O-137 Salpingectomy versus neosalpingostomy in women with hydrosalpinx: a prospective cohort study with long-term follow-up

Study question

What is the comparative effectiveness between salpingectomy and neosalpingostomy in the treatment of bilateral severe hydrosalpinx?

Summary answer

In women with bilateral severe hydrosalpinx, salpingectomy combined with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment resulted in a higher cumulative live birth rate than neosalpingostomy.

What is known already

Hydrosalpinx accounts for 25% to 35% of female subfertility and has a negative effect on pregnancy rates in women who undergo IVF. So far salpingectomy before in vitro fertilization treatment has been suggested for the treatment of hydrosalpinx in order to improve the chance of a live birth. Previous studies have reported a pooled live birth rate of 25% through natural conception after neosalpingostomy and an ongoing pregnancy rate of 55.8% after salpingectomy with IVF. Direct comparison of the cumulative live birth rate after salpingectomy versus neosalpingostomy, both followed by IVF is lacking.

Study design, size, duration

We performed a single center, prospective comparative cohort study in the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China. We studied women diagnosed with tubal subfertility with bilateral hydrosalpinx between January 2005 and December 2012. Based on a shared decision approach, they had bilateral salpingectomy or neosalpingostomy followed by IVF. They were annually followed up until July 2020 for the occurrence of live birth.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Out of 113 women, 55 had bilateral salpingectomy and 58 had bilateral neosalpingostomy. Primary outcome was cumulative live birth rate, defined as the cumulative birth rate of the first living neonate through either natural conception or in vitro fertilization. Both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analysis were processed. Cox proportional hazards regression model with potential variables was performed to identify predictors of successful live birth.

Main results and the role of chance

Baseline characteristics were comparable between two groups. There were 42 live births in the salpingectomy and 36 in the neosalpingostomy group. When the result of IVF was incorporated (55/55 in salpingectomy group and 25/58 in neosalpingostomy group underwent IVF), salpingectomy resulted in a higher cumulative live birth rate (85.3% vs 76.0%; hazard ratio of the whole survival curve, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.37 - 3.45; P = 0.001), a lower risk of ectopic pregnancy (1.8% vs 20.7%; risk ratio, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01 - 0.57; P = 0.013), and a shorter time to live birth (19 [14,27] versus 36 [17,76] months, P = 0.001).The number of live birth rates after natural conception was 0% (0/55) in the salpingectomy group and 28% (16/58) in neosalpingostomy group.The results of PP analyses were comparable with the ITT analyses apart from the biochemical pregnancy rate and the overall live birth rate, they were higher (the former: 76% (42/55) versus 58% (29/50), P = 0.045; the latter: 76% (42/55) versus 56% (28/50), P = 0.027) in salpingectomy group.

Limitations, reasons for caution

This is an observational study. The small sample size along with the data was obtained from a cohort study in a single center.

Wider implications of the findings

In women with confirmed bilateral severe hydrosalpinx, salpingectomy followed by IVF results in a higher cumulative live birth rate and decreases the risk of EP as compared to neosalpingostomy. However, neosalpingostomy is the only option to achieve a live birth by natural conception that should be discussed with patients preoperatively.

Trial registration number

not applicable

Investigation on the mechanism of p38MAPK in the failure of autogenous arteriovenous fistula caused by stenosis

The present study aimed to probe into the mechanism of p38MAPK in the failure of autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) caused by stenosis. A total of 24 patients with maintenance hemodialysis and the autologous AVF as the hemodialysis route were enrolled in the present study. In the experimental group, the internal fistula operation mode was the end-to-side anastomosis, and patients were those who needed autogenous AVF repair due to the venous hyperplasia and stenosis of the internal fistula anastomosis (n = 12). The control group was composed of patients who underwent autogenous AVF surgery for the first time (n = 12). The discarded venous tissues in each group were used for immunohistochemistry and Western blot detection of ASK1, P38, and ATF-2. SPSS 17.0 and GraphPad Prism 5 software were adopted for data analysis. The measurement data were expressed as means ± standard deviations ( x ± s), and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results of immunohistochemistry staining: the expressions of ASK1, P38, and ATF-2 in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). The results of Western blot: the expression of P38 in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression of ASK1 and ATF-2 between the experimental group and the control group (P > 0.05). In stenotic AVF, the expressions of ASK1, P38, and ATF-2 all significantly increased, indicating that the p38MAPK signaling pathway might be involved in the formation of venous stenosis in AVF, and the p38MAPK signaling pathway might become a therapeutic target in preventing and treating the vascular stenosis in the fistula.

Measurement of e^{+}e^{-} Momentum and Angular Distributions from Linearly Polarized Photon Collisions

The Breit-Wheeler process which produces matter and antimatter from photon collisions is experimentally investigated through the observation of 6085 exclusive electron-positron pairs in ultraperipheral Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurements reveal a large fourth-order angular modulation of cos4Δϕ=(16.8±2.5)% and smooth invariant mass distribution absent of vector mesons (ϕ, ω, and ρ) at the experimental limit of ≤0.2% of the observed yields. The differential cross section as a function of e^{+}e^{-} pair transverse momentum P_{⊥} peaks at low value with sqrt[⟨P_{⊥}^{2}⟩]=38.1±0.9  MeV and displays a significant centrality dependence. These features are consistent with QED calculations for the collision of linearly polarized photons quantized from the extremely strong electromagnetic fields generated by the highly charged Au nuclei at ultrarelativistic speed. The experimental results have implications for vacuum birefringence and for mapping the magnetic field which is important for emergent QCD phenomena.

Association of improved overall survival with decreased distant metastasis following asparaginase-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy for intermediate- and high-risk early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma: a CLCG study

BACKGROUND

This study evaluated the survival benefit of asparaginase (ASP)-based versus non-ASP-based chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy in a real-world cohort of patients with early-stage extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We identified 376 patients who received combined radiotherapy with either ASP-based (ASP, platinum, and gemcitabine; n = 286) or non-ASP-based (platinum and gemcitabine; n = 90) regimens. The patients were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups using the early stage-adjusted nomogram-revised risk index. Overall survival (OS) and distant metastasis (DM)-free survival (DMFS) between the chemotherapy regimens were compared using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and multivariable analyses.

RESULTS

ASP-based (versus non-ASP-based) regimens significantly improved 5-year OS (84.5% versus 73.2%, P = 0.021) and DMFS (84.4% versus 74.5%, P = 0.014) for intermediate- and high-risk patients, but not for low-risk patients in the setting of radiotherapy. Moreover, ASP-based regimens decreased DM, with a 5-year cumulative DM rate of 14.9% for ASP-based regimens compared with 25.1% (P = 0.014) for non-ASP-based regimens. The survival benefit of ASP-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy remained consistent after adjusting the confounding variables using IPTW and multivariate analyses; additional sensitivity analyses confirmed these results.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provided support for ASP-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy as a first-line treatment strategy for intermediate- and high-risk early-stage ENKTCL.

Two-dimensional overdamped fluctuations of the soft perovskite lattice in CsPbBr3

Lead halide perovskites exhibit structural instabilities and large atomic fluctuations thought to impact their optical and thermal properties, yet detailed structural and temporal correlations of their atomic motions remain poorly understood. Here, these correlations are resolved in CsPbBr₃ crystals using momentum-resolved neutron and X-ray scattering measurements as a function of temperature, complemented with first-principles simulations. We uncover a striking network of diffuse scattering rods, arising from the liquid-like damping of low-energy Br-dominated phonons, reproduced in our simulations of the anharmonic phonon self-energy. These overdamped modes cover a continuum of wave vectors along the edges of the cubic Brillouin zone, corresponding to two-dimensional sheets of correlated rotations in real space, and could represent precursors to proposed two-dimensional polarons. Further, these motions directly impact the electronic gap edge states, linking soft anharmonic lattice dynamics and optoelectronic properties. These results provide insights into the highly unusual atomic dynamics of halide perovskites, relevant to further optimization of their optical and thermal properties.

POS0136 ROLES OF AUTOPHAGY IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF PRIMARY GOUTY ARTHRITIS

Background:

Gout is a chronic autoinflammatory disease caused by monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition [1].Acute gout is characterized by an acute inflammatory reaction that resolves spontaneously within a few days[2], which is one of the distinguishing features of gout compared to other arthropathies or self-inflammatory diseases. Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway that is essential for cellular growth, survival, differentiation, development and homeostasis [3]. Studies have demonstrated that autophagy might play a key role in the pathogenesis of primary gouty arthritis (GA) [4-7]. However, the roles of autophagy in the development of gout have not yet been elucidated.

Objectives:

The aim of our study was to investigate the changes in autophagy-related gene (ATG) mRNA and protein in patients and the clinical importance of these genes in primary gouty arthritis (GA) and to explore the roles of autophagy in the pathogenesis of GA.

Methods:

The mRNA and protein expression levels of ATGs (ATG3, ATG7, ATG10, ATG5, ATG12, ATG16L1, ATG4B and LC3-2) were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 196 subjects, including 57 acute gout patients (AG group), 57 intercritical gout patients (IG group) and 82 healthy control subjects (HC group). The relationship between ATG expression levels and laboratory features was analyzed in GA patients.

Results:

The expression levels of ATG4B, ATG5, ATG12, ATG16L1, ATG10 and LC3-2 mRNA were much lower in the AG group than in the IG and HC groups (p<0.05), while the ATG7 mRNA level was much higher in the AG group than in the IG and HC groups (p<0.05). The protein expression levels of LC3-2, ATG3, ATG7 and ATG10 were much higher in the AG group than in the other groups, while those of ATG5, ATG12, ATG16L1 and ATG4B were far lower in the AG group than in the other groups (p<0.05). In GA patients, the levels of ATG mRNA and protein correlated with laboratory inflammatory and metabolic indexes.

Conclusion:

Altered ATG expression suggests that autophagy is involved in the pathogenesis of GA and participates in regulating inflammation and metabolism.

References:

[1]Dalbeth N, Choi HK, Joosten LAB, Khanna PP, Matsuo H, Perez-Ruiz F, et al. Gout. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2019;5: 69.doi:10.1038/s41572-019-0115-y.

[2]Schauer C, Janko C, Munoz LE, Zhao Y, Kienhöfer D, Frey B, et al. Aggregated neutrophil extracellular traps limit inflammation by degrading cytokines and chemokines. Nat Med. 2014;20: 511-517.doi:10.1038/nm.3547.

[3]Han Y, Zhang L, Xing Y, Zhang L, Chen X, Tang P, et al. Autophagy relieves the function inhibition and apoptosis-promoting effects on osteoblast induced by glucocorticoid. Int J Mol Med. 2018;41: 800-808. doi:10.3892/ijmm.2017.3270.

[4]Yang QB, He YL, Zhong XW, Xie WG, Zhou JG. Resveratrol ameliorates gouty inflammation via upregulation of sirtuin 1 to promote autophagy in gout patients. Inflammopharmacology. 2019;27: 47-56.doi:10.1007/s10787-018-00555-4.

[5]Mitroulis I, Kambas K, Chrysanthopoulou A, Skendros P, Apostolidou E, Kourtzelis I, et al. Neutrophil extracellular trap formation is associated with IL-1β and autophagy-related signaling in gout. PLoS One. 2011;6: e29318.doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029318.

[6]Crişan TO, Cleophas MCP, Novakovic B, Erler K, van de Veerdonk FL, Stunnenberg HG, et al. Uric acid priming in human monocytes is driven by the AKT-PRAS40 autophagy pathway. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017;114: 5485-5490.doi:10.1073/pnas.1620910114.

[7]Lee SS, Lee SW, Oh DH, Kim HS, Chae SC, Kim SK. Genetic analysis for rs2241880(T > C) in ATG16L1 polymorphism for the susceptibility of Gout. J Clin Rheumatol. 2019;25: e113-e115.doi:10.1097/rhu.0000000000000685.

Disclosure of Interests:

Yu-Qin Huang: None declared, Quan-Bo Zhang Grant/research support from: National Natural Science Foundation of China(General Program) (no.81974250) and Science and Technology Plan Project of Sichuan Province (no.2018JY0257), Jian-Xiong Zheng: None declared, gui-lin jian: None declared, tao-hong liu: None declared, Xin He: None declared, fan-ni xiao: None declared, qin xiong: None declared, Yu-Feng Qing Grant/research support from: Science and Technology Project of Nanchong City (no.18SXHZ0522)

Responses of growth, photosynthesis and related physiological characteristics in leaves of Acer ginnala Maxim. to increasing air temperature and/or elevated O3

Regional warming and atmospheric ozone (O₃ ) pollution are two of the most important environmental issues, and commonly coexist in many areas. Both factors have an intense impact on plants. However, little information is available on the combined and interactive effects of air warming and elevated O₃ concentrations on physiological characteristics of plants. To explore this issue, we studied variations in growth, photosynthesis and physiological characteristics of leaves of Acer ginnala seedlings exposed to control (ambient temperature and O₃ ), increasing air temperature (ambient temperature + 2 °C), elevated O₃ (ambient O₃ concentration + 40 ppb) and a combination of the two abiotic factors at different phenological stages by using open-top chambers. The results showed that increasing air temperature had no significant effect on growth, but increased photosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activity at the leaf unfolding and defoliation stages. In contrast, elevated O₃ decreased growth and photosynthesis and caused oxidative stress injury in A. ginnala leaves at each phenological stage. The combination of increasing air temperature and elevated O3 improved growth and net photosynthetic rates of tested plants and alleviated the oxidative stress compared to O₃ alone. Our findings demonstrated that moderate warming was beneficial to A. ginnala at leaf unfolding and defoliation stages, and alleviated the adverse effects of O₃ stress on growth, photosynthesis and the antioxidant system. These results will provide a theoretical reference and scientific basis for the adaptation and response of A. ginnala under regional air warming and atmospheric O₃ pollution.

[Sleep-disordered breathing in patients with chronic heart failure before and after heart transplantation]

Objective: To explore the characteristics of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in chronic heart failure patients waiting for heart transplantation and the changes of SDB after transplantation. Methods: From September 2018 to December 2019, 34 patients with chronic heart failure were prospectively enrolled into this study, who were hospitalized for waiting for heart transplantation in the departments of cardiovascular medicine and cardiovascular surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. All of them received portable sleep physiological monitoring. The characteristics of their SDB were analyzed before and after heart transplantation. Results: Of the 34 patients waiting for heart transplantation, 22 had central sleep apnea, 4 had obstructive sleep apnea and 8 had no SDB. The cycle length of Cheyne-Stokes respiration was negatively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction. After heart transplantation, 15 patients received repeat sleep physiological monitoring and their results showed that the SDB was significantly improved, with the elimination of Cheyne-Stokes respiration. Conclusions: Patients waiting for heart transplantation had a high prevalence of SDB, with Cheyne-Stokes respiration with central sleep apnea as the main type. However, heart transplantation may eliminate the Cheyne-Stokes respiration in patients with chronic heart failure.

Medical ozone induces proliferation and migration inhibition through ROS accumulation and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB suppression in human liver cancer cells in vitro

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies and leading cancer-associated deaths worldwide. Ozone has been proposed as a promising therapeutic agent in the treatment of various disorders.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to assess the potential anticancer effects of the ozone on liver cancer cells.

METHOD

The liver cancer cell line of bel7402 and SMMC7721 was used in this study. Proliferation was evaluated using the CCK-8 and the colony formation assay. Wond healing assay and transwell assay without Matrigel were used to evaluate their migration ability. Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle analysis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) determination. Glutathione detection kit was used for measurement of glutathione level. Protein expression was estimated by western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Ozone treatment inhibited liver cancer cell proliferation, colony formation. Ozone induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, which could be elucidated by the change of protein levels of p53, p21, Cyclin D1, cyclin B1, cdc2, and CDK4. We also found that ozone treatment inhibited migration ability by inhibiting EMT-relating protein. Ozone also induced ROS accumulation and decreased glutathione level decreased, which contributed to the inactivation of the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway. Finally, we found that pre-treatment of liver cancer cells with N-acetylcysteine resisted ozone-induced effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Ozone restrains the proliferation and migration potential and EMT process of liver cancer cells via ROS accumulation and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB suppression.

[The roles of two HIV self-testing models in promoting HIV-testing among men who have sex with men]

Objective: To evaluate the roles between two different HIV self-testing models in promoting HIV-testing among men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: This paper focuses on two HIV self-testing service models. The first; is the online self-testing model (HIV self-testing conventional model) with the sexual health promotion network platform. The other one is an innovative HIV self-testing model (secondary distribution model), based on the previous program. The two different self-testing models, including the number of indexes and alters, the positive rate, and the demographics of indexes and alters, are compared. The influence of volunteers with or without leadership on the number of HIV self-test kits distributed or self-use is analyzed through the leadership survey scale. Results: The return rates of HIV self-testing results in the two models are 94.7%(323/341) and 99.2%(1 141/1 150), respectively, within 30 days. The proportion of alters in the secondary distribution is significantly higher (45.9%,281/612) than the conventional HIV self-testing (6.3%,20/318). In the secondary distribution model, the difference between the number of indexes and alters indicators including age, marital status, residence, sex orientation, anal sex with men in the past six months, and HIV test are statistically significant (χ² test, all P<0.05). The opinion leader of MSM has significantly impacted the promotion of HIV self-testing (P<0.05). Conclusions: Both models can promote HIV self-testing, result return, and HIV positive detection among MSM. In terms of expanding the testing and detection of HIV positive, the secondary distribution mode shows more obvious advantages, which significantly promotes a large number of MSM who have never been tested for HIV to undergo HIV testing. Influential indexes have a significant effect on increasing the HIV testing rate and promoting HIV testing among MSM.

The gene NtMYC2a acts as a 'master switch' in the regulation of JA-induced nicotine accumulation in tobacco

The biosynthesis and transport of nicotine has been shown to be coordinately upregulated by jasmonate (JA). MYC2, a member of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor family, is well-documented as the core player in the JA signalling pathway to regulate diverse plant development processes. Four MYC2 genes were found in the tobacco genome, NtMYC2a/2b and 1a/1b. In this study, we tested whether one of them, NtMYC2a, acts as a 'master switch' in the regulation of nicotine biosynthesis and transport in tobacco. We generated NtMYC2a knockout tobacco plants using the CRISPR-Cas9 technique and analysed the effect of NtMYC2a knockout on expression of the nicotine biosynthesis genes (NtAO, NtQS, NtPMT1a, NtQPT2, NtODC2, NtMPO1, NtA622 and NtBBLa) and transport genes (NtMATE2 and NtJAT1), as well as leaf accumulation of nicotine in the NtMYC2a knockout plants. We found that all the nicotine biosynthesis and transport genes tested in this study were significantly downregulated (>50% reduction compared with wild-type control) in the NtMYC2a knockout plants. Moreover, the leaf nicotine content in knockout plants was dramatically reduced by ca 80% compared with the wild-type control. These results clearly show that NtMYC2a acts as a 'master switch' to coordinate JA-induced nicotine accumulation in tobacco and suggests that NtMYC2a might play an important role in tobacco nicotine-mediated defence against herbivory.

Isolation, identification and characterization of phenolic acid-degrading bacteria from soil

AIMS

To isolate, identify and characterize phenolic acid-degrading bacteria and reduce plant growth inhibition caused by phenolic acids.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 11 bacterial isolates with high phthalic acid (PA)-degrading ability were obtained using mineral salt medium (MSM) medium containing PA as sole carbon source. These isolates were identified as Arthrobacter globiformis, Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas hunanensis by sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA gene. Among them, five Pseudomonas strains could also effectively degrade ferulic acid (FA), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) and syringic acid (SA) in MSM solution. P. putida strain 7 and P. hunanensis strain 10 showed highly efficient degradation of PA, SA, FA and PHBA, and could reduce their inhibition of lily, watermelon, poplar and strawberry seedling growth in soils respectively. These two strains could promote plant growth in soil with phenolic acids.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, bacterial strains with highly efficient phenolic acid-degrading abilities could not only effectively reduce the autotoxicity of phenolic acids on plants but also were able to promote plant growth in soil with phenolic acids.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

In this study, Pseudomonas can promote plant growth while degrading phenolic acids. Our results provide new choices for the biological removal of autotoxins.

Solid-State Electrolyte Design for Lithium Dendrite Suppression

All-solid-state Li metal batteries have attracted extensive attention due to their high safety and high energy density. However, Li dendrite growth in solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) still hinders their application. Current efforts mainly aim to reduce the interfacial resistance, neglecting the intrinsic dendrite-suppression capability of SSEs. Herein, the mechanism for the formation of Li dendrites is investigated, and Li-dendrite-free SSE criteria are reported. To achieve a high dendrite-suppression capability, SSEs should be thermodynamically stable with a high interface energy against Li, and they should have a low electronic conductivity and a high ionic conductivity. A cold-pressed Li₃ N-LiF composite is used to validate the Li-dendrite-free design criteria, where the highly ionic conductive Li₃ N reduces the Li plating/stripping overpotential, and LiF with high interface energy suppresses dendrites by enhancing the nucleation energy and suppressing the Li penetration into the SSEs. The Li₃ N-LiF layer coating on Li₃ PS₄ SSE achieves a record-high critical current of >6 mA cm^-2 even at a high capacity of 6.0 mAh cm^-2 . The Coulombic efficiency also reaches a record 99% in 150 cycles. The Li₃ N-LiF/Li₃ PS₄ SSE enables LiCoO₂ cathodes to achieve 101.6 mAh g^-1 for 50 cycles. The design principle opens a new opportunity to develop high-energy all-solid-state Li metal batteries.

Yeast cell wall product enhanced intestinal IgA response and changed cecum microflora species after oral vaccination in chickens

The study was designed to explore the effect of a commercial yeast cell wall product (YP) on chicken intestinal IgA response and cecum microbiome after oral vaccination. Chickens were fed with YP during the experiments and orally immunized with live Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine at 2 wk of age. Then, the animals were sacrificed, and samples were collected to measure the indicators of hemagglutination inhibition (HI), IgA response, IgA + cells, and cecum microbiome populations. The results showed that supplement of YP significantly enhanced serum NDV HI titer, intestinal NDV-specific secretory IgA, and intestinal IgA + cells. The sequencing results revealed that obviously increased relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae and decreased population of Bacteroidaceae in cecum were found in YP group. In summary, YP supplementation in diet enhanced intestinal IgA response to NDV vaccination by oral route and modulated the cecum microbiota to the advantage of the host in chickens.

Molecular-Weight Growth in Ozone-Initiated Low-Temperature Oxidation of Methyl Crotonate

We report experiments of ozone-initiated low-temperature oxidation of methyl crotonate (MC, CH₃-CH═CH-C(O)OCH₃) from 420 to 660 K in a near-atmospheric-pressure jet-stirred reactor using photoionization molecular-beam mass spectrometry as a sampling technique. In this temperature regime, no typical low-temperature combustion (LTC) reactions have been observed for MC when oxygen (O₂) is used as the oxidizer. Upon ozone addition, significant oxidation of methyl crotonate is found. On the basis of experimentally observed energy-dependent mass peaks in combination with temperature-dependent mole fraction profiles and photoionization efficiency curves, we provide new insights into the methyl crotonate ozonolysis reaction network. The observed MC + O₃ products, C₅H₈O₅, are found to be related to the keto-hydroperoxides resulting from the isomerization of the primary ozonide. Evidence is also provided that molecular growth mainly results from cycloaddition reactions of the Criegee intermediate into aldehydes and alkenes as well as addition reactions of the Criegee intermediates to the double bond of methyl crotonate and sequential decomposition into ketones. Furthermore, species that contribute in large amounts to the low-temperature oxidation of methyl crotonate, like H₂O₂, CH₃OOH, CH₃OH, and HC(O)OH, are identified, and their mole fractions are reported. Additionally, preliminary modeling is performed which qualitatively captures the observed NTC behavior and reveals future research opportunities.

Identification of a novel immune prognostic model in gastric cancer

PURPOSE

The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is now considered as an important factor during gastric cancer (GC) development. This study identified a novel immune-related risk model for predicting prognosis and assessing the immune status of GC patients.

METHODS

Transcriptomic data were obtained from the TCGA database. The differential expressed immune-related genes (IRGs) were identified through the ImmPort portal. Enrichment analysis was performed to explore the potential molecular mechanism of these IRGs. By the Cox regression analysis, we constructed the immune prognostic model. Then, the association between the model and the immune microenvironment was estimated. The model was validated in the GSE84433 dataset.

RESULTS

Totally, we identified 222 differentially expressed IRGs. These IRGs were closely correlated with immune response and immune signaling pathways. Through the Cox regression analysis, we developed the immune prognostic model based on the expression of seven IRGs (CXCL3, NOX4, PROC, FAM19A4, RNASE2, IGHD2-15, CGB5). Patients were stratified into two groups according to immune-related risk scores. Survival analysis indicated that the prognosis of high-risk patients was poorer than low-risk patients. Moreover, the immune-related risk score was an independent prognostic biomarker. More importantly, we found that the infiltration level of immunosuppressive cells and the expression of inhibitory immune checkpoints were higher in high-risk patients. The immune microenvironment tended to be a suppressive status in patients with high-risk scores.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that our model had predictive value for prognosis and the TIME in GC. It might be a robust tool to improve personalized patient management.

Long non-coding RNA FOXP4-AS1 acts as an adverse prognostic factor and regulates proliferation and apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. In The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the expression level of lncRNA forkhead box P4 antisense RNA 1 (FOXP4-AS1) is higher in NPC samples than in normal samples.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Quantitative Real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect the expression level of RNA and protein. Luciferase reporter assay ran to test the interactions between FOXP4-AS1 and miR-423-5p and STMN1. Subcellular fractionation assay was used to determine the subcellular localization of FOXP4-AS1. The tumor-promotion functions of FOXP4-AS1 were determined by both in vitro and in vivo assays.

RESULTS

The expression of FOXP4-AS1 was up-regulated in 80 cases with NPC, and these patients with a poor prognosis. Functionally, high expression of FOXP4-AS1 in NPC was connected with promoted cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis. Moreover, FOXP4-AS1 is located in the cytoplasm of CNE1 (NPC cell lines). Mechanistically, FOXP4-AS1 up-regulated STMN1 on post-transcriptional regulation by means of miR-423-5p.

CONCLUSIONS

Our present study demonstrated that high expression of FOXP4-AS1 in NPC portended poor outcomes. FOXP4-AS1upregulated STMN1 by interacting with miR-423-5p as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to promote NPC progression.

Erratum: Evolution of π^{0} Suppression in Au+Au Collisions from sqrt[s_{NN}]=39 to 200 GeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 152301 (2012)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.152301.

Insights Obtained by Culturing Saccharibacteria With Their Bacterial Hosts

Oral microbiome research has moved from asking "Who's there?" to "What are they doing?" Understanding what microbes "do" involves multiple approaches, including obtaining genomic information and examining the interspecies interactions. Recently we isolated a human oral Saccharibacteria (TM7) bacterium, HMT-952, strain TM7x, which is an ultrasmall parasite of the oral bacterium Actinomyces odontolyticus. The host-parasite interactions, such as phage-bacterium or Saccharibacteria-host bacterium, are understudied areas with large potential for insight. The Saccharibacteria phylum is a member of Candidate Phyla Radiation, a large lineage previously devoid of cultivated members. However, expanding our understanding of Saccharibacteria-host interactions requires examining multiple phylogenetically distinct Saccharibacteria-host pairs. Here we report the isolation of 3 additional Saccharibacteria species from the human oral cavity in binary coculture with their bacterial hosts. They were obtained by filtering ultrasmall Saccharibacteria cells free of other larger bacteria and inoculating them into cultures of potential host bacteria. The binary cocultures obtained could be stably passaged and studied. Complete closed genomes were obtained and allowed full genome analyses. All have small genomes (<1 Mb) characteristic of parasitic species and dramatically limited de novo synthetic pathway capabilities but include either restriction modification or CRISPR-Cas systems as part of an innate defense against foreign DNA. High levels of gene synteny exist among Saccharibacteria species. Having isolates growing in coculture with their hosts allowed time course studies of growth and parasite-host interactions by phase contrast, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and scanning electron microscopy. The cells of the 4 oral Saccharibacteria species are ultrasmall and could be seen attached to their larger Actinobacteria hosts. Parasite attachment appears to lead to host cell death and lysis. The successful cultivation of Saccharibacteria species has significantly expanded our understanding of these ultrasmall Candidate Phyla Radiation bacteria.

[Expressions and effects of autophagy-related genes in bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis of mice]

Objective: To investigate the expressions and effects of autophagy-related genes in bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis of mice. Methods: (1) Totally 72 male BALB/c mice aged 6 weeks were divided into blank control group, simple phosphate buffer solution (PBS) group, and bleomycin group according to the random number table, with 24 mice in each group. Mice in blank control group received no treatment, and 100 μL of PBS and bleomycin (1 mg/mL) were respectively injected subcutaneously in the back skin of mice in simple PBS and bleomycin group, once a day for 28 days. On injection day (ID) 7, 14, 21, and 28, 6 mice in each group were collected to observe the skin change on the back of mice with naked eyes. After the observation, the mice were sacrificed and skin tissue on the back was taken. Skin tissue of mice on ID 28 was collected to measure the thickness of skin tissue by routine hematoxylin-eosin staining and observe skin tissue morphology by Masson staining. Skin tissue on ID 7, 14, 21, and 28 was taken to detect content of hydroxyproline by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, and mRNA and protein expressions of p62, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 Ⅱ (LC3 Ⅱ) and Beclin-1 were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. (2) Skin tissue of mice in blank control group in experiment (1) was taken to culture fibroblasts (Fbs) in 3rd-6th passages. The cells were divided into blank control group, simple PBS group, and bleomycin group according to the random number table, with 6 wells in each group. Cells in blank control group were not stimulated, and cells in simple PBS group and bleomycin group were stimulated with 20 μL of PBS and bleomycin (1 mg/mL) for 72 h, respectively. Cellular immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the expression of LC3 Ⅱ. Data were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance of factorial design, one-way analysis of variance, t test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: (1) Skin on the back of mice in blank control group and simple PBS group was thin and ruddy, and the veins were clear on ID 7, 14, 21, and 28. Several raised ridges were visible on the puncture site of mice in simple PBS group from ID 14. Skin on the back of mice was ruddy, with several raised ridges visible on the puncture site of mice in bleomycin group on ID 7, the skin turned slightly white on ID 14, the skin turned white obviously with unclear surrounding blood vessels on ID 21, and the skin turned white and the surrounding blood vessels could not be recognized on ID 28. (2) On ID 28, the skin thicknesses of mice in blank control group and simple PBS group were similar (t=0.79, P>0.05). Compared with that in blank control group and simple PBS group, the skin thickness of mice in bleomycin group was significantly increased (t=0.50, 0.50, P<0.01). (3) On ID 28, the skin tissue structure of mice in blank control group and simple PBS group was similar, with a small amount of orderly arranged collagen and evenly distributed hair follicle; the number of collagen of skin in mice of bleomycin group was increased obviously and arranged disorderly, and the number of hair follicle was decreased significantly. (4) On ID 7, 14, 21, and 28, the content of hydroxyproline in the skin tissue of mice in bleomycin group was significantly higher than that in blank control group and simple PBS group (t=0.99, 0.98, 0.50, 0.51, 0.50, 0.50, 0.52, 0.51, P<0.05 or P<0.01). (5) On ID 7, p62 mRNA expression in the skin tissue of mice in bleomycin group was significantly lower than that in simple PBS group (t=0.93, P<0.05). On ID 14 and 21, the mRNA expressions of p62, LC3 Ⅱ, and Beclin-1 in the skin tissue of mice in bleomycin group were significantly higher than those in blank control group (t=0.74, 0.70, 0.58, 0.49, 0.51, 0.74, P<0.05) and simple PBS group (t=0.94, 0.65, 0.65, 0.77, 0.49, 0.51, P<0.05). On ID 28, the mRNA expressions of p62 and Beclin-1 in the skin tissue of mice in bleomycin group were significantly lower than those in blank control group (t=0.50, 0.44, P<0.05) and simple PBS group (t=0.97, 0.55, P<0.05), and that of LC3 Ⅱ was significantly higher than that in blank control group and simple PBS group, respectively (t=0.51, 0.98, P <0.01). (6) On ID 7, 14, 21, and 28, the protein expressions of LC3 Ⅱ in blank control group, simple PBS group, and bleomycin group were 0.167±0.042, 0.122±0.016, 0.553±0.078, 0.118±0.035, 0.120±0.023, 0.117±0.061, 0.581±0.039, 0.159±0.065, 0.233±0.027, 0.304±0.031, 1.020±0.010, 0.089±0.045. On ID 14, the protein expressions of p62 and Beclin-1 in the skin tissue of mice in bleomycin group were significantly higher than those in blank control group (t=0.86, 0.89, P<0.05) and simple PBS group (t=0.42, 0.89, P<0.05). On ID 21, the protein expressions of p62, LC3 Ⅱ, and Beclin-1 in the skin tissue of mice in bleomycin group were significantly higher than those in blank control group and simple PBS group (t=0.82, 0.45, 0.50, 0.79, 0.51, 0.50, P<0.01). On ID 28, the protein expressions of p62, LC3 Ⅱ, and Beclin-1 in the skin tissue of mice in bleomycin group were significantly lower than those in blank control group and simple PBS group (t=0.77, 0.54, 0.52, 0.50, 0.51, 0.50, P<0.05). (7) After culture for 72 h, the expression of LC3 Ⅱ in Fbs of bleomycin group was significantly lower than that of blank control group and simple PBS group, respectively. Conclusions: In the process of bleomycin stimulating skin fibrosis, autophagy-related genes increase firstly and then decrease. When the autophagy process is activated, it is expected to reverse the process of skin fibrosis.

Multiple-centre clinical evaluation of an ultrafast single-tube assay for SARS-CoV-2 RNA

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the performance of an ultrafast single-tube nucleic acid isothermal amplification detection assay for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA using clinical samples from multiple centres.

METHODS

A reverse transcription recombinase-aided amplification (RT-RAA) assay for SARS-CoV-2 was conducted within 15 minutes at 39°C with portable instruments after addition of extracted RNA. The clinical performance of RT-RAA assay was evaluated using 947 clinical samples from five institutions in four regions of China; approved commercial fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) kits were used for parallel detection. The sensitivity and specificity of RT-RAA were compared and analysed.

RESULTS

The RT-RAA test results of 926 samples were consistent with those of qRT-PCR (330 were positive, 596 negative); 21 results were inconsistent. The sensitivity and specificity of RT-RAA was 97.63% (330/338, 95% confidence interval (CI) 95.21 to 98.90) and 97.87% (596/609, 95% CI 96.28 to 98.81) respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 96.21% (330/343, 95% CI 93.45 to 97.88) and 98.68% (596/604, 95% CI 97.30 to 99.38) respectively. The total coincidence rate was 97.78% (926/947, 95% CI 96.80 to 98.70), and the kappa was 0.952 (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

With comparable sensitivity and specificity to the commercial qRT-PCR kits, RT-RAA assay for SARS-CoV-2 exhibited the distinctive advantages of simplicity and rapidity in terms of operation and turnaround time.

[The association between single nucleotide polymorphism of interleukin-1β gene rs1143627 site and susceptibility to active tuberculosis]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of IL-1β gene and susceptibility to tuberculosis. Methods: A case-control study was conducted in Shenzhen Third People's Hospital from January 2012 to December 2014. A total of 1 533 patients with active tuberculosis were enrolled, including 1 432 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis[920 males and 512 females, mean age (37±14) years] and 101 cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis [60 males and 41 females, mean age (35±13) years]. At the same time, 1 445 healthy controls (882 males and 563 females, mean age (37±20) years) were selected. The genotypes of rs1143627, rs1143623, rs16944 and rs2853550 of IL-1β gene were detected by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The allele frequencies of rs1143627 T>C (-31) were compared between patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and those with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Fifty-three patients with active tuberculosis [male 32, female 21, mean age (37±15) years] were randomly selected, and the correlation between SNP alleles and tuberculosis severity was analyzed before and after treatment. Results: Time-of-flight mass spectrometry effectively detected the genotypes of 4 SNP loci. Among the 4 SNP loci, only the allele frequency of -31 locus was significantly different between the active tuberculosis group and the control group. The allele frequency of rs1143627 T locus in active tuberculosis group was 53.3%(1 634/3 066), which was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group 48.7%(1 407/2 890; OR=1.20, 95%CI=1.09-1.33, P=0.001 6) .The frequencies of the other 3 SNP alleles were not significantly different between the active tuberculosis group and the control group. The frequencies of the other 3 SNP alleles were 59% (1 821/3 066) and 60% (1 732/2 890) for rs1143623 G allele, 51% (1 574/3 066) and 52% (1 499/2 890) for rs16944 G allele, and 64% (1 964/3 066) and 65% (1 875/2 890) for rs2853550 T allele respectively. Stratified analysis showed that the frequency of the -31 T allele in patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis (62.9%, 127/202) was significantly higher than that in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (52.6%,1 507/2 864) (OR=1.53; 95% CI=1.13-2.05; P=0.005).The HRCT scores of patients with rs1143627 TT, TC and CC genotypes were 26.6, 13.9 and 13.3 respectively before anti-tuberculosis treatment, and after 2 years of anti-tuberculosis treatment, the HRCT scores of patients with rs1143627 TT, TC and CC genotypes were 14.7, 6.6 and 5.4 respectively, which indicated that TB patients with rs1143627T allele were associated with more severe pulmonary disease. Conclusion: The SNP of IL-1β-31T>C was associated with susceptibility to active tuberculosis, and T allele was the susceptible gene and individuals carrying T allele were more likely to develop extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

First Measurement of Λ_{c} Baryon Production in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report on the first measurement of the charmed baryon Λ_{c}^{±} production at midrapidity (|y|<1) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV collected by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The Λ_{c}/D^{0} [denoting (Λ_{c}^{+}+Λ_{c}^{-})/(D^{0}+D[over ¯]^{0})] yield ratio is measured to be 1.08±0.16  (stat)±0.26  (sys) in the 0%-20% most central Au+Au collisions for the transverse momentum (p_{T}) range 3<p_{T}<6  GeV/c. This is significantly larger than the pythia model calculations for p+p collisions. The measured Λ_{c}/D^{0} ratio, as a function of p_{T} and collision centrality, is comparable to the baryon-to-meson ratios for light and strange hadrons in Au+Au collisions. Model calculations including coalescence hadronization for charmed baryon and meson formation reproduce the features of our measured Λ_{c}/D^{0} ratio.

Prognostic value of radiologically enlarged lymph nodes in node-negative colon cancer

AIM

Assessment of lymph node (LN) involvement is of crucial importance in the estimation of prognosis and choice of therapeutic options for patients with colon cancer. The relationship between the radiological size of LNs and prognosis in node-negative colon cancer remains uncertain. This study aims to investigate the prognostic impact of radiologically enlarged LNs on the survival of patients with node-negative colon cancer.

METHOD

This retrospective study recruited 395 patients with Stages I and II colon cancer diagnosed between January 2012 and March 2016. Preoperative computed tomography was reviewed for the maximum short-axis diameter of regional LNs, the optimal cutoff value of which was set to 8 mm. The prognostic relevance was analysed in Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regressions.

RESULTS

Patients with tumour in the left colon, TNM Stage II and 12 or more retrieved LNs tended to have radiologically enlarged LNs. Our results suggest that 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly worse in patients with enlarged LNs than those without (RFS 82.8% vs 92.4%, P = 0.026; OS 87.1% vs 95.2%, P = 0.017), which was also confirmed in multivariable analysis [RFS hazard ratio (HR) = 2.192, P = 0.018; OS HR = 3.305, P = 0.010]. Subgroup analysis revealed that in patients with Stage II disease or at least 12 retrieved LNs, radiologically enlarged LN remained an independent predictor of poor RFS and OS.

CONCLUSION

The presence of radiologically enlarged LNs in patients with node-negative colon cancer had an adverse prognosis.

Adaptation of plants to high-calcium content kart regions: possible involvement of symbiotic microorganisms and underlying mechanisms

Rhizosphere microorganisms and endophytes can help their hosts absorb nutrients and regulate the levels of plant hormones. Moreover, they can modulate the expressions of host genes, assist hosts in eliminating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and secreting volatile organic compounds. Therefore, rhizosphere microorganisms and endophytes are considered as determinant factors driving processes involved in the growth of host plants. However, the physiological and ecological functions, as well as the molecular mechanism underlying the behavior of rhizosphere microorganisms and endophytes in their role in the adaptive capacity of host plants in the karstic high-calcium environment have not been systematically studied. This review summarizes the physiological and molecular mechanisms of rhizosphere microorganisms and endophytes which help host plants to adapt to various kinds of adverse environments. The adaptive capacities of plants growing in adverse environments, partly, or totally, depends on microorganisms co-existing with the host plants.

Levofloxacin-ceftazidime administration regimens combat Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the hollow-fiber infection model simulating abnormal renal function in critically ill patients

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bactericidal effects of levofloxacin and ceftazidime as both monotherapy and combination therapy, and to determine their effects on resistance suppression in patients with normal and abnormal (Ccr:16-20 mL/min) renal function. Common clinical administration regimens to provide reference values were further evaluated.

METHODS

The 7-d hollow-fiber infection model was used to inject the Pseudomonas aeruginosa standard strain (ATCC27853), which simulated common clinical administration regimens for patients with different renal function. Ten regimens were stratified into 2 categories based on renal function, and each category contained 3 monotherapy regimens and 2 combination therapy regimens. Total and resistant populations were quantified. Drug concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

RESULTS

Monotherapy regimens resulted in about 0.5-log-CFU/mL bacterial kill in the total population at 6 or 8 h, whilst combination regimens resulted in 2- to 3-log-CFU/mL within 2 days. For levofloxacin monotherapy regimens in patients with normal renal function, resistance emergence was seen after 6 h, and was seen at 0 h in the ceftazidime monotherapy regimen, as well as in all regimens of patients with abnormal renal function. Although resistant subpopulation in combination regimens with abnormal renal function began to increase at 0 h, there was a definite downward trend after 8 h, while resistant population in the normal renal function group increased after 16 h.

CONCLUSIONS

Combination therapy had greater bactericidal efficacy and resistance inhibition compared with monotherapy. Studying combination regimens in randomized clinical trials is warranted.

Isolation of swine-derived Lactobacillus plantarum and its synergistic antimicrobial and health-promoting properties with ZnO nanoparticles

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to isolate Lactobacillus from gastrointestinal tract of healthy postweaning piglets and investigate its synergistic antimicrobial and probiotic effects with ZnO nanoparticles (nZnO).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Of the 128 isolates, Lactobacillus plantarum BLPL03 was selected based on its excellent acid and bile salt tolerance properties. Lactobacillus plantarum BLPL03 was sensitive to β-lactams, macrolides, amphenicols and cephalosporins, whereas it displayed the steady resistance to aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, quinolones and peptide antibiotics. In vitro analysis of antibacterial activities showed that L. plantarum BLPL03 inhibited the four common food-borne pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli O157:H7 CMCC 44828, Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 13311, Staphylococcus aureus CMCC 26003 and Listeria monocytogenes CMCC 54007 in synergy with nZnO. Furthermore, the quantitative polymerase chain reaction test demonstrated that the combined administration of L. plantarum BLPL03 fermentation liquor (LFL) and nZnO synergistically elevated the faecal number of Bifidobacterium by 73·19-fold, and reduced the two potential enteropathogenic bacteria Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium perfringens in mice challenged with Salm. Typhimurium. Finally, dietary supplementation with low dose of nZnO (20 mg kg^-1 ) when combined with LFL administration enhanced final body weight, fur appearance and average daily gain, and decreased feed conversion ratio and diarrhoea incidence in weaned piglets. The faecal Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus of piglets were dramatically enhanced by 81·96- and 3·15-fold, respectively, after administration of a mixture of nZnO and LFL. Meanwhile, combination of nZnO with LFL resulted in low levels of Bacteroides, Enterococcus, and Enterobacteriaceae.

CONCLUSIONS

A combination of nZnO and LFL exhibits potential health-benefit properties for the control of gut microbial composition by their synergistic antimicrobial and probiotic effects.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study may provide a potential nutritional strategy to improve performance and gut health of animals with gut microbiota disorders caused by pathogen infections and weanling, and so on.

Geometry, induced magnetism and modified electronic behaviors for magnetic atom adsorption on antimonene nanotubes

The detailed first-principles calculations show that TM adsorption can imprint versatile magnetism into antimonene nanotubes. A significant carrier polarity and spin polarity of mobility as well as the magneto-electric material property are found.

Psychometric assessment and application of the Chinese version of the Compliance with Annual Diabetic Eye Exams Survey in people with diabetic retinopathy

AIM

To translate the Compliance with Annual Diabetic Eye Exams Survey (CADEES) into Chinese, allowing assessment of its reliability and validity, and to identify variables that predict attendance at annual eye examinations.

METHODS

People with vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy were recruited from the Shanghai Diabetic Eye Study. The study involved three phases: (1) translation and cross-cultural adaptation, (2) a pilot study (n = 496) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese-CADEES, and (3) a primary cross-sectional survey (n = 3818) to assess self-reported attendance at annual eye examinations. Factors related to non-attendance were identified using univariate analysis, and then a multiple logistic regression model. Finally, a component model and individual item models were built to predict attendance.

RESULTS

The Chinese-CADEES had satisfactory reliability and validity. The issue of low attendance at annual eye examinations was serious. In addition to 13 health belief items, living in semi-urban suburban areas, shorter duration of diabetes, poor glucose control, lower education level, better presenting visual acuity and milder diabetic retinopathy diagnosis were significantly related to non-attendance. The multivariate predictive model was able to predict, with 64.7% accuracy, whether or not participants were going to attend annual eye examinations and explained ~ 11.3% of the variance in attendance.

CONCLUSIONS

The Chinese-CADEES showed good reliability and validity for predicting attendance at annual eye examinations in people with diabetic retinopathy. Clinicians and researchers can improve attendance by addressing modifiable characteristics and increasing education on diabetic retinopathy and the importance of eye health in people with diabetes.

Precision Reengineering of the Oral Microbiome for Caries Management

Technological advancements have revolutionized our understanding of the complexity and importance of the human microbiome. This progress has also emphasized the need for precision therapeutics, as it has underscored the dilemmas, such as dysbiosis and increasing antibiotic resistance, associated with current, broad-spectrum treatment modalities. Dental caries remains the most common chronic disease worldwide, accompanied by a tremendous financial and social burden, despite widespread and efficacious fluoride and hygienic regimens. Over the past several decades, various precision approaches to combat dental caries, including vaccines, probiotics, and antimicrobial compounds, have been pursued. Despite the distinct overall conceptual strengths of each approach, for various reasons, there are currently no approved precision antibiotic therapeutics to prevent dental caries. Specifically targeted antimicrobial peptides (STAMPs) are synthetic molecules that combine the antibiotic moiety of a traditional antimicrobial peptide with a targeting domain to provide specificity against a particular organism. Conjoining the killing domain from the antimicrobial, novispirin G10, and a targeting domain derived from the Streptococcus mutans pheromone, CSP, the STAMP C16G2 was designed to provide targeted killing of S. mutans, widely considered the keystone species in dental caries pathogenesis. C16G2 was able to selectively eliminate S. mutans from complex ecosystems while leaving closely related, yet health-associated, oral species unharmed. This remodeling of the dental plaque community is expected to have significant advantages compared to conventional broad-spectrum mouthwashes, as the intact, surviving community is apt to prevent reinfection by pathogens. Following successful phase I clinical trials that evaluated the safety and basic microbiology of C16G2 treatments, the phase II trials of several C16G2 formulations are currently in progress. C16G2 represents an exciting advance in precision therapeutics, and the STAMP platform provides vast opportunities for both the development of additional therapeutics and the overall study of microbial ecology.

Autophagy triggered by MAVS inhibits Coxsackievirus A16 replication

Mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS), a crucial adaptor protein localized on mitochondria, plays vital roles in various biological processes. Autophagy and apoptosis are two independent and closely linked cell death pathways. But whether MAVS could induce apoptosis and autophagy in rhabdomyosarcoma cells (RD cells) and what is the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis still remains elusive. Here, we reveal that overexpression of MAVS could trigger both apoptosis and autophagy in RD cells. Interestingly, MAVS-induced apoptosis was dependent on the activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway and inhibition of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. Also, it was found that inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) enhanced MAVS-induced apoptosis resulting in increased cleavage of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Meanwhile, autophagy induction by rapamycin resulted in decreased MAVS-induced apoptosis. In addition, we found that MAVS expression was inhibited upon Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) infection and overexpression of MAVS could inhibit CA16 replication. Collectively, our study provides novel insights into the link between apoptosis and autophagy induced by MAVS overexpression in RD cells and gains a greater understanding of MAVS-induced antiviral functions, which provide new targets for CA16 treatment. Keywords: CA16; MAVS; apoptosis; autophagy.

Effect of hypoxia on the Twist1 in EMT of cervical cancer cells

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of hypoxia on the Twist1 expression in epithelial-mesenchymal transition of the cervical cancer cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we simulated the normoxia and hypoxia environment, where HeLa cells were cultured, respectively. Cell invasion ability was measured by the transwell assay, while the GLI-1 protein and mRNA expressions were measured by Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot assays. After that, HeLa cells were transfected with the GLI-1-specific siRNA, followed by the measurement of mRNA and protein expressions using RT-PCR and Western blot assays, as well as the cell invasion ability by the transwell assay.

RESULTS

We found that in hypoxic environment, GLI-1 was up-regulated in HeLa cells, with enhanced invasion ability. However, silencing the expression of GLI-1 could reverse the up-regulation of GLI-1 compromising the invasion ability of HeLa cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypoxia may account for the increased invasion of HeLa cells, which is realized by the up-regulated GLI-1.

[Short-term outcomes and prognosis of palliative surgery for malignant bowel obstruction caused by peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer]

Objective: To explore the short-term efficacy and prognosis of palliative surgical treatment for malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) caused by peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer (mCRC). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The inclusion criteria for patients were as follows: (1) primary colorectal cancer; (2) massive peritoneal metastasis; (3)obstructive site located below Treitz ligament by imaging; (4) obstruction refractory to conservative treatment; (5) estimated rese survival time more than 2 months; (6) patients and their families had strong willingness for operation; (7) surgical treatment included stoma/bypass and debulking surgery. In accordance with the above criteria, clinicopathological data of 46 patients undergoing palliative surgery at Peking University Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Unit III from January 2016 to October 2018 were retrospectively collected. Postoperative symptomatic relief rate, morbidity of complication within 30 days, complication classification (Clavien-Dindo classification), mortality and survival after operation were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate survival and Cox regression analysis was used to identify prognostic factors. Results: Among 46 patients, 30 were male and 16 were female with median age of 63 (19-87) years; 23 patients received stoma/bypass surgery (stoma/bypass group), and 23 cases received tumor debulking surgery (debulking group). The overall symptom relief rate was 76.1% (35/46), while symptom relief rate in the debulking group was 91.3% (21/23), which was significantly higher than 60.9% (14/23) in the stoma/bypass group (χ(2)=4.301, P=0.038). Postoperative complications occurred in 25 patients. The complication rate was 52.2% (12/23) in the debulking group and 56.5% (13/23) in the stoma/bypass group, without statistically significant difference (χ(2)=0.088, P=0.767). Morbidity of complication beyond grade III was 8.7% (2/23) and 13.0% (3/23) in the debulking group and stoma/bypass group respectively, without statistically significant difference (χ(2)=0.224, P=0.636). Four patients died within 30 days after operation, 2 (8.7%) in each group. Twenty-four patients underwent 1-8 cycles of chemotherapy ± targeting therapy (regimens: CapeOX ± Bevacizumab, FOLFOX/FOLFIRI ± Bevacizumab/Cetuximab), including 10 cases in the stoma/bypass group and 14 cases in the debulking group. Two patients of debulking group received postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy (50.6 Gy/22 f, with concurrent oral capecitabine). Till the last follow up of April 2019, 34 patients died (34/46, 73.9%) with a median overall survival time of 6.4 months, and the 6-month and 1-year survival rate was 54.5% and 29.2% respectively. The median survival time in the debulking group was significantly longer than that in the stoma/bypass group (11.5 months vs. 5.2 months, χ(2)=5.117, P=0.024). The median survival time of the 35 patients with symptomatic relief after operation was significant longer than that of 11 patients without relief (7.1 months vs 5.1 months, χ(2)=3.844, P=0.050). Multivariate analysis showed stoma/bypass surgery (HR=2.917, 95%CI:1.357-6.269, P=0.006) and greater omental metastasis (HR=4.060, 95%CI:1.419-11.617, P=0.009) were independent risk factors associated with prognosis of patients with MBO caused by peritoneal mCRC. Conclusions: For patients of MBO caused by peritoneal mCRC, tumor debulking surgery may achieve higher symptom relief rate and prolong survival. Greater omental metastasis indicates poor prognosis.