics predict mostly positive values except for the most central collisions within uncertainties. These observations seem to favor a smooth crossover in the high-energy nuclear collisions at top RHIC energy.

CtBP2 interacts with TGIF to promote the progression of esophageal squamous cell cancer through the Wnt/β‑catenin pathway

C-terminal-binding protein 2 (CtBP2), a transcriptional co-repressor, plays a main role in tumorigenesis and in the development of multiple tumors. Transforming growth interacting factor (TGIF) is involved in a number of cellular signal transduction pathways and is related to tumor occurrence and development. In the present study, the proteins interacting with CtBP2 were identified and the mechanisms underlying the biological activity of CtBP2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) were investigated. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database was used to search for known proteins interacting with CtBP2, and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay was performed to validate the interactions. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot analysis were performed to examine the expression levels of CtBP2 and TGIF in ESCC. The correlation between CtBP2 and TGIF was analyzed using Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) by Pearson's correlation analysis, and the co-localization of CtBP2 with TGIF in the ECA109 cells was identified using immunofluorescence staining. XAV939 treatment, CCK-8, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining, wound healing and Transwell assays were performed to investigate the signaling pathways involved in the biological activity of CtBP2 in ECA109 cells. According to the results obtained from STRING and Co-IP analysis, an interaction between CtBP2 and TGIF was indicated, and these proteins were co-localized in the nucleus. CtBP2 and TGIF mRNA and protein expression levels were robustly and simultaneously increased in both ESCC tissues and cell lines. There was a direct correlation between CtBP2 and TGIF expression levels in ESCC tissues, and both were significantly associated with metastasis and survival. The TGIF and CtBP2 expression levels were significantly increased or decreased simultaneously, in ECA109 cells transfected with LV-CtBP2 or sh-CtBP2, and vice versa. According to the results of CCK-8 assay, EdU staining and Transwell assay, CtBP2 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of ECA109 cells through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that CtBP2 interacts with TGIF and promotes the malignant progression of ESCC through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Inhibition of Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin B1 production by natamycin

Aspergillus flavus causes huge crop losses, reduces crop quality and has adverse effects on human and animal health. A large amount of food contaminated with aflatoxin can greatly increase the risk of liver cancer. Therefore, prevention and control of aflatoxin production have aroused attention of research in various countries. Natamycin extracted from Streptomyces spp. has been widely used in production practice due to its good specificity and safety. Here, we found that natamycin could significantly inhibit fungal growth, conidia germination, ergosterol and AFB1 production by A. flavus in a dose-dependent manner. Scanning electron microscope analysis indicated that the number of conidia was decreased, the outer wall of conidia was destroyed, and the mycelia were shrivelled and tangled by natamycin. RNA-Seq data indicated that natamycin inhibited fungal growth and conidia development of A. flavus by significantly down-regulating some genes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis, such as Erg13, HMG1 and HMG2. It inhibited conidia germination by significantly down-regulating some genes related to conidia development, such as FluG and VosA. After natamycin exposure, the decreased ratio of aflS/aflR caused by the down-regulation of all the structural genes, which subsequently resulted in the suppression of AFB1 production. In conclusion, this study served to reveal the inhibitory mechanisms of natamycin on fungal growth and AFB1 biosynthesis in A. flavus and to provide solid evidence for its application in controlling AFB1 contamination.

LncRNA MORT negatively regulates FGF1 to suppress malignant progression of breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

To explore the biological function of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MORT in the malignant progression of breast cancer (BCa) and the underlying mechanism, and to provide a novel strategy for clinical treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was conducted to detect differential level of MORT in BCa specimens and cell lines. The correlation between MORT level and pathological indexes of BCa patients was analyzed. After intervening MORT level in SKBR-3 and MCF-7 cells, cell viability, migratory rate and wound closure were examined through Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell and wound healing assay, respectively. Dual-Luciferase reporter assay and rescue experiments were conducted to uncover the regulatory effect of MORT on its target gene FGF1. In vivo function of MORT in mediating tumor growth of BCa was finally assessed by generating a xenograft model in nude mice.

RESULTS

MORT was downregulated in BCa tissues and cell lines. Low level of MORT predicted higher rate of distant metastasis in BCa patients. Overexpression of MORT in SKBR-3 cells reduced proliferative and migratory rates, while knockdown of MORT in MCF-7 enhanced them. Moreover, in vivo overexpression of MORT slowed down tumor growth of BCa in nude mice. MORT could negatively regulate its target gene FGF1, which was responsible for the anti-cancer role of MORT in BCa progression.

CONCLUSIONS

MORT is downregulated in BCa specimens, which suppresses proliferative and migratory potentials of BCa cells by negatively regulating FGF1. MORT can be an effective target for precision treatment of BCa.

Function analysis of a cotton R2R3 MYB transcription factor GhMYB3 in regulating plant trichome development

Cotton is an important fibre-producing crop. Cotton fibres consist of highly elongated trichomes derived from the ovule. To improve the quality of cotton, it is necessary to identify the genes regulating fibre development. GhMYB3 was identified through bioinfomatic analysis and introduced to Arabidopsis and cotton to observe the phenotype. Protein inteaction and promoter bingding assays were conducted to explore the role of GhMYB3 in trichome fibre growth. Cotton fibre development might share a similar regulatory mechanism to Arabidopsis leaf trichomes, which is determined by the essential regulatory complex, MYB-bHLH-WD40. The GL1-like R2R3 MYB transcription factor GhMYB3 interacts with the AtGL3 protein involved in Arabidopsis trichome development. Ectopic expression of GhMYB3 could rescue the glabrous phenotype of the Arabidopsis gl1 mutant and produced more ectopic trichomes on inflorescence stems and floral organs, confirming its orthologous function in plant trichome development. The expression of GhMYB3 increased in response to exogenous gibberellin (GA₃ ), auxin (IAA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Overexpression of this gene in cotton leads to a slight increase in fibre length and lint percentage, possibly by activating the transcription of its downstream gene GhRDL1 or other fibre-related genes. The results increase our understanding of the key role of GhMYB3 in positively controlling plant trichome development, and this gene could be a potential target for molecular breeding in cotton.

[Study on the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and sarcopenia in type 2 diabetes mellitus]

Objective: To explore the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and sarcopenia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: 792 cases with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were hospitalized in the Endocrinology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from June 2013 to December 2015 were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Liver ultrasound examination and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were used to examine the body composition. Patients were grouped according to gender and whether or not they had combined NAFLD, and indicators such as age, duration of diabetes, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, biochemical indicators, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), prevalence of sarcopenia, and medication status were collected. An independent-sample t-test, two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test or χ (2) test were performed on the data. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between NAFLD, sarcopenia and SMI in diabetic patients of different genders. Results: The average age of 792 cases were (64.54 ± 9.61) years, and there were 301 (38%) patients with NAFLD. The prevalence of sarcopenia in male and female NAFLD patients was significantly higher than non-NAFLD patients (male 20.2% and 9.9%, χ(2) = 9.67, P = 0.002; female 12.2% and 5.1%, χ(2) = 5.64, P = 0.018). Male SMI (30.92 ± 2.31 and 31.81 ± 2.17, P < 0.001) and female SMI (25.48 ± 2.14 and 26.34 ± 2.28, P < 0.001) in NAFLD patients were significantly lower than non-NAFLD patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that sarcopenia was an independent risk factor for NAFLD in male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.006, 95% CI: 1.012 ~ 3.976, P = 0.046). There was no correlation between sarcopenia and NAFLD in female patients after adjusting for clinical risk factors. Conclusion: There is an independent correlation between sarcopenia and NAFLD in male patients with type 2 diabetes, and sarcopenia may be an independent risk factor for male patients with NAFLD.

Observation of D_{s}^{±}/D^{0} Enhancement in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report on the first measurement of charm-strange meson D_{s}^{±} production at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV from the STAR experiment. The yield ratio between strange (D_{s}^{±}) and nonstrange (D^{0}) open-charm mesons is presented and compared to model calculations. A significant enhancement, relative to a pythia simulation of p+p collisions, is observed in the D_{s}^{±}/D^{0} yield ratio in Au+Au collisions over a large range of collision centralities. Model calculations incorporating abundant strange-quark production in the quark-gluon plasma and coalescence hadronization qualitatively reproduce the data. The transverse-momentum integrated yield ratio of D_{s}^{±}/D^{0} at midrapidity is consistent with a prediction from a statistical hadronization model with the parameters constrained by the yields of light and strange hadrons measured at the same collision energy. These results suggest that the coalescence of charm quarks with strange quarks in the quark-gluon plasma plays an important role in D_{s}^{±}-meson production in heavy-ion collisions.

[Clinical effects of follicle unit extraction transplantation combined with recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor and minoxidil in the treatment of secondary cicatricial alopecia]

Objective: To explore the clinical effects of follicle unit extraction (FUE) transplantation combined with recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rb-bFGF) gel and minoxidil tincture in treating secondary cicatricial alopecia (hereinafter referred to as cicatricial alopecia). Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. According to the different treatment methods, 50 cicatricial alopecia patients who met the inclusion criteria and only underwent FUE transplantation in the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from March 2013 to April 2017 were recruited into FUE alone group (26 males and 24 females, aged (28±13) years), and 50 cicatricial alopecia patients who met the inclusion criteria and underwent FUE transplantation+rb-bFGF gel during 1 to 14 days after surgery+minoxidil tincture during 15 to 180 days after surgery in this hospital from May 2017 to April 2020 were recruited into FUE+rb-bFGF+minoxidil group (32 males and 18 females, aged (27±9) years). Hair loss rates in post surgery month (PSM) 3 and 6, hair survival rates and satisfaction rates of patients in PSM 12, and the adverse effect rates of patients in the 2 groups within PSM 12 were observed and calculated. Data were statistically analyzed with chi-square test, Fisher's exact probability test, and independent sample t test. Results: In PSM 3 and 6, the hair loss rates of patients in FUE alone group were significantly higher than those in FUE+rb-bFGF+minoxidil group, respectively (t=70.850, 42.610, P<0.01). In PSM 12, the hair survival rate of patients in FUE+rb-bFGF+minoxidil group was (91.0±2.8)%, which was significantly higher than (80.9±6.9)% in FUE alone group (t=9.665, P<0.01). In PSM 12, 25 patients were very satisfied, 12 patients were fairly satisfied, 10 patients were slightly satisfied, 2 patients were not satisfied, and 1 patient was very unsatisfied in FUE alone group; 42 patients were very satisfied, 5 patients were fairly satisfied, and 3 patients were slightly satisfied in FUE+rb-bFGF+minoxidil group. The satisfaction rate of patients in FUE alone group was 74% (37/50), which was significantly lower than 94% (47/50) in FUE+rb-bFGF+minoxidil group (P<0.01). Within PSM 12, compared with those in FUE+rb-bFGF+minoxidil group, the incidence rates of folliculitis, abnormal growth direction, and skin necrosis in transplant site were not obviously changed in FUE alone group (P>0.05), while the incidence of scar in donor site was significantly higher (P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with FUE transplantation alone, FUE transplantation combined with rb-bFGF and minoxidil can reduce the hair loss rate, improve the hair survival rate and the satisfaction rate of patients with cicatricial alopecia after FUE transplantation, with less adverse effects, thus are good for cicatricial alopecia treatment.

[Effects of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on infiltrating immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of rectal cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To detect the changes in the number and phenotype of tumor infiltrating immune cells in rectal cancer tissues before and after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and analyze their correlation with the clinicopathological parameters of the patients.

METHODS

The protein expressions of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD56 and Foxp3 in biopsy specimens and postoperative pathological specimens collected from 20 rectal cancer patients before and after neoadjuvant CRT were detected using Elivision^TM Plus immunohistochemistry, and the results were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

Compared with the measurements before the therapy, neoadjuvant CRT resulted in significant increments in CD3 (21.8% vs 48.8%, P < 0.001), CD4(16.5% vs 42.2%, P < 0.001), CD8(8.3% vs 33.4%, P < 0.001)and CD56(0 vs 7.6%, P=0.012), obvious reduction in Foxp3 expression(26.0% vs 15.3%, P=0.005), but no significant changes in CD4/CD8 ratio of(2.7 vs 5.1).Multivariate analysis showed that the increase of CD3-positive cells(HR=0.16, P=0.028)and CD8-positive cells(HR=0.03, P=0.001)was positively correlated with the disease-free survival of the patients after the operation.

CONCLUSION

Neoadjuvant CRT can significantly increase the proportions of infiltrating immune cells positive for CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD56 and decrease the proportion of Treg lymphocytes in the tumor tissues in patients with rectal cancer.The patients with increased CD3-and CD8-positive T lymphocytes may have longer disease-free survival after the surgery.

Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphism in Zhejiang She Population Based on Next Generation Sequencing

Abstract

Objective To study the genetic polymorphism of whole mitochondrial DNA （mtDNA） genomes in She population in Zhejiang and to explore the maternal genetic structure of the She population. Methods Whole mtDNA genomes of 231 unrelated individuals from She population in Zhejiang Province were sequenced. The number of mutations and population genetics parameters such as, the haplotype diversity （HD）, discrimination power （DP）, and random match probabilities （RMP） were analyzed. The mtDNA haplogroups of Zhejiang She population were classified, and the maternal genetic relationships between She and nine other Chinese populations were estimated. Results In 231 Zhejiang She samples, 8 507 mutations （702 types） were observed and the samples were classified into 94 haplogroups. The HD, DP and RMP values were 0.998 6, 0.994 2 and 0.005 8, respectively. The lowest genetic differentiation degree （F_st=0.006 89） was detected between Zhejiang She population and southern Han population. Principal component analysis （PCA） and median-joining network analysis showed that the genetic distance of Zhejiang She population with Guangxi Yao, Yunnan Dai and Southern Han populations was relatively close, but the population still had some unique genetic characteristics. Conclusion The whole mtDNA genomes are highly polymorphic in Zhejiang She population. The Zhejiang She population contains complex and diverse genetic components and has a relatively close maternal genetic relationship with Guangxi Yao, Yunnan Dai and Southern Han populations. Meanwhile, Zhejiang She population has kept its unique maternal genetic components.

[Genetic characterization analysis of the whole genome sequence of Coxsackievirus A8 associated with hand, foot and mouth disease in China]

Objective: To study the genomic sequence of Coxsackievirus A8 (CV-A8) associated with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) from 2013 to 2018 in China and to analyze the genetic evolution of each coding region of the full-length genome. Methods: The genome sequences of 11 CV-A8 strains isolated from patients with HFMD in different regions of China from 2013 to 2018 were determined. Sequence alignment and genetic evolution analysis were performed by Sequencher 5.0 and MEGA 7.0 software, etc. Results: Sequence alignment showed that the genome length of 11 CV-A8 strains ranged from 7 393 bp to 7 400 bp. There was no base insertion or deletion in the coding region compared with the prototype strain, but there were individual base insertion or deletion in the non-coding region. The nucleotide and amino acid similarities in the VP1 region of 11 CV-A8 strains were 78.3%-98.6% and 92.6%-99.7%, respectively, and the nucleotide and amino acid sequences identities with the CV-A8 prototype strain were 78.3%-98.2% and 92.6%-99.7%, respectively. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of VP1 region sequences, the CV-A8 can be divided into five genotypes: A, B, C, D and E. The 11 CV-A8 strains in this study belonged to genotypes C (1 strain), D (2 strains) and E (8 strains). The nucleotide and amino acid similarities of 11 CV-A8 full-length genomes were 81.3%-98.8% and 95.9%-99.5%, respectively. The phylogenetic tree of the P2 region showed that the eight E genotypes CV-A8 had the closest evolutionary distance with CV-A4, CV-A14, and CV-A16. The phylogenetic tree of the P3 region showed that the eight E genotypes CV-A8 had a close evolutionary distance with CV-A5, CV-A16, CV-A14 and CV-A4. Conclusions: The 11 CV-A8 stains in this study showed significant intra-genotype diversity in capsid region and recombinant diversity in non-capsid region which indicated that CV-A8 quasispecies were still undergoing dynamics variation. CV-A8 may become an important pathogen of HFMD and the monitoring of CV-A8 needs to be further strengthened.

Measurement of e^{+}e^{-} Momentum and Angular Distributions from Linearly Polarized Photon Collisions

The Breit-Wheeler process which produces matter and antimatter from photon collisions is experimentally investigated through the observation of 6085 exclusive electron-positron pairs in ultraperipheral Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurements reveal a large fourth-order angular modulation of cos4Δϕ=(16.8±2.5)% and smooth invariant mass distribution absent of vector mesons (ϕ, ω, and ρ) at the experimental limit of ≤0.2% of the observed yields. The differential cross section as a function of e^{+}e^{-} pair transverse momentum P_{⊥} peaks at low value with sqrt[⟨P_{⊥}^{2}⟩]=38.1±0.9  MeV and displays a significant centrality dependence. These features are consistent with QED calculations for the collision of linearly polarized photons quantized from the extremely strong electromagnetic fields generated by the highly charged Au nuclei at ultrarelativistic speed. The experimental results have implications for vacuum birefringence and for mapping the magnetic field which is important for emergent QCD phenomena.

Roadmap Consensus on Carotid Artery Plaque Imaging and Impact on Therapy Strategies and Guidelines: An International, Multispecialty, Expert Review and Position Statement

Current guidelines for primary and secondary prevention of stroke in patients with carotid atherosclerosis are based on the quantification of the degree of stenosis and symptom status. Recent publications have demonstrated that plaque morphology and composition, independent of the degree of stenosis, are important in the risk stratification of carotid atherosclerotic disease. This finding raises the question as to whether current guidelines are adequate or if they should be updated with new evidence, including imaging for plaque phenotyping, risk stratification, and clinical decision-making in addition to the degree of stenosis. To further this discussion, this roadmap consensus article defines the limits of luminal imaging and highlights the current evidence supporting the role of plaque imaging. Furthermore, we identify gaps in current knowledge and suggest steps to generate high-quality evidence, to add relevant information to guidelines currently based on the quantification of stenosis.

Do reverse total shoulder replacements have better clinical and functional outcomes than hemiarthroplasty for patients undergoing proximal humeral tumor resection using devitalized autograft composite reconstruction: a case-control study

Objective

To compare the efficacy and prognosis of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) with shoulder hemiarthroplasty (SHA) using devitalized autograft or allograft composite reconstruction after proximal humeral tumor resection.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent SHA (32) and rTSA (20) for tumor resections of the proximal humerus from January 2014 to July 2020. The clinical results included duration of the operation, intraoperative blood loss, bone union, visual analog scale (VAS) score, shoulder range of motion (ROM), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) shoulder score, recurrence, and overall survival.

Results

Fifty-two patients were followed up for a mean of 30 months. Thirty-two patients were SHA with allograft-prosthetic composite (APC) reconstructions, while other 20 were rTSA with devitalized autograft-prosthetic composite reconstructions. At the end of the follow-up, 2 recurrence, 3 postoperative infections, and 4 subluxations occurred among the SHA patients. Two patients in the rTSA group had postoperative anterior dislocation and underwent revision surgery with surgical mesh, and 2 (2/20) had grade II scapular notching. The mean VAS score of the shoulder was 1.5 ± 0.8 in the rTSA group and 2.3 ± 1.2 in the SHA group (p < 0.05). The mean active forward flexion of the shoulder joint was 50.6 ± 6.0 in the SHA group and 100 ± 7.6 in the rTSA group (p < 0.05). The ASES shoulder score was 78 ± 3.0 in the rTSA group and 52 ± 5.6 in the SHA group (p < 0.05). The overall 3-year survival rate of all patients was 60.0%, and patients in the rTSA group showed better survival in terms of the mean 3-year OS than patients in the SHA group (p = 0.04).

Conclusion

rTSA with devitalized autograft-prosthetic composite can offer a reasonable reconstruction of the shoulder joint after Malawer type I tumor resection. Compared with patients who underwent SHA, patients who underwent rTSA present good outcomes, a better range of motion, better bone union, and no increase in instability rate in the mid-term.

Crown ether-based anion exchange membranes with highly efficient dual ion conducting pathways

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are a crucial constituent for alkaline fuel cells. As the core component of fuel cells, the low performance AEMs restrict the development and application of the fuel cells. Herein, the trade-off between the OH^- conductivity and dimensional stability was solved by constructing AEMs with adequate OH^- conductivity and satisfactory alkali resistance using Tröger's base (TB) poly (crown ether)s (PCEs) as the main chain, the embedded quaternary ammonium (QA) and Na⁺-functionalized crown ether units as the cationic group. Crown ether is an electron donator, and can capture Na⁺ to form Na⁺-functionalized crown ether units to conveniently transfer OH^- and significantly promote the alkaline stability of the AEMs. The influence of the Na⁺-functionalized crown ether units on the performance of AEMs was studied in detail. The PCEs based AEMs show an obvious hydrophobic-hydrophilic microphase separation. These features make them ideal platforms for the OH^- conduction applications. As expected, the as-prepared PCEs-QA-100% (100% is the degree of cross-linking) AEM with an ionic exchange capacity (IEC) of 2.07 meq g^-1 has a high OH^- conductivity of 159 mS cm^-1 at 80 °C. Furthermore, the membrane electrode assemblies fabricated using the PCEs-QA-100% AEM possess a maximum power density of 291 mW cm^-2 under the current density of 500 mA cm^-2.

PM-Scl and Th/To in systemic sclerosis: a comparison of different autoantibody assays

OBJECTIVE

To compare test characteristics of the Euroimmun line blot assay with other assays for two uncommon autoantibody specificities in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

METHODS

Patients from the Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center were assayed routinely using the Euroimmun platform. Patients positive for anti-Th/To (N = 73) and anti-PM-Scl (PM75 and/or PM100; N = 290) by Euroimmun were compared with SSc patients negative for these autoantibodies. For Th/To antibodies, the comparison assay was immunoprecipitation (IP), performed using 4 Th/To complex components: POP1, RPP40, RPP30, and RPP25. For anti-PM-Scl, IPs were performed with PM100 and PM75. Different Euroimmun cut-offs for assigning antibody positive status (≥ 15/+, ≥ 36/++, ≥ 71/+++) were examined. Kappa statistics were calculated to determine agreement between assays.

RESULTS

The best performing thresholds for defining anti-PM-Scl positivity were both PM75 and PM100 ≥ 15/+ on Euroimmun, corresponding to a kappa statistic of 0.79, sensitivity 72% and specificity 100%. For anti-Th/To, kappa values were lower for all comparisons (κ < 0.5). Given the high sensitivity of defining anti-Th/To by ≥ 15/+ (91-95%), a potential approach is to use Euroimmun screening (15/+ cut-off), followed by confirmatory IP.

CONCLUSION

Given the increasing utilization of Euroimmun and the importance of comparing data across cohorts, continued use of this platform is warranted, acknowledging discordance with IP for some specificities. For these, using a two-step approach (Euroimmun to maximize sensitivity, confirmatory assay to increase specificity) is suggested.

KEY POINTS

• For less common SSc autoantibody specificities, some discordances exist between IP and Euroimmun LIA. • The best performing thresholds for defining anti-PM-Scl positivity were both PM75 and PM100 ≥ 15/+ on Euroimmun. • For Th/To, a two-step approach (Euroimmun to maximize sensitivity, confirmatory assay to increase specificity) is suggested.

Genome-wide DNA methylation and transcription analysis in tongue and biceps femoris muscles of cloned pigs with macroglossia

Cloned animals are prone to abnormal phenotypes such as enlarged tongue, fetal oversize, and progeria. In the present study, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and mRNA sequencing were performed on tongue and biceps femoris muscles of cloned piglets with and without macroglossia, in an attempt to elucidate the epigenetic causes of the macroglossia phenotype. We identified 14 958 and 18 752 differentially methylated regions in the tongue and biceps femoris muscles, respectively, of macroglossia piglets and these correspond to 4574 and 4772 differentially methylated genes compared with the control group (piglets without macroglossia). Larger methylation difference was found in tongue muscle than in biceps femoris muscle. In total, 114 genes in tongue and 72 genes in biceps femoris muscles were found to be differentially expressed between the two groups. Of these differentially expressed genes in tongue muscle, 31 were also differentially methylated genes, among which DIO3 and ZIC1 were imprinting or predicted imprinting genes. These two and another six overlapping genes (ALDH1A2, MKX, MAB21L2, CA3, RANBP3L, and MYL10) are crucial factors involved in embryonic development or tissue and organ development. GO enrichment analysis suggested possible alteration of these processes. Our study provides novel molecular insights into the formation of macroglossia in cloned pigs.

Identification of Cannabis Sativa L. Based on rbcL Sequence

Abstract

Objective To assess the feasibility of the rbcL sequence of chloroplast DNA as a genetic marker to identify Cannabis sativa L. Methods The rbcL sequences in 62 Cannabis sativa L. samples, 10 Humulus lupulus samples and 10 Humulus scandens DNA samples were detected, and 96 rbcL sequences of the Cannabaceae family were downloaded from Genbank. Sequence alignment was performed by MEGA X software, the intraspecific and interspecific Kimura-2-Parameter （K2P） genetic distances were calculated, and the system clustering tree was constructed. Results The rbcL sequence length acquired by sequencing of Cannabis sativa L. and Humulus scandens were 617 bp and 649 bp, respectively, and two haplotypes of Cannabis sativa L. were observed in the samples. The BLAST similarity search results showed that the highest similarity between the sequences acquired by sequencing and Cannabis sativa L. rbcL sequences available from Genbank was 100%. The genetic distance analysis showed that the maximum intraspecific genetic distance （0.004 9） of Cannabis sativa L. was less than the minimum interspecific genetic distance （0.012 9）. The results of median-joining network and system clustering tree analysis showed that Cannabis sativa L. and other members of the Cannabaceae family were located in different branches. Conclusion The rbcL sequence could be used as a DNA barcode for identifying Cannabis sativa L., and combined with comparative analysis of the rbcL sequence and system cluster analysis could be a reliable and effective detection method for Cannabis sativa L. identification in forensic investigation.