Development and validation of a nomogram to predict the risk of occult cervical lymph node metastases in cN0 squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue

We have explored the relations between clinicopathological features and cervical lymph node metastases (LNM) in patients with cN0 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue, and developed and validated a nomogram for predicting the risk of their development. Clinical data on 230 patients with cN0 SCC of the tongue who had had primary extended excision and lymph node dissection of the neck were collected retrospectively. They were divided into a development cohort and a validation cohort in a 4:1 ratio. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the risk factors of cervical LNM in patients in the development cohort, and a nomogram was established to predict the risk of such nodes. In the validation cohort, the predictive performance and compliance of the model were evaluated using the consistency index (C-index) and calibration curve, and the clinical value was evaluated by decision curve analysis. Of the 230 patients, 60 had cervical LNM, of which 60 were invaded (26%). Analysis of the development cohort showed that the site of the primary lesion, depth of invasion, size of the tumour, and histopathological grade were included in the prediction model, which was validated in the validation cohort. Consistency was high (C-index=0.846), calibration good, and it was clinically valuable. The nomogram could be used to predict the probability of occult cervical LNM before operation in patients with stage cN0 SCC of the tongue. It could also be used as a reference tool for dissection of cervical nodes and a communication tool between the doctor and the patient.

[Downregulation of Herg1 suppresses osteosarcoma proliferation and invasion by targeting Hippo signaling pathway]

Objective: To detect the effect and regulatory mechanism of human ether à go-go related gene 1 (Herg 1) knockdown on the proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma (OS). Methods: We constructed a recombinant adenovirus vector (Ad5-Herg1-shRNA) expressing short hair RNA (shRNA) against Herg1 and tested the knockdown efficiency. Then, the effects of Herg 1 knockdown on the proliferation, growth and invasion of osteosarcoma were measured by using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), wound healing assay, Transwell assay and xenograft model of nude mice, respectively. Tandem affinity purification, mass spectrometry and dual luciferase reporter assay were used to find out the molecules interacted with Herg1. Western blot was used to detect the expressions of large tumor suppressor gene (LATS1), p-LATS1, Yes-associated protein (YAP) and p-YAP in cells after infection of Ad5-Herg1-shRNA. Results: Compared to Ad5-control-shRNA, Ad5-Herg1-shRNA dramatically inhibited the expression of Herg1 in OS cells. The result of CCK8 array demonstrated that 143B cell vitalities of Ad5-Herg1-shRNA1 and Ad5-Herg1-shRNA2 group were (65.47±3.90)% and (79.90±1.52)%, significantly lower than (100.00±6.14)% of Ad5-control-shRNA group. Meanwhile, U2OS cell vitality of Ad5-Herg1-shRNA1 and Ad5-Herg1-shRNA2 group were (69.69±1.36)% and (76.72±2.75)%, significantly lower than (100.00±3.01)% of Ad5-control-shRNA group (all P<0.001). The results of wound healing array showed that 143B cell migration rates of Ad5-Herg1-shRNA1 and Ad5-Herg1-shRNA2 group were (33.03±2.88)% and (36.47±4.16)%, significantly lower than (97.78±2.28)% of Ad5-control-shRNA group. Meanwhile, U2OS cell migration rates of Ad5-Herg1-shRNA1 and Ad5-Herg1-shRNA2 group were (68.07±0.90)% and (73.97±1.25)%, significantly lower than (96.50±1.12)% of Ad5-control-shRNA group (all P<0.001). The results of Transwell showed that 143B cell invasion numbers of Ad5-Herg1-shRNA1 and Ad5-Herg1-shRNA2 group were 36.50±12.15 and 44.83±7.62, significantly lower than 195.33±19.68 of Ad5-control-shRNA group. Meanwhile, U2OS cell migration rates of Ad5-Herg1-shRNA1 and Ad5-Herg1-shRNA2 group were 21.83±7.99 and 22.85±7.08, significantly lower than 83.33±12.36 of Ad5-control-shRNA group (all P<0.001). The results of xenograft model of OS showed that the tumor volume and weight of Ad5-Herg1-shRNA group were significantly smaller than of Ad5-control-shRNA group after 14 days and 5 weeks of inoculation, respectively (P<0.001). Moreover, knockdown of Herg1 inhibited the metastasis of OS cells. In mechanism, Herg1 protein interacted with NF2 protein. Knockdown of Herg1 significantly suppressed the expression levels of LATS1 and YAP protein, and promoted the phosphorylation of LATS1 and YAP in OS cells (all P<0.001). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Herg1 participates in the proliferation and motility of OS cells and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for osteosarcoma patients.

Emergent dynamics of extremes in a population driven by common information sources and new social media algorithms

We quantify how and when extreme subpopulations emerge in a model society despite everyone having the same information and available resources – and show that counterintuitively these extremes will likely be enhanced over time by new social media algorithms designed to reduce division. We verify our analysis mathematically, and show it reproduces (a) the time-dependent behavior observed in controlled experiments on humans, (b) the findings of a recent study of online behavior by Facebook concerning the impact of ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ news, (c) the observed temporal emergence of extremes in U.S. House of Representatives voting, and (d) the real-time emergence of a division in national opinion during the ongoing peace process in Colombia. We uncover a novel societal tipping point which is a ‘ghost’ of a nearby saddle-node bifurcation from dynamical systems theory, and which provides a novel policy opportunity for preventing extremes from emerging.

ZB transposon and chicken vasa homologue (Cvh) promoter interact to increase transfection efficiency of primordial germ cells in vivo

1. In order to increase the efficiency of generating transgenic chicken, this trial focused on two points: primordial germ cells (PGCs）transfection in vivo and a germline-specific promoter.2. In order to transfect PGCs in vivo, two plasmids (pZB-CAG-GFP, pCMV-ZB）were co-injected into chicken embryos via the subgerminal cavity at Hamburger and Hamilton (HH) stage 2-3 or via blood vessel at HH stage 13-14. Results showed that the percentage of GFP+ embryos, viability and hatching rate of embryos injected at HH stage 13-14 were significantly higher than that at HH stage 2-3.3. Two plasmid transposon systems were used for chicken embryo micro-injections. The donor plasmid, with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene, was mediated by the ZB transposon. The helper plasmid was a transposase expression vector driven by the promoter of the chicken vasa homologue (Cvh) gene or Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. Results showed that 60.98% of gonads in Cvh group expressed GFP, which was 52.50% higher than seen in the CMV group. Only gonad tissue from the Cvh group showed any GFP signal, whereas both gonads and other tissues in the CMV group showed green fluorescence.4. The data suggested that ZB transposon-mediated gene transfer was efficient for transfecting PGCs in vivo; the Cvh promoter drove the transposase gene specifically in the germline and increased the efficiency of germline transmission. Blood vessels injection at HH stage 13-14 may be a more efficient route for PGCs transfection in vivo.

Cytotoxic Polyketides from the Marine Sponge-Derived Fungus Pestalotiopsis heterocornis XWS03F09

Four new compounds, including two new polyketides, heterocornols M and N (1, 2), and a pair of epimers, heterocornols O and P (3, 4), were isolated from the fermentation broth of the marine sponge-derived fungus Pestalotiopsis heterocornis XWS03F09, together with three known compounds (5-7). The new chemical structures were established on the basis of a spectroscopic analysis, optical rotation, experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD). All of the compounds (1-7) were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities, and heterocornols M-P (1-4) exhibited cytotoxicities against four human cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 20.4-94.2 μM.

The efficacy and safety of menatetrenone in the management of osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

In our systematic review and meta-analysis, we comprehensively evaluated menatetrenone in the management of osteoporosis. We found that menatetrenone decreased the ratio of undercarboxylated osteocalcin to osteocalcin (ucOC/OC) and improved lumbar BMD compared with placebo based on the 18 studies assessed. However, its benefit in fracture risk control was uncertain.

INTRODUCTION

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of menatetrenone in managing osteoporosis.

METHODS

PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov , and three Chinese literature databases (CNKI, CBM, Wanfang) were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before October 5, 2017, comparing menatetrenone with other anti-osteoporotic drugs or placebo in treating osteoporosis. The pooled risk ratio (RR) or mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using fixed-effects or random-effects meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Eighteen RCTs (8882 patients) were included. Pooled analyses showed that menatetrenone was more effective than placebo in improving lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) (five studies, N = 658, MD = 0.05 g/cm², 95% CI 0.01 to 0.09 g/cm²) and decreasing ucOC/OC (two studies, N = 75, MD = - 21.78%, 95% CI - 33.68 to - 9.87%). Compared with placebo, menatetrenone was associated with a nonsignificantly decreased risk of vertebral fracture (five studies, N = 5508, RR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.20). Evidence on other anti-osteoporotic drugs as comparators was limited and revealed no significantly different effects of menatetrenone on BMD or fracture risks. Furthermore, compared with placebo, menatetrenone significantly increased the incidence of adverse events (AEs) (two studies, N = 1949, RR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.02) and adverse drug reactions (four studies, N = 6102, RR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.56). However, no significant difference in the incidence of serious AEs was found between menatetrenone and placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

Menatetrenone significantly decreases ucOC and might improve lumbar BMD in osteoporotic patients. However, its benefit in fracture risk control is uncertain.

Enhancement of Sensitivity to Chemo/Radiation Therapy by Using miR-15b against DCLK1 in Colorectal Cancer

Chemo-/radiotherapy resistance is the main cause accounting for most treatment failure in colorectal cancer (CRC). Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) are the culprit leading to CRC chemo-/radiotherapy resistance. The underlying regulation mechanism of TICs in CRC remains unclear. Here we discovered that miR-15b expression positively correlated with therapeutic outcome in CRC. Expression of miR-15b in pretreatment biopsy tissue samples predicted tumor regression grade (TRG) in rectal cancer patients after receiving neoadjuvant radiotherapy (nRT). Expression of miR-15b in post-nRT tissue samples was associated with therapeutic outcome. DCLK1 was identified as the direct target gene for miR-15b and its suppression was associated with self-renewal and tumorigenic properties of DCLK1+ TICs. We identified B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region l homolog (BMI1) as a downstream target regulated by miR-15b/DCLK1 signaling. Thus, miR-15b may serve as a valuable marker for prognosis and therapeutic outcome prediction. DCLK1 could be a potential therapeutic target to overcome chemo-/radioresistance in CRC.

Diffuse Speckle Contrast Analysis Assisted Intraoperative Blood Flow Monitoring in the Rat Model of Femoral Arterial Occlusion

The rodent model has been largely used for understanding specific disease pathophysiology, with low cost and the large spectrum from genetic strains. Here, we present a diffuse speckle contrast analysis (DSCA) system to measure blood flow changes non-invasively in rat's thigh and paw during femoral arterial occlusion (FAO) surgery which is the procedure for inducing peripheral arterial disease. The blood flow index in rat's paw showed significant decrease according to arterial occlusion. Moreover, we analyzed cross-correlation between two measurement positions. The results showed the affinity with hemodynamic response. In conclusion, the DSCA system secured the intraoperative blood flow monitoring during FAO surgery in a rat model.

[Pay much attention to control and manage the high pressure of renal plevic and the backflow of irrigation during the operation of urolithiasis of upper tract urinary]

Endoscopic surgery has become the most common urological procedure for calculus in upper urinary tract. However, the widespread usage of minimally invasive endoscopic techniques failed to end the occurrence of perioperative complications, especially some fatal complications. The most severe complication of urolithiasis related endoscopic procedure is urosepsis, which is closely related to the backflow of irrigation fluid induced by the high pressure of renal pelvic during the procedure. By controlling the perfusion and drainage during the operation, the liquid backflow can be reduced effectively, thus may reduce the spread of infectious toxins and pathogens, and incidence of infectious complications can be controlled accordingly. In this article, the pathophysiology of urinary obstruction, the backflow which caused by elevated renal pelvic pressure and its subsequent pathophysiological changes, the control of intra-renal gressure and the prevention of urosepsis will be reviewed. The important range of intra-renal pressure and the major steps for pressure control during the operation is emphasized.

Universality and correlations in individuals wandering through an online extremist space

The "out of the blue" nature of recent terror attacks and the diversity of apparent motives highlight the importance of understanding the online trajectories that individuals follow prior to developing high levels of extremist support. Here we show that the physics of stochastic walks, with and without temporal correlation, provides a unifying description of these online trajectories. Our unique data set comprising all users of a global social media site reveals universal characteristics in individuals' online lifetimes. Our accompanying theory generates analytical and numerical solutions that describe the characteristics shown by individuals that go on to develop high levels of extremist support and those that do not. Going forward, it is conceivable that a deeper understanding of these temporal and many-body correlations may eventually contribute to the important task of better countering the spread of radical propaganda online.

Antidamping-Torque-Induced Switching in Biaxial Antiferromagnetic Insulators

We investigate the current-induced switching of the Néel order in NiO(001)/Pt heterostructures, which is manifested electrically via the spin Hall magnetoresistance. Significant reversible changes in the longitudinal and transverse resistances are found at room temperature for a current threshold lying in the range of 10^{7}  A/cm^{2}. The order-parameter switching is ascribed to the antiferromagnetic dynamics triggered by the (current-induced) antidamping torque, which orients the Néel order towards the direction of the writing current. This is in stark contrast to the case of antiferromagnets such as Mn_{2}Au and CuMnAs, where fieldlike torques induced by the Edelstein effect drive the Néel switching, therefore resulting in an orthogonal alignment between the Néel order and the writing current. Our findings can be readily generalized to other biaxial antiferromagnets, providing broad opportunities for all-electrical writing and readout in antiferromagnetic spintronics.

Long-term risk of diabetes in women at varying durations after gestational diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis with more than 2 million women

This study aims to investigate the impact of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on the long-term risks of diabetes in women with prior GDM, including the effect at different time periods after GDM. We searched PubMed and other databases to retrieve articles which were published prior to February 28, 2017. Cohort studies which evaluated the risk and time of onset of diabetes postpartum in women with and without GDM were included. Meta-analysis with random effects models was used to obtain pooled relative risks and 95% confidence intervals for the risk of diabetes. Subgroup analyses were performed to check for different effect sizes as well as consistency across groups. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders. Thirty cohort studies with 2,626,905 pregnant women were included. Women with prior GDM had 7.76-fold (95% confidence intervals: 5.10-11.81) unadjusted pooled risk of diabetes as compared with women without GDM, whilst the adjusted risk was 17.92-fold (16.96-18.94). The adjusted ORs of GDM for diabetes among women at <3, ≥3 - <6 and ≥6 - <10 years after GDM were 5.37 (3.51-9.34), 16.55 (16.08-17.04) and 8.20 (4.53-14.86), respectively. Women with prior GDM had substantially increased risk of diabetes, with the risk highest during the 3-6 years after GDM.

Multiscale dynamical network mechanisms underlying aging of an online organism from birth to death

We present the continuous-time evolution of an online organism network from birth to death which crosses all organizational and temporal scales, from individual components through to the mesoscopic and entire system scale. These continuous-time data reveal a lifespan driven by punctuated, real-time co-evolution of the structural and functional networks. Aging sees these structural and functional networks gradually diverge in terms of their small-worldness and eventually their connectivity. Dying emerges as an extended process associated with the formation of large but disjoint functional sub-networks together with an increasingly detached core. Our mathematical model quantifies the very different impacts that interventions will have on the overall lifetime, period of initial growth, peak of potency, and duration of old age, depending on when and how they are administered. In addition to their direct relevance to online extremism, our findings may offer insight into aging in other network systems of comparable complexity for which extensive in vivo data is not yet available.

Abstract P5-05-04: The APOBEC3B transgenic mouse

Background: Massively parallel DNA sequencing efforts have facilitated the production of catalogs of the somatic mutations present in cancer genomes. Examining the sequence context of the mutations it is possible to identify patterns that recur frequently. These mutational patterns or “signatures” enable inference into the mutational processes responsible for the patterns. Investigators at the Sanger Institute in the UK have produced a compendium of 30 “Signatures of Mutational Processes in Human Cancer”. Two of these signatures have been attributed to the actions of APOBEC cytidine deaminases. Data from other investigators suggest that APOBEC3B (A3B) is more likely to play a role than are other members of the APOBEC family. The evidence to support the hypothesis that APOBEC activation is responsible for the mutation patterns is limited at present. It is important to establish whether these enzymes play a role in oncogenesis as the APOBEC mutational signature had been noted to be present in 1 of every 6 cancer specimens and second only to aging in prevalence.

Methods: In order to determine if overexpression of APOBEC3B in the mammary gland of mice is tumorigenic and produces the mutational signatures attributed to its activity, we contracted with a commercial vendor for the production of an APOBEC3B transgenic mouse on a 129:C57BL/6 background. Of note, in the course of the production of the transgenic, the intron between exons 5 and 6 was retained in the construct to prevent the expression of the highly mutatgenic protein in E. coli. The transgene was placed 3' of a stop sequence flanked by LoxP sites within the ROSA26 locus. Mating with MMTV-Cre mice restricts the excision of the stop cassette and expression of APOBEC3B to the mammary tissue. A3B heterozygotes from the F1 generation were bred to produce A3B homozygotes. Homozygotes have been allowed to undergo multiple pregnancies and have been observed for up to 12 months as of June 2017.

Results: 3 mice have developed malignancies. Two mice appear to have developed lymphomas and the epithelial cells of a mammary gland of a third mouse (homozygote) at 11 months of age are diffusely hyperplastic. The cells are arranged in rows ranging from 2-4 cells in thickness. Periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) staining confirms that the basement membrane is intact around the hyperplasic cells. There is no anisocytosis, anisokaryosis, desmoplasia, necrosis or mitotic figures noted in the gland.

Conclusions: At 11 month of age, the mammary glands of APOBEC3B transgenic mice are beginning to display histologic abnormalities associated with breast oncogenesis. Observation will continue. With the passage of time we expect to observe more advanced and larger mammary lesions. DNA will be extracted from any invasive mammary tumors, sequenced and the mutation signature determined using the EMu: Expectation-Maximisation inference of mutational signatures software available from Sanger.

Citation Format: Choi M, Lyle LT, Song C, Clare SE. The APOBEC3B transgenic mouse [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-05-04.

Modeling plant composition as community continua in a forest landscape with LiDAR and hyperspectral remote sensing

In light of the need to operationalize the mapping of forest composition at landscape scales, this study uses multi-scale nested vegetation sampling in conjunction with LiDAR-hyperspectral remotely sensed data from the G-LiHT airborne sensor to map vascular plant compositional turnover in a compositionally and structurally complex North Carolina Piedmont forest. Reflecting a shift in emphasis from remotely sensing individual crowns to detecting aggregate optical-structural properties of forest stands, predictive maps reflect the composition of entire vascular plant communities, inclusive of those species smaller than the resolution of the remotely sensed imagery, intertwined with proximate taxa, or otherwise obscured from optical sensors by dense upper canopies. Stand-scale vascular plant composition is modeled as community continua: where discrete community-unit classes at different compositional resolutions provide interpretable context for continuous gradient maps that depict n-dimensional compositional complexity as a single, consistent RGB color combination. In total, derived remotely sensed predictors explain 71%, 54%, and 48% of the variation in the first three components of vascular plant composition, respectively. Among all remotely sensed environmental gradients, topography derived from LiDAR ground returns, forest structure estimated from LiDAR all returns, and morphological-biochemical traits determined from hyperspectral imagery each significantly correspond to the three primary axes of floristic composition in the study site. Results confirm the complementarity of LiDAR and hyperspectral sensors for modeling the environmental gradients constraining landscape turnover in vascular plant composition and hold promise for predictive mapping applications spanning local land management to global ecosystem modeling.

Angiosome based time series analysis of deep tissue perfusion using diffuse speckle contrast analysis

An angiosome is a three dimensional volume of biological tissue which a specific artery governs. Although proven useful for vascular surgery, the direct relationship between arterial flow and microcirculation in specific angiosome remains controversial. Here, we present new optical approach, a four-channel diffuse speckle contrast analysis (DSCA) which can simultaneously measure blood perfusion at different foot area. Based on the hypothesis that same angiosome will support similar low frequency oscillation, we investigated cross-correlation among different DSCA channels. Our preliminary results show that the LFO signal from the channel closest to posterior tibial artery is leading the signal from the other channels.

Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance driven by magnetic phase transition

The independent control of two magnetic electrodes and spin-coherent transport in magnetic tunnel junctions are strictly required for tunneling magnetoresistance, while junctions with only one ferromagnetic electrode exhibit tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance dependent on the anisotropic density of states with no room temperature performance so far. Here, we report an alternative approach to obtaining tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance in α′-FeRh-based junctions driven by the magnetic phase transition of α′-FeRh and resultantly large variation of the density of states in the vicinity of MgO tunneling barrier, referred to as phase transition tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance. The junctions with only one α′-FeRh magnetic electrode show a magnetoresistance ratio up to 20% at room temperature. Both the polarity and magnitude of the phase transition tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance can be modulated by interfacial engineering at the α′-FeRh/MgO interface. Besides the fundamental significance, our finding might add a different dimension to magnetic random access memory and antiferromagnet spintronics.

Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance is promising for next generation memory devices but limited by the low efficiency and functioning temperature. Here the authors achieved 20% tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance at room temperature in magnetic tunnel junctions with one α′-FeRh magnetic electrode.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and risk of arthralgia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The US Food and Drug Administration has warned that treatment with dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors may promote serious arthralgia. However, the clinical evidence for this is relatively lacking.

OBJECTIVE

For this reason, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were carried out to determine the relationship between DPP-4 inhibitors and risk of arthralgia, and also to investigate any potential risk factors.

METHODS

An extensive electronic search for RCTs comparing DPP-4 inhibitors with any comparators was performed up to July 2016. Outcomes of interest were overall and serious arthralgia. Summary risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 67 RCTs (involving 79,110 patients) was ultimately included. Pooled results showed that DPP-4 inhibitors were associated with a slightly but significantly increased risk of overall arthralgia (RR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04-1.22; P=0.003) and a non-significant increased risk of serious arthralgia (RR: 1.44, 95% CI: 0.83-2.51; P=0.20). Also, subgroup analyses showed that add-on/combination therapy and longer diabetes duration (>5years) were possible factors associated with the increased risk of overall arthralgia.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that DPP-4 inhibitors can increase the risk of arthralgia. Thus, the benefits of glycaemic control must be weighed against the risk of arthralgia when prescribing DPP-4 inhibitors. Further studies are now needed to identify and confirm these risk factors.

[Epidemiological characteristics of HBeAg reversion in chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg seroconversion in Jiangsu province, 2012-2014]

Objective: To understand characteristics and influencing factors of reversion of HBeAg in chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg sero-conversion, and provide epidemiological evidence for the regular management of chronic hepatitis B patients. Methods: From 2012 to 2014, a cohort study was conducted among the chronic hepatitis B patients with sero-conversion of HBeAg in Jiangsu province. Association between participants' demographics, ALT, HBV DNA and incidence of HBeAg reversion was analyzed by Cox regression model. HBV DNA changing trend between patients with HBeAg reversion and patients with persistent HBeAg sero-conversion was compared by repeated measure data variance analysis. Results: In 2012, there were 5 068 HBeAg seroconverted chronic hepatitis B patients aged (51.9 ± 12.8) years enrolled. By 2014, HBeAg had reversed in 121 cases with the rate of 1.3/100 person-years. The probability of HBeAg reversion decreased with the age of the patients. By Cox regression analysis, HBV DNA level was an important influencing factor for the progress of HBeAg reversion. The patients with HBV DNA≥200 000 IU/ml had a higher HBeAg reversion rate DNA (3.8/100 person-years) than those with HBV DNA <2 000 IU/ml (1.1 person-years) (HR=3.44, 95% CI: 1.91-6.20, P=0.000). Compared with the persistent HBeAg sero-conversion group, HBV DNA and ALT showed a more dramatic increase in the HBeAg reversion group (P=0.000). Conclusions: There was a certain HBeAg reversion rate in chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg sero-conversion. Younger chronic CHB patients with HBeAg sero-conversion and those with higher HBV DNA lever had higher HBeAg reversion rate. Following up and management of chronic CHB patients with HBeAg sero-conversion is important and helpful for the control of hepatitis B.

[A cohort study on the epidemiological characteristics of HBeAg sero-clearance in HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B patients in Jiangsu province from 2012 to 2014]

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors related to HBeAg sero-clearance in chronic hepatitis B patients so as to provide evidence for regular management on chronic HBV patients. Methods: From 2012 to 2014, a cohort study was conducted among HBeAg positive chronic HBV patients in Jiangsu province. Association between the characteristics and incidence of HBeAg sero-clearance was analyzed by Cox regression method. The changing trend on HBV DNA between patients with HBeAg sero-clearance and those with persistent HBeAg positive status was compared by repeated measure data variance analysis method. Results: In 2012, there were 721 HBeAg positive hepatitis B patients aged (45.2 ± 14.2) years enrolled in this study. By 2014, the follow-up observation period was 1 058 person-years, and 393 cases had lost their HBeAg status, with the rate as 37.2/100 person-years. The HBeAg sero-clearance rate was 32.4/100 person-years in hepatitis B patients who received antiviral treatment. The probability of HBeAg clearance in HBeAg positive hepatitis B patients aged ≥60 year (62.0/100 person-years) was higher than those of aged <20 year (7.0/100 person-years). The rate of HBeAg sero-clearance in HBeAg positive patients with HBV DNA <20 000 IU/ml (75.8/100 person-years) was higher than those whose HBV DNA were ≥200 000 IU/ml (16.1/100 person-years). By Cox regression analysis, the HBV DNA level was an important influencing factor on the progress of HBeAg sero-clearance. Patients with HBV DNA levle as ≥200 000 IU/ml, had a lower HBeAg clearance rate (HR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.13-0.23, P<0.001). Compared to the persistent HBeAg positive group, HBV DNA showed a more dramatic fall in the HBeAg-lost group (P<0.001). Conclusion: The rate of HBeAg sero-clearance among HBeAg positive hepatitis B patients was correlated with age and HBV DNA status of the patients that called for comprehensive management and intervention programs to develop for the HBeAg positive hepatitis B patients with different characteristics.

Time Resolved Measurements of the Switching Trajectory of Pt/Co Elements Induced by Spin-Orbit Torques

We report the experimental observation of spin-orbit torque induced switching of perpendicularly magnetized Pt/Co elements in a time resolved stroboscopic experiment based on high resolution Kerr microscopy. Magnetization dynamics is induced by injecting subnanosecond current pulses into the bilayer while simultaneously applying static in-plane magnetic bias fields. Highly reproducible homogeneous switching on time scales of several tens of nanoseconds is observed. Our findings can be corroborated using micromagnetic modeling only when including a fieldlike torque term as well as the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction mediated by finite temperature.

Genetic susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and risk of dementia

Several studies have shown cardiovascular disease (CVD) to be associated with dementia, but it is not clear whether CVD per se increases the risk of dementia or whether the association is due to shared risk factors. We tested how a genetic risk score (GRS) for coronary artery disease (CAD) affects dementia risk after CVD in 13 231 Swedish twins. We also utilized summarized genome-wide association data to study genetic overlap between CAD and Alzheimer´s disease (AD), and additionally between shared risk factors and each disease. There was no direct effect of a CAD GRS on dementia (hazard ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.98-1.01). However, the GRS for CAD modified the association between CVD and dementia within 3 years of CVD diagnosis, ranging from a hazard ratio of 1.59 (95% CI: 1.05-2.41) in the first GRS quartile to 1.91 (95% CI: 1.28-2.86) in the fourth GRS quartile. Using summary statistics, we found no genetic overlap between CAD and AD. We did, however, find that both AD and CAD share a significant genetic overlap with lipids, but that the overlap arose from clearly distinct gene clusters. In conclusion, genetic susceptibility to CAD was found to modify the association between CVD and dementia, most likely through associations with shared risk factors.

Discovery of tauroursodeoxycholic acid biotransformation enzymes from the gut microbiome of black bears using metagenomics

Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) has been used to treat many diseases effectively. 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (7α-HSDH) and 7β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (7β-HSDH) are two key enzymes that drive the efficient biosynthesis of TUDCA from taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA) in vitro. In this study, a metagenomic approach was used to isolate 7α- and 7β-HSDHs from fecal samples of black bears. Five new 7α-HSDHs and one new 7β-HSDH enzyme were discovered and identified from the gut microbiota of black bears, and four of them presented good enzymatic properties. Our data also suggest cooperation in the biotransformation of TUDCA by the gut microbiota in black bears. In conclusion, this work expands the natural enzyme bank of HSDHs, provides promising candidate enzymes for application in the biosynthesis TUDCA and the epimerization reaction of bile acids at the C-7 position, and provides a data set for the discovery of novel enzymes in the gut micriobiome of black bears.

Two novel polymorphisms in PLCE1 are associated with the susceptibility to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese population

Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide. Phospholipase C epsilon 1 (PLCE1) gene was found to be associated with the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by three large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in Chinese populations. To evaluate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PLCE1 gene and ESCC risk, a case-control study including 550 patients with ESCC and 550 age, gender-matched controls was carried out to investigate the genetic susceptibility of three SNPs (rs3765524 C/T and two unreported potentially functional SNPs rs10882379 G/A and rs829232 G/A) as well as the interactions of gene-gene and gene-environment in the development of ESCC. And the results showed that GA genotype of rs10882379 was significantly associated with reduced ESCC risk compared with GG genotype (adjusted OR [95% CI]: 0.66 [0.51, 0.86]), while AA genotype of rs829232 was significantly associated with increased ESCC risk compared with GG genotype (adjusted OR [95% CI]: 1.37 [1.12, 1.67]). The haplotype analysis showed increased ESCC risk in Grs10882379Crs3765524Ars829232 and Grs10882379Trs3765524Ars829232 haplotypes with OR (95% CI) of 1.40 (1.13, 1.73) and 1.66 (1.18, 2.34), respectively and inversely reduced ESCC risk in Ars10882379Crs3765524Grs829232 haplotype with OR (95% CI) of 0.74 (0.61, 0.91). The gene-environment interaction analysis emerged a best model consisted of four factors (rs10882379, rs3765524, rs829232 and family history of ESCC) that could increase the ESCC risk in the 'high risk group' with 4.45-fold (OR [95% CI]: 5.45 [4.13, 7.19]), compared to the 'low risk group.' Our results further validate that the SNPs in PLCE1 gene may contribute to the ESCC susceptibility in Chinese Han population. Also the gene-gene and gene-environment interactions play a certain crucial role in the ESCC progression.

Comparative analysis of the gut microbiota of black bears in China using high-throughput sequencing

The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is a protected species from eastern Asia. In China, the Asiatic black bear occurs in 17 provinces from northeast to southwest regions. To date, information on microbial diversity in the gut of the Asiatic black bears from different populations remains limited. To determine the species composition and community structure of the gut microbiota in the Asiatic black bear, we characterized 36 fecal samples from Sichuan, Yunnan, and Heilongjiang provinces, China, by pyrosequencing the 16S V3-V4 hypervariable regions using the Illumina Miseq platform. Results showed that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla in the samples, which were largely comprised Escherichia-Shigella, Peptostreptococcaceae_incertae_sedis, Turicibacter, Streptococcus, and Clostridium. By analyzing the community structure from these 36 samples, we found that there were significant differences in the species diversity and richness between Sichuan, Yunnan, and Heilongjiang populations. In conclusion, our results reveal the species composition and structure of the gut microbiota in captive black bears in China, and suggest that biogeography could affect the black bear' gut microbiota.

Development of the dual SMART micro-surgical system using common-path swept source optical coherence tomography

Manual micro-surgical tasks are fundamentally divided into grasping, cutting and injecting maneuvers performed on biological tissues. Efficient dissection of fibrous tissue from the surface of the retina often requires grasping and cutting maneuvers carried out simultaneously. True bimanual surgery requires that the surgeon contend with the innate hand tremor of two hands at once as well as unpredicted patient's movement. In this study, we develop and test a dual SMART micro-surgical system to suppress bimanual hand tremor during micro-surgical dissection.