A puzzling pregnancy epulis with aggressive bone loss mimicking malignant neoplasm: A case report

Epulis is a benign tumor, rarely involves aggressive alveolar bone resorption. This study reported a rare case of rapid growth of pregnancy epulis with extensive alveolar bone destruction and the management of this case. A 24-year old pregnant woman at 35 weeks and 1 day of gestation presented a large asymptomatic nodular mass with severe teeth loosening at the anterior mandibular region for 4 weeks. Radiographic examination showed extensive alveolar bone resorption around the affected teeth to the apical area. After delivery, the patient received an extended resection under general anesthesia. The final histopathological analysis revealed the diagnosis of epulis. In conclusion, the rapid growth of epulis during pregnancy mimicking malignant neoplasm with aggressive alveolar bone destruction was rare and puzzling. In such cases, the histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations are the only effective method to reach the correct diagnosis and clinician should proceed with high precaution.

Truncated Gaussian-Bessel beams for short-pulse processing of small-aspect-ratio micro-channels in dielectrics

In order to control the length of micro-channels ablated at the surface of dielectrics, we use annular filtering apertures for tailoring the depth of focus of micrometric Gaussian-Bessel beams. We identify experimentally and numerically the appropriate beam truncation that promotes a smooth axial distribution of intensity with a small elongation, suitable for processing micro-channels of small aspect ratio. Single-shot channel fabrication is demonstrated on the front surface of a fused silica sample, with sub-micron diameter, high-quality opening, and depth of few micrometers, using 1 ps low-energy (< 0.45 µJ) pulse. Finally, we realize 10 × 10 matrices of densely packed channels with aspect ratio ~5 and a spatial period down to 1.5 μm, as a prospective demonstration of direct laser fabrication of 2D photonic-crystal structures.

Significant Excess of Electronlike Events in the MiniBooNE Short-Baseline Neutrino Experiment

The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab reports results from an analysis of ν_{e} appearance data from 12.84×10^{20} protons on target in neutrino mode, an increase of approximately a factor of 2 over previously reported results. A ν_{e} charged-current quasielastic event excess of 381.2±85.2 events (4.5σ) is observed in the energy range 200<E_{ν}^{QE}<1250  MeV. Combining these data with the ν[over ¯]_{e} appearance data from 11.27×10^{20} protons on target in antineutrino mode, a total ν_{e} plus ν[over ¯]_{e} charged-current quasielastic event excess of 460.5±99.0 events (4.7σ) is observed. If interpreted in a two-neutrino oscillation model, ν_{μ}→ν_{e}, the best oscillation fit to the excess has a probability of 21.1%, while the background-only fit has a χ^{2} probability of 6×10^{-7} relative to the best fit. The MiniBooNE data are consistent in energy and magnitude with the excess of events reported by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND), and the significance of the combined LSND and MiniBooNE excesses is 6.0σ. A two-neutrino oscillation interpretation of the data would require at least four neutrino types and indicate physics beyond the three neutrino paradigm. Although the data are fit with a two-neutrino oscillation model, other models may provide better fits to the data.

The regulation of CIRBP by transforming growth factor beta during heat shock-induced testicular injury

BACKGROUND

Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP) is associated with cell stress. However, its upstream regulatory factors are still largely unknown.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated whether CIRBP expression was regulated by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) during the process of heat-induced testicular damage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ten male adult ICR mice were allocated to heat treatment (scrotal hyperthermia at 43 °C for 30 min, n = 5) and control group (n = 5); CIRBP and TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3 expression levels in the testis in mRNA and protein were analyzed. Then, we conducted in vivo and in vitro studies to investigate the regulatory effects of TGF-β on CIRBP. In the in vivo study, male adult ICR mice were subjected to testicular hyperthermia followed by a local testicular injection of TGF-β antagonist (non-selective TGF-β I/II receptor inhibitor, 5 μg or 10 μg). In the in vitro study, GC2-spd cells were cultured under 43 °C for 30 min or with different TGF-β isoforms (10 ng/mL), and CIRBP expression levels in the testis and GC2-spd cells were analyzed 24 and 48 h, respectively, after treatment.

RESULTS

As a result, heat treatment significantly downregulated the relative CIRBP mRNA and protein expression (p = 0.006 and 0.011), and significantly upregulated TGF-β2 and TGF-β3 expression levels (p = 0.022 and 0.04, for mRNA, and p = 0.001 for both protein levels). Local testicular injection of 10 μg TGF-β antagonist significantly attenuated heat-induced histological damage to the testes and CIRBP downregulation (p = 0.038). Furthermore, TGF-β2 and TGF-β3 significantly downregulated CIRBP mRNA and protein expression in GC2-spd cells (all p < 0.01), exerting a similar effect to heat treatment.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Our in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that heat-induced CIRBP downregulation in the testes was mediated by the upregulation of TGF-β. Further studies are needed to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes.

Transcriptomic analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma reveals molecular features of disease progression and tumor immune biology

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) develops in the context of chronic inflammatory liver disease and has an extremely poor prognosis. An immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment may contribute to therapeutic failure in metastatic HCC. Here, we identified unique molecular signatures pertaining to HCC disease progression and tumor immunity by analyzing genome-wide RNA-Seq data derived from HCC patient tumors and non-tumor cirrhotic tissues. Unsupervised clustering of gene expression data revealed a gradual suppression of local tumor immunity that coincided with disease progression, indicating an increasingly immunosuppressive tumor environment during HCC disease advancement. IHC examination of the spatial distribution of CD8+ T cells in tumors revealed distinct intra- and peri-tumoral subsets. Differential gene expression analysis revealed an 85-gene signature that was significantly upregulated in the peri-tumoral CD8+ T cell-excluded tumors. Notably, this signature was highly enriched with components of underlying extracellular matrix, fibrosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Further analysis condensed this signature to a core set of 23 genes that are associated with CD8+ T cell localization, and were prospectively validated in an independent cohort of HCC specimens. These findings suggest a potential association between elevated fibrosis, possibly modulated by TGF-β, PDGFR, SHH or Notch pathway, and the T cell-excluded immune phenotype. Indeed, targeting fibrosis using a TGF-β neutralizing antibody in the STAM™ model of murine HCC, we found that ameliorating the fibrotic environment could facilitate redistribution of CD8+ lymphocytes into tumors. Our results provide a strong rationale for utilizing immunotherapies in HCC earlier during treatment, potentially in combination with anti-fibrotic therapies.

Co-evolutionary dynamics of the human-environment system in the Heihe River basin in the past 2000years

There is limited quantitative understanding of interactions between human and environmental systems over the millennial scale. We aim to reveal the co-evolutionary dynamics of the human-environment system in a river basin by simulating the water use and net primary production (NPP) allocation for human and environmental systems over the last 2000years in Heihe River basin (HRB) in northwest China. We partition the catchment total evapotranspiration (ET) into ET for human and environmental systems with a social-hydrological framework and estimate the NPP for human and environmental systems using the Box-Lieth model, then classify the co-evolutionary processes of the human-environment system into distinct phases using the rate of changes of NPP over time, and discover the trade-offs or synergies relationships between them based on the elasticity of change of the NPP for humans to the change of NPP for environment. The co-evolutionary dynamics of human-environment system in the HRB can be divided into four periods, including: Phase I (Han Dynasty-Yuan Dynasty): predevelopment characterized by nearly no trade-offs between human and environment; Phase II (Yuan Dynasty-RC): slow agricultural development: characterized by a small human win due to small trade-offs between human and environment; Phase III (RC-2000): rapid agricultural development: characterized by a large human win due to large trade-offs between human and environment, and Phase IV (2000-2010): a rebalance characterized by large human wins with a small-environment win due to synergies, although these occurred very occasionally. This study provides a quantitative approach to describe the co-evolution of the human-environment system from the perspective of trade-offs and synergies in the millennial scale for the first time. The relationships between humans and environment changed from trade-off to synergy with the implementation of the water reallocation scheme in 2000. These findings improve the understanding of how humans influence environmental systems and responses to environmental stresses.

[Clinicopathologic and molecular genetic analysis of secretory carcinoma of salivary gland]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathologic and molecular genetic features of secretory carcinoma of salivary gland (SCSG). Methods: Six cases of SCSG were collected from Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from January 2011 to March 2018. The clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical features were analyzed and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect ETV6 gene rearrangement. Results: Four out of 6 tumors originated in the parotid gland and one of each in the minor salivary glands of soft palate and the buccal mucosa. Grossly, 4 cases were solid and 2 were partially cystic with maximum diameter ranging from 1.0 to 4.0 cm. Microscopically, 5 tumors showed typical features of low grade SCSG with tumor divided by thin fibrous septa into lobules composed of solid acinar, microcystic, follicular and papillary structures with abundant extracellular mucinous secretions. The tumor cells had cuolated or hobnail cytoplasm with low-grade nuclei and scarce mitoses. Perineural invasion was present in 1 case. The remaining tumor showed about 30% of the tumor areas with high-grade transformation characterized by proliferation of a distinct population of anaplastic cells arranged in irregular glandular, small nested and single cell patterns that were surrounded by desmoplastic stroma and invaded into surface mucosa with ulceration. Immunohistochemistry showed that all 6 tumors had diffuse and strong reactivities to S100 protein and cytokeratin 7, and 4 cases showed focal reactivity to gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP15), all were negative for discovered on gist 1 (DOG1), cytokeratin 20, p63 and calponin. High grade transformation cases were analysed, the high grade SCSG components showed a significantly increased Ki-67 index and cyclin D1 positive tumor cells compared to the conventional SCSG components. FISH analyses showed that 4 cases had ETV6 gene rearrangement. Eleven to seventy one months' follow-up showed no evidence of tumor recurrence nor metastasis. Conclusions: SCSG harbors characteristic genetic abnormalities with ETV6 gene rearrangement and typically shows a low grade morphology with occasionally, high grade transformation can be present.

Efficient point-by-point Bragg gratings fabricated in embedded laser-written silica waveguides using ultrafast Bessel beams

We demonstrate highly efficient Bragg gratings written point-by-point by sequential single-pulse ultrashort Bessel laser beams in laser photoinscribed single-mode waveguides in bulk fused silica. The use of chirped non-diffractive Bessel beams determines a strong Bragg resonance in a weak-to-strong transitional regime, augmenting to a record value of 40  dB/cm at 1550 nm in the third order. The Bessel-induced refractive index modulation is negative and localized to sub-micrometer (200 nm) transverse scales. The strong light confinement in Bessel beams ensuring uniform one-dimensional void conditions thus allows for enhanced precision in the Bragg grating waveguide design. We demonstrate flexible fabrication of multiplexed waveguide gratings for multiple and tunable spectral resonances.