Intracranial hypertension induced by internal jugular vein stenosis can be resolved by stenting

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is characterized by abnormally elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) without identifiable etiology. Recently, however, a subset of patients with presumed IIH have been found with isolated internal jugular vein (IJV) stenosis in the absence of intracranial abnormalities.

METHODS

Fifteen consecutive patients were screened from 46 patients suspected as IIH and were finally confirmed as isolated IJV stenosis. The stenotic IJV was corrected with stenting when the trans-stenotic mean pressure gradient (∆MPG) was equal to or higher than 5.44 cmH₂ O. Dynamic magnetic resonance venography, computed tomographic venography and digital subtraction angiography of the IJV, ∆MPG, ICP, Headache Impact Test 6 and the Frisén papilledema grade score before and after stenting were compared.

RESULTS

All the stenotic IJVs were corrected by stenting. ∆MPG decreased and the abnormal collateral veins disappeared or shrank immediately. Headache, tinnitus, papilledema and ICP were significantly ameliorated at 14 ± 3 days of follow-up (all P < 0.01). At 12 ± 5.6 months of outpatient follow-up, headache disappeared in 14 out of 15 patients (93.3%), visual impairments were recovered in 10 of 12 patients (83.3%) and tinnitus resolved in 10 out of 11 patients (90.9%). In 12 out of 15 cases, the Frisén papilledema grade scores declined to 1 (0-2). The stented IJVs in all 15 patients kept to sufficient blood flows on computed tomographic venography follow-up without stenting-related adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-thrombotic IJV stenosis may be a potential etiology of IIH. Stenting seems to be a promising option to address the issue of intracranial hypertension from the etiological level, particularly after medical treatment failure.

Fugitive halocarbon emissions from working face of municipal solid waste landfills in China

Halocarbons are important anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) due to their long lifetime and large characteristic factors. The present study for the first time assessed the global warming potential (GWP) of fugitive halocarbon emissions from the working face of landfills in China. The national emissions of five major halocarbons (CFC-11, CFC-113, CH₂Cl₂, CHCl₃ and CCl₄) from the working face of municipal solid waste landfills in China were provided through observation-based estimations. The fluxes of halocarbons from working face of landfills were observed much higher than covered cells in landfills hence representing the hot spots of landfill emissions. The annual emissions of the halocarbons from landfills in China were 0.02-15.6kt·y^-1, and their GWPs were 128-60,948kt-CO₂-eq·y^-1 based on their characteristic factors on a 100-year horizon. CFC-113 was the dominant species owing to its highest releasing rate (i.e. 15.4±19.1g·t^-1) and largest characteristic factor, resulting in a GWP up to 4036±4855kt-CO₂-eq·y^-1. The annual emissions of CFC-113 from landfills (i.e. 0.61kt·y^-1) made up ∼76% of the total national CFC-113 emissions. The GWPs of halocarbons were estimated ∼14.4% of landfill methane emissions. Therefore, fugitive halocarbons emissions from working face are significant sources of GHGs in landfill sites in China, although they comprise a small fraction of total landfill gases.

Structure and diversity of bacterial communities in two large sanitary landfills in China as revealed by high-throughput sequencing (MiSeq)

Landfill disposal has been considered as a very economically viable management practice for municipal solid waste in mainland China. However, insufficient knowledge of the bacterial community structure and diversity in landfills hampers effectively landfill disposal. In this study, the structure and diversity of bacterial communities in two large sanitary landfills in northern and western parts of China were examined by high-throughput sequencing via a MiSeq platform. Nearly 1million effective sequences (981,575) were obtained from the 20 samples collected from four independent sites with different deposit depths (up to 18m). These sequences contained high amount of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), 2511-9955 OTUs at a cutoff level of 3% and a sequencing depth of 23,928. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla in the samples. Clear geographical differences between the sampling sites were revealed by nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Most of the samples from the same sampling site could be clustered together. Thus, the heterogeneity of the bacterial community structures was more significantly affected by the sampling site than by sampling depth. Redundancy analysis results suggested that seven physicochemical attributes, namely NH₄⁺-N, NO₂^--N, moisture, pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), SO₄^2- and total Cu element, significantly affected the bacterial community structures (P<0.001) based on variance inflation factor selection. Among these attributes, NH₄⁺-N, NO₂^--N, moisture, pH and DOC were the most important parameters influencing the bacterial community structures (P<0.05). This study elucidated the structure and diversity of bacterial communities in landfills and discerned the relationships between bacterial community structures and physicochemical attributes. To the best of our knowledge, this study is among the first to characterize bacterial community structures in landfills by using this novel high-throughput sequencing approach.

[The underlying mechanisms of overcoming EGFR-TKIs resistance by casein kinase 2 inhibitor]

Nowadays, EGFR-TKIs are important treatment strategy in lung cancer, but the resistance to EGFR-TKIs remains an unsolved issue preventing the patients from further benefits. Recent studies have shown that casein kinase (CK2) plays an important role in carcinogenesis and development of cancer. CK2 inhibitor has also demonstrated anti-tumor effects. Here we reviewed the mechanism of EGFR-TKIs and the potential reasons of resistance. Interestingly, there is a crosstalk between CK2 and EGFR downstream signaling pathways, therefore, it may be possible that CK2 inhibitor can overcome the EGFR-TKIs resistance.

Health risk impacts analysis of fugitive aromatic compounds emissions from the working face of a municipal solid waste landfill in China

Aromatic compounds (ACs) emitted from landfills have attracted a lot of attention of the public due to their adverse impacts on the environment and human health. This study assessed the health risk impacts of the fugitive ACs emitted from the working face of a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill in China. The emission data was acquired by long-term in-situ samplings using a modified wind tunnel system. The uncertainty of aromatic emissions is determined by means of statistics and the emission factors were thus developed. Two scenarios, i.e. 'normal-case' and 'worst-case', were presented to evaluate the potential health risk in different weather conditions. For this typical large anaerobic landfill, toluene was the dominant species owing to its highest releasing rate (3.40±3.79g·m^-2·d^-1). Despite being of negligible non-carcinogenic risk, the ACs might bring carcinogenic risks to human in the nearby area. Ethylbenzene was the major health threat substance. The cumulative carcinogenic risk impact area is as far as ~1.5km at downwind direction for the normal-case scenario, and even nearly 4km for the worst-case scenario. Health risks of fugitive ACs emissions from active landfills should be concerned, especially for landfills which still receiving mixed MSW.

[Variation of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase DNA methylated modification and correlation with gene mRNA expression of early-onset preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome and antiphospholipid syndrome in trophoblast cells of placenta]

OBJECTIVE

By detecting the DNA methylation and gene expression of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase(LCHAD)in trophoblast cells, analyze the correlation of DNA methylation and gene expression in early-onset preeclampsia(EPE), hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets(HELLP)syndrome and antiphospholipid syndrome(APS), to investigate the molecular basis of long-chain fatty acid oxidation changes in different preeclampsia and pathological pregnancy.

METHODS

Primary human cytotrophoblast cells and HTR8/Svneo cells were treated with serum from patients with EPE(14 cases), HELLP(12 cases), APS(14 cases), and normal pregnant women(NP, 14 cases). The methylation level of LCHAD gene promoter region through the MassARRAY platform and mRNA expression level by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR technique were conducted.

RESULTS

(1)Cytosine-phosphate-guanine(CpG)sites in human LCHAD DNA promoter region: CpG sites were detected in the range of 558 bp before LCHAD gene transcription start site, the detected CpG sites were 11 sites including 8 single sites and 3 complex sites. The position of these sites were at-984,-960,-899,-853,-811,-796,-774,-727,-615,-595,-579 respectively.(2)The sites of-899,-853,-615 and-595 showed increased methylation level in EPE and HELLP groups. The methylation level at-899,-853 and-615 sites in EPE and HELLP groups were significantly higher than those in NP group(P<0.01). The methylation level at-853 site was higher in EPE group than that in HELLP group(P<0.05). The-595 site showed the unmethylated in EPE, HELLP and APS groups. There were significantly difference between the 3 groups and EPE group(P<0.01).(3)The gene expression of LCHAD mRNA in EPE(0.048±0.005), HELLP(0.045±0.006)and APS(0.044±0.004)groups were significantly lower than NP group(0.076±0.009; P<0.01).(4)The correlation of methylation level and gene expression in all groups: the methylation level at-899,-853,-727,-615 and-579 sites were negatively correlated with gene mRNA expression in EPE group(P<0.05). The methylation level at-899,-853 and-615 sites were negatively correlated with gene mRNA expression in HELLP group(P< 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The variation of LCHAD DNA methylation of trophoblast cells are found among EPE, HELLP syndrome and APS. The different correlation of LCHAD DNA methylation and gene expression are different in pathological groups. LCHAD DNA methylation of EPE and HELLP syndrome were significantly increased and negatively correlated with LCHAD gene mRNA expression. These results further revealed the molecular basis of long-chain fatty acid oxidation in different preeclampsia and pathological pregnancy.

[The CK2 inhibitor quninalizarin enhances the anti-proliferative effect of icotinib on EGFR-TKIs-resistant cell lines and its underlying mechanisms]

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether quninalizarin, an specific inhibitor of protein kinase CK2, could sensitize icotinib in EGFR-TKIs (epithelial growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor)-resistant cell lines and uncover the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

MTT assay was performed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of quninalizarin, icotinib or the combination of both on cell proliferation in several lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. Western blot assay was used to assess if combined inhibition of EGFR and protein kinase CK2 by icotinib and quninalizarin, exerts effect on the expression and phosphorylation of major proteins of EGFR signaling pathways.

RESULTS

The IC50 of HCC827, H1650, H1975 and A549 cells for icotinib were (8.07±2.00)μmol/L, (66.01±6.64)μmol/L, (265.60±9.47)μmol/L and (87.88±6.8)μmol/L, respectively, indicating that HCC827 cells are sensitive to icotinib, and the H1650, H1975 and A549 cells are relatively resistant to icotinib. When treated with both quninalizarin and icotinib in the concentration of 50 μmol/L, the viability of H1650, H1975 and A549 cells was (40.64±3.73)%, (65.74±3.27)% and (44.96±0.48)%, respectively, significantly lower than that of H1650, H1975 and A549 cells treated with 50 μmol/L icotinib alone (55.05±1.22)%, (71.98±1.60)% and (61.74±6.18)%, respectively (P<0.01 for all). When treated with both 100 μmol/L quninalizarin and 100 μmol/L icotinib, the viability of H1650, H1975 and A549 ells were (23.35±0.81)%, (55.70±1.03)%, (33.42±1.33)%, respectively, significantly lower than the viability of H1650, H1975 and A549 cells treated with 100 μmol/L icotinib alone (40.57±2.65)%, (62.40±2.05)% and (44.97±8.20)%, respectively, (P<0.01 for all). The two-way ANOVA analysis showed that compared with the viability of EGFR-TKIs-resistant cells (H1650, H1975, A549) treated with 50 μmol/L and 100 μmol/L icotinib alone, the viability of cells treated with icotinib and quinalizarin were significantly suppressed, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). In addition, the phosphorylation form of Akt and ERK (namely p-Akt and p-ERK) were significantly down-regulated by treating with quninalizarin and icotinib together in the H1650 cells while the expression of Akt and ERK changed little.

CONCLUSIONS

Quinalizarin, as a specific CK2 inhibitor, may overcome icotinib resistance by inhibiting proliferation mediated by Akt and ERK in human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, and enhances the suppressive effect of icotinib on the proliferation of EGFR-TKIs-resistant human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Adsorption of cadmium by biochar derived from municipal sewage sludge: Impact factors and adsorption mechanism

Static equilibrium experiments were carried out to investigate the impact factors and the mechanism of cadmium adsorption on biochar derived from municipal sewage sludge. An appropriate dosage of biochar is sufficient; in the experiment, 0.2% is the optimal dosage for the largest removal capacity, while the removal capacity of biochar reduces with the increasing dosage. pH is another dominant factor of the adsorption process. The removal capacity of biochar is lower than 20 mg·g(-1) when the solution initial pH is lower than 2 pH units, comparatively retaining more than 40 mg·g(-1) at the solution initial pH higher than 3 pH units. Temperature has weak influence on the adsorptive performance. The main mechanism of the adsorption process of biochar for cadmium mainly involves (1) surface precipitation by forming insoluble cadmium compounds in alkaline condition, and (2) ion exchange for cadmium with exchangeable cations in the biochar, such as calcium ions.

A and MdMYB1 allele-specific markers controlling apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) skin color and suitability for marker-assisted selection

Pre-selection for fruit skin color at the seedling stage would be highly advantageous, with marker-assisted selection offering a potential method for apple pre-selection. A and MdMYB1 alleles are allele-specific DNA markers that are potentially associated with apple skin color, and co-segregate with the Rf and Rni loci, respectively. Here, we assessed the potential application of these 2 alleles for marker-assisted breeding across 30 diverse cultivars and 2 apple seedling progenies. The red skin color phenotype was usually associated with the MdMYB1-1 allele and A(1) allele, respectively, while the 2 molecular markers provided approximately 91% predictability in the 'Fuji' x 'Cripps Pink' and 'Fuji' x 'Gala' progenies. The results obtained from the 30 cultivars and 2 progenies were consistent for the 2 molecular markers. Hence, the results supported that Rf and Rni could be located in a gene cluster, or even correspond to alleles of the same gene. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that red/yellow dimorphism is controlled by a monogenic system, with the presence of the red anthocyanin pigmentation being dominant. In addition, our results supported that the practical utilization of the 2 function markers to efficiently and accurately select red-skinned apple cultivars in apple scion breeding programs.

Academic and personal problems among Australian university students who drink at hazardous levels: web-based survey

ISSUE ADDRESSED

Australian university students consume large amounts of alcohol. There is little published information about personal and academic problems associated with this behaviour. We sought to estimate the prevalence, and identify variables associated with, alcohol-related problems among undergraduate hazardous drinkers.

METHODS

The control group members (942 undergraduates, 53.3% male, mean age 19.4 years) of an internet-based intervention trial, who scored ≥8 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, completed two validated questionnaires about their experience of alcohol-related problems in the preceding 4 weeks. Regression models were used to identify associations between individual characteristics and alcohol-related problems.

RESULTS

One-quarter of participants had missed a class (25.6%) and/or had been unable to concentrate in class (25.7%), and 45% reported that their drinking had impacted negatively on their learning or grades. The most frequent non-academic problems were hangovers (74.8%), blackouts (44.8%), emotional outbursts (30.5%), vomiting (28.1%), arguments (20.2%) and drink-driving (23.2%). Male gender, lower age, being a smoker, being in the Faculty of Health (versus Humanities) and living in shared housing (versus with parents/guardians) were each associated with alcohol-related problems, whereas year of study had no association.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a high prevalence of preventable alcohol-related problems among undergraduates drinking at hazardous levels and a need for restriction of the availability and promotion of alcohol as well as intervention for individuals at high risk. SO WHAT?: Universities have a duty of care to large populations of young people drinking at hazardous levels and should make greater efforts to address hazardous alcohol consumption.

An investigation of factors that influence general practitioners' referral of computed tomography scans in patients with headache

AIM

In assessing patients with headaches, general practitioners (GPs) play an important role in determining which patients require computed tomography (CT) scans. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence GPs' decisions to refer CT scans for patients with headaches.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A self-administered survey was presented to GPs in Western Australia. One hundred and twenty-eight vignettes describing patients who may have required CT referral for headache were constructed encompassing six clinical variables. Nine vignettes, selected at random, were presented to each respondent. Respondents were asked if they would refer the patient for diagnostic imaging tests, if so, which imaging modalities would they request, how urgently and the perceived benefits of the requested imaging modality. Multinomial logistic regression was used for the multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

We received 105 completed questionnaires (21%). GPs were more likely to refer patients with headaches for diagnostic imaging and CT scans in the following clinical scenarios: patients with a history of colorectal cancer and epilepsy; and patients feeling unwell for the past 6 weeks and headache being exacerbated with valsalva manoeuvrers. Private health insurance and other respondent demographics such as GPs experience and site of care increased imaging referral.

CONCLUSION

GP's referral decisions of diagnostic imaging and CT examinations for patients with headaches are dependent on clinical scenarios and the likelihood of a significant pathology. Further research is required to identify the significant clinical findings with regard to the CT referrals and ensure that CT scans are not requested in patients who are unlikely to benefit.

Low abundance protein enrichment for discovery of plasma protein biomarkers for early detection of breast cancer

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Background: Protein biomarkers for breast cancer are desired for early diagnosis, disease prognosis and drug response monitoring. Biomarkers in bodily fluids, such as plasma, allow for non-invasive monitoring and have additional value compared to tissue-based markers. Plasma-based biomarker discovery faces a challenge in that the wide dynamic range of protein concentrations prevents the detection of lower abundance proteins. In this study, we have investigated the use of a novel protein enrichment strategy combined with isobaric label-based LC-MS/MS as well as two experimental designs for the identification of biomarkers of early stage breast cancer.

Methods: Plasma from 12 patients with benign breast lesions and 12 with stage I breast cancer were processed using ProteoMiner enrichment followed by on-bead digestion. Two types of standards were investigated: a pooled standard, consisting of equal portions from the 24 plasma digests and a universal standard. The samples were digested, labeled and analyzed using by HPLC-Chip/Q-TOF analysis. Proteins were identified and quantified using Spectrum Mill software.

Results: Use of ProteoMiner beads resulted in extraction of sufficient protein for at least 10 technical replicates and cut down preparation time by 80%, as compared to MARS-based immunodepletion. A total of 414 plasma proteins were identified, 89% of which are low abundance plasma proteins and 14 of which were differentially expressed. Expression values normalized using the pooled vs. universal standards were significantly correlated.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated use of the ProteoMiner technology for enrichment of low abundance proteins from plasma. Fourteen plasma-based biomarkers of stage I breast cancer were identified with statistical significance. A number of these proteins (e.g., protocadherin FAT2, flightless-1 homolog) have been linked to breast cancer relevant processes, such as cell migration, adhesion, estrogen receptor signaling and proliferation.

The effect of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeting Aurora A kinase on cell proliferation and chemosensitivity to paclitaxel in human lung cancer cell line A549

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Background: Aurora kinases representing a family of evolutionarily conserved mitotic serine/threonine kinases have been found elevated in lung andenocarcinoma cell line A549. It is suggested that the overexpression of Aurora A contributes to the carcinogenesis, chromosomal instability (CIN), and de-differentiation of lung cancers. To address its possibility as a therapeutic target for lung cancer, we employed the antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASODN) technique to inhibit Aurora A expression and investegate its effect on tumor growth and cell cycle of A549, as well as the chemosensitivity of paclitaxel. Methods: Aurora A ASODN was synthesized and transfected into A549 cells by lipofectAMINE 2000.Aurora A mRNA and protein expression were examined by reverse transcription -polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot respectively.Cell cycle distribution was observed by flow cytometer.MTT assay was used to evaluate cell inhibition ratio before and after transfection. Results: The proliferation of the A549 cells was inhibited by Aurora A ASODN dose and time dependently. It was also observed that the IC50 of A549 cells after 48 hours’ treatment of ASODN was about 300nmol/L and under such circumstances, the Aurora A mRNA and protein expression significantly decreased (P<0.05), along with the induction of accumulation of cells in S phase and the G2-M transition. Furhermore, cell inhibition ratio of the combination of Aurora A ASODN and paclitaxel was higher significantly than paclitaxel(P<0.05) or Aurora A ASODN alone (P<0.05). Conclusions: Inhibition of Aurora A expression can results in the suppression of cell growth and chemosensitizing activity to paclitaxel in human lung cancer cell line A549.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.