Tumour stiffness associated with tumour response to conventional transarterial chemoembolisation for hepatocellular carcinoma: preliminary findings

AIM

To evaluate whether elastic (stiffness) characteristics of tumours were associated with treatment responses and survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of 59 HCC patients with unresectable HCC who underwent TACE was undertaken. Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) was used to measure tissue stiffness of the index tumours and non-tumoural liver before TACE treatment. The correlation between the parameters of tumour stiffness and treatment response to TACE was assessed using mRECIST criteria as well as according to patient survival.

RESULTS

Tumour stiffness and its stiffness difference between tumour and non-tumoural liver were significantly associated with tumour response to TACE (p=0.019 and 0.010, respectively). Patients with tumour stiffness of <2 m/s or stiffness difference between tumour and non-tumoural liver of <0.5 were more likely to have treatment response to TACE. Univariate analysis showed that the difference in stiffness between tumour and non-tumoural livers (p=0.039) was one of the significant predictors of overall survival (OS). In multivariate analysis, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (p=0.006) and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage (p=0.017) were identified as independent predictors of survival.

CONCLUSION

Tumour stiffness characteristics might be an added predictive marker of treatment response to TACE in patients with HCC.

Identification and comparative profiling of gonadal microRNAs in the adult pigeon (Columba livia)

1. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNA molecules that play crucial roles in gene expression. However, the comparative profiling of testicular and ovarian microRNAs in birds are rarely reported, particularly in pigeon.2. In this study, Illumina next-generation sequencing technology was used to sequence miRNA libraries of the gonads from six healthy adult utility pigeons. A total of 344 conserved known miRNAs and 32 novel putative miRNAs candidates were detected. Compared with those of ovaries, 130 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were identified in the testes. Among them, 70 miRNAs showed down-regulation in the ovaries, while another 60 miRNAs were up-regulated.3. Combining the results of the expression of target gene measurements and pathway enrichment analyses, it was revealed that some DEmiRNAs from the gonad samples involved in sexual differentiation and development (such as cli-miR-210-3p and cli-miR-214-3p) could down-regulate AR (androgen receptor). Cli-miR-181b-5p, cli-miR-9622-3p and cli-miR-145-5p were highly expressed in both the ovaries and testes, which could co-target HOXC9, and were related to regulation of primary metabolic processes. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that DEmiRNAs may play biological and sex-related roles in pigeon gonads.4. The expression profiles of testicular and ovarian miRNA in adult pigeon gonads are presented for the first time, and the findings may contribute to a better understanding of gonadal expression in poultry.

Spin fluctuation induced Weyl semimetal state in the paramagnetic phase of EuCd2As2

Weyl fermions as emergent quasiparticles can arise in Weyl semimetals (WSMs) in which the energy bands are nondegenerate, resulting from inversion or time-reversal symmetry breaking. Nevertheless, experimental evidence for magnetically induced WSMs is scarce. Here, using photoemission spectroscopy, we observe that the degeneracy of Bloch bands is already lifted in the paramagnetic phase of EuCd2As2. We attribute this effect to the itinerant electrons experiencing quasi-static and quasi-long-range ferromagnetic fluctuations. Moreover, the spin-nondegenerate band structure harbors a pair of ideal Weyl nodes near the Fermi level. Hence, we show that long-range magnetic order and the spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry are not essential requirements for WSM states in centrosymmetric systems and that WSM states can emerge in a wider range of condensed matter systems than previously thought.

[Evaluation of tumor vascular normalization in colorectal cancer mouse mode induced by recombinant human endostatin by intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging]

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (IVIM-DWI MRI) in the evaluation of tumor vascular normalization in a mouse model of colorectal cancer induced by recombinant human endostatin (rhES). Methods: The CT26 colorectal cancer xenograft model of BALB/c mice were established and divided into rhES group and control group, with 20 mice in each group. The mice of rhES group were intravenously injected with rhES 5 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) once daily for 12 days, while the mice of the control group were intravenously injected with the same volume of 0.9% saline. 5 mice of rhES group and control group were randomly selected to perform IVIM-DWI MRI as following times: before treatment and four, eight, twelve days after treatment. The parameters of IVIM-DWI were recorded, including true diffusion coefficient(D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D(*)) and perfusion fraction (f). Meanwhile, microvessel density (MVD), pericyte coverage and tumor perfusion in tumor tissues were detected by immunofluorescence, respectively. Results: The tumor volumes of control group and rhES group before treatment were (154.42±24.65) mm(3) and (174.24±28.27)mm(3,) respectively, without statistically significant difference (P=0.440). From day 2 to day 12 after treatment, the tumor volume of rhES group was significantly smaller than that of control group (all P<0.05). There were no statistical significances of D value between the rhES group and control group before and after treatment (all P>0.05). The D(*) values of the rhES group were (10.940±2.834)×10(-3)mm(2)/s and (12.940±2.801)×10(-3)mm(2)/s in day 4 and 8 after treatment respectively, significantly higher than (6.980±1.554)×10(-3)mm(2)/s and (7.898±1.603)×10(-3)mm(2)/s of control group (P<0.05). Moreover, compared with control group, the D(*) value of rhES group was significantly lower in day 12 (6.848±1.460)×10(-3)mm(2)/s vs (9.950±2.596)×10(-3)mm(2)/s, (P<0.05). The f value of rhES group in day 8 was (0.226±0.021)%, significantly higher than (0.178±0.016)% of control group (P<0.01). The MVD of rhES group was significantly lower than that of control group (P<0.05), while the pericyte coverage and tumor perfusion of rhES group were significantly higher than those of control group in day 4 and 8 after treatment (all P<0.05). In addition, we found D(*) value of IVIM-DWI in rhES group was significantly related with MVD, pericyte coverage and tumor perfusion (r=-0.354, r=0.555, r=0.559, all P<0.05). Meanwhile, the f value in rhES group was also significantly related with MVD, pericyte coverage and tumor perfusion (r=-0.391, r=0.538, r=0.315, all P<0.05). Conclusions: IVIM-DWI MRI can effectively evaluate the vascular normalization in rhES-induced CT26 colorectal tumor.The parameters D(*) and f are closely related to intratumorally microvessel density, pericyte coverage and perfusion, which can effectively monitor the occurrence of tumor vascular normalization time.

Transcriptome analysis of the endometrium from Chinese Erhualian sows that differ in calcium ion concentration and litter size

Embryonic survival rate, an important factor in the fecundity of sows, is affected by endometrium-secreting histotroph. A higher concentration of calcium ion has been observed in the uterus of highly prolific Erhualian sows (EH) compared with those of less prolific (EL) sows. This suggests that EH sows have better establishment and maintenance of pregnancies, thus increasing embryonic survival rate during the peri-implantation period. To understand the mechanisms of how the endometrium-secreting histotroph affects embryonic survival rate during the Erhualian peri-implantation period, the expression patterns of endometrial mRNA in the EH and EL sows on day 12 of gestation were analyzed using RNA sequencing technology. A total of 164 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (P_adj  < 0.05, |log₂ (FC)| ≥ 1), including 46 upregulated and 118 downregulated genes in EH compared to EL. Gene Ontology enrichment indicated that a subset of DEGs was involved in calcium ion binding and cell adhesion. Solute carrier family 8 member A3 and solute carrier family 24 member 4, identified as upregulated genes (P_adj  < 0.05) in EH, were considered key candidate genes expressed in the endometrium affecting embryonic survival rate during the peri-implantation period. The results improve understanding of the genetic mechanism underlying the variation in litter size of Erhualian pigs during the peri-implantation period.

Dirac nodal surfaces and nodal lines in ZrSiS

Topological semimetals are characterized by symmetry-protected band crossings, which can be preserved in different dimensions in momentum space, forming zero-dimensional nodal points, one-dimensional nodal lines, or even two-dimensional nodal surfaces. Materials harboring nodal points and nodal lines have been experimentally verified, whereas experimental evidence of nodal surfaces is still lacking. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we reveal the coexistence of Dirac nodal surfaces and nodal lines in the bulk electronic structures of ZrSiS. As compared with previous ARPES studies on ZrSiS, we obtained pure bulk states, which enable us to extract unambiguously intrinsic information of the bulk nodal surfaces and nodal lines. Our results show that the nodal lines are the only feature near the Fermi level and constitute the whole Fermi surfaces. We not only prove that the low-energy quasiparticles in ZrSiS are contributed entirely by Dirac fermions but also experimentally realize the nodal surface in topological semimetals.

Autophagy induction in atrophic muscle cells requires ULK1 activation by TRIM32 through unanchored K63-linked polyubiquitin chains

Optimal autophagic activity is crucial to maintain muscle integrity, with either reduced or excessive levels leading to specific myopathies. LGMD2H is a muscle dystrophy caused by mutations in the ubiquitin ligase TRIM32, whose function in muscles remains not fully understood. Here, we show that TRIM32 is required for the induction of muscle autophagy in atrophic conditions using both in vitro and in vivo mouse models. Trim32 inhibition results in a defective autophagy response to muscle atrophy, associated with increased ROS and MuRF1 levels. The proautophagic function of TRIM32 relies on its ability to bind the autophagy proteins AMBRA1 and ULK1 and stimulate ULK1 activity via unanchored K63-linked polyubiquitin. LGMD2H-causative mutations impair TRIM32's ability to bind ULK1 and induce autophagy. Collectively, our study revealed a role for TRIM32 in the regulation of muscle autophagy in response to atrophic stimuli, uncovering a previously unidentified mechanism by which ubiquitin ligases activate autophagy regulators.

[Computer-aided assessment of liver fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B: an exploratory research]

Objective: To establish automatic liver fibrosis classification models by using traditional machine learning and deep learning methods and preliminaryly evaluate the efficiency. Methods: Gray scale ultrasound images and corresponding elastic images of 354 patients, 247 males and 107 females, mean age (54±12) years undergoing partial hepatectomy in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from November 2014 to January 2016 were enrolled in this study. By using traditional machine learning and deep learning methods, an automatic classification model of liver fibrosis stages (S0 to S4) were established through feature extraction and classification of ultrasound image data sets and the accuracy in different classification categories of each model were calculated, by using liver biopsy as the reference standard. Results: Pathological examination showed 73 cases in pathological stage S0, 40 cases in S1, 49 cases in S2, 41 cases in S3, and 151 cases in S4. The traditional machine classification model based on support vector machine (SVM) classifier and sparse representation classifier and the deep learning classification model based on LeNet-5 neural network, their accuracy rates in the two categories (S0/S1/S2 and S3/S4) were 89.8%, 91.8% and 90.7% respectively; the accuracy rates in the three categories (S0/S1 and S2/S3 and S4) were 75.3%, 79.4% and 82.8% respectively; the accuracy in the three categories (S0 and S1/S2/S3 and S4) were 79.3%, 82.7% and 87.2% respectively. Conclusions: Computer-aided assessment of liver fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B has a high accuracy, and can achieve a more detailed classification. This method is expected to be applied in the non-invasive evaluation of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis B in clinical work in the future.

Evidence of a Coulomb-Interaction-Induced Lifshitz Transition and Robust Hybrid Weyl Semimetal in T_{d}-MoTe_{2}

Using soft x-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy we probed the bulk electronic structure of T_{d}-MoTe_{2}. We found that on-site Coulomb interaction leads to a Lifshitz transition, which is essential for a precise description of the electronic structure. A hybrid Weyl semimetal state with a pair of energy bands touching at both type-I and type-II Weyl nodes is indicated by comparing the experimental data with theoretical calculations. Unveiling the importance of Coulomb interaction opens up a new route to comprehend the unique properties of MoTe_{2}, and is significant for understanding the interplay between correlation effects, strong spin-orbit coupling and superconductivity in this van der Waals material.

Quantitative Characterization of the Nanoscale Local Lattice Strain Induced by Sr Dopants in La_{1.92}Sr_{0.08}CuO_{4}

The nanometer scale lattice deformation brought about by the dopants in the high temperature superconducting cuprate La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4} (x=0.08) was investigated by measuring the associated x-ray diffuse scattering around multiple Bragg peaks. A characteristic diffuse scattering pattern was observed, which can be well described by continuum elastic theory. With the fitted dipole force parameters, the acoustic-type lattice deformation pattern was reconstructed and found to be of similar size to lattice thermal vibration at 7 K. Our results address the long-term concern of dopant introduced local lattice inhomogeneity, and show that the associated nanometer scale lattice deformation is marginal and cannot, alone, be responsible for the patched variation in the spectral gaps observed with scanning tunneling microscopy in the cuprates.

TAp63 contributes to sexual dimorphism in POMC neuron functions and energy homeostasis

Sexual dimorphism exists in energy balance, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that the female mice have more pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons in the arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus than males, and female POMC neurons display higher neural activities, compared to male counterparts. Strikingly, deletion of the transcription factor, TAp63, in POMC neurons confers "male-like" diet-induced obesity (DIO) in female mice associated with decreased POMC neural activities; but the same deletion does not affect male mice. Our results indicate that TAp63 in female POMC neurons contributes to the enhanced POMC neuron functions and resistance to obesity in females. Thus, TAp63 in POMC neurons is one key molecular driver for the sexual dimorphism in energy homeostasis.

[Expanded clinical verification of effectiveness of two-dimensional-shear wave elastography in the noninvasive evaluation of hepatic fibrosis]

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of two-dimensional shear wave elastography(2D-SWE)in the assessment of hepatic fibrosis in a large-scale clinical setting. Methods: A total of 1 079 subjects who underwent partial hepatectomy were examined with 2D-SWE to measure liver stiffness before operation and the liver stiffness measurements were compared with histologic findings.The published cutoff values of liver stiffness examined with 2D-SWE were used as a reference, as 7.2, 9.2, and 10.4 kPa for diagnosing substantial fibrosis(S2), severe fibrosis(S3), and cirrhosis(S4), respectively.The area under curve(AUC)was calculated to verify the value of 2D-SWE in the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis. Results: Compared with the pathological diagnosis, the AUC of 2D-SWE in diagnosing substantial fibrosis(S2), severe fibrosis(S3), and cirrhosis(S4)were 0.976, 0.981, and 0.968, the sensitivity were 95.3%, 92.6%, and 93.5%, the specificity were 87.8%, 87.5% and 89.3%, and the accuracy were 88.8%, 90.0% and 91.0%, respectively(P<0.05). Conclusion: 2D-SWE is an effective imaging tool for noninvasive diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis.

A pilot screening of high-risk Gaucher disease children using dried blood spot methods in Shandong province of China

Background

The study aim was to verify the feasibility of a diagnostic algorithm with the evaluation of beta glucocerebrosidase (GBA) activity on dried blood spots (DBS) in screening high-risk Gaucher disease (GD) children in China, and to investigate the GD prevalence in this selected population.

Methods

Children were recruited from 20 departments of pediatrics or children’s hospitals in Shandong Province, China, due to splenomegaly and/or thrombocytopenia associated with one or more of the following creteria: anemia, history of bone pain, monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS), polyclonal gammopathy and splenectomy. GBA activity on DBS was tested, and patients with DBS GBA activity under 30 nmol/h.ml were recalled to assess enzyme assay with gold standard and molecular GBA gene analysis on leukocytes.

Results

A total of 73 children (47 boys and 26 girls) were enrolled in this study. GBA activity DBS < 30 nmol/h.ml was found in 18 (23.7%) children among which four (three boys and one girl) were diagnosed as GD with a median age 1.5 years, and the prevalence in this pediatric population was 5.5% (1.5%~ 13.4%). Three new mutations of GBA found in the four GD patients, L264I, A100Cfs*7 and D399E, have not been reported before.

Conclusions

With evaluation of GBA activity on DBS as a preliminary screening method, the diagnostic algorithm used in this study is appropriate to make early diagnosis for GD patients with mild symptoms or atypical symptoms and avoid diagnosis delay.

Trial registration

Not applicable.

Fully printed high performance humidity sensors based on two-dimensional materials

Fully printed humidity sensors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials are described. Monolayer graphene oxide (GO) and few-layered black phosphorus (BP) flakes were dispersed in low boiling point solvents suitable for inkjet printing. The humidity sensors were fabricated by printing GO and BP sensing layers on printed silver nanoparticle electrodes. The electrical response of the GO and BP sensors to humidity levels ranges from 11 to 97% relative humidity, which revealed a high capacitance sensitivity of 4.45 × 104 times for the GO sensor and 5.08 × 103 times for the BP sensor at 10 Hz operation frequency. Response/recovery times of the GO and BP sensor were found to be 2.7/4.6 s and 4.7/3.0 s respectively. These sensors also showed sensitive and fast response to a proximal human fingertip, showing potential applications in contactless switching.

Substitution of Yor1p NBD1 residues improves the thermal stability of Human Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator

The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) is a plasma membrane chloride channel protein that regulates vertebrate fluid homeostasis. The inefficiency of wild type human CFTR protein folding/trafficking is exacerbated by genetic mutations that can cause protein misfolding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and subsequent degradation. This project investigates small changes in protein sequence that can alter the thermal stability of the large multi-domain CFTR protein. We target a conserved 70-residue α-subdomain located in the first nucleotide-binding domain that hosts the common misfolding mutation ∆F508. To investigate substitutions that can stabilize this domain, we constructed chimeras between human CFTR and its closest yeast homolog Yor1p. The α-subdomain of Yor1p was replaced with that of CFTR in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cellular localization of green fluorescence protein-tagged Yor1p-CFTR chimeras was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy and quantitative multispectral imaging flow cytometry, steady-state protein levels were compared by SDS-PAGE and protein function probed by a phenotypic oligomycin resistance assay. The chimeras exhibited ER retention in yeast characteristic of defective protein folding/processing. Substitution of seven CFTR α-subdomain residues that are highly conserved in Yor1p and other transporters but differ in CFTR (S495P/R516K/F533L/A534P/K536G/I539T/R553K) improved Yor1p-CFTR chimera localization to the yeast plasma membrane. When introduced into human CFTR expressed in mammalian cells, the same substitutions improve the purified protein thermal stability. This stabilized human CFTR protein will be directly useful for structural and biophysical studies that have been limited by the thermal sensitivity of wild type CFTR. The insights into critical structural residues within CFTR could facilitate development of effective therapeutics for CF-causing mutations.

[The association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms in IL6, IL10 genes and the susceptibility to primary hepatic carcinoma in Shunde District of Foshan City]

Objective: To investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in cytokine IL6, IL10 genes and the susceptibility to primary hepatic carcinoma(PHC) of Shunde district in Guangdong Province. Methods: Patients from two hospitals in Shunde District of Foshan City were selected from October 2010 to October 2012. Case group inclusion criteria includedprimary liver cancer; local residents of Shunde or living in Shunde for more than 10 years. The control group inclusion criteria included: patients visited ENT, general surgery and physical examination department in the same hospital during the same period; Local residents or living in Shunde for 10 years and above. The control group was matched 1∶1 by gender, and age (±3 years old) with case group. A total of 306 subjects were collected. Questionnaires were used to investigate the information including demographic characteristics, PHC status survey and so on. The venous blood was collected from each subject to extract DNA, and to detect label SNP site and genotype. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was detected in the control group by the goodness-of-fit χ(2) test. Multivariate conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between IL6 (rs1800796), IL10 (rs1800871, rs1800872)genes polymorphisms and susceptibility to PHC. Results: There were 264 males and 42 females both in the case group and the control group, with an average age of (55.84±11.49) and (55.83±11.67) years old respectively (t=0.011, P=0.992). The frequencies of IL6 (rs1800796), IL10 (rs1800871) and IL10 (rs1800872) genotypes in the control group were in accordance with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, which indicated the population was representative (all P values>0.05). Conditional logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the AA genotype and AA+AC genotype of IL10(rs1800872), CC genotype increased the risk of PHC by 2.02 times (OR=3.02, 95%CI:1.21-7.56)and 1.89 times (OR=2.89, 95%CI:1.19-7.04)respectively after the smoking history, eating fish history, drinking history, chronic hepatitis B infection, and family history of liver cancer adjusted. No statistical association was found between SNP in cytokine IL6 (rs1800796) and the susceptibility to PHC (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results indicated that people who carried CC genotype in rs1800872 of IL10 gene have an increasing risk of PHC.

Electronic structure of SrSn2As2 near the topological critical point

Topological materials with exotic quantum properties are promising candidates for quantum spin electronics. Different classes of topological materials, including Weyl semimetal, topological superconductor, topological insulator and Axion insulator, etc., can be connected to each other via quantum phase transition. For example, it is believed that a trivial band insulator can be twisted into topological phase by increasing spin-orbital coupling or changing the parameters of crystal lattice. With the results of LDA calculation and measurement by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we demonstrate in this work that the electronic structure of SrSn₂As₂ single crystal has the texture of band inversion near the critical point. The results indicate the possibility of realizing topological quantum phase transition in SrSn₂As₂ single crystal and obtaining different exotic quantum states.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of fulvestrant versus anastrozole as first-line treatment for hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer

Although recent studies demonstrated that fulvestrant is superior to anastrozole as first-line treatment for hormone receptor (HR)-positive advanced breast cancer, the cost-effectiveness of fulvestrant versus anastrozole remained uncertain. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of fulvestrant compared with anastrozole in the first-line setting. A Markov model consisting of three health states (stable, progressive and dead) was constructed to simulate a hypothetical cohort of patients with HR-positive advanced breast cancer. Costs were calculated from a Chinese societal perspective. Health outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was expressed as incremental cost per QALY gained. Model results suggested that fulvestrant provides an additional effectiveness gain of 0.11 QALYs at an incremental cost of $32,654 compared with anastrozole, resulting in an ICER of $296,855/QALY exceeding the willingness-to-pay threshold of $23,700/QALY. Hence, fulvestrant is not a cost-effective strategy compared with anastrozole as first-line treatment for HR-positive advanced breast cancer.