Computational Image Analysis Identifies Histopathological Image Features Associated With Somatic Mutations and Patient Survival in Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Computational analysis of histopathological images can identify sub-visual objective image features that may not be visually distinguishable by human eyes, and hence provides better modeling of disease phenotypes. This study aims to investigate whether specific image features are associated with somatic mutations and patient survival in gastric adenocarcinoma (sample size = 310). An automated image analysis pipeline was developed to extract quantitative morphological features from H&E stained whole-slide images. We found that four frequently somatically mutated genes (TP53, ARID1A, OBSCN, and PIK3CA) were significantly associated with tumor morphological changes. A prognostic model built on the image features significantly stratified patients into low-risk and high-risk groups (log-rank test p-value = 2.6e-4). Multivariable Cox regression showed the model predicted risk index was an additional prognostic factor besides tumor grade and stage. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that the genes whose expressions mostly correlated with the contributing features in the prognostic model were enriched on biological processes such as cell cycle and muscle contraction. These results demonstrate that histopathological image features can reflect underlying somatic mutations and identify high-risk patients that may benefit from more precise treatment regimens. Both the image features and pipeline are highly interpretable to enable translational applications.

TSUNAMI: Translational Bioinformatics Tool Suite for Network Analysis and Mining

Gene co-expression network (GCN) mining identifies gene modules with highly correlated expression profiles across samples/conditions. It enables researchers to discover latent gene/molecule interactions, identify novel gene functions, and extract molecular features from certain disease/condition groups, thus helping to identify disease biomarkers. However, there lacks an easy-to-use tool package for users to mine GCN modules that are relatively small in size with tightly connected genes that can be convenient for downstream gene set enrichment analysis, as well as modules that may share common members. To address this need, we developed an online GCN mining tool package: TSUNAMI (Tools SUite for Network Analysis and MIning). TSUNAMI incorporates our state-of-the-art lmQCM algorithm to mine GCN modules for both public and user-input data (microarray, RNA-seq, or any other numerical omics data), and then performs downstream gene set enrichment analysis for the identified modules. It has several features and advantages: 1) a user-friendly interface and real-time co-expression network mining through a web server; 2) direct access and search of NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, as well as user-input gene expression matrices for GCN module mining; 3) multiple co-expression analysis tools to choose from, all of which are highly flexible in regards to parameter selection options; 4) identified GCN modules are summarized to eigengenes, which are convenient for users to check their correlation with other clinical traits; 5) integrated downstream Enrichr enrichment analysis and links to other gene set enrichment tools; and 6) visualization of gene loci by Circos plot in any step of the process. The web service is freely accessible through URL: https://biolearns.medicine.iu.edu/. Source code is available at https://github.com/huangzhii/TSUNAMI/.

Analysis of Secreted Proteins and Potential Virulence via the ICEs-Mediated Pathway of the Foodborne Pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Vibrio parahaemolyticus uses bacterial secretion systems and integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) to induce various diseases and to adapt to harsh environments, respectively. Information pertaining to the identity of secreted proteins and functional characterization of ICEs has been previously reported, but the relationship between these elements remains unclear. Herein we investigated secreted proteins of V. parahaemolyticus strains JHY20 and JHY20△ICE using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS, which led to the identification of an ICE-associated secreted protein – dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLDH). Considering the data related to its physical and biochemical characterization, we predicted that DLDH is a novel immunogenic protein and associated with virulence in JHY20. Our findings indicate a potential relationship between ICE-associated transport and secreted proteins and shed light on the function of such transport mechanisms. We believe that our data should enhance our understanding of mobile genetic elements.

Effects of supplementation of sea buckthorn press cake on mycelium growth and polysaccharides of Inonotus obliquus in submerged cultivation

AIMS

Investigation of the influence of cultivation time and sea buckthorn press cake (Hippophaë rhamnoides) dosage on mycelium yield of Inonotus obliquus in submerged cultivation and on the yield, monomer composition, and macromolecular properties of the exopolysaccharides (EPS) from culture media and intracellular polysaccharides (IPS) extracted from mycelia.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Supplementation at 5 g l^-1 combined with cultivation time of 250 h granted highest yield increase in mycelia (by 122%). The supplementation reduced extraction yield and decreased the molecular weight of the main IPS population. The supplementation increased production and molecular weight of EPS. The relative content of arabinose and rhamnose in EPS positively correlated with dosage of the press cake. The press cake supplementation increased the content of galacturonic acid in IPS, but not in EPS.

CONCLUSION

Sea buckthorn press cake is a food industry fibrous side stream with high oil content. It increases the cultivation yield of Inonotus obliquus mycelium and influences the produced polysaccharides.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Mycelium is a resource of bioactive polysaccharides, attracting the interest of nutraceutical companies. Sea buckthorn press cake is a promising supplement for increasing mycelium production. The utilization of this agricultural side stream would therefore favour circular economy.

[Treatment of locked lower cervical fracture and dislocation with anterior cervical fusion and internal fixation combined with the release of interlocking facet through the Luschka joint and anterior lamina space]

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness of treatment of locked lower cervical fracture and dislocation with anterior cervical fusion and internal fixation combined with the release of the interlocking facet through the Luschka joint and anterior lamina space.

Methods

Twelve patients with lower cervical interlocking fracture and dislocation were analyzed retrospectively between January 2013 and June 2015. There were 7 males and 5 females, aged 25-59 years with an average age of 38.4 years. The disease duration was 9.6 hours to 100 days with an average of 7.3 days. There were 8 cases of unilateral locking and 4 cases of bilateral locking; 4 cases of old injury and 8 cases of fresh injury. The injured segments were 2 cases of C _{3, 4}, 5 cases of C _{4, 5}, 3 cases of C _{5, 6}, and 2 cases of C _{6, 7}. According to Meyerding classification, there were 9 cases of grade Ⅰ and 3 cases of grade Ⅱ. According to the functional classification of American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA), there were 2 cases of grade C, 6 cases of grade D, and 4 cases of grade E. The interlocking facet was released through the Luschka joint and anterior lamina space, and the anterior cervical fusion and internal fixation were used to treat the fracture and dislocation of the lower cervical spine. The recovery of spinal cord function was judged by the functional classification of ASIA; visual analogue scale (VAS) score, neck disability index (NDI) score, modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (m-JOA) score were used to evaluate the clinical efficacy; the Cobb angle of fusion segment were observed by X-ray film. The intervertebral bone graft fusion was evaluated at 6 months after operation.

Results

The average operation time was 78.30 minutes, the average intraoperative blood loss was 167.30 mL, and the average postoperative drainage volume was 58.12 mL. No blood transfusion was given during or after operation. During the operation, there was no accidental injury of large blood vessels, esophagus, and trachea; no laryngo edema, dysphagia, hoarseness, and cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred after operation; no spinal cord injury or nerve root injury aggravated; the incision healed by first intention, and no infection occurred. All 12 cases were followed up 15-20 months, with an average of 16.5 months. The symptoms and function of the nerve injury were significantly improved when compared with that before operation. Re-examination of the cervical spine X-ray film at 6 months after operation showed that the Cage or bone graft was not displaced or broken, the screw was not loosened or detached, and the intervertebral graft fusion rate was up to 100%. At last follow-up, the ASIA grade, Cobb angle of fusion segment, neck pain VAS score, m-JOA score, and NDI score were significantly improved when compared with preoperative one ( P<0.05).

Conclusion

The effectiveness of treatment of locked lower cervical fracture and dislocation with anterior cervical fusion and internal fixation combined with the release of the interlocking facet through the Luschka joint and anterior lamina space is clear, which not only can make the injured segment get satisfactory reduction, immediate stability and reconstruction, and full decompression, but also can effectively prevent the secondary injury of spinal cord.

Safety and diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous CT-guided transthoracic biopsy of small lung nodules (≤20 mm) adjacent to the pericardium or great vessels

PURPOSE

We aimed to evaluate the safety and diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic biopsy of small lung nodules (≤20 mm) adjacent to the pericardium or great vessels.

METHODS

This retrospective study examined the safety and diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous CT-guided biopsy for small lung nodules (≤20 mm) located within 10 mm of the pericardium or great vessels. Technical aspects and factors influencing complications were assessed, and diagnostic accuracy was calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 168 biopsies were performed in 168 patients. The complications were mainly pneumothorax (34.5%; 58 of 168 patients), chest tube insertion (5.3%; 9 of 168 patients), and pulmonary hemorrhage (61.3%; 103 of 168 procedures), with no patient mortality. One patient (0.6%) was admitted because of hemorrhage complications. Significant independent risk factors for pneumothorax were nodules resided in upper or middle lobes and lateral patient position, and for hemorrhage, longer distance from structures and longer needle trajectory through the lung parenchyma. Overall, the sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity were 91.0%, 92.2%, and 100%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous CT-guided transthoracic biopsy was highly accurate in small lung nodules (≤20 mm) adjacent to the pericardium or great vessels. Complications are common, but most were minor and self-limited.

Spatial variation of the soil bacterial community in major apple producing regions of China

AIMS

In China, apple production areas are largely from the coastal to inland areas and across varied climate zones. However, the relationship among soil micro-organisms, environmental factors and fruit quality has not been clearly confirmed in orchards. Here we attempted to identify the variation of soil bacteria in the main apple producing regions and reveal the relationship among climatic factor, soil properties, soil bacterial community and fruit quality.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Sixty soil samples were collected from six main apple producing areas in China. We examined the soil bacteria using bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon profiling. The results show that the soil bacterial diversity of apple orchards varied from the Bohai Bay Region to the Loess Plateau Region. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria were the predominant taxa at the phylum level for all six areas. In the Bohai Bay and the Loess Plateau region, which are the two largest apple producing areas, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria had the highest relative abundance, respectively. Furthermore, soil bacterial diversity showed positive correlation with the mean annual temperature (MAT), soil organic matter (SOM) and pH. Excluding a direct effect on the apple fruit quality, MAT exerted an indirect influence through soil SOM and pH to alter the relative abundance of dominant taxa and shift the bacterial diversity, which affects the apple fruit titratable acids and soluble solids.

CONCLUSIONS

Geographic variables underlie apple orchard soil bacterial communities vary according to spatial scale. Environmental factors exert an indirect effect on apple fruit quality via shaping soil bacterial community.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study provides a list of bacteria associated with environmental factors and the ecological attributes of their interactions in apple orchards, which will improve our ability to promote soil bacterial functional capabilities in order to reduce the fertilizer input and enhance the fruit quality.

Influence of mesenchymal stem cells on respiratory distress syndrome in newborn swines via the JAK-STAT signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) threatens humans' health worldwide, causing huge labor and economic cost investment. This study aims to explore whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) affect RDS in newborn swines via the Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway by the establishment of the model of the disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The phosphorylation of the JAK-STAT signal transduction proteins was first detected via Western blotting to verify the regulatory effect of MSCs on RDS in newborn swines through the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Then, the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was utilized to analyze the influences of the injection of MSCs into the blood of newborn model RDS swines on inflammatory factors in vivo. To further demonstrate the signal transduction function put forwarded, the RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were adopted to analyze the influences of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway inhibitor on the expression of the signature proteins of RDS in newborn swines and the changes in the inflammatory factors.

RESULTS

MSCs induced the phosphorylation of JAK and STAT, and they activated the JAK-STAT signal transduction of RDS in newborn swines. Compared with those in normal saline group, the interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression levels in MSC group were increased, namely, MSCs substantially promoted their expression levels (p<0.05), but those of IL-10 and IL-13 were significantly decreased (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The inhibitor of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway can suppress the therapeutic effect of MSCs on RDS in newborn swines.

Copper microsphere hybrid mesoporous carbon as matrix for preparation of shape-stabilized phase change materials with improved thermal properties

Copper microsphere hybrid mesoporous carbon (MPC-Cu) was synthesized by the pyrolysis of polydopamine microspheres doped with copper ions that were prepared using a novel, facile and simple one-step method of dopamine biomimetic polymerization and copper ion adsorption. The resulting MPC-Cu was then used as a supporter for polyethylene glycol (PEG) to synthesize shape-stabilized phase change materials (PEG/MPC-Cu) with enhanced thermal properties. PEG/MPC-Cu was studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal constant analysis. The results demonstrated that the thermal conductivity of PEG/MPC-Cu was 0.502 W/(m K), which increased by 100% compared to pure PEG [0.251 W/(m K)]. The melting enthalpy of PEG/MPC-Cu was 95.98 J/g, indicating that PEG/MPC-Cu is a promising candidate for future thermal energy storage applications. In addition, the characterization results suggested that PEG-MPC-Cu possessed high thermal stability. Therefore, the method developed in this paper for preparing shape-stabilized phase change materials with improved thermal properties has substantial engineering application prospects.

PERSPECTIVE: Critical Cooling and Warming Rates as a Function of CPA Concentration

Cryoprotective agents (CPAs) are routinely applied in cryopreservation protocols to achieve the vitrified state thereby avoiding the damaging effects of ice crystals. Once the CPA has been added, the system needs to cool at a rate ≥ critical cooling rate (CCR) to avoid ice crystallization and successfully enter the vitrified state. Subsequently, upon warming the system needs to meet or exceed a critical warming rate (CWR), often one to two orders of magnitude higher than the CCR, to avoid ice formation and return the system to physiological temperatures for use. Many experimental and theoretical studies have been published on CCRs and CWRs, and correlation for these rates as a function of concentration has been explored for some single component CPAs, but not the CPA cocktails which are commonly used in tissue and organ cryopreservation. In this paper, we summarize the available data of CCRs and CWRs for a variety of CPAs, and suggest a convenient mathematical expression for CCR and CWR that can guide general use for cryoprotective protocol, but also highlights the critical need for further study on CPA cocktails and tissue systems in which CPAs may behave differently and/or may not be fully equilibrated to the loaded CPA.

Deep-Learning-Based Characterization of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Breast Cancers From Histopathology Images and Multiomics Data

PURPOSE

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and their spatial characterizations on whole-slide images (WSIs) of histopathology sections have become crucial in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response prediction for different cancers. However, fully automatic assessment of TILs on WSIs currently remains a great challenge because of the heterogeneity and large size of WSIs. We present an automatic pipeline based on a cascade-training U-net to generate high-resolution TIL maps on WSIs.

METHODS

We present global cell-level TIL maps and 43 quantitative TIL spatial image features for 1,000 WSIs of The Cancer Genome Atlas patients with breast cancer. For more specific analysis, all the patients were divided into three subtypes, namely, estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, ER-negative, and triple-negative groups. The associations between TIL scores and gene expression and somatic mutation were examined separately in three breast cancer subtypes. Both univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed on 43 TIL image features to examine the prognostic value of TIL spatial patterns in different breast cancer subtypes.

RESULTS

The TIL score was in strong association with immune response pathway and genes (eg, programmed death-1 and CLTA4). Different breast cancer subtypes showed TIL score in association with mutations from different genes suggesting that different genetic alterations may lead to similar phenotypes. Spatial TIL features that represent density and distribution of TIL clusters were important indicators of the patient outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Our pipeline can facilitate computational pathology-based discovery in cancer immunology and research on immunotherapy. Our analysis results are available for the research community to generate new hypotheses and insights on breast cancer immunology and development.

Deep learning-based cancer survival prognosis from RNA-seq data: approaches and evaluations

BACKGROUND

Recent advances in kernel-based Deep Learning models have introduced a new era in medical research. Originally designed for pattern recognition and image processing, Deep Learning models are now applied to survival prognosis of cancer patients. Specifically, Deep Learning versions of the Cox proportional hazards models are trained with transcriptomic data to predict survival outcomes in cancer patients.

METHODS

In this study, a broad analysis was performed on TCGA cancers using a variety of Deep Learning-based models, including Cox-nnet, DeepSurv, and a method proposed by our group named AECOX (AutoEncoder with Cox regression network). Concordance index and p-value of the log-rank test are used to evaluate the model performances.

RESULTS

All models show competitive results across 12 cancer types. The last hidden layers of the Deep Learning approaches are lower dimensional representations of the input data that can be used for feature reduction and visualization. Furthermore, the prognosis performances reveal a negative correlation between model accuracy, overall survival time statistics, and tumor mutation burden (TMB), suggesting an association among overall survival time, TMB, and prognosis prediction accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS

Deep Learning based algorithms demonstrate superior performances than traditional machine learning based models. The cancer prognosis results measured in concordance index are indistinguishable across models while are highly variable across cancers. These findings shedding some light into the relationships between patient characteristics and survival learnability on a pan-cancer level.

Multilinear Multitask Learning by Rank-Product Regularization

Multilinear multitask learning (MLMTL) considers an MTL problem in which tasks are arranged by multiple indices. By exploiting the higher order correlations among the tasks, MLMTL is expected to improve the performance of traditional MTL, which only considers the first-order correlation across all tasks, e.g., low-rank structure of the coefficient matrix. The key to MLMTL is designing a rational regularization term to represent the latent correlation structure underlying the coefficient tensor instead of matrix. In this paper, we propose a new MLMTL model by employing the rank-product regularization term in the objective, which on one hand can automatically rectify the weights along all its tensor modes and on the other hand have an explicit physical meaning. By using this regularization, the intrinsic high-order correlations among tasks can be more precisely described, and thus, the overall performance of all tasks can be improved. To solve the resulted optimization model, we design an efficient algorithm by applying the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). We also analyze the convergence and show that the proposed algorithm, with certain restriction, is asymptotically regular. Experiments on both synthetic and real data sets substantiate the superiority of the proposed method beyond the existing MLMTL methods in terms of accuracy and efficiency.

Ultrafast temporal-spatial dynamics of amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition in Ge2Sb2Te5 thin film triggered by multiple femtosecond laser pulses irradiation

Studies have shown that the crystallization phase state of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) can be reversibly modulated by femtosecond (fs) laser multiple pulses, which have excellent applications in reconfigurable multi-level operation fields. In this study, the temporal-spatial crystalline evolution dynamics of amorphous GST film is investigated during two fs laser pulses excitation through a pump-probe shadowgraph imaging technique. A quasi-amorphous phase state, which is different from that in the initial as-deposited amorphous GST, is emerged through the first fs laser pulse excitation with a pulse energy lower than crystallization threshold. The experimental results reveal that a crystallization enhancement effect can be induced through the second pulse excitation based on this quasi-amorphous surface structure. The stimulative cluster generated in the quasi-amorphous reduces the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition threshold for the second fs laser pulse irradiation. The spatially-resolved phase-transition threshold extension effect in a horizontal direction is proposed with the increasing pulse number to summarize the mechanism of the crystallization enhancement effect. The specific-grain-appearance (coarse grains and fine grains representing different phase transition approach) distributed area induced by single and double fs laser pulses irradiation are experimentally demonstrated corresponding to threshold extension theory.

Integrative Analysis of Pathological Images and Multi-Dimensional Genomic Data for Early-Stage Cancer Prognosis

The integrative analysis of histopathological images and genomic data has received increasing attention for studying the complex mechanisms of driving cancers. However, most image-genomic studies have been restricted to combining histopathological images with the single modality of genomic data (e.g., mRNA transcription or genetic mutation), and thus neglect the fact that the molecular architecture of cancer is manifested at multiple levels, including genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional events. To address this issue, we propose a novel ordinal multi-modal feature selection (OMMFS) framework that can simultaneously identify important features from both pathological images and multi-modal genomic data (i.e., mRNA transcription, copy number variation, and DNA methylation data) for the prognosis of cancer patients. Our model is based on a generalized sparse canonical correlation analysis framework, by which we also take advantage of the ordinal survival information among different patients for survival outcome prediction. We evaluate our method on three early-stage cancer datasets derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project, and the experimental results demonstrated that both the selected image and multi-modal genomic markers are strongly correlated with survival enabling effective stratification of patients with distinct survival than the comparing methods, which is often difficult for early-stage cancer patients.

Apple rootstocks with different phosphorus efficiency exhibit alterations in rhizosphere bacterial structure

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to select phosphorus-efficient apple rootstocks under phosphorus deficiency and to reveal the effects of different apple rootstocks on the rhizosphere bacterial community.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We used 83 hybrid lines of Malus robusta Rehd. × Malling 9 (M.9) to investigate their physiological traits and the phosphorus deficiency phenotypes of leaves in response to phosphorus deficiency (0·1 mmol l^-1 PO₄ ^3- ). All the plants were cultivated in pots in the greenhouse and watered using drip irrigation. In accordance with the results of investigation, we selected the phosphorus-efficient hybrid lines (PE) and the phosphorus-inefficient hybrid lines (PI) to research their root morphology and root hairs (RH). In addition, we used Illumina MiSeq sequencing to determine the bacterial community of the rhizosphere from different rootstocks. The results showed that the PE plants had better growth characteristics and stronger root plasticity than that of the PI plants, and phosphorus deficiency can stimulate the RH growth of PE plants. There was no significant difference in the rhizosphere bacterial diversity, but we found that the bacterial community structure was significantly different at the genus levels; in addition, 89 genera were found to have significant differences between PE and PI plants, especially Bacillus. The PE rhizosphere had more abundant Bacillus compared to the PI. High positive Pearson correlations with the phosphorus concentration in the plantlets of apple rootstocks were detected for the bacterial genera Bacillus (r: 0·776).

CONCLUSIONS

The phosphorus-efficient apple rootstocks adapted to phosphorus deficiency by shaping the root morphology. Notably, different apple rootstocks showed alteration of the microbes in rhizosphere.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study can provide the materials for exploring the mechanism of apple rootstock phosphorus absorption. In accordance with the different bacterial community compositions, we can develop the inoculants to promote nutrient uptake.

HIV-1 genotype is independently associated with immunodeficiency progression among Chinese men who have sex with men: an observational cohort study

OBJECTIVES

HIV-1 genetic diversity is increasing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China, but the association of HIV-1 genotype with disease progression remains to be elucidated.

METHODS

We collected data in an observational longitudinal cohort study of 860 HIV-1-infected MSM in Guangzhou, China between January 2008 and March 2017. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard model were used to predict the time from HIV-1 diagnosis to immunodeficiency progression (CD4 cell count < 200 cells/μl) as well as adjusted hazard ratio (aHR).

RESULTS

CRF01_AE and HIV-1 subtype B infection were associated with higher percentage of patients progressed to immunodeficiency and higher incidence of immunodeficiency than infection with CRF07_BC or CRF55_01B. Compared with CRF07_BC, the time from HIV-1 diagnosis to immunodeficiency were different among the major HIV-1 genotypes, which ranked as follows, in descending order: CRF07_BC (7.03 years) > CRF55_01B (5.71 years, P = 0.014; aHR 3.752, P = 0.0923) > CRF01_AE (5.18 years, P < 0.001; aHR 4.733, P = 0.0152). HIV-1 genotype, viral load and baseline CD4 T-cell count were three independent variables associated with disease progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm differential rates of immunodeficiency progression as a function of HIV-1 genotype. The impact of HIV-1 genotype on HIV epidemics, patient management and prevention should be further investigated.

Role of Adult Tissue-Derived Pluripotent Stem Cells in Bone Regeneration

Background

Bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) consist of a heterogeneous mix of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC), endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), monocytes, lymphocytes and pluripotent stem cells. Whereas the importance of MSC and EPC has been well documented in bone healing and regeneration studies, the role of pluripotent stem cells is still poorly understood. In the present study we evaluated if and how Very Small Embryonic Like cells (VSEL), isolated from rat BM-MNC, contribute to bone healing.

Methods

Large bone defects were made in the femurs of 38 Sprague Dawley female rats and treated with β-TCP scaffold granules seeded with male VSEL; BM-MNC, VSEL-depleted BM-MNC or scaffold alone, and bone healing was evaluated at 8 weeks post-surgery.

Results

Bone healing was significantly increased in defects treated with VSEL and BM-MNC, compared to defects treated with VSEL-depleted BM-MNC. Donor cells were detected in new bone tissue, in all the defects treated with cells, and in fibrous tissue only in defects treated with VSEL-depleted BM-MNC. The number of CD68+ cells was the highest in the VSEL-depleted group, whereas the number of TRAP positive cells was the lowest in this group.

Conclusions

Based on the results, we can conclude that VSEL play a role in BM-MNC induced bone formation. In our rat femur defect model, in defects treated with VSEL-depleted BM-MNC, osteoclastogenesis and bone formation were decreased, and foreign body reaction was increased.

Comparison study between mesoporous silica nanoscale microsphere and active carbon used as the matrix of shape-stabilized phase change material

Mesoporous silica nanoscale microsphere (MSNM), with a special morphology, high porosity, large pore volume and specific surface area, was successfully prepared and used as the matrix material of lauric acid (LA) to prepare a favorable shape-stabilized phase change material (LA/MSNM). The porous network structure of MSNM is effective to prevent the leakage and enhance the thermal stability of LA/MSNM. For comparison, shape-stabilized phase change material of LA/AC, which contained commercially purchased active carbon (AC) and LA, was prepared by the same method. Characterizations of LA/MSNM and LA/AC, such as chemical properties, structure, thermal properties and crystallization properties were studied. The mechanisms of interaction between LA molecules and MSNM or AC were explicated. The results of TGA test showed that the LA/MSNM and LA/AC had superior thermal stability, and however, the melting and solidification enthalpies of LA/MSNM were much higher than that of LA/AC, which was attributed that the loading capacity of MSNM was better than that of LA/AC. All of the study results demonstrated that the mesoporous silica nanoscale microspheres of MSNM synthesized in this study possessed the potential for practical applications as a suitable supporter of organic phase change materials.