[Post-marketing surveillance of Tanreqing injection in children: a real world study]

Objective: To evaluate the safety of Tanreqing injection among children in the real world. Methods: A multicenter, large sample, ambispective cohort study, with registration-type clinical safety monitoring. A total of 6 188 inpatients and patients from the emergency units, aged ≤ 14 years who all had been using Tanreqing injection in 59 secondary and tertiary hospitals in China, were recruited between January, 2014 and May, 2015. The main outcomes would include incidence and severity of adverse drug reaction (ADR)/adverse drug event (ADE) of Tanreqing injection. Univariate analysis was used to explain the risk factors of ADR. Results: The overall incidence of ADE was 4.20‰ (26 cases), including 4 serious ones. The incidence of ADR was 3.07‰ (19 cases), including 17 cases of general ADR and 2 cases of new ADR. All the ADR cases were mild or moderate, mostly showing damages in skin and appendages. The onset of disease happened in 24 hours after the Tanreqing injection but all the ADR cases got improved or cured. Having histories of allergies to drugs or foods would increase the incidence of ADR. Conclusion:Tanreqing injection caused low incidence of ADR in children. Progams as stratifying high-risk patients and improving administrative management could further increase the safety level of Tanreqing injection.

[Myoclonus and it's associated factors in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease]

Objective: To analyze features and the related factors of myoclonus of 47 patients with probable or possible Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Methods: All patients diagnosed with"suspected CJD" and hospitalized in Xuanwu Hospital from January 2013 to November 2015 were included, and their clinical information and myoclonus features were analyzed. Age, clinical, course and manifestation, EEG, MRI, CSF14-3-3 features between myoclonus positive group and negative group were compared, and the correlation between myoclonus features and these factors was analyzed using Spearman correlation analyses. Results: (1) Occurrence rate of extrapyramidal symptoms (P=0.028), visual impairment (P=0.025) and dyssomnia (P=0.004) were higher in myoclonus positive group, the differences were significant. Spearman correlation analysis showed that myoclonus was related to extrapyramidal symptoms (P=0.024), visual impairment (P=0.030) and dyssomnia (P=0.001). (2) EEG features showed no significant difference between myoclonus positive and negative group. The 17 myoclonus positive patients were divided into three subgroups, typical EEG change group 52.94%(9/17), atypical EEG change group 23.53%(4/17) and no EEG change group 23.53%(4/17). Difference of myoclonus and other clinical manifestations were not significant among the three subgroups(P>0.05); correlation analysis also found no statistically significant correlation between myoclonus and EEG (P=0.201). Conclusions: Myoclonus often occurs after the damage of locomotor system (including pyramidal tract, extracorticospinal tract and cerebellum) among CJD patients, and it is related to extrapyramidal symptoms , visual impairment and dyssomnia . There is undefined correlation between myoclonus and periodic sharp wave complexes (PSWC) in EEG.

[The development of ex vivo lung perfusion in lung transplantation]

The shortage of donor lung remains one of the major problem for lung transplantation. With the development of modern lung preservation and repair technique, increasing marginal lung donors have been re-assessed and finally utilized for transplantation. The ex vivo lung perfusion technique (EVLP) was designed and has been developed for evaluation and repair of the lung. Nowadays, the indication of EVLP and the standard of qualified donor lung have reached a consensus according to the foreign publications. The EVLP system could be classified into three categories: the Toronto technique, the Lund technique and Hannover-Madrid technique. The major differences between the Toronto technique and the other two technique are the open left atrium status, the use of Steen solution mixed with erythrocyte and the perfusion at flows correspondent to 100% of the donor predicted cardiac output. With the accumulating experience, researchers have tried to imply some drugs in the circulation, modify the ventilation gas and delivery of adenoviral vector gene in order to improve the lung quality. But these are still in the research phase. Recently, the portable EVLP device has been developed and the lung preservation, assessment and repair could be conducted during transportation. So it could prolong the preservation time and expand the transportation distance of donor lung.

[Feature of magnetic resonance imaging in patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease]

Objective: To assess the imaging features of 43 patients diagnosed as clinically possible or probable Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) for providing referential information and experience on applications of MRI in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of CJD. Method: All patients who were diagnosed with "suspected CJD" and hospitalized in Xuanwu Hospital from January 2013 to November 2015 were collected, and their clinical information and MRI imaging features were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Totally 62 patients with "suspected CJD" were rectruited in this study, and 43 of them were diagnosied as probable and possible CJD when they were discharged.The typical MRI feature of CJD patients was "cortical ribbon" sign in MR DWI sequences and/or high signal in cortex or bilateral basal ganglia.In all patients, the simple coritcal involvement was the highest(76.47%, 26/34), followed by the cortical cortex and basal ganglia(23.53%, 8/34). MRI positive group had more prominent extrapyramidal symptoms than MRI negative group (26/31 vs 9/12, P=0.015), but no statistical difference in clinic feature was found between the group with simple cortex affected and the group with both cortex and bilateral basal ganglia affected (P>0.05). Conclusions: MRI images of patients with CJD have special characteristics and have corresponding changes when the patients are in different stages of disease. In combination with the clinical evaluation of disease progression, brain microscopic pathological changes of CJD patients can be assessed by regularly brain MRI examination.

Neuropsychiatric manifestations in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: a 20-year study

The objective of this study was to investigate the manifestations, treatment and outcome of neuropsychiatric (NP) involvement in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. The charts of 185 pediatric patients with SLE diagnosed between 1985 and 2005 in a tertiary referral hospital were retrospectively reviewed. NPSLE were defined using the American College of Rheumatology NPSLE case definitions. NPSLE developed in 34.6% (64/185) of the patients. The mean onset age was 15.2 years. Fourteen patients (21.9%) had NP manifestations on initial diagnosis of SLE. The median duration from the onset of SLE to NP manifestation was 11 months. The most frequent NP manifestations were seizure disorder (84.4%), ischemic stroke (28.1%) and psychosis (21.9%). However, the prevalence of manifestations of NPSLE might be underestimated by the retrospective design of our study. Higher mean C3/C4 levels, less percentage of anti-dsDNA antibodies elevation and higher percentage of elevated anticardiolipin antibodies were observed in NPSLE events than in non-NPSLE events ( P 0.05). The mortality rate of NPSLE patients decreased from 52.2% in 1985–1994 cohort to 27.8% in 1995–2005 cohort. In the past 10 years, the leading cause of death in NPSLE patients was NPSLE itself. NPSLE is common in pediatric SLE patients. It has diverse manifestations and a high mortality.

[Study of the genes correlated with cyst calcification in patients with cystic echinococcosis]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the genes (biomarkers) correlated with cyst calcification in patients with cystic echinococcosis (CE), and to provide the evidence for the judgment on the patients' prognosis at molecular level.

METHODS

The liver tissues from 32 patients with liver CE (10 cases for mRNA microarray and 22 cases for real-time PCR analysis) and 11 patients with hepatic cystadenoma were collected from three hospitals in Ningxia from June, 2013 to December, 2014. A comparison of the different gene-expressions between five patients with calcified lesions and five cases with no calcification was carried out using Significant Analysis of Microarrays (SAM) to select a subset of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) . Fold-change analysis was used to assess the changes of the expression quantity in the same genes between two groups. The verification was conducted among the liver tissues from 22 patients with liver CE (11 in the group of calcified or 11 in that of non-calcified) by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). With GAPDH as a reference-gene and the liver tissues from 11 cases with hepatic cystadenoma as standardized control groups, the relative expressions of galecitin-4 (LGALS4) and acid ceramidase (ASAH1) in patients with calcified and non-calcified were calculated, respectively. The differences between two groups were compared using t'-test.

RESULTS

Five screened genes presented siginificantly different expressions all had showed the low-regulated expressions in the calcified group, with the most distinct low-regulation of LGALS4 and ASAH1 whose fold changes were 0.008 8, and 0.020 3, respectively. The verification by RT-qPCR illustrated that the relative expression of LGALS4 was showed at level of 0.49±0.27 amongst patients with calcified, and at level of 2.70±2.61 amongst non-calcified individuals,,indicating significant differences between two groups (t=-2.59, P=0.026); while the ASAH1 was relatively expressed at levels of 1.36±0.33 and of 1.68±0.67 amongst patients with calcified and non-calcified, respectively, showing insignificant changes statistically (t=-1.44, P=0.167). In the non-calcified group, both LGALS4 and ASAH1 genes expression quantities had a small fluctuation range, but with positively correlated trend (r=0.91, P=0.001), which indicated that a patient with the low LGALS4 expression quantity also had a relative low level of ASAH1 expression quantity.

CONCLUSIONS

Low expression quantity of LGALS4 and ASAH1 genes in patients with CE in the calcification might be potential biomarker for an indication of the disease self-healing.

Enhancing local luminescence in a hollow ZnO microcolumn by antiresonant reflecting

Hollow ZnO microcolumns with size induced photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties were prepared by a thermal chemical vapor transport and condensation method. It was found that the luminescence emission could be confined in the nano-sized hollow core and the wavelength dependent light intensity could be influenced by the geometric structure of the ZnO microcolumn, which can act as a hollow optical waveguide. Based on the antiresonant reflection in the optical waveguide, we established a theoretical model to address the field enhancement in the hollow ZnO microcolumn, which systematically clarifies the influence of the geometric structure of the microcolumn on the field enhancement. We report for the first time, the enhanced emission of the near ultraviolet light (working wavelength of 385 nm) along the axial direction of the ZnO microcolumn. The corresponding microsized light emitter has also been obtained. Experiments agree well with both theoretical predictions and computer simulations based on the finite-difference time-domain method with perfectly matched layer boundary conditions. These findings provide valuable information for the application of ZnO micro- and nanostructures in optoelectronic devices.

Cloning, molecular characterization, and expression analysis of a nucleoporin gene (rgNUP98-96) from Rehmannia glutinosa

Nucleoporin 98 (NUP98) and nucleoporin 96 (NUP96) are essential components of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) in eukaryote cells. However, there is a lack of available information about complete Rehmannia glutinosa NUP98-96 (rgNUP98-96) sequences. Here, the full-length cDNA sequence of rgNUP96-98 was isolated from R. glutinosa using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technology, based on a cloned cDNA sequence (GenBank accession No. JZ483329). The identified rgNUP98-96 was 3476 bp, and it encoded a 1041-amino acid peptide. The BLAST search analysis of rgNUP98-96 showed an intermediate degree of similarity (60-79%) to the NUP98-96 protein sequences of 34 other plants, including the dicotyledons Erythranthe guttata, Genlisea aurea, Coffea canephora, Nicotiana benthamiana, Solanum lycopersicum, and Solanum tuberosum. The phylogenetic analysis of NUP96-98 sequences indicated that R. glutinosa and E. guttata sequences shared the closest homology. The calculated molecular mass and predicted isolectric point of the complex protein were 117.6 kDa and 4.99, respectively. The secondary and three-dimensional structure studies illustrated that the rgNUP96-98 protein folded into a channel motif comprised of 34 alpha-helices, nine beta-strands, and several long loops. Using quantitative real-time PCR, the spatio-temporal expression patterns of rgNUP98-96 were analyzed in R. glutinosa, and the results indicated that rgNUP98-96 was highly expressed at the early stage of R. glutinosa tuberous root expansion, which is associated with a higher expression pattern in roots. The study provides a valuable foundation for further investigation of rgNUP96-98 molecular functions in R. glutinosa.

Hypervalinemia and hyperleucine-isoleucinemia caused by mutations in the branched-chain-amino-acid aminotransferase gene

Valine, leucine, and isoleucine are essential branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). When BCAA metabolism is genetically impaired in human, serum levels of BCAA and/or their metabolites rise considerably, causing severe neurological dysfunction. The first step in BCAA catabolism is catalyzed by branched chain aminotransferase (BCAT). Hypervalinemia and hyperleucine-isoleucinemia caused by BCAT gene mutation in human have not been reported previously. A 25-year-old man presented with headache complaints and mild memory impairment for about six years. Brain MRI showed symmetric white matter abnormal signals. Metabolic studies revealed remarkably elevated plasma valine and leucine concentrations. Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) diagnosis was not supported since all genes for the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex (BCKD) gene were normal. Interestingly, two heterogeneous BCAT2 gene mutations were found in the patient, including c.509G > A (p.Arg170Gln) and c.790G > A (p.Glu264Lys). In addition, c.509G > A (p.Arg170Gln) and c.790G > A (p.Glu264Lys) were found in his father and mother, respectively, suggesting an autosomal recessive disorder. BCAT2 functional studies demonstrated that the two BCAT2 gene mutations resulted in decreased BCAT2 enzyme activity. After treatment with vitamin B6, the levels of BCAA, especially valine were remarkably decreased and brain MRI lesions were improved. These findings suggest a new type of branched chain amino acid metabolism disorder. This rare case provides great insight into the further understanding of BCAA metabolism and its defect in human. BCAT2 gene mutations can cause hypervalinemia and hyperleucine-isoleucinemia, which are associated with brain white matter lesions.

Evolutionary analysis of the ubiquitin gene of baculovirus and insect hosts

Baculovirus is the only virus that has been found to encode the ubiquitin protein. In this study, ubiquitin sequences from 16 insects and 49 viruses were collected and compared. The resulting sequences were aligned with virus genomes. Then MAGE 5.0, k-estimated software, as well as other software programs were used for systemic evolutionary, selection pressure, and evolutionary distance analysis. The results of the pairwise ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitution values and evolutionary distances showed that ubiquitin from baculovirus and insect hosts have been under purifying selection during evolution and are thus evolutionarily conserved. Moreover, genes from insect hosts were more conserved than those in baculovirus. Analysis of the non-synonymous to synonymous substitution rates at each site and entropy calculations revealed the evolutionary status of every site in the ubiquitin genes of baculovirus and their hosts. Genome locations and phylogenetic trees indicated that granuloviruses and non-photosynthetic vegetation evolved, and granulovirus evolution was more similar to that of insect hosts. Our results suggest that the ubiquitin gene in baculovirus may have been acquired through horizontal transfer from the host.

Effects of lead contamination on the clonal propagative ability of Phragmites australis (common reed) grown in wet and dry environments

Clonal propagation is important for the survival and maintenance of the common reed Phragmites australis. Pot culture experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of lead (Pb) concentration (0, 500, 1500, 3000, 4500 mg·kg(-1) ) and water stress on the clonal reproductive ability of this species. The Pb concentration found in plant organs, in decreasing order, was roots >shoots >rhizomes. There was a negative relationship between the growth of clonal propagative modules (excluding axillary shoot buds) and Pb concentrations, which caused a decrease in biomass, rhizome growth and number of axillary and apical rhizome buds. Daughter axillary shoots exhibited a tolerance strategy, with no significant change in their number; the axillary and apical rhizome buds, daughter apical rhizome shoots and rhizomes exhibited compensatory growth during the late stage of Pb (excluding 4500 mg·kg(-1) ) treatment in a wet environment. Pb applications above 500 mg·kg(-1) reduced these parameters significantly in the drought treatment, except for the number of axillary shoot buds, which did not change. Our results indicate that clonal propagative resistance to Pb contamination can occur via tolerance strategies, compensatory growth and a Pb allocation strategy, enabling these reeds to maintain population stability in wet environments. However, clonal modular growth and reproductive ability were inhibited significantly by the interaction between drought and Pb, which would cause a decline in P. australis populations in a dry environment. Lead concentrations of 4500 and 500 mg·kg(-1) in soils might meet or exceed the Pb tolerance threshold of clonally propagated reeds in wet and dry environments, respectively.

Mutational analysis of podocyte genes in children with sporadic steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome

Recent studies have demonstrated that mutations in 4 podocyte genes, NPHS1, NPHS2, CD2AP, and WT1, are associated with the pathogenesis of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). Systematic investigation of all 4 genes for sporadic SRNS in China has not been performed. We examined 10 Chinese children with sporadic SRNS who showed no response to immunosuppressive agents and 20 SRNS controls who exhibited a response to prolonged steroid or immunosuppressive treatment and achieved complete remission. We analyzed mutations in the 4 podocyte genes, NPHS1, NPHS2, CD2AP, and WT1. Mutational analysis was performed using polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. Of the 10 SRNS children who showed no response to immunosuppressive agents, the compound heterozygous NPHS1 mutations 2677A>G (T893A) and *142T>C were identified in 1 patient, while a heterozygous mutation in WT1, 1180C>T (R394W), was found in another patient. Of the 20 SRNS children showing complete remission who responded to prolonged steroid therapy or immunosuppressive agents, 4 heterozygous NPHS1 mutations, 928G>A, IVS8+30C>T, IVS21+14G>A, and IVS25-23C>T, were identified in 4 patients and a heterozygous CD2AP mutation, IVS7-135G>A, was identified in 1 patient. Our results indicate the necessity of genetic examination for mutations in podocyte genes in Chinese SRNS children who show no response to immunosuppressive agents.

A formyl peptide receptor agonist suppresses inflammation and bone damage in arthritis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Annexin A1 (AnxA1) is an endogenous anti-inflammatory protein and agonist of the formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2). However, the potential for therapeutic FPR ligands to modify immune-mediated disease has been little explored. We investigated the effects of a synthetic FPR agonist on joint disease in the K/BxN model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS).

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Arthritis was induced by injection of K/BxN serum at day 0 and 2 in wild-type (WT) or AnxA1(-/-) mice and clinical and histopathological manifestations measured 8-11 days later. WT mice were given the FPR agonist compound 43 (Cpd43) (6 or 30 mg·kg(-1) i.p.) for 4 days. Effects of AnxA1 and Cpd43 on RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis were assessed in RAW 264.7 cells and human RA FLS and macrophages.

KEY RESULTS

Treatment with Cpd43 before or after the onset of arthritis reduced clinical disease severity and attenuated synovial TNF-α and osteoclast-associated gene expression. Deletion of AnxA1 in mice exacerbated arthritis severity in the K/BxN model. In vitro, Cpd43 suppressed osteoclastogenesis and NFAT activity elicited by RANKL, and inhibited IL-6 secretion by mouse macrophages. In human RA joint-derived FLS and monocyte-derived macrophages, Cpd43 treatment inhibited IL-6 release, while blocking FPR2 or silencing AnxA1 increased this release.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The FPR agonist Cpd43 reduced osteoclastogenesis and inflammation in a mouse model of RA and exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in relevant human cells. These data suggest that FPR ligands may represent novel therapeutic agents capable of ameliorating inflammation and bone damage in RA.

SHH-dependent knockout of HIF-1 alpha accelerates the degenerative process in mouse intervertebral disc

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1 alpha) has been reported to have an important role in the metabolism and synthesis of extracellular matrix of the nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) and was assumed to be involved in the process of intervertebral disc degeneration. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of HIF-1alpha in disc degeneration in vivo using a conditional HIF-1alpha knockout (KO) mouse model. ShhCre transgenic mice were mated with HIF-1 alpha fl/fl mice to generate conditional HIF-1alpha KO mice (HIF-1alpha fl/fl-ShhCre+). Three mice of each genotype (Wide-type and HIF-1alpha KO) at the age of 3 days, 6, and 12 weeks were sacrificed after genotyping. Five lumbar disc samples were harvested from each mouse, with a total of 45 disc samples for each genotype. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analysis were used to check the efficacy of HIF-1alpha knockout. Histological grading of the disc degeneration was performed according to the classification system proposed by Boos et al. Picro-sirius red staining, Safranine O/fast green staining and immunohistochemical study were used to evaluate the expression of aggrecan, type-II collagen and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Histologic analysis revealed more NPC deaths and signs of degeneration in HIF-1alpha KO mice and the degeneration scores of HIF-1alpha KO mice were significantly higher than those of the Wide-type mice at the age of 6 weeks and 12 weeks. There were less expressions of aggrecan, type-II collagen and VEGF in the intervertebral discs of HIF1-alpha KO mice than in those of wild-type mice. Taken together, the results of our study indicated that HIF-1alpha is a pivotal contributor to NPC survival and the homeotasis of extracellular matrix through the HIF-1alpha/VEGF signaling pathway, and plays an important role in the development of disc degeneration.

Seropositivity of HPV 16 E6 and E7 and the risk of oral cancer

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of HPV seropositivity among patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and healthy individuals and to correlate the association between HPV 16 seropositivity and risk of OSCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HPV 16 E6 and E7 plasmids were constructed for the production of recombinant protein, which was used as the antigen in ELISA. HPV ELISA was performed on serum samples from 50 healthy individuals and 50 patients with OSCC.

RESULTS

Using the HPV ELISA, 30% (OR = 2.25, 95% CI = 0.85-5.93) and 18% (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 0.53-4.92) of patients with oral cancer were found to be HPV 16 E6 and E7 seropositive, respectively. Significant association was found between HPV 16 seropositivity and increased risk of OSCC in men, but not in male subjects. A similar trend was observed in non-betel quid chewers.

CONCLUSIONS

Potential associations between HPV 16 E6/E7 seropositivity and oral cancer were revealed in men and non-betel quid chewer subjects, suggesting a possible etiological role of HPV 16 in subgroup of patients with OSCC in Malaysia.

Wilms' tumor suppressor gene mutations in girls with sporadic isolated steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome

Mutations in the Wilms' tumor suppressor gene (WT1) can lead to syndromic forms of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) such as Denys-Drash or Frasier syndrome and can cause isolated SRNS. A mutation within WT1 is a frequent cause of sporadic isolated SRNS in girls. In a worldwide cohort of girls, the rate of occurrence was 10.8%. Previous reports have indicated that in Chinese girls, the detection rate of WT1 mutations is 16.7% for early onset isolated nephrotic syndrome. The detection rate of WT1 mutations in Chinese girls with sporadic isolated SRNS is unknown. We examined WT1 mutations in 14 Chinese girls with sporadic isolated SRNS using polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing and studied a control group of 38 boys with sporadic isolated SRNS. We identified a WT1 mutation in 1 of 14 (7.1% detection rate) Chinese girls with sporadic isolated SRNS. No mutations occurred in WT1 in the remaining 13 girls or the control group. Our investigation supports the necessity of genetic examination for mutations in WT1 in girls with sporadic isolated SRNS.

Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and progression to arterial stiffness in middle-aged and elderly Chinese

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is an indicator of arterial stiffness, which is recognized as a predictor of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between HDL-c and baPWV among middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

METHODS

A total number of 1133 Chinese (430 men, 703 women) aged from 50 to 90 years old were recruited from Shanghai downtown district. The baPWV and major cardiovascular risk factors of the participants were measured.

RESULTS

Serum HDL-c was negatively correlated with baPWV (r = -0.143, P < 0.001) after adjustment for age and gender. Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that age (P < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001), HDL-c (P < 0.001), smoking (P = 0.001), BMI (P = 0.002), fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.004), and white blood cell (P = 0.005) were independently associated with baPWV. After multiple adjustments, participants in the highest quartile of HDL-c had an odds ratio of 0.442 (95% CI 0.268-0.729) for developing high arterial stiffness compared with participants in the lowest quartile. The association remained significant after further adjustment for major cardiovascular risk factors.

CONCLUSION

HDL-c has an independent protective effect on arterial stiffness in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Early detection of HDL-c level is important in high risk populations with arterial stiffness. Increasing HDL-c level may be an attractive therapeutic target for the prevention of arterial function and subsequent disease.

Supercurrent modulated by magnetization in a composite topological superconductor junction

We report a theoretical study of the supercurrent flowing in a composite topological superconductor (TS) junction, where a magnetized quantum dot is considered in between the two TS leads. Based on the tight-binding model and the Keldysh Green's function method, we found that the magnetization (m) in the dot can significantly modify the current-phase relationship, and a nonzero supercurrent flows at zero superconducting phase gradient when m has a component perpendicular to both the external magnetic field h and the pseudomagnetic field Bsoc from the spin-orbit coupling. The induced zero-phase supercurrent can be modulated substantially by both the magnitude and the direction of m, and takes its maximum value at the critical magnetic field of the topological phase transition. Our findings might provide an experimentally simple and accessible scheme for the detection of Majorana fermions.

Chromosomal Mapping and QTL Analysis of Resistance to Downy Mildew in Cucumis sativus

Downy mildew of cucumber (Cucumis sativus), caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis, is a major foliar disease worldwide. The cucumber inbred lines K8 (resistant to downy mildew) and K18 (susceptible) were used to study the inheritance of resistance to downy mildew. Chromosomal mapping of the resistance genes was completed to provide a theoretical basis for the resistance mechanisms and for marker assisted selection (MAS). Inoculation was used to test the level of resistance to P. cubensis in the F₂ and F_2:3 families derived from the cross K8 × K18. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) analysis, combined with bulked segregation analysis (BSA), was done with the DNA of F₂ plants using 2,360 pairs of SSR primers. JoinMap Version 3.0 and MapInspect were used to construct SSR linkages and to verify the relationships between these SSR linkages and cucumber chromosomes. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of downy mildew resistance was done using MapQTL Version 4.0. Inheritance of resistance to downy mildew in K8 was quantitative. Five QTLs for resistance to downy mildew were detected: dm1.1, dm5.1, dm5.2, dm5.3, and dm6.1. The loci of dm1.1 and dm6.1 were on chromosomes 1 and 6, respectively. The loci of dm5.1, dm5.2, and dm5.3 were on chromosome 5, and were linked. Six linked SSR markers for these five QTLs were identified: SSR31116, SSR20705, SSR00772, SSR11012, SSR16882, and SSR16110. Six and four nucleotide binding site (NBS)-type resistance gene analogs (RGAs) were predicted in the region of dm5.2 and dm5.3, respectively. These results will be of benefit for fine-mapping the major QTLs for downy mildew resistance, and for MAS in cucumber.

Musashi expression in β-cells coordinates insulin expression, apoptosis and proliferation in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress in diabetes

Diabetes is associated with the death and dysfunction of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells. In other systems, Musashi genes regulate cell fate via Notch signaling, which we recently showed regulates β-cell survival. Here we show for the first time that human and mouse adult islet cells express mRNA and protein of both Musashi isoforms, as well Numb/Notch/Hes/neurogenin-3 pathway components. Musashi expression was observed in insulin/glucagon double-positive cells during human fetal development and increased during directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to the pancreatic lineage. De-differentiation of β-cells with activin A increased Msi1 expression. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress increased Msi2 and Hes1, while it decreased Ins1 and Ins2 expression, revealing a molecular link between ER stress and β-cell dedifferentiation in type 2 diabetes. These effects were independent of changes in Numb protein levels and Notch activation. Overexpression of MSI1 was sufficient to increase Hes1, stimulate proliferation, inhibit apoptosis and reduce insulin expression, whereas Msi1 knockdown had the converse effects on proliferation and insulin expression. Overexpression of MSI2 resulted in a decrease in MSI1 expression. Taken together, these results demonstrate overlapping, but distinct roles for Musashi-1 and Musashi-2 in the control of insulin expression and β-cell proliferation. Our data also suggest that Musashi is a novel link between ER stress and the compensatory β-cell proliferation and the loss of β-cell gene expression seen in specific phases of the progression to type 2 diabetes.

ZnO nanocone: application in fabrication of the smallest whispering gallery optical resonator

ZnO semiconductors at the micro- and nanometre scales are attractive in optical, magnetic, and electronic applications because of their particular features and excellent properties. The whispering gallery mode (WGM) is a general and effective type to amplify the intensity of the luminescence emission, and has gained extensive application in lasing and microcavities. In this contribution, we reported that the smallest whispering gallery optical resonator has been achieved in an individual ZnO nanocone whose diameter gradually reduces from bottom to top in the range of 700 to 50 nm. Using the monochromatic cathodoluminescence (CL) equipment attached at a scanning electron microscopy, we observed the alternating patterns of bright and dark rings from the monochromatic CL image of an individual ZnO nanocone, which is attributed to the WGM-like enhanced luminescence emission when the ZnO nanocone is considered as an optical resonator. The smallest mode number of WGM, N=0, was observed in the ZnO nanocone with a radius of 55 nm for the considered light wavelength of 380 nm, and with a radius of 81 nm for the considered light wavelength of 500 nm, respectively. These results showed that the smallest whispering gallery optical resonator from an individual ZnO nanocone has been fabricated. Experiments are in good agreement with both theoretical predictions and computer simulations based on the finite-difference time domain method with perfectly matched layer boundary conditions. These findings provided valuable information for applications of ZnO micro- and nanostructures in optoelectronic devices.