Intense carbon beams production with an all permanent magnet electron cyclotron resonance ion source for heavy ion medical machine

LAPECR3 (Lanzhou All Permanent magnet Electron cyclotron Resonance ion source No. 3) had been developed as an ion injector of Heavy Ion Medical Machine (HIMM) accelerator facility since 2009. The first HIMM accelerator facility was built in Wuwei city in 2015, and the LAPCER3 ion source has delivered C⁵⁺ ion beam to HIMM for more than 1000 days in the past four years. In order to improve the performance of the LAPECR3 ion source for intense carbon beams production, continuous research and development work has been made. The recently developed LAPECR3 ion source together with the new low-energy beam transportation can provide better performance in terms of both beam intensity and quality. This paper will generally review the LAPECR3 ion source operation status for HIMM, and the recent improvement will be presented, especially the stable beams production of C⁴⁺ and C⁵⁺.

MiR-133a inhibits fracture healing via targeting RUNX2/BMP2

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the mechanism of miR-133a in inhibiting fracture healing through regulating runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) signaling pathway.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 80 patients with fracture admitted to our hospital from January 2016 to January 2017 were divided into 2 groups according to nonunion fracture or healing fracture: nonunion fracture group (n = 40) and control group (n= 40). After admission, patients underwent the surgery, respectively, and the bone tissues were taken for stand-by application. The expression level of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) was detected using the immunohistochemical method, the expression level of RUNX2 protein was detected by Western blotting, and the expression level of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-133a was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Moreover, the bioinformatics method was used to predict the target gene of miR-133a, and the luciferase reporter gene was used to detect the binding of miR-133a to RUNX2.

RESULTS

Compared with those in control group, the expression of BMP2 and the relative expressions of RUNX2 protein and miR-133a were significantly decreased; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that miR-133a was negatively correlated with RUNX2. After overexpression of miR-133a, the expression level of RUNX2 was decreased, but it was increased significantly after interference in miR-133a. Besides, it was found in dual-luciferase reporter assay that miR-133a bound to RUNX2.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-133a inhibits the bone formation through inhibiting the RUNX2/BMP2 signaling pathway, thereby negatively regulating the fracture healing.

Characteristics of volatile flavor components in traditional fermented yak milk produced in different ecoregions of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

The volatile flavor substances in traditional fermented yak milk samples collected from 5 ecoregions (A: coniferous forests and grasslands of the Qilian Qingdong Mountains; B: alpine grasslands surrounding the lakes in the Qiangtang Plateau; C: alpine shrubs and meadows of the Guoluo-Nagqu Highlands; D: coniferous forests along the alpine valley in East Tibet; E: shrubs and grasslands along the alpine valley in South Tibet) of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau were comparatively analyzed. The relative percentage composition of volatile flavor substances varied among the different ecoregions. In samples collected from region E, more than 50% of the volatile flavor compounds were esters comprising mainly n-butyl acetate, butyl butyrate, and ethyl octanoate, and a considerable proportion of acetoin was found in samples from regions B and E. Greater proportions of 2-heptanone and 2-nonanone were observed in samples collected from regions A, C, and D compared with regions B and E.

Genome-wide detection of genetic loci and candidate genes for teat number and body conformation traits at birth in Chinese Sushan pigs

Body conformation at birth and teat number are economically important traits in the pig industry, as these traits are usually explored to evaluate the growth and reproductive potential of piglets. To detect genetic loci and candidate genes for these traits, we performed a GWAS on 269 pigs from a recently developed Chinese breed (Sushan) using 38  128 informative SNPs on the Affymetrix Porcine SNP 55K Array. In total, we detected one genome-wide significant (P = 1.31e-6) SNP for teat number on chromosome X and 15 chromosome-wide significant SNPs for teat number, body weight, body length, chest circumference and cannon circumference at birth on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18. The most significant SNP had an additive effect of 0.74 × total teat number, explaining 20% of phenotypic variance. Five significant SNPs resided in the previously reported quantitative trait loci for these traits and seven significant SNPs had a pleiotropic effect on multiple traits. Intriguingly, 12 of the genes nearest to the significant SNPs are functionally related to body conformation and teat number traits, including SPRED2, MKX, TMSB4X and ESR1. GO analysis revealed that candidate genes proximal to the significant SNPs were enriched in the G-protein coupled receptor and steroid hormone-mediated signaling pathway. Our findings shed light on the genetic basis of the measured traits and provide molecular markers especially for the genetic improvement of teat number in Sushan and related pigs.

[Correlation analysis of incidence, season and temperature parameters of different types of sudden deafness]

Objective:The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between the onset of different types of sudden sensorineural hearing loss（SSNHL） with temperature parameters and seasons. Method:We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 175 patients who were diagnosed as SSNHL, precisely collected the exact date and city of onset, confirmed the season, and obtained the meteorological data including maximum temperature（Tmax）, minimum temperature（Tmin）, mean temperature（T）, day-to-day change of mean temperature（ΔT）, and diurnal temperature range（Trange） at the same day, then analyzed the relation between season and temperature with the onset of different types of SSNHL. Result:There was a significant difference of Trange between different types of SSNHL（P=0.001）. Trange on the onset date of all-frequency SSNHL（including flat and profound type） was significantly higher than low and high frequency descending type（P=0.001, P<0.05 respectively）. Types of SSNHL had weak association with Trange groups（P=0.03, Cramer's V=0.220）. An increase of 1℃ in Trange increased the risk of flat type SSNHL by 23.9% and 16.5% compared with low and high frequency descending type, respectively, and for profound type, the risk was increased by 22.4% and 15.1%. No significant differences were observed between seasons and SSNHL types（P=0.666）. Conclusion:The incidence of different types of sudden sputum may be related to the worse temperature on the day, and has nothing to do with the disease season.

Orphan nuclear receptor COUP-TFII is an oncogenic gene in renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II (COUP-TFII) may be an oncogenic gene in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the direct association between COUP-TFII expression and patient survival has not been investigated in patients with RCC, and the molecular oncogenesis of COUP-TFII in RCC remains unclear.

METHODS

The mRNA expression levels of COUP-TFII in the tumors of 283 patients with RCC were determined by RT-qPCR. The remaining 266 patients were categorized into low- and high-expression groups according to the cut off value generated by receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. The function of COUP-TFII in RCC cells was tested by knockdown experiments in vitro.

RESULTS

In the present study, it was revealed that the mRNA expression levels of COUP-TFII were significantly higher in tumors compared with those in adjacent non-cancerous tissues, and that the overexpression of COUP-TFII was strongly associated with poor patient survival. It was further demonstrated that knockdown of COUP-TFII suppressed proliferation, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in RCC cells in vitro. This also resulted in the activation of the mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway, impaired migration and invasion of RCC cells through epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vitro, and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. In addition, it was revealed that the induction of cell migration and invasion by COUP-TFII was mediated, at least in part, by integrin subunit β1.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, the present study indicated that COUP-TFII is an oncogenic gene in RCC, and a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of the disease.

[The correlation between plasma fibrinogen level and different types of sudden sensorineural hearing loss]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between plasma fibrinogen level and the incidence of sudden hearing loss. Method: A total of 225 patients (age ranging from 18 to 70 years) with sudden sensorineural hearing loss(SSNHL) were selected. The disease onset was within 2 weeks. No patient received previous medical intervention. Depending on the types of auditory threshold curve, SSNHL was divided into low frequency descending type, high frequency descending type, flat desending type and total deafness type. Two hundred and twenty-nine cases with normal hearing and no inflammatory diseases in the same period was selected as control group. Fibrinogen level and Blood Routine Indexes were detected for the purpose of retrospective cohort study.Result: The levels of fibrinogen in SSNHL group(2.98±0.59) g/L were significantly higher than that in control group(2.66±0.36) g/L (P<0.01). According to the types of auditory threshold curve, SSNHL groups were divided into group A(55 cases, 24.44%), Group B(36 cases, 16.00%), Group C(43 cases,19.11%) and Group D(91 cases, 40.44%). The average fibrinogen levels before treatment were at(2.75±0.46)g/L, (3.16±0.61) g/L, (3.02±0.63) g/L and(3.03±0.63) g/L respectively. There was no significant difference in fibrinogen level(P=0.286) between group A and the control group. Fibrinogen levels of group B, group C and group D were significantly elevated compared to control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: The level of fibrinogen is not significantly correlated with development of sudden deafness of low frequency descending type. The incidence of high frequency descending type, flat descending type and profound deafness type are all correlated with the level of high fibrinogen at the onset of sudden deafness. The classification of sudden deafness based on audiogram curves could be of great significance for analysis of possible causes and selection of treatment options.

Increase in CFC-11 emissions from eastern China based on atmospheric observations

The recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer relies on the continued decline in the atmospheric concentrations of ozone-depleting gases such as chlorofluorocarbons¹. The atmospheric concentration of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11), the second-most abundant chlorofluorocarbon, has declined substantially since the mid-1990s². A recently reported slowdown in the decline of the atmospheric concentration of CFC-11 after 2012, however, suggests that global emissions have increased^3,4. A concurrent increase in CFC-11 emissions from eastern Asia contributes to the global emission increase, but the location and magnitude of this regional source are unknown³. Here, using high-frequency atmospheric observations from Gosan, South Korea, and Hateruma, Japan, together with global monitoring data and atmospheric chemical transport model simulations, we investigate regional CFC-11 emissions from eastern Asia. We show that emissions from eastern mainland China are 7.0 ± 3.0 (±1 standard deviation) gigagrams per year higher in 2014-2017 than in 2008-2012, and that the increase in emissions arises primarily around the northeastern provinces of Shandong and Hebei. This increase accounts for a substantial fraction (at least 40 to 60 per cent) of the global rise in CFC-11 emissions. We find no evidence for a significant increase in CFC-11 emissions from any other eastern Asian countries or other regions of the world where there are available data for the detection of regional emissions. The attribution of any remaining fraction of the global CFC-11 emission rise to other regions is limited by the sparsity of long-term measurements of sufficient frequency near potentially emissive regions. Several considerations suggest that the increase in CFC-11 emissions from eastern mainland China is likely to be the result of new production and use, which is inconsistent with the Montreal Protocol agreement to phase out global chlorofluorocarbon production by 2010.

TT genotype of rs10036748 in TNIP1 shows better response to methotrexate in a Chinese population: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Methotrexate (MTX) is an efficacious treatment for psoriasis; however, its widespread application is limited by its unpredictable efficacy.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association of clinical factors and variants of psoriasis susceptibility genes with clinical responses to MTX in a prospective cohort.

METHODS

A total of 221 patients with psoriasis were recruited. Patients who achieved Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) improvement ≥ 75% at week 12 were defined as responders, whereas those with PASI improvement < 50% were defined as nonresponders. In 90 screening patients, genetic variants for 18 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 14 susceptibility genes, and HLA-Cw6 status were initially compared for responders and nonresponders. Statistically significant associations in genetic variants were verified in all 221 patients.

RESULTS

Overall, 49% and 45% of patients achieved PASI 75 improvement during screening and verification stages, respectively. Concomitant arthritis with psoriasis and high body mass index (BMI) negatively affect the efficacy of MTX. TT genotype of rs10036748 in TNIP1 was significantly associated with PASI 75 response at week 12 (54% and 37%, P < 0·05). A significantly higher PASI 90 response was observed in patients with TT genotype of rs10036748 (27% vs. 12%, P < 0·01) and TC/TT genotype of rs4112788 in LCE3D (25% vs. 13%, P < 0·05) at week 12 compared with those who had other genotypes. After adjustment for all confounding factors, only BMI (P < 0·05), arthritis (P < 0·05) and genotype of rs10036748 (P < 0·05) were significantly associated with clinical responses to MTX.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with psoriasis with TT genotype of rs10036748 in TNIP1, with lower BMI, without arthritis will achieve a better response to MTX.

Clinical, neuroimaging and prognostic study of 127 cases with infarction of the corpus callosum

Background and purpose

The aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate clinical and neuroimaging characteristics in the largest sample size of patients with corpus callosum infarction to date and then to follow up these patients for 1 year to clarify the prognosis of this rare stroke entity.

Methods

A total of 127 patients with acute callosal infarction out of 5584 acute ischaemic stroke patients were included in this study. The recruited patients were divided into a pure callosal infarction group and a complex callosal infarction group (coupled with other infarct locations simultaneously), and clinical and neuroimaging features were analyzed. Some of the patients were followed up for 1 year to evaluate recurrence rate and mortality.

Results

The incidence of acute callosal infarction was 2.3%. Most patients presented with advanced neurological dysfunction with or without mild to moderate motor or sensory disorders on admission. The negative rate of computed tomography scan was still 76.4% even at >24 h after onset. Large‐artery atherosclerosis was the most common etiological type. Compared with complex callosal infarction, the pure callosal infarction group had more mental disorders (P = 0.030). Compared with common basal ganglia infarction, the pure callosal infarction group had better short‐term recovery (P = 0.016) but higher 1‐year mortality (P = 0.037). Age and mental disorders were independent risk factors for death in callosal infarction.

Conclusions

Callosal infarction is a white matter stroke that occurs with low incidence. Elderly patients with vascular risk factors showed sudden mental or cognitive disorders and callosal infarction could not be excluded. More attention should be paid to the early diagnosis and secondary prevention of callosal infarction because of its poor long‐term outcome.

Evidence of a Resonant Structure in the e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}D^{0}D^{*-} Cross Section between 4.05 and 4.60 GeV

The cross section of the process e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}D^{0}D^{*-} for center-of-mass energies from 4.05 to 4.60 GeV is measured precisely using data samples collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII storage ring. Two enhancements are clearly visible in the cross section around 4.23 and 4.40 GeV. Using several models to describe the dressed cross section yields stable parameters for the first enhancement, which has a mass of 4228.6±4.1±6.3  MeV/c^{2} and a width of 77.0±6.8±6.3  MeV, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second ones are systematic. Our resonant mass is consistent with previous observations of the Y(4220) state and the theoretical prediction of a DD[over ¯]_{1}(2420) molecule. This result is the first observation of Y(4220) associated with an open-charm final state. Fits with three resonance functions with additional Y(4260), Y(4320), Y(4360), ψ(4415), or a new resonance do not show significant contributions from either of these resonances. The second enhancement is not from a single known resonance. It could contain contributions from ψ(4415) and other resonances, and a detailed amplitude analysis is required to better understand this enhancement.

[Correlation between the changes of innate lymphoid cells in peripheral blood of systemic lupus erythematosus and its clinical significance]

Objective: To explore the function and role of innate lymphoid cells in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at different disease activity levels. Methods: From Nov 2017 to May 2018, 40 patients with SLE and 15 age-matched healthy non-immune-related diseases controls were enrolled from Anhui provincial hospital. According to the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI)-2K, the patients were divided into active group (n=20) and remission group (n=20). The frequency of ILCs, B cells, CD4+T and CD8+T cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was detected by flow cytometry. The subsets of ILCs in each group were compared with the subsets of B cells and T cell respectively. The levels of IL-4, IL-33 and IFN-γ in each group were tested by ELISA. Result: Compared with the control group, ILC1 percentage was significantly increased in SLE active group [(22.33%±2.52%) vs (14.56%±1.28%), P=0.018 1]; ILC2 percentage was decreased significantly in both remission group [(19.67%±1.83%) vs (42.48%±3.46%), P<0.000 1] and active group [(8.67%±0.83%) vs (19.67%±1.83%), P<0.000 1]; ILC3 percentage was decreased significantly in active group [(5.72%±1.08%) vs (14.35%±2.40%), P=0.001 3]. SLEDAI score was negatively correlated with the percentage of ILC2 (P=0.023 9) in all patients. The percentage of ILCs in the remission group (P=0.046 2) and activity group (P=0.003 7) were both increased significantly. Moreover, the percentage of ILC2 in active group was negatively correlated with CD4+T cells (P=0.030 8), and the serum IgG was negatively correlated with ILC2% in all patients (P=0.013 8). Compared with control group or remission group, the levels of IFN-γ (F=10.91, P=0.000 1) and IL-4 (F=6.046, P=0.004 7) in active group were remarkable higher. However, IL-33 was significantly reduced in active group (F=6.645, P=0.002 7). The percentage of ILC2 (r=0.154 3, P=0.028 8) and ILC3 (r=0.313 6, P=0.001 1) in all patients with SLE were positively correlated with the level of IL-4. Conclusion: The percentage of ILCs is related to disease activity, and ILCs play a "double-edged" role in the pathogenesis of SLE. Its function and mechanism are worth further exploration.

[Efficacy of deproteinized calf blood extract eye drops on early recovery after pterygium surgery]

Objective: To investigate the effect of deproteinized calf blood extract eye drops on early postoperative recovery in primary pterygium patients. Methods: This is a prospective randomized controlled study. Patients diagnosed with primary pterygium in single eye at affiliated Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University during March 2016 to May 2016 were enrolled. After Pterygium excision with autologous conjunctival transplantation, patients were randomly assigned into four groups by a random number table, treated with anti-inflammaroty drugs only (control group) or combined with the following agents: deproteinized calf blood extract eye drops (DCBE group), carboxymethylcellulose sodium eye drops (CMC group), and recombinant human epidermal growth factor eye drops (rEGF group). Short-form McGill pain questionnaire, slit lamp and corneal fluorescein sodium staining, non-contact intraocular pressure, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best corrected visual acquity (BCVA) as well as redness score of bulbar conjunctiva were performed before surgery (d0) and on day 1 (d1), day 2 (d2), day 3 (d3), day 7 (d7) and day 14 (d14) after surgery. Results: One hundred and fourteen patients including 43 males and 71 females, aged (48.9±12.5) years, were eventually included in this study. The McGill scores gradually decreased after surgery in all groups. On d2, the McGill score in DCBE group, control group, CMC group and rEGF group was (1.42±0.67), (2.21±0.88), (1.93±1.08) and (1.77±1.18), respectively; On d3, the score was (1.32±0.54), (1.93±0.72), (1.79±0.87) and (1.52±0.77), respectively. On d2 and d3, statistical difference was recorded among groups (d2, F=3.43, P=0.019; d3, F=4.047, P=0.009), and the McGill score of DCBE group was significantly lower than that of CMC group (d2, P=0.047, d3, P=0.017). On d2, the percentage of corneal epithelium defect in DCBE group, control group, CMC group and rEGF group was 8.6%±1.9%, 11.7%±1.7%, 11.5%±1.9% and 10.4%±1.8%, respectively; On d3, the percentage was 4.5%±2.2%, 9.2%±2.4%, 7.4%±2.5% and 5.9%±2.3%, respectively. On d2 and d3, statistical difference of corneal epithelium defect percentage was recorded among groups (d2, F=17.17, P<0.001; d3, F=21.4, P<0.001). On d2, the percentage of corneal epithelium defect in DCBE group was significantly lower than the other three groups (P<0.01); On d3, the percentage of corneal epithelium defect in DCBE group was significantly lower than control group and CMC group (P<0.001), while no difference was found between DCBE group and rEGF group (P>0.05). However, no statistical differences were recorded in the number of patients with vision improvement among the groups (P>0.05). The intraocular pressure remained stable. No differences in the conjunctival redness score were found among the groups after surgery (P>0.05). Conclusion: Our data demonstrated the efficacy of deproteinized calf blood extract eye drops on the postoperative management in patients with primary patients, with faster pain relief and promoted epithelium recovery. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55:134-140).

Size, Aspect Ratio and Anatomic Location of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: Consecutive Series of 415 Patients from a Prospective, Multicenter, Observational Study

To analyze the size and location distribution of ruptured intracranial aneurysms (IAs) helps to provide evidence for clinical treatment of unruptured IAs using this feature of aneurysms. In this study, 415 patients who presented with an acute subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by IAs were enrolled from eight tertiary referral centers between June 2016 and March 2018. The size, aspect ratio and anatomic location of ruptured IAs were defined and reported by patient sex. In the study cohort of 415 patients (60.5% women) with saccular ruptured IAs, the three most common locations of ruptured IAs were posterior communicating artery (32.0%), anterior communicating artery (28.7%), and middle cerebral artery (13.5%). The mean size of all ruptured IAs was 5.3±3.1 mm (range 1.1-28.5 mm), but the size varied considerably by location. For example, ruptured IAs of the posterior communicating artery had a mean size of 5.8±3.1 mm, whereas the mean size of ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms was 4.6±1.7 mm. The mean AR in all ruptured IAs was 1.66±0.76. Of those aneurysms, 243 (58.6%) had an AR smaller than 1.6 and 318 (76.6%) had an AR smaller than 2.0. Our results suggested that the size of the most ruptured IAs are smaller than 7 mm or even 5 mm. The size and AR varied by sex and location. With the knowledge of size, location and AR, multiplicity should be considered for treatment strategies of unruptured IAs.

The association between circulating irisin levels and different phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome

PURPOSE

The diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is based on a combination of various clinical phenotypes in each patient. However, insulin resistance (IR) and dysmetabolism are not included in the diagnostic criteria of PCOS. Therefore, the definition of PCOS is controversial. The objective of this study is to investigate whether some PCOS phenotypes can be predicted by a circulating biomarker related to IR and metabolic dysfunction in PCOS women.

METHODS

One hundred and seventeen women with PCOS and 95 healthy women were recruited for this study. All individuals were assessed by the phenotypic and metabolic characteristics related to PCOS. A euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp was performed to assess insulin sensitivity. Circulating irisin concentrations were determined with ELISA.

RESULTS

In our PCOS cohort, 65.8% of individuals were found to have hyperandrogenism. 83.8% had chronic oligoanovulation, and 80.3% of subjects showed polycystic ovaries. According to the diagnostic criteria of PCOS, 30.8% of PCOS subjects were diagnosed with the classic phenotype. In addition, 65.8% of PCOS women had insulin resistance. Serum irisin levels were significantly higher in PCOS women compared with healthy women. However, PCOS women with a normoandrogenic phenotype had similar circulating irisin levels as healthy women. PCOS women with the normoandrogenic phenotype had a low homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and higher M-values than PCOS women with other phenotypes. Circulating irisin levels were associated with hyperandrogenism, but not with oligoanovulation or PCO morphology.

CONCLUSIONS

Circulating irisin may allow physicians to establish which women merit screening by a biomarker for PCOS.