[Epidemiological characteristics of two local COVID-19 outbreaks caused by 2019-nCoV Omicron variant in Guangzhou, China]

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics of two local COVID-19 outbreaks caused by 2019-nCoV Omicron variant in Guangzhou, such as incubation period, serial interval, basic reproductive number (R₀) and the influence of gathering places on R₀, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of Omicron variant infection. Methods: The data of daily confirmed cases of Omicron variant infection from April 8 to May 8, 2022 in two COVID-19 outbreaks in Guangzhou were collected for model fitting. Weibull, Gamma and lognormal distribution were used to estimate incubation period and serial interval. Exponential growth method and the maximum likelihood estimation were used to estimate R₀. Results: The median of incubation period was 2.94 (95%CI: 2.52-3.38) days and median of serial interval was 3.32 (95%CI: 2.89-3.81) days. The estimated R₀ in small-size place was 4.40 (95%CI: 3.95-4.85), while the estimated R₀ at airport was 11.35 (95%CI: 11.02-11.67). Conclusion: The incubation period of Omicron variant in two local COVID-19 outbreaks in Guangzhou is significantly shorter than that of delta variant. The higher the gathering degree in a place, the larger the R₀. Due to its rapid transmission, COVID-19 epidemic is prone to occur. Therefore, the COVID-19 prevention and control strategy should be dynamically adjusted in time.

[Advances of nanomaterials applied in ophthalmic treatment]

Nanomaterials have been used in many aspects of ophthalmic treatment. By emphasizing the ubiquitous characteristics of nanoparticles and composites, we first explained their relatively mature applications in drug delivery. Then we reviewed the research on nanomaterials in regenerative medicine and gene therapy in recent years. We also discussed the main limitations of the wider application of nanomaterials in ophthalmology: stability, biotoxicity and preclinical-clinical differences. The development of efficient and non-toxic nanomaterials, combined with appropriate transportation systems and application occasions, will provide more possibilities for the future application of nanomaterials in ophthalmic treatments.

[A preliminary exploration into the efficacy of personalized surgical schemes in the repair of maxillary sinus perforation and maxillary sinus fistula]

To explore the efficacy and value of personalized surgical schemes in the repair of maxillary sinus perforation and maxillary sinus fistula based on the size of the maxillary sinus perforation and maxillary sinus fistula. A total of 28 patients with maxillary sinus perforation and maxillary sinus fistula who were admitted to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Stomatology Hospital of Kunming Medical University from July 2017 to May 2020 were included to conduct a prospective case clinical study. After the inflammation in the maxillary sinus was controlled, a proper surgical repair method was selected according to the size of the perforation and fistula based on the double-layer closure technique. The diameter of the perforation and fistula was measured with the assistance of cone-beam CT. After that, the platelet rich fibrin (PRF) repair was performed on the perforation and fistula with 3 mm≤diameter<7 mm in size in 14 patients. The PRF repair and buccal flap repair were performed on the perforation and fistula with 7 mm ≤diameter<15 mm in size in 7 patients. The adjacent buccal pad repair, palatine flap repair, and buccal flap repair were performed on the perforation and fistula with 15 mm≤ diameter<25 mm in size in 4 patients. The nasolabial axial flap repair and nasolabial free flap repair were performed on the perforation and fistula with a diameter ≥25 mm in size in 3 patients. The medical follow-up was conducted in all patients in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th week after surgery, with an overall success rate reaching 96.4% (27/28) after the initial intervention. The relapse of disease occurred in one patient (4.6%) with diabetes and a smoking history in the 2nd week after surgery. Identifying a proper surgical repair method according to the size of the oral and maxillary sinus perforation and maxillary sinus fistula based on the double-layer closure technique can improve the one-time cure rate in these patients under the premise that the inflammation in the maxillary sinus can be controlled.

Development of Clinical Risk Scores for Detection of COVID-19 in Suspected Patients During a Local Outbreak in China: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objectives: To develop and internally validate two clinical risk scores to detect coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during local outbreaks.

Methods: Medical records were extracted for a retrospective cohort of 336 suspected patients admitted to Baodi hospital between 27 January to 20 February 2020. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to develop the risk-scoring models, which were internally validated using a 5-fold cross-validation method and Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) tests.

Results: Fifty-six cases were diagnosed from the cohort. The first model was developed based on seven significant predictors, including age, close contact with confirmed/suspected cases, same location of exposure, temperature, leukocyte counts, radiological findings of pneumonia and bilateral involvement (the mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]:0.88, 95% CI: 0.84–0.93). The second model had the same predictors except leukocyte and radiological findings (AUC: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.78–0.89, Z = 2.56, p = 0.01). Both were internally validated using H-L tests and showed good calibration (both p > 0.10).

Conclusion: Two clinical risk scores to detect COVID-19 in local outbreaks were developed with excellent predictive performances, using commonly measured clinical variables. Further external validations in new outbreaks are warranted.

Diagnostic value of myocardial stress detection based on feature tracking MRI in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background

Evaluate the predictive value of myocardial stress measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the severity of coronary artery stenosis and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In the early stage of acute myocardial infarction, many imaging findings are negative, and MRI myocardial stress detection is controversial in the diagnosis of this aspect. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether MRI myocardial stress can diagnose acute myocardial infarction.

Methods

A total of 120 patients were divided into an AMI group and non-AMI group. The AMI group was further divided into a mild group, moderate group, and severe group. The myocardial stress was measured by MRI, compared in each group, the correlation between myocardial stress and coronary artery stenosis rate was analyzed, and coronary artery disease (CAD) compared between patients with AMI, and the relationship between myocardial stress and AMI was observed.

Results

Among the 120 patients, there were 77 cases in the AMI group, including 21 cases in the mild group, 40 cases in the moderate group, and 16 cases in the severe group. There were a total of 43 cases in the non-AMI group. Myocardial stress in the AMI group was significantly higher than that in the non-AMI group (P<0.05). The myocardial stress increased gradually in the mild, moderate, and severe AMI groups (P<0.001). Myocardial stress was positively correlated with coronary artery stenosis rate (P<0.001) and CAD (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that myocardial stress was an independent risk factor for AMI (P<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of myocardial stress >5.15 mm in the diagnosis of AMI were 83.5%, 68.6% (AUC =0.834), respectively. Acute myocardial infarction is often caused by risk factors such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension and hyperglycemia, as well as vascular stenosis caused by arterial wall malformation, vascular wall inflammation or vasospasm.

Conclusions

The MRI measurement of myocardial stress is simple, reliable, and practical to evaluate the degree of coronary artery lesions. Myocardial stress is closely related to AMI and can assist in the diagnosis of AMI.

Experimental Limits on Exotic Spin and Velocity Dependent Interactions Using Rotationally Modulated Source Masses and an Atomic-Magnetometer Array

Various theories beyond the standard model predict new interactions mediated by new light particles with very weak couplings to ordinary matter. Interactions between polarized electrons and unpolarized nucleons proportional to g_{V}^{N}g_{A}^{e}σ[over →]·v[over →] and g_{A}^{N}g_{A}^{e}σ[over →]·v[over →]×r[over →] are two such examples, where σ[over →] is the spin of the electrons, r[over →] and v[over →] are position and relative velocity between the polarized electrons and nucleons, g_{V}^{N}/g_{A}^{N} is the vector or axial-vector coupling constant of the nucleon, and g_{A}^{e} is the axial-vector coupling constant of the electron. Such interactions involving a vector or axial-vector coupling g_{V}^{N}/g_{A}^{N} at one vertex and an axial-vector coupling g_{A}^{e} at the polarized electron vertex can be induced by the exchange of spin-1 bosons. We report new experimental upper limits on such exotic spin-velocity-dependent interactions of the electron with nucleons from dedicated experiments based on a recently proposed scheme. We rotationally modulated two ∼6  Kg source masses at a frequency of 20 Hz. We used four identical atomic magnetometers in an array form to increase the statistics and cancel the common-mode noise. We applied a data processing method based on high precision numerical integration for the four harmonic frequencies of the signal. We reverse the rotation direction of the source masses to flip the signal due to the new interactions; thus, we can apply the [+1,-3,+3,-1] weighting method to remove possible slow drifting. Our constraint on the product of vector and axial-vector couplings is |g_{V}^{N}g_{A}^{e}|<2.1×10^{-34} and on the product of axial-vector and axial-vector couplings is |g_{A}^{N}g_{A}^{e}|<2.4×10^{-22} for an interaction range of 10 m. The new constraints on vector-axial-vector interaction improved by as much as more than 4 orders of magnitude and on axial-axial interaction by as much as 2 orders of magnitude in the corresponding interaction range, respectively.

[Association of DNA methylation of IFNG gene with no/low response to hepatitis B vaccine in children]

Objective: To explore the association of DNA methylation with immune response to hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine in Han nationality children from Guangxi province. Methods: A total of 263 children aged 8-9 months who had completed HepB immunization program were recruited from three hospitals in Guangxi province by using unmatched case-control method. Children with the HepB surface antibody concentration(Anti-HBs)<100 mIU/ml was set as the case group and ≥100 mIU/ml as the control group. Multiplex PCR and heavy sulfite sequencing were used to treat the samples. Illumina platform was used for high-throughput DNA methylation sequencing of IFNG gene target regions and CpG sites. Unconditional logistic regression was used to analyze the association between cytosine-phospho-guanosine DNA methylation at 18 loci of IFNG gene and HepB immune response level. Results: There were 104 children in the case group and 159 in the control group. The median (Q₁, Q₃) level of anti-HBs in two groups were 62.34 (30.06, 98.88) mIU/ml and 1 089.10 (710.35, 1 233.45) mIU/ml. The methylation levels of IFNG_1 gene 44 and 93 locus in the case group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The unconditional logistic regression model showed that the DNA methylation level of IFNG_1 gene at 44 (OR=1.18, 95%CI: 1.03-1.35) and 93 (OR=1.21, 95%CI: 1.07-1.38) locus was associated with the HepB response level. Conclusion: The changes of DNA methylation at locus 44 and 93 of IFNG_1 gene may be relevant factors affecting the response level of HepB in Han nationality children from Guangxi province.

[Histological regression and clinical benefits in patients with liver cirrhosis after long-term anti-HBV treatment]

Objective: Our study aims to determine histological regression and clinical improvement after long-term antiviral therapy in hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis patients. Methods: Treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B patients with histologically or clinically diagnosed liver cirrhosis were enrolled. Liver biopsies were performed after 5 years entecavir-based antiviral treatment. Patients were followed up every 6 months. Cirrhosis regression was evaluated based on Metavir system and P-I-R score. Clinical improvement was evaluated before and after the long-term treatment. Kruskal Wallis test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for continuous variables, Fisher's exact test was used for categorical variables and multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression analysis. Results: Totals of 73 patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis were enrolled. Among them, 30 (41.1%) patients were biopsy proved liver cirrhosis and the remaining 43 (58.9%) cirrhotic patients were diagnosed by clinical features. Based on Metavir system and P-I-R score, 72.6% (53/73) patients attained histological regression. Furthermore, 30.1% (22/73) were defined as significant regression (Metavir decrease ≥2 stage), 42.5% (31/73) were mild regression (Metavir decrease 1 stage or predominantly regressive by P-I-R system if still cirrhosis after treatment) and 27.4% (20/73) were the non-regression. Compared to levels of clinical characteristics at baseline, HBV DNA, ALT, AST, liver stiffness(decreased from 12.7 to 6.4 kPa in significant regression, from 18.1 to 7.3 kPa in mild regression and from 21.4 to 11.2 kPa in non-regression)and Ishak-HAI score significantly decreased after 5 years of anti-HBV treatment, while serum levels of platelets and albumin improved remarkably (P<0.05). In multivariate analysis, only the pre-treatment liver stiffness level was associated with significant regression (OR=0.887, 95%CI: 0.802-0.981, P=0.020). Conclusions: After long-term antiviral therapy, patients with HBV-related cirrhosis are easily to attain improvements in clinical parameters, while a certain percentage of these patients still cannot achieve histological reversal.

[Analysis of change in esophageal varices and clinical characteristics in hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis after antiviral therapy]

Objective: To clarify the effect and related factors of antiviral therapy on the change of esophageal varices in patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis. Methods: Fifty-two cases with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis who underwent endoscopy before and after antiviral therapy were selected from prospective cohorts. Patients were divided into three groups: no, mild, and moderate-severe based on the degree of esophageal varices. The changes in the severity of esophageal varices in each group were compared after antiviral therapy. Clinical characteristics (platelet, liver and kidney function, liver stiffness, and virological response) of patients with different regressions were analyzed. Measurement data were analyzed by independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Chi-Square test was used for count data. Results: All patients received entecavir-based antiviral therapy. The median treatment time was 3.1 (2.5-4.4) years. The proportion of patients without esophageal varices increased from 30.8% to 51.9%, the proportion of mild esophageal varices decreased from 40.4% to 30.8%, and the proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe esophageal varices decreased from 28.8% to 17.3% (χ²=14.067, P=0.001). A total of 40.4% of patients had esophageal varices regression, and 13.5% had esophageal varices progression. The progression rate was significantly higher in patients with moderate-severe esophageal varices than patients with mild and no esophageal varices (χ²=28.126, P<0.001), and 60.0% of patients with moderate-severe esophageal varices still remained in moderate-severe state after antiviral treatment. Baseline platelet count and 5-year mean change rates were significantly lower in patients with progressive moderate-to-severe esophageal varices than in those without progression (+3.3% vs. +34.1%, Z=7.00, P=0.027). Conclusion: After effective antiviral treatment, 40.4% of patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis combined with esophageal varices has obtained esophageal varices regression, but those with moderate to severe esophageal varices still have a considerable risk of progression while receiving mono antiviral treatment only. Thrombocytopenia and without significant improving are the clinical signs of progression risk after receiving antiviral treatment.

[Reversal of hepatic fibrosis: more evidence and more challenges]

Hepatic fibrosis is a response to various types of hepatic injury, which can lead to cirrhosis and its complications. In recent years, in patients with viral hepatitis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, autoimmune liver disease and others the fibrosis or even early cirrhosis can be regressed if the etiology are controlled. Liver biopsy is still the gold standard for assessing fibrosis reversal, but non-invasive methods such as transient elastography hold great promise due to the ease to use for dynamic monitoring. Mechanisms of hepatic fibrosis reversal include extracellular matrix degradation, hepatocyte regeneration, and vascular remodeling. Presently, novel agents targeting the steps of fibrosis are urgently need for achieving regression of liver fibrosis.

Profiled polyethylene terephthalate filaments that incorporate collagen and calcium phosphate enhance ligamentisation and bone formation

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) artificial ligaments offer an unlimited source of ligaments without donor-site-related morbidity and with good mechanical properties for a rapid return to sporting activities. Developing PET artificial ligaments with excellent ligamentisation and ligament-bone healing is still a considerable challenge. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the profiled PET/collagen/calcium phosphate (PET/C/CaP) ligament upon cell growth, ligamentisation and ligament-bone healing in vitro and in vivo. Profiled PET/C/CaP filaments were made by melt-spinning process with 2 % CaP hybrid spinning and collagen coating. Rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were cultured on the profiled PET/C filaments for cytotoxicity, viability, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ligament-related gene expression analysis. MSCs' osteogenic capacity on the profiled PET/CaP filaments was identified by detecting osteogenic gene expression and alizarin red S staining. For in vivo verification, an animal study was performed to evaluate the effect of the profiled PET/C/CaP ligament in a rabbit knee medial collateral ligament reinforcement reconstruction model. The graft ligamentisation and bone formation were investigated by SEM, histology, microcomputed tomography and mechanical tests. The profiled PET/C filaments enhanced MSC proliferation and ligament-related gene expression. Furthermore, they enhanced osteogenic gene expression, alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralisation of MSCs. The in vivo study indicated that the profiled PET/C/CaP ligament enhanced ligamentous matrix remodelling and bone formation. Therefore, their use is an effective strategy for promoting MSCs' ligamentous and osteogenic potential in vitro and enhancing ligamentous matrix remodelling and bone formation in vivo.

Transcriptome analysis reveals that cytokinins inhibit adventitious root formation through the MdRR12-MdCRF8 module in apple rootstock

Adventitious root (AR) formation is great significance for apple rootstock breeding. Transcriptome analyses were performed with cytokinins (CTKs) signal treatments to analyze the mechanism of AR formation. The results showed that 6-benzyadenine (6-BA) treatment inhibited AR formation. Histological analysis also observed that AR primordium cell formation was significantly suppressed by 6-BA treatment; the ratio of auxin/cytokinins exhibited the lowest values at 1 and 3 day (d) in the 6-BA treatment group. Furthermore, the differentially expressed genes were divided into five categories, including auxin, cytokinins, other hormones, cell cycle, and carbohydrate metabolism pathways. Due to the study of cytokinins signal treatment, it is important to understand the particular module mediated by the cytokinins pathway. The expression level of MdRR12 (a family member of B-type cytokinins-responsive factors) was significantly upregulated at 3 d by 6-BA treatment. Compared to the wild type, the 35S::MdRR12 transgenic tobaccos suppressed AR formation. The promoter sequence of MdCRF8 contains AGATT motif elements that respond to MdRR12. RNA-seq and RT-qPCR assays predicted cytokinins response factor (MdCRF8) to be a downstream gene regulated by MdRR12. The activity of the pro-MdCRF8-GUS promoter was obviously induced by 6-BA treatment and inhibited by lovastatin (Lov) treatment. Yeast one-hybrid, dual-luciferase reporter, and GUS coexpression assays revealed that MdRR12 could directly bind to the MdCRF8 promoter. Additionally, 35S::MdCRF8 transgenic tobaccos also blocked AR growth. Compared to the wild type, 35S::MdRR12 and 35S::MdCRF8 transgenic tobaccos enhanced sensitivity to cytokinins. Thus, we describe that MdRR12 and MdCRF8 function as integrators of cytokinins signals that affect cell cycle- and carbohydrate metabolism-related genes to regulate cell fate transition during AR formation. On the basis of these results, we concluded that the MdRR12-MdCRF8 module is involved in the negative regulation of AR formation in apple rootstock and can potentially be applied in agriculture using genetic approaches.

Transcriptome analysis reveals the regulatory mechanism by which MdWOX11 suppresses adventitious shoot formation in apple

Adventitious shoot (AS) regeneration accelerates plant reproduction and genetic transformation. WOX11 is involved in many biological processes, but its regulation of AS regeneration has not been reported. Here, we showed that the genotype and CK/IAA ratio of apple leaves were the key factors that affected their capacity for AS formation. Moreover, the expression level of MdWOX11 was negatively correlated with the capacity for AS formation. Phenotypic analysis of MdWOX11 transgenic plants showed that overexpression of MdWOX11 inhibited AS formation. Endogenous hormone analysis demonstrated that the contents of auxin (IAA), cytokinin (CK), and abscisic acid (ABA) were higher in MdWOX11-RNAi plants than in MdWOX11-OE transgenic plants. We used RNA sequencing to examine the transcriptional responses of genes in MdWOX11-RNAi and MdWOX11-OE transgenic apple plants at different AS stages. We identified 8066 differentially expressed genes and focused our analysis on those involved in the IAA, CK, ABA, and gibberellin (GA) hormone signaling pathways. The expression of genes related to the CK signaling pathway and shoot development was higher in GL-3 than in MdWOX11-OE transgenic plants during the callus and AS emergence stages. However, the expression of MdCKX5 was higher in MdWOX11-OE transgenic plants than in GL3 and MdWOX11-RNAi transgenic plants. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assays, dual-luciferase reporter assays, and ChIP-qPCR showed that MdWOX11 binds to the promoter of MdCKX5, and a dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that MdWOX11 enhanced the promoter activity of MdCKX5. We concluded that MdCKX5 acts downstream of MdWOX11 to control AS formation, and we built a regulatory model of the suppression of AS formation by MdWOX11 in apple.

Development of explicit formulations of G45-based gas kinetic scheme for simulation of continuum and rarefied flows

In this work, the explicit formulations of the Grad's distribution function for the 45 moments (G45)-based gas kinetic scheme (GKS) are presented. Similar to the G13 function-based gas kinetic scheme (G13-GKS), G45-GKS simulates flows from the continuum regime to the rarefied regime by solving the macroscopic governing equations based on the conservation laws, which are widely used in conventional Navier-Stokes solver. These macroscopic governing equations are discretized by the finite volume method, where the numerical fluxes are evaluated by the local solution to the Boltzmann equation. The initial distribution function is reconstructed by the G45 distribution function, which is a higher order truncation of the Hermite expansion of distribution function compared with the G13 distribution function. Such high order truncation of Hermite expansion helps the present solver to achieve a better accuracy than G13-GKS. Moreover, the reconstruction of distribution function makes the development of explicit formulations of numerical fluxes feasible, and the evolution of the distribution function, which is the main reason why the discrete velocity method is expensive, is avoided. Several numerical experiments are performed to examine the accuracy of G45-GKS. Results show that the accuracy of the present solver for almost all flow problems is much better than G13-GKS. Moreover, some typical rarefied effects, such as the direction of heat flux without temperature gradients and thermal creep flow, can be well captured by the present solver.

A rational synthesis of ultrasmall palladium-based alloys with superhydrophilicity as biocompatible agents and recyclable catalysts

As essential controlling parameters, the local surface area (size distribution) and polarity property of the surface molecules can determine the catalytic activity and biocompatibility directly.

Utilization of metal or non-metal-based functional materials as efficient composites in cancer therapies

There has been great progress in cancer treatment through traditional approaches, even though some of them are still trapped in relative complications such as certain side effects and prospective chances of full recovery. As a conventional method, the immunotherapy approach is regarded as an effective approach to cure cancer. It is mainly promoted by immune checkpoint blocking and adoptive cell therapy, which can utilize the human immune system to attack tumor cells and make them necrose completely or stop proliferating cancer cells. Currently however, immunotherapy shows limited success due to the limitation of real applicable cases of targeted tumor environments and immune systems. Considering the urgent need to construct suitable strategies towards cancer therapy, metallic materials can be used as delivery systems for immunotherapeutic agents in the human body. Metallic materials exhibit a high degree of specificity, effectiveness, diagnostic ability, imaging ability and therapeutic effects with different biomolecules or polymers, which is an effective option for cancer treatment. In addition, these modified metallic materials contain immune-modulators, which can activate immune cells to regulate tumor microenvironments and enhance anti-cancer immunity. Additionally, they can be used as adjuvants with immunomodulatory activities, or as carriers for molecular transport to specific targets, which results in the loading of specific ligands to facilitate specific uptake. Here, we provide an overview of the different types of metallic materials used as efficient composites in cancer immunotherapy. We elaborate on the advancements using metallic materials with functional agents as effective composites in synergistic cancer treatment. Some nonmetallic functional composites also appear as a common phenomenon. Ascribed to the design of the composites themselves, the materials' surface structural characteristics are introduced as the drug-loading substrate. The physical and chemical properties of the functional materials emphasize that further research is required to fully characterize their mechanism, showing appropriate relevance for material toxicology and biomedical applications.

There has been great progress in cancer treatment through traditional approaches, even though some of them are still trapped in relative complications such as certain side effects and prospective chances of full recovery.

Hsa_circ_0003204 Knockdown Weakens Ox-LDL-Induced Cell Injury by Regulating miR-188-3p/TRPC6 Axis in Human Carotid Artery Endothelial Cells and THP-1 Cells

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in atherosclerosis (AS) development. However, the function and mechanism of circRNA hsa_circ_0003204 (circ_0003204) in carotid artery AS remain unclear.

Methods: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-treated human carotid artery endothelial cells (HCtAECs) and THP-1 cells were used as cell models of carotid artery AS. Relative levels of circ_0003204, microRNA-188-3p (miR-188-3p), and transient receptor potential canonical channel 6 (TRPC6) were detected by quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction or Western blotting. The targeting relationship between circ_0003204 or TRPC6 and miR-188-3p was assessed via dual-luciferase reporter analysis and RNA immunoprecipitation. Cell proliferation was assessed via 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. Cell apoptosis was analyzed via assessing cell caspase-3 activity, apoptosis, and apoptosis-related protein. Inflammatory response was analyzed via analysis of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Oxidative stress was assessed via determination of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

Results: Circ_0003204 and TRPC6 levels were elevated, and miR-188-3p expression declined in ox-LDL-treated HCtAECs and THP-1 cells. Circ_0003204 could regulate TRPC6 expression via mediating miR-188-3p. Circ_0003204 silencing weakened ox-LDL-induced viability inhibition and apoptosis in HCtAECs, and inflammatory response and oxidative stress in THP-1 cells via regulating miR-188-3p. MiR-188-3p overexpression attenuated ox-LDL-induced injury in HCtAECs and THP-1 cells by targeting TRPC6.

Conclusion: Circ_0003204 knockdown mitigated ox-LDL-induced injury in HCtAECs and THP-1 cells via regulating the miR-188-3p/TRPC6 axis, indicating that circ_0003204 might play an important role in carotid artery AS.

[Methods for controlling time-varying confounding in pharmaco-epidemiological studies: a systematic reveiw]

Objective: To systematically review the application of methods for controlling time-varying confounding in pharmaco-epidemiological studies. Methods: PubMed, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang were searched for pharmaco-epidemiological studies involving time-varying confounding on June 15^th, 2020. The basic characteristics, drug exposure and outcome, time-varying confounders and the application of methods to control these confounders were analyzed. Results: A total of 298 articles were included. An increasing trend was observed in numbers of studies dealing with time-varying confounding in pharmaco-epidemiological studies in recent years. A total of 106 (35.6%) studies involved the safety or effectiveness of medication use in HIV/AIDS patients and 92 of them involved antiretroviral drugs. The most common outcome was mortality, while the most commonly concerned time-dependent confounders were laboratory examination results (179, 60.1%), comorbidities (136, 45.6%), and co-used medications (108, 36.2%). Marginal structure model (MSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were the most commonly used methods to control time-varying confounding factors (244, 81.9%). Compared with the results after properly controlling time-varying confounding, traditional methods adjusting only baseline confounders resulted in substantial bias (median 18.2%, interquartile range, 7.4%-40.8%). As for basic assumptions needed for causal methods controlling time-varying confounding, 28.9% and 64.8% of the included studies examined or discussed the assumptions of positivity and no unmeasured confounders, respectively. Conclusions: At present, most of the fields of drug therapy for chronic diseases still pay insufficient attention to time-varying confoundings. Information collected in routine medical practice, such as laboratory tests, comorbidities, and co-used drugs, was the most commonly concerned time-varying confounder. MSM and IPTW were the most commonly applied methods for dealing with time-varying confounding.

[Gene analysis and clinical features of MYH9-related disease]

Objective: To identify gene variants and investigate clinical features of nonmuscle myosin heavy chain 9-related disease (MYH9-RD). Methods: In this retrospective study, the data of patients with MYH9-RD admitted to Shenzhen Children's Hospital from July 2017 to September 2020 were extracted. The gene variants, clinical features and laboratory tests results were summarized. Results: Among the 6 children, 4 were males and 2 were females, aged 4.0 (0.5-7.6) years. Main clinical manifestations included thrombocytopenia (6 cases), epistaxis (3 cases), petechias (2 cases), traumatic hematoma (1 case), and abnormal liver enzymes (1 case). One patient had no family history, and the other 5 cases were pedigrees. Two pedigrees (2 cases) had long-term microscopic hematuria, one pedigree (2 cases) had history of early cataract, and three pedigrees (5 cases) had chronic mild elevation of liver enzymes. Four MYH9 gene variants were found in 12 patients, including c.2104C>T(p.R702C) in exon 17, c.4270G>A(p.D1424N) in exon 31, c.5521G>A (p.E1841K) in exon 39, and c.5797C>T (p.R1933X) in exon 41. According to the family pedigrees analysis, except for the case of variant in exon 17 which was spontaneous mutation with no family history, the other variants were from their father or mother. The complete blood count results showed a decreased platelet number in these patients, and the counting results of the automated hematology analyzer were significantly lower than that of manual counting method ((33.4±17.2) × 10⁹ vs. (60.4±21.0) × 10⁹/L,t=-5.83, P<0.05). The examination of the peripheral blood smear revealed the presence of thrombocytopenia with giant platelets and granulocyte inclusion bodies. The MYH9 gene variant (R702C) located at the N-terminus head domain of non-muscle myosin heavy chain ⅡA (NMMHC-ⅡA), which has ATPase activity, led to severe reduction of platelet number (<20×10⁹/L) and obscure granulocyte inclusion bodies. However, higher platelet numbers (40×10⁹-80×10⁹/L) and obvious granulocyte inclusion bodies were observed in patients with tail-position mutations at C-terminus. Conclusions: The clinical phenotypes of MYH9-RD were variable. The mutations in certain regions of MYH9 gene were related to platelet count and granulocyte inclusion bodies. MYH9-RD should be considered in individuals with unknown etiology and persistent thrombocytopenia which is non-responsive to conventional treatment, regardless of family history. Complete blood count and blood smear morphology examinations are the first steps to screen and diagnose the disease. The laboratory should pay attention to the morphological review rules and standardized reports.

Transcriptome analysis reveals the promotive effect of potassium by hormones and sugar signaling pathways during adventitious roots formation in the apple rootstock

Apples are economically valuable and widely consumed fruits. The adventitious roots (ARs) formation is gridlock for apple trees mass propagation. The possible function of multiple hormones and sugar signaling pathways regulating ARs formation has not been completely understood in apple. In this study, B9 stem cuttings were treated with KCl treatment, where the highest root numbers (220) and maximum root length of 731.2 cm were noticed in KCl-treated cuttings, which were 98.2% and 215% higher than control cuttings. The content of endogenous hormones: IAA, ZR, JA, GA, and ABA were detected higher in response to KCl at most time-points. To figure out the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect, we investigated transcriptome analysis. In total, 4631 DEGs were determined, from which about 202 DEGs were considerably enriched in pathways associated with hormone signaling, sugar metabolism, root development, and cell cycle-related and were thereupon picked out on their potential involvements in ARs formation. Though, IAA accumulation and up-regulation of various genes contribute to induce AR formation. These results suggest that AR formation is a complex biological process in apple rootstocks, influenced mainly by the auxin signaling pathway and sugar metabolism.

Repeatability of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient at 3.0 Tesla in Normal Pancreas

Purpose: To evaluate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) test-retest repeatability of the normal pancreas based on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

Methods: Twenty-six healthy volunteers (mean 47.6 years; 13 men) were included and scanned twice with reposition for a DWI sequence at 3.0-T. Two readers measured the ADCs of pancreatic head, body and tail for two DWIs, independently. The mean ADCs of the pancreatic head, body and tail were calculated as the global pancreatic ADC. Test-retest repeatability and agreement of ADC measurement were evaluated by the Bland-Altman analysis, intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV).

Results: The global pancreatic ADC showed the best test-retest repeatability (mean difference ± limits of agreement were 0.05 ± 0.25×10^-3 mm²/s; ICC, 0.79; CV, 6%). Test-retest repeatabilities for ADC of pancreatic head, body or tail were scattered, with mean difference ± limits of agreement between two tests were 0.03 ± 0.47, 0.05 ± 0.42 and 0.06 ± 0.31 (×10^-3 mm²/s) (ICCs, 0.81, 0.52 and 0.68; CVs, 9%, 8% and 8%), respectively. Both intra-observer repeatability and inter-observer reproducibility were acceptable for global pancreatic ADC between measurements of the two DWIs.

Conclusions:The best test-retest repeatability of ADC in the normal pancreas was only for the whole pancreas with a CV of 6%. Cautions should be taken in interpreting longitudinal clinical changes in ADC values of the normal pancreas for the measurements do have an inherent variability by locations.

[Evaluation of demand of resources for laboratory testing and prevention and control of COVID-19 in the context of global pandemic]

Objective: To rapidly evaluate the level of healthcare resource demand for laboratory testing and prevention and control of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in different epidemic situation, and prepare for the capacity planning, stockpile distribution, and funding raising for infectious disease epidemic response. Methods: An susceptible, exposed, infectious, removed infectious disease dynamics model with confirmed asymptomatic infection cases and symptomatic hospitalized patients was introduced to simulate different COVID-19 epidemic situation and predict the numbers of hospitalized or isolated patients, and based on the current COVID-19 prevention and control measures in China, the demands of resources for laboratory testing and prevention and control of COVID-19 were evaluated. Results: When community or local transmission or outbreaks occur and total population nucleic acid testing is implemented, the need for human resources is 3.3-89.1 times higher than the reserved, and the current resources of medical personal protective equipment and instruments can meet the need. The surge in asymptomatic infections can also increase the human resource demand for laboratory testing and pose challenge to the prevention and control of the disease. When vaccine protection coverage reach ≥50%, appropriate adjustment of the prevention and control measures can reduce the need for laboratory and human resources. Conclusions: There is a great need in our country to reserve the human resources for laboratory testing and disease prevention and control for the response of the possible epidemic of COVID-19. Challenges to human resources resulted from total population nucleic acid testing and its necessity need to be considered. Conducting non-pharmaceutical interventions and encouraging more people to be vaccinated can mitigate the shock on healthcare resource demand in COVID-19 prevention and control.

[Advances in researches of serotype 2 novel oral polio vaccine]

In April 2016, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) adjusted its polio vaccination strategy, converting trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) into bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV), and withdrawing type 2 oral polio vaccine (OPV2) globally. However, after the withdrawal of OPV2, there were many outbreaks of type-2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) in Asia and Africa. In order to eradicate poliovirus completely, GPEI launched the research and development of the novel serotype 2 oral polio vaccine (nOPV2) in 2010 and considering whether it is necessary to reuse OPV. This paper summarizes the epidemiological situation of cVDPV2 before and after OPV2's withdrawal, the related factors affecting the reuse of OPV and the related research progress of nOPV2.

Lactate augments intramuscular triglyceride accumulation and mitochondrial biogenesis in rats

Regular exercise induces intramuscular triglyceride accumulation with improved mitochondrial ability, but the mechanism remains unknown. The glycolytic product of exercise, lactate, has long been rec-ognized to suppress lipolysis and promote lipogenesis in adipocytes through inhibition of the cAMP-PKA pathway by activation of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPR81). However, whether lactate results in a similar process in skeletal muscle is unclear. Here, by using intramuscular injection of lactate to the gastrocnemius, the lipid metabolism effects were investigated in rat skeletal muscle. Firstly, the lactate-injection effect was verified by comparing changes in blood lactate levels from injection and exercise (30 min, 31 m/min, treadmill running). After five weeks of lactate intervention, intramuscular triglyceride levels in the gastrocnemius and the proportion of epididymis adipose mass to body weight increased. Chronic intramuscular injection of lactate elevated lactate receptor, GPR81, and reduced cAMP response element-binding (CREB) and P-CREB abundance in the gastrocnemius. Additionally, there was a significant decline in lipolytic-related proteins (AMPK, P-AMPK, P-HSL, CPT-1B, TGF-β2, SDHA) and a significant increase in fat synthesis proteins (SREBP-1C, PPAR-γ). Surprisingly, mitochondrial biomarkers (PGC-1α, CS) were also increased in the gastrocnemius, suggesting that chronic lactate might promote mitochondria biogenesis. Together, these results demonstrated that lactate may play a crucial role in triglyceride storage and mitochondria biogenesis in the skeletal muscle of rat.