Optical Signature of a Crossover from Mott- to Slater-Type Gap in Sr_{2}Ir_{1-x}Rh_{x}O_{4}

With optical spectroscopy we provide evidence that the insulator-metal transition in Sr_{2}Ir_{1-x}Rh_{x}O_{4} occurs close to a crossover from the Mott- to the Slater-type. The Mott gap at x=0 persists to high temperature and evolves without an anomaly across the Néel temperature, T_{N}. Upon Rh doping, it collapses rather rapidly and vanishes around x=0.055. Notably, just as the Mott gap vanishes yet another gap appears that is of the Slater-type and develops right below T_{N}. This Slater gap is only partial and is accompanied by a reduced scattering rate of the remaining free carriers, similar as in the parent compounds of the iron arsenide superconductors.

Up-regulation of long non-coding RNA SNHG6 predicts poor prognosis in renal cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

We aim to investigate the expression of long non-coding RNA SNHG6 and analyze its clinicopathological significance in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 81 cases of RCC tissues were collected and enrolled. Total RNA was extracted using the TRIzol method followed by qRT-PCR detection of the mRNA level of SNHG6. The x2-test was used to analyze the correlation between SNHG6 expression and clinicopathological variables, including age, gender, TNM stage, Fuhrman grade, tumor size, and overall prognosis. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted to analyze the association between SNHG6 expression and overall survival. Univariate and multivariate analysis were carried out with the Cox proportional hazard analysis.

RESULTS

SNHG6 was shown to be markedly upregulated in RCC tissues as compared with normal controls. Elevated SNHG6 was found to significantly correlate with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, Fuhrman grade, and tumor size (p<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis exhibited that elevated SNHG6 was remarkably associated with poor overall survival (p<0.001). Moreover, multivariate analysis revealed that SNHG6 expression was an independent prognostic factor in RCC.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that up-regulated SNHG6 was significantly associated with tumor progression and was an independent prognostic factor in RCC, suggesting that SNHG6 can work as a promising prognostic predictor in RCC.

IL-37 suppresses migration and invasion of gallbladder cancer cells through inhibition of HIF-1α induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition

OBJECTIVE

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is the seventh most common cancer across the globe and the most common malignancy of the biliary tract. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important pre-requisite for tumor metastasis; however, its mechanism in GBC has not yet been defined. In the present study, we investigated the effects of interleukin-37 (IL-37) on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of gallbladder cancer cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to determine the expression of IL-37 in GBC cancer cells and non-tumorigenic human intra-hepatic biliary epithelial cell line. Western blotting was also used for detecting the expression of vimentin, Snail, and E-cadherin.

RESULTS

Expression level of IL-37 in GBC cells was decreased in GBC cancer cells compared with the non-tumorigenic human intra-hepatic biliary epithelial cell line. Decreased expression of vimentin and Snail and increased expression of E-cadherin were found in the groups which overexpress IL-37 when compared with the control. Mechanism study showed that IL-37 suppressed the expression of HIF1α in cells. However, HIF1α stabilization by CoCl2 could attenuate the function of IL-37.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that IL-37 plays an antitumor role during the progression of gallbladder carcinoma. IL-37 could inhibit HIF1α induced EMT. Our data provide a new strategy for the treatment of gallbladder cancer.

microRNA-155 attenuates profibrotic effects of transforming growth factor-beta on human lung fibroblasts

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) functions in fibrogenesis as a profibrotic mediator, regulating cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis and collagen production of fibroblasts. microRNA-155 (miR-155), the expression of which has been related to bleomycin-induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, has been involved in TGF-β induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Here, we found that miR-155 expression was decreased in human pulmonary fibroblasts by TGF-β treatment. We overexpressed miR-155 in fibroblasts to investigate the functional impact of miR-155 on TGF-β-induced fibrotic phenotype of fibroblasts. It is suggested that miR-155 overexpression attenuated the stimulatory effect of TGF-β on fibroblast proliferation, migration and collagen synthesis, by evidence from assessment of cell cycle, viability, apoptosis, migration and collagen content. Furthermore, quantitative measurement showed that SMAD1 gene expression was decreased following miR-155 inhibition, thereby demonstrating an indirect miRNA-SMAD interaction that links miR-155 to TGF-β signaling. Our work helped uncover an miRNA-mediated mechanism of fibroblast response to TGF-β. Moreover, it will help to achieve a better understanding of the regulatory roles of miR-155 in fibrogenesis.

The relationship between number and function of EPCs and concentration of VEGF165 and SDF-1 in coronary artery spasm

OBJECTIVE

We aimed at investigating the functions of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the pathophysiology of coronary artery spasm (CAS) and coronary artery disease (CAD), as well as to evaluate the correlation of these diseases with the number and function of EPCs, the plasma concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165) and stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Participants were recruited into three groups, CAS, CAD and the control. The number and functions of early EPCs and outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs) were determined in peripheral blood samples, and the endothelial function was evaluated by measuring endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD).

RESULTS

No differences of baseline characteristics were found among CAS, CAD, and the control groups. The OECs isolated from CAS and CAD exhibited significant decrease in the percentage of CD34+/CD45- population, OEC colony formation, OEC proliferation and OEC tubulogenesis, nitric oxide (NO) production, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity, and the phosphorylation level at Ser1177 of eNOS, compared with OECs isolated from control participants. Meanwhile, FMD was significantly reduced in CAS and CAD (CAS, 4.1% ± 1.9%; CAD, 4.3% ± 1.8%; control, 11.2% ± 3.5%). FMD was positively correlated to OEC functions including NO production, eNOS phosphorylation, colony formation, and proliferation. No differences of plasma VEGF165 and SDF-1 concentrations were recorded among these three groups. Similarly, there was no correlation between plasma VEGF165 (and SDF-1) concentration and EPC number and function.

CONCLUSIONS

EPCs show the potential of repairing damaged endothelium in CAS and CAD.

[Clinical characteristics and prognosis between male and female patients with premature coronary artery disease after intervention]

Objective: To compare the clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis between male and female patients with premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) post coronary intervention, and analyse the risk factors of major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and bleeding events. Methods: This was a prospective single-center observational study. From January 2013 to December 2013, 4 744 patients diagnosed as PCAD and treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Fuwai Hospital were enrolled. The general clinical data, laboratory results and interventional treatment data of all patients were collected, and patients were followed up for 2 years after PCI and the incidence of events including MACCE and bleeding was analyzed. The baseline data and clinical events of PCAD patients of different genders were compared. Survival curves were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were used to analyze whether gender was an influencing factor of different clinical events of PCAD patients within 2 years after PCI, and other relevant influencing factors of MACCE and bleeding events. Results: Among the 4 744 PCAD patients included, there were 3 390 (71.5%) male aged (47.0±5.4) years old and 1 354 (28.5%) female aged (57.0±5.8) years old. Compared with female patients, male patients had higher body mass index, higher proportion of hyperlipidemia, smoking, myocardial infarction, previous PCI, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, radial artery approach, intravenous ultrasound use and chronic occlusive lesions (all P<0.05). Age, left ventricular ejection fraction, prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, past stroke history, non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and the use of calcium channel blockers were lower in male patients than in female patients (all P<0.05). The 2-year follow-up results showed that the incidence of BARC type 1 hemorrhage was significantly higher in female patients than in male patients (6.9%(92/1 343) vs. 3.7%(126/3 378), P<0.001); however, the incidence of MACCE, all-cause death, cardiac death, recurrent myocardial infarction, revascularization (target vessel revascularization and target lesion revascularization), stent thrombosis, stroke and BARC type 2-5 hemorrhage were similar between the two groups (all P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that gender was an independent risk factor for BARC type 1 bleeding in PCAD patients (HR=2.180, 95%CI 1.392-3.416, P<0.001), but it was not an independent risk factor for MACCE and BARC type 2-5 bleeding(all P>0.05). Hyperlipidemia, preoperative SYNTAX score, multivessel lesions and NSTE-ACS were the independent risk factors for MACCE in PCAD patients with PCI (the HRs(95%CI) were 1.289(1.052-1.580), 1.030(1.019-1.042), 1.758(1.365-2.264), 1.264(1.040-1.537), respectively); gender (HR=1.579, 95%CI 1.085-2.297, P=0.017), hyperlipidemia (HR=1.305, 95%CI 1.005-1.695, P=0.046), anticoagulant drugs including low molecular weight heparin (HR=1.321, 95%CI 1.002-1.741, P=0.048) or sulfonate(HR=1.659, 95%CI 1.198-2.298, P=0.002) were the independent risk factors for bleeding events. Conclusions: There are differences in clinical and coronary artery lesion characteristics between different genders in patients with PCAD. The incidence of minor bleeding is significantly higher in female PCAD patients than in male PCAD patients. Hyperlipidemia, preoperative SYNTAX score, multivessel lesions and NSTE-ACS are the independent risk factors for MACCE, and gender, hyperlipidemia, anticoagulant drugs including low molecular weight heparin or sulfonate are the independent risk factors for bleeding events in patients with PCAD.

Revealing 'plasmaron' feature in DySb by optical spectroscopy study

We report magnetic susceptibility, resistivity and optical spectroscopy study on single crystal sample DySb. It exhibits extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR), and a magnetic phase transition from paramagnetic (PM) to antiferromagnetic (AFM) state at about 10 K. A 'screened' plasma edge at about 4000 cm^-1 is revealed by optical measurement, which suggests that the material has a low carrier density. With decreasing temperature, the 'screened' plasma edge shows a blue shift, possibly due to a decrease of the effective mass of carriers. Notably, an anomalous temperature dependent midinfrared absorption feature is observed in the vicinity of the 'screened' plasma edge. In addition, it can be connected to the inflection point in the real part of the dielectric function [Formula: see text], the frequency of which exactly tracks the temperature dependent 'screened' plasma frequency. This phenomena can be explained by the appearance of a coupled electron-plasmon 'plasmaron' feature.

P4596Long-term outcomes of culprit lesion only versus multi-vessel one-stage intervention in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventioo

Background

It is recommended to base revascularization strategy on the clinical status, comorbidities and lesion characteristics in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). However, the risk and benefit of Culprit Lesion Only (CVO) versus Multi-vessel One-stage Intervention (MVOI) is unclear. We aim to compare the long-term prognosis of NSTE-ACS undergoing CVO and MVOI PCI strategy.

Method

A total of 4768 consecutive patients with NSTE-ACS who underwent PCI in our hospital in 2013 were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into CVO group and MVOI group according to whether the culprit vessel was the only target vessel. Prognosis impact on 2-year major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) is analyzed across 2 groups, including death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, unplanned revascularization, in-stent thrombosis, stroke and bleeding.

Results

Compared with CVO group, MVOI patients had generally worse clinical baseline characteristics and angiographic findings, including higher BMI, SYNTAX score, higher proportion of diabetes, hypertension, NSTEMI, tri-vessel disease, total occlusion, etc. Two-year follow-up revealed that MVOI patients have significantly higher rate of unplanned revascularization (10.1% vs. 7.9%, p=0.018), stroke (2.2% vs. 1.3%, p=0.042) and MACCE (14.0% vs. 11.3%, p=0.012). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis yielded similar results. After adjusting for confounding factors by Cox regression analysis, MVOI was shown to be independently associated with higher rate of 2-year in-stent thrombosis (HR = 3.718, 95% CI: 1.125 - 12.293).

Two-year Clinical Outcomes CVO (n=3634) MVOI (n=1134) P value All-cause Death 39 (1.1) 13 (1.1) 0.836 Cardiac Death 18 (0.5) 8 (0.7) 0.402 Myocardial Infarction 64 (1.8) 22 (1.9) 0.693 Unplanned Revascularization 287 (7.9) 115 (10.1) 0.018 In-stent Thrombosis 26 (0.7) 12 (1.1) 0.257 Stroke 49 (1.3) 25 (2.2) 0.042 Bleeding 253 (7.0) 67 (5.9) 0.216 MACCE 409 (11.3) 159 (14.0) 0.012 CVO = Culprit Vessel Only; MVOI = Multivessel One-stage Intervention; MACCE = Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Events.

Cox Regression Analysis on CVO/MVOI

Conclusion

In our large cohort of Chinese patients, MVOI strategy for NSTE-ACS patient undergoing PCI was associated with worse 2-year prognosis compared with CVO strategy. MVOI is an independent risk factor for 2-year in-stent thrombosis.

Acknowledgement/Funding

Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2016YFC1301301) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (81470486)

Electric-field-tunable molecular adsorption on germanane

Fully-hydrogenated germanene, named germanane, represents a new nanostructured material for a variety of potential applications, such as electronics and optoelectronics. However, a critical requirement for developing practical and reliable electronic devices based on germanane consists of achieving a flexibly controllable charge carrier and doping level. Different to the conventional doping methods such as ion implantation and diffusion, by first-principles calculations we demonstrate that tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) molecular adsorption could introduce effective p-type doping in germanane due to the combination of germanane with electroactive acceptor molecule TCNB. The corresponding energy difference between the empty band minimum of the dopant and the valence band maximum for electron excitation is 0.173 eV. More importantly, this nondestructive p-type doping could be linearly tuned under an external E-field. Analysis of charge transfer by means of the equivalent capacitor model and the shift of energy levels in the superstructure of germanane/TCNB further reveals that the superposition of the external E-field and molecular adsorption-induced internal E-field plays a key role in the charge transfer between TCNB and germanane, especially in achieving a controllable p-type molecular doping level in germanane. Such convenient and flexible E-field-engineering of p-type molecular doping in germanane would be very helpful for potential applications of germanane-based electronic and optoelectronic devices in the future.

Reconstruction of mandibular defects using vascularized fibular osteomyocutaneous flap combined with nonvascularized fibular flap

Background

The height of single-layer fibular flap is not long enough to return to the ideal height of the mandible. While the double-layer vascularized fibular osteomyocutaneous flap(VFF) is more complicated in shaping and fixation, along with a longer operation time. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of VFF combined with nonvascularized fibular flap(NVFF) in the reconstruction of mandibular defect.

Material and Methods

From September 2016 to June 2018, 15 patients with benign mandibular tumors underwent reconstruction with VFF and NVFF. SimPlant Pro ™ software (version 11.04) was used to simulate reconstruction of the mandible preoperatively.

Results

All patients were followed up for 8-23 month, with an average of 11.7 months. 15 VFFs survived well. Among the 15 NVFFs, one was almost completely absorbed, two with partial absorption, and the remaining survived regardless of the small amount of absorption. The postoperative absorption of the whole fibula was 7.53±6.362%, a favorable facial contour and speech function were attained.

Conclusions

The VFF combined with NVFF to reconstruct the mandibular defect can restore the vertical height of the mandible and achieve satisfactory clinical results.

Key words:Vascularized fibular osteomyocutaneous flap(VFF), Nonvascularized fibular flap(NVFF), Mandibular defect.

Decreased Expression of TIM-3 on Th17 Cells Associated with Ophthalmopathy in Patients with Graves' Disease

Purpose:

Thyroid-associated Ophthalmopathy (TAO) is one of the most common orbital immunological diseases in adults. CD4+ helper T (Th) cells play important roles in the pathogenesis of TAO. But the mechanisms regulating CD4+ T cell activity is unclear. This study examines T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain 3 (TIM-3) expression in helper T cell type 1 (Th1), Th17, and regulatory T cells in sufferers of TAO.

Methods:

Participants were divided into 3 groups: patients with TAO, patients with Graves’ disease but without orbitopathy (GD), and healthy control patients (HC). Peripheral blood samples were collected for each patient in the designated group. Flow cytometry methods assessed the frequency of Th1 (CD4+IFN-γ+), Th17 (CD4+IL-17+), regulatory T cells (CD4+CD25hiCD127lo), and TIM-3 protein expression. Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) measured the magnitude of TIM-3 expression and the percentage of TIM-3+ cells for each patient.

Results:

Compared to the GD group, TAO patients possessed higher frequencies of Th1 and Th17 cells in peripheral blood samples. The percentage of TIM-3+ Th1 and Th17 cells was significantly lower in the TAO patients than the GD group. Across all patients sampled, TIM-3+ cell percentage negatively correlated with Th1 cell frequency. Th1 and Th17 cells exhibited significantly decreased expression of TIM-3 in TAO patients compared to healthy controls. Regulatory T cells showed little TIM-3 expression and we observed no significant differences in frequency between groups.

Conclusion:

These results suggest a role for TIM-3 in the regulation of Th1 and Th17 cells and the pathogenesis of Graves’ ophthalmopathy.

[Analysis of mental state of allergic rhinitis patients in Chengdu city by symptom check list 90 (SCL-90) scale]

Objective: To analyse the mental state of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) in Chengdu. Methods: One thousand five hundred and thirty-six AR patients from Sichuan Provincial Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan People's Hospital, Sichuan Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were selected from July 2013 to January 2018. Eight hundred and twenty-seven patients were screened into study group by inclusion and exclusion standards. The symptom check list 90 (SCL-90) was used to group and score the mental state of these patients according to nine classification criteria: gender, BMI, age, marital status, monthly salary, disease duration, living environment, education level and working environment. Then, the scores were compared within groups. Inter-group comparison was made between the study group and the Chinese norm, and the positive factors for psychological disorders were extracted. Four symptoms in the study group, i.e. nasal itching, sneezing, clear discharge and nasal congestion, were scored on the visual analogue scale (VAS). SPSS 19.0 software was used to carry out statistical analysis. Partial correlation analysis was performed between the positive factors and the symptom scores by multiple regression statistical method. Results: The total score of SCL-90 in the study group was 2.64±0.25, which was accorded with mild to moderate mental health impairment. There were 124 (15.0%) without mental health damage, 176 (21.3%) with mild damage, 474 (57.3%) with mild to moderate damage, 41 (5.0%) with moderate to severe damage and 12 (1.4%) with severe damage. The in-group comparison showed that the top three categories of different items were the living environment, gender and working environment. The scores of somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, psychosis, other (sleep, diet) and total average score of urban residents were higher than that of country residents (3.29±0.61 vs 2.65±0.50, 2.81±0.77 vs 2.05±0.38, 3.10±0.19 vs 2.49±0.67, 3.40±0.84 vs 2.49±0.70, 3.04±0.64 vs 2.33±0.51, 3.02±0.55 vs 2.40±0.77, 3.40±0.41 vs 2.52±0.77, 2.91±0.11 vs 2.29±0.40, Z value was 4.88, 5.25, 4.57, 5.91, 5.09, 4.63, 5.55, -4.55, respectively, all P<0.05). Women scored higher than man for somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, depression and others (2.66±0.51 vs 2.00±0.45, 3.37±0.47 vs 2.63±0.51, 3.44±0.57 vs 2.85±0.52, 3.47±0.36 vs 2.76±0.45, Z value was -5.10, -5.51, -4.86, -5.28, respectively, all P<0.05). The scores of somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, psychosis and other (sleep, diet) were higher in the indoor group than those in the outdoor group (3.49±0.64 vs 2.78±0.46, 3.33±0.30 vs 2.56±0.68, 3.28±0.60 vs 2.67±0.31, 3.50±0.85 vs 2.85±0.37, Z value was 5.31, 5.79, 4.89, 5.00, respectively, all P<0.05). The outdoor group scored higher on obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety and hostility (3.44±0.40 vs 2.83±0.35, 3.40±0.50 vs 2.57±0.93, 3.34±0.88 vs 2.69±0.56, Z value was 4.96, 6.22, 5.08, respectively, all P<0.05). The inter-group comparison found that depression, anxiety, psychosis and other (sleep, diet) could be partially correlated with VAS scores as 4 positive factors. The results of partial correlation analysis showed that depression was positively correlated with sneezing and nasal runny discharge, anxiety was positively correlated with nasal itching and nasal obstruction, psychosis was positively correlated with nasal itching and sneezing, and other (sleep, diet) was positively correlated with nasal runny discharge and nasal obstruction. Conclusion: AR patients have mild to moderate mental health impairments, which are correlated with AR symptoms.

[Effect of ABO blood groups on long-term outcome of stable coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of ABO blood groups on long-term outcome of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 4 272 patients with stable coronary artery disease and received PCI were consecutively enrolled from January to December 2013 and followed up for 2 years. Patients were divided into O group and non-O group according to their ABO groups. Multivariable COX regression was used to evaluated the relationship between ABO blood groups and prognosis of CAD. The endpoints included all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction(MI), revascularization, and stroke. Results: There were 1 302 patients in O group and 2 970 patients in non-O group. ABO blood group was not associated with age, sex and blood pressure (P>0.05). The comorbidity rate of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, family history, previous MI, previous cerebrovascular disease, previous PCI and left ventricular ejection fraction were similar between the two groups (P>0.05). Total cholesterol, low density lipid cholesterol level were significantly higher in non-O group compared with O group [(4.2±1.1)mmol/L vs (4.1±1.1)mmol/L, P=0.027; (2.5±0.9)mmol/L vs (2.4±0.9) mmol/L, P=0.025], while high density lipid cholesterol level was significantly lower[(1.04±0.26) mmol/L vs (1.06±0.28) mmol/L, P=0.035]. As to angiographic results, non-O blood group was not related to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis assessed by SYNTAX score(P=0.277). More cardiac death occurred in non-O group compared with that in O group [21 (0.7%) vs 2(0.1%)] during 2-year follow-up. After adjusted for confounding factors, multivariable COX regression revealed that non-O blood type was not associated with increased cardiac death [HR (95%CI)=7.30(0.97-55.09), P=0.054]. Conclusion: Non-O blood group is associated with 2-year cardiac death in patients with stable coronary artery disease who received PCI, but it is not an independent risk factor for cardiac death.

Scaling of the Fano Effect of the In-Plane Fe-As Phonon and the Superconducting Critical Temperature in Ba_{1-x}K_{x}Fe_{2}As_{2}

By means of infrared spectroscopy, we determine the temperature-doping phase diagram of the Fano effect for the in-plane Fe-As stretching mode in Ba_{1-x}K_{x}Fe_{2}As_{2}. The Fano parameter 1/q^{2}, which is a measure of the phonon coupling to the electronic particle-hole continuum, shows a remarkable sensitivity to the magnetic and structural orderings at low temperatures. Most strikingly, at elevated temperatures in the paramagnetic tetragonal state we observe a linear correlation between 1/q^{2} and the superconducting critical temperature T_{c}. Based on theoretical calculations and symmetry considerations, we identify the relevant interband transitions that are coupled to the Fe-As mode. In particular, we show that a sizable xy orbital component at the Fermi level is fundamental for the Fano effect and, thus, possibly also for the superconducting pairing.

Study of expression levels and clinical significance of miR-503 and miR-375 in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the expression levels and clinical significance of miR-503 and miR-375 in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

40 cases of cancer tissues and adjacent tissues in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were collected from March 2017 to September 2017 in the Department of Gastroenterology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Polytechnic University. qRT-PCR was used to analyze the expressions of miR-503 and miR-375 in cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues. The association between their expressions and the gender, age, degree of tumor differentiation, TNM staging, presence or absence of lymph node metastasis, and other clinicopathological characteristics of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was analyzed.

RESULTS

The results showed that the expression level of miR-503 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues (6.83±2.14) was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues (2.45±1.13). The expression level of miR-375 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues (3.75±1.06) was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues (7.45±1.13). The expression levels of miR-503 and miR-375 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were related to the existence of lymph node metastasis, degree of differentiation of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and TNM staging (p<0.001). There was no correlation between the expressions of miR-503 and miR-375 and the age, gender and tumor size of patients (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

miR-503 was highly expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and miR-375 was lowly expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. miR-503 and miR-375 were closely related to the lymphatic metastasis, degree of differentiation and TNM staging of the tumor.

Tracking Ultrafast Photocurrents in the Weyl Semimetal TaAs Using THz Emission Spectroscopy

We investigate polarization-dependent ultrafast photocurrents in the Weyl semimetal TaAs using terahertz (THz) emission spectroscopy. Our results reveal that highly directional, transient photocurrents are generated along the noncentrosymmetric c axis regardless of incident light polarization, while helicity-dependent photocurrents are excited within the ab plane. This is consistent with earlier static photocurrent experiments, and demonstrates on the basis of both the physical constraints imposed by symmetry and the temporal dynamics intrinsic to current generation and decay that optically induced photocurrents in TaAs are inherent to the underlying crystal symmetry of the transition metal monopnictide family of Weyl semimetals.

PAI-1 and Maspin gene evolution analysis in plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi)

Hypoxia is one of the most obvious environmental characteristics of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Increasing tissue microvessel density is an important mechanism for plateau animals to adapt to the hypoxic environment.

[Efficacy and safety of transthoracic echocardiography-guided percutaneous intramyocardial septal radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of transthoracic echocardiography-guided percutaneous intramyocardial septal radiofrequency ablation (PIMSRA) in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Methods: Nine HOCM patients with interventricular septal thickness ≥15 mm and ≤25 mm who were treated with PIMSRA between October 2016 to March 2017 in the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center of Xijing Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University were enrolled,and the clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.Interventricular septum thickness, left ventricular outflow tract diameter and maximum gradient were measured by transthoracic echocardiography immediately after procedure, at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after operation.Symptoms and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class were assessed, and provoked left ventricular outflow tract gradient and exercise time were measured after 6 months. Results: The anterior interventricular septum ((21.5±2.6) mm vs. (24.7±2.7) mm, P<0.05) and posterior interventricular septum (21.1±2.5) mm vs. (22.6±3.3) mm, P<0.05) were significantly increased,left ventricular outflow tract diameter was widened ((8.2±3.4) mm vs. (4.8±2.2) mm, P<0.05), left ventricular outflow tract gradient ((26.8±19.6) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) vs. (83.3±32.4) mmHg, P<0.05) and mitral regurgitation (2.0±1.9) ml vs. (3.2±3.0) ml, P<0.05) were significantly decreased immediately after ablation compared with pre-operation values. Anterior interventricular septum, posterior interventricular septum and left ventricular outflow tract gradient further decreased after 1 month ((17.5±2.0) mm vs. (24.7±2.7) mm, P<0.05; (16.9±2.1) mm vs. (22.6±3.3) mm, P<0.05; (11.6±4.0) mmHg vs. (26.8±19.6) mmHg, P<0.05, respectively) compared with values immediately after ablation. Anterior interventricular septum and posterior interventricular septum decreased after 3 and 6 months ((14.8±1.7) mm and (13.4±2.0) mm vs. (17.5±2.0) mm, all P<0.05; (12.9±1.9) mm and (12.3±2.4) mm vs. (16.9±2.1) mm, all P<0.05, respectively) compared with values at 1 month after ablation.There were no significantly difference in left ventricular outflow tract gradient at 3 and 6 months post procedure compared with 1 month after ablation (all P>0.05). Compared with pre-operation, provoked left ventricular outflow tract gradient decreased ((25.5±11.4) mmHg vs. (147.8±58.0) mmHg, P<0.01), and total exercise time increased ((9.3±1.6) minutes vs. (6.7±1.6) minutes, P=0.03) at 6 months after operation.The symptoms were disappeared in 5 patients. There were 2 cases with NYHA class Ⅱ and 7 cases with NYHA class Ⅲ before operation,while there were 6 patients with NYHA classⅠ and 3 patients with NYHA class Ⅱ at 6 months after operation (P<0.01). Conclusion: Transthoracic echocardiography-guided PIMSRA is a safe and effective new treatment approach for patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The efficacy of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet with respect to improving pregnancy outcomes in women with hypertensive disorders

BACKGROUND

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet serves as a dietary pattern for the prevention and control of hypertension. The present study aimed to investigate whether the DASH diet can improve the outcomes of pregnancy with gestational hypertension (GH) and chronic hypertension.

METHODS

The current randomised controlled clinical trial was performed in 85 pregnant women diagnosed with GH and chronic hypertension between July 2015 and December 2017. The women were categorised into a control group (41 cases) and a DASH group (44 cases). Participants were followed until delivery. The clinical outcomes of mothers included gestational weeks of birth, delivery mode, postpartum haemorrhage and GH, as well as the incidence of pre-eclampsia during the second and third trimesters. Newborn measurements were collected by evaluating prematurity, birth weight, body length and neonatal Apgar score.

RESULTS

The incidence of pre-eclampsia, prematurity and low birth weight in the DASH group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Significant differences were also observed in gestational age at delivery and the newborn body length between the two groups (P < 0.05). We failed to find a significant difference in changes of delivery mode, postpartum haemorrhage, postpartum GH, mean birth weight and Apgar score (P > 0.05) between the two diets.

CONCLUSIONS

A DASH diet might comprise a potential strategy for improving the clinical outcomes in pregnant women with GH and chronic hypertension. Future robust clinical trials are warranted to corroborate these findings.

OlympiAD final overall survival and tolerability results: Olaparib versus chemotherapy treatment of physician's choice in patients with a germline BRCA mutation and HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer

BACKGROUND

In the OlympiAD study, olaparib was shown to improve progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy treatment of physician's choice (TPC) in patients with a germline BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 mutation (BRCAm) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer (mBC). We now report the planned final overall survival (OS) results, and describe the most common adverse events (AEs) to better understand olaparib tolerability in this population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

OlympiAD, a Phase III, randomized, controlled, open-label study (NCT02000622), enrolled patients with a germline BRCAm and HER2-negative mBC who had received ≤2 lines of chemotherapy for mBC. Patients were randomized to olaparib tablets (300 mg bid) or predeclared TPC (capecitabine, vinorelbine, or eribulin). OS and safety were secondary end points.

RESULTS

A total of 205 patients were randomized to olaparib and 97 to TPC. At 64% data maturity, median OS was 19.3 months with olaparib versus 17.1 months with TPC (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.66-1.23; P = 0.513); median follow-up was 25.3 and 26.3 months, respectively. HR for OS with olaparib versus TPC in prespecified subgroups were: prior chemotherapy for mBC [no (first-line setting): 0.51, 95% CI 0.29-0.90; yes (second/third-line): 1.13, 0.79-1.64]; receptor status (triple negative: 0.93, 0.62-1.43; hormone receptor positive: 0.86, 0.55-1.36); prior platinum (yes: 0.83, 0.49-1.45; no: 0.91, 0.64-1.33). Adverse events during olaparib treatment were generally low grade and manageable by supportive treatment or dose modification. There was a low rate of treatment discontinuation (4.9%), and the risk of developing anemia did not increase with extended olaparib exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

While there was no statistically significant improvement in OS with olaparib compared to TPC, there was the possibility of meaningful OS benefit among patients who had not received chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Olaparib was generally well-tolerated, with no evidence of cumulative toxicity during extended exposure. Please see the article online for additional video content.

[Safety and efficacy of second generation drug eluting stents in diabetic and non-diabetic patients]

Objective: To investigate the long-term prognosis of Second generation drug-eluting stents(G2-DES) in diabetic mellitus(DM) and non-DM patients. Methods: Patients with coronary heart disease(CHD) in Fuwai Hospital from January 2013 to December 2013 who had exclusively G2-DES implantation, were consecutively included the follow-up period was 2 years. Results: A total of 6 094 patients with CHD were implanted with G2-DES, of which 1 862 patients with DM, and 4 232 patients without DM.The proportion of DM patients receiving G2-DES implantation with the following characteristics: advanced age, female, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, history of previous stroke, history of peripheral artery disease, previous history of PCI, and with triple vessel, high preoperative Syntax score, high number of target lesions, B2 or C type lesions, severe calcification lesions, and chronic occlusive disease were significantly higher than those of non-DM patients(P<0.05). The incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebral vascular events(MACCE), target vascular revascularization(TVR) and target lesion revascularization(TLR) were higher in DM patients than in non-DM patients during 2 year's follow-up(P<0.05). The univariate COX regression analysis showed that diabetes was risk factor for MACCE in patients with CHD implanting G2-DES(HR=1.241, 95%CI: 1.053-1.463, P=0.010). However, multivariable COX analysis showed that DM was not an independent risk factor for MACCE in CHD patients with G2-DES(HR=1.125, 95%CI: 0.952-1.330, P=0.167). While age, female, preoperative Syntex score, triple vessel, B2 or C lesion were independent risk factors for poor clinical prognosis in CHD patients with G2-DES. Conclusions: (1) CHD patients with DM often accompany more clinical risk factors and complicated coronary lesions; (2) the incidence of MACCE, TVR and TLR in DM patients is significantly higher than non-DM patients with G2-DES during the 2 year's follow-up; (3) after multivariate adjustment, DM is not an independent risk factor for poor clinical prognosis in CHD patients with G2-DES, while traditional risk factors and complex coronary lesions are independent risk factors for poor clinical prognosis.

[Recent transmission of pulmonary tuberculosis and its influencing factors in Jing'an district, Shanghai, 2010-2015]

Objective: To understand the recent transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), and to identify the influencing factors of recent transmission among pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients in Jing'an district, Shanghai. Methods: The genotypes and drug resistances of MTB isolated from TB patients registered in the TB designated hospitals in Jing'an district during 2010-2015 were analyzed through 12-loci Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR)(QUB11b, QUB18, Mtub21, Miru26, QUB26, Mtub04, Miru31, Miru40, VNTR2372, VNTR3820, 3232, 4120), and tested for drug susceptibility as well. With the results of field epidemiological investigation, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the distribution of the clusters and influencing factors on recent transmission. Results: This study enrolled 80 TB patients, 23 (28.75%) had a resistance to at least one anti-TB drug, and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) was 16.25%. A total of 65 genotypes were identified with 58 (72.50%, 58/80) being unique and 7 clusters with 2-10 isolated in each cluster. The proportion of clustering was 27.50% (22/80). Results from the multivariate analysis revealed that multidrug- resistance (OR=35.799, 95%CI: 4.239-302.346) and having comorbidity with TB (OR=7.695, 95%CI: 1.421-41.658) were independently associated with the clustering, which suggesting a recent transmission. The field investigation to the clustered cases proved that the patients in two clusters had epidemiological links, one was between family members, and the other contained 10 MDR-TB patients with 9 knowing each other which have a definite connection and 1 having the possible connection with them. Conclusion: Recent transmission of tuberculosis happened among TB patients in Jing'an district, with high risks among the MDR-TB patients.

Abstract P5-04-09: Not presented

This abstract was not presented at the conference.

Citation Format: Mo H, Wang X, Qian Z, Xu B, Ma F. Not presented [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-04-09.

Abstract P2-10-01: Phase II study of antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor apatinib in combination with oral vinorelbine in heavily pretreated HER2-negative advanced breast cancer

Background: Metastatic breast cancer remains an incurable disease, and clinical benefit and progression-free survival are the main end points in advanced setting. Targeted therapies have shown promising potentials in HER2-positive breast cancer, but with uncertain effects in HER2-negative breast cancer, especially when the disease is progressing rapidly. The regimen of antiangiogenic therapy in combination with chemotherapy had been studied for years and gained improved efficacy. Apatinib is an oral, highly potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2. PhaseIIclinical trials of Apatinib single agent had presented objective response and manageable toxicity in heavily pretreated, metastatic breast cancer. Oral vinorelbine represents a good choice for its toxicity and activity in anthracycline and taxane-pretreated breast cancer patients. This all-oral study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of the oral vinorelbine-apatinib combination in pre-treated metastatic breast cancer. Methods: This study enrolled patients with HER2-negative advanced breast cancer, pretreated with anthracycline/taxanes, and who failed in the metastatic setting at least one prior chemotherapy or endocrine therapy when hormone receptor is positive. Patients were treated with apatinib 500mg/425mg daily plus oral vinorelbine 60mg/m2 day1,8,15 every 3 weeks/cycle. Patients eligible were evaluated by CT or MRI scan at baseline and every 2 cycles (6 weeks) there after until disease progressed. The primary endpoint wasPFS. The secondary endpoints were objective response rate, clinical benefit rate, OS, and safety. Results: 40 patients were enrolled with a median age of 55 (30-70) years. First 17 patients started apatinib at the dose of 500mg/day. Considering safety issues, a lower dose of apatinib 425mg/day was subsequently started as the initial dose after these 17 patients recruited. 26(65.0%) patients experienced treatment delay and 20(50.0%) patients experienced dose modification during treatment. Median follow-up time was 10.3 months. Of all 40 patients, median PFS was 5.4 months (95% CI, 3.4m–7.3m). Median OS was not reached. 32 patients were eligible for efficacy analysis. ORR was 15.6% (5/32). CBR was 46.9% (15/32). Patients with triple-negative breast cancer or who received combined therapy as second line treatment gained better ORR and longer median PFS. The most common adverse events of all grades included gastrointestinal reaction (70.0%), myelosuppression (67.5%), hypertension(62.5%), pain(60.0%), malaise(52.5%), anorexia(50.0%), elevated transaminase(47.5%), hand-foot reaction (47.5%), proteinuria (37.5%), and elevated bilirubin(32.5%). Proteinuria, treatment delay, and ECOG performance status were independent predictive factors for PFS.Conclusions: The all-oral therapy of antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor apatinib plus vinorelbine presented objective efficacy in advanced HER2-negative breast cancer who failed from first-line therapy, with acceptable and manageable toxicity.

Citation Format: Zhu A, Yuan P, Wang J, Fan Y, Luo Y, Cai R, Zhang P, Li Q, Ma F, Xu B. Phase II study of antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor apatinib in combination with oral vinorelbine in heavily pretreated HER2-negative advanced breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-10-01.

[Predictive value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio on long-term outcomes of acute myocardial infarction patients with multivessel disease]

Objective: Patients with acute coronary syndrome due to multivessel disease (MVD) were at the highest risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was proposed as a marker of cardiovascular risk. Present study evaluated the independent predictive value of NLR for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with MVD. Methods: AMI patients with MVD (n=1 433) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between January 2013 and December 2013 were followed up for 2 years. Patients were divided into 2 sub-groups based on an optimal cut off value of NLR to predict 2-year all-cause mortality. The primary endpoint was all-cause death. The secondary endpoint was long-term major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). Results: By receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, the optimal cut-off value of admission NLR to predict 2-year all-cause mortality was 3.39 (area under the curve 0.765, sensitivity 71%, specificity 73%). The high NLR group(n=396) had higher prevalence of prior myocardial infarction, prior PCI and intra-aortic balloon pump use (IABP)(P<0.01). Compared to the low NLR group (n=1 037), patients in the high NLR group were older, had higher level of neutrophil count and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (P<0.001), but lower level of lymphocyte count, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and ejection fraction (P<0.001). During the follow-up period, rate of long-term all-cause death was significantly higher in the high NLR group than in the low NLR group (5.1% (20/396) vs. 0.8% (8/1 037), P<0.001). Cardiac death (4.0% (16/396) vs. 0.7% (7/1 037), P<0.001) and MACCE (21.7% (86/396) vs. 12.6% (131/1 037), P<0.001) were also significantly higher in the high NLR group than in the low NLR group. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that NLR ≥ 3.39 was determined as an independent predictor of 2-year all-cause mortality (HR=3.23, 95%CI 1.38-7.54, P=0.007) and MACCE (HR=1.58, 95%CI 1.19-2.10, P=0.002) in this patient cohort after adjusting for other risk factors. Correlation analysis showed that the NLR was positively correlated with hs-CRP levels (r=0.241, P<0.001). Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that admission NLR ≥ 3.39 is an independent predictor of long term all cause death and MACCE in AMI patients with MVD post PCI.

[Impact of coronary artery lesion calcification on the long-term outcome of patients with coronary heart disease after percutaneous coronary intervention]

Objective: To investigate the impact of coronary lesion calcification on the long-term outcome of patients with coronary heart disease after percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: In this prospective observational study, a total of 10 119 consecutive patients with coronary heart disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention from January 1 to December 31, 2 103 in our hospital were enrolled. The patients were divided into non/mild calcification group (8 268 cases) and moderate/severe calcification group (1 851 cases) according to the angiographic results. The primary endpoint was one-year major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization. Results: The patients were (58.3±10.3) years old, and there were 2 355 females (23.3%). Compared with non/mild calcification group, patients in the moderate/severe calcification group were older ((60.0±10.6) years vs. (57.9±10.2) years, P<0.01), and had higher proportion of female (25.4% (470/1 851) vs. 22.8% (1 885/8 268), P=0.02), debates (33.9% (628/1 851) vs. 29.0% (2 399/8 268), P<0.01), hypertension (68.0% (1 259/1 851) vs. 63.7% (5 264/8 268), P<0.01), coronary artery bypass grafting (4.6% (85/1 851) vs. 3.2% (268/8 268), P<0.01), stroke (12.6% (233/1 851) vs. 10.4% (861/8 268), P=0.01), and renal dysfunction (6.2% (115/1 851) vs. 3.7% (303/8 268), P<0.01). Compared with non/mild calcification group, patients in themoderate/severe calcification group experienced longer procedure time (37 (24, 61) min vs. 27 (17,40) min, P<0.01) and stent length was longer (32 (23,48) mm vs. 27 (18,38) mm, P<0.01), and percent of rotational atherectomy was higher (2.56%(57/2 229) vs. 0.03% (3/11 930), P<0.01). One-year follow-up results showed that MACE (7.5% (139/1 846) vs. 4.9% (402/8 243), P<0.01), all-cause death (1.0% (19/1 846) vs. 0.6% (49/8 243), P=0.04), myocardial infarction (2.2% (41/1 846) vs. 1.4% (114/8 243), P=0.01), and target vessel revascularization (5.0% (92/1 846) vs. 3.2% (266/8 243), P<0.01) were all significantly higher in moderate/severe calcification group than in non/mild group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that moderate/severe calcification was an independent predictor of MACE at one-year after the procedure (HR=1.41, 95%CI 1.16-1.72, P<0.01). Conclusion: Moderate/severe calcification in coronary lesion is an independent predictor of long-term poor prognosis in coronary heart disease patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Gene expression profiling analysis of the role of miR-22 in clear cell ovarian cancer

This study aimed to investigate the role and potential mechanism of miR-22 in clear cell ovarian cancer (CCOC) progression. The gene expression profile of GSE16568, including 3 CCOC samples with miR-22 overexpression and 3 negative controls, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the limma package in R. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs were performed by using The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). Furthermore, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs was constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database. Besides, the miR-22-mRNA interaction pairs were predicted to explore the critical genes involved in the cancer. Totally, 95 up-regulated DEGs and 51 down-regulated DEGs were identified. The DEGs were enriched in different GO terms and pathways. The up-regulated genes cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK6), MDM2 oncogene, E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (MDM2), and thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) were involved in the p53 signaling pathway. The up-regulated gene FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog (FOS) was a hub protein in the PPI network of the DEGs. The down-regulated DEGs including lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) and v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) were mainly associated with immunity. Nine DEGs as target genes were identified to be recognized by miR-22. Our study suggested that several key genes such as CDK6, MDM2, LEF1, MYB, and FOS that involved in different pathways including p53 signaling pathway were associated with CCOC progression. miR-22 may play an essential role in cell migration and invasion in CCOC through targeting responsive genes.

Numerical Study and Experimental Verification of Tissue Cryofreezing Based on Flexible Cryoprobe System

BACKGROUND

Cryosurgery is effectively used for treating various diseases including cancer and tumor. But there is difficulty accurately quantifying the spatial temperature profile needed to determine diseased tissue destruction.

OBJECTIVE

A novel flexible cryosurgical probe was developed that can pass through the natural cavities of human body to minimize the damage to normal tissues. The present study aims to study the design of the flexible cryoprobe by 3D heat transfer modeling and experimental verification.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 3D model, on the basis of the flexible cryoprobe system, was developed to predict the temperature distribution during cryosurgery in porcine liver. In vitro experiments and pathological analysis with TUNEL staining of tissue samples were performed for verification.

RESULTS

The results of numerical simulation based on the Pennes equation exhibited good agreement with experimental measurements for the flexible cryoprobe system. The simulation shows that the tissue within the range of 0 to 6 mm along the cryoprobe is effectively destroyed and the temperature in this domain decreases to the range -35°C to -40°C. Due to the non-uniform distribution, the temperature in the z-axis direction decreases to -40°C faster, with more serious tissue damage; whereas the x-axis direction has the greater distance of tissue destruction. Pathologic analysis of tissue after in vitro cryosurgery has verified the efficacy of the flexible cryoprobe system.

CONCLUSION

Numerical simulation and experimental verification demonstrate the efficacy of the flexible cryoprobe system. The 3D heat transfer model can be a valuable tool for optimizing the design of the flexible cryoprobe system.

Gankyrin drives metabolic reprogramming to promote tumorigenesis, metastasis and drug resistance through activating β-catenin/c-Myc signaling in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Gankyrin plays important roles in tumorigenicity and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We have for the first time investigated the effects of Gankyrin on glycolysis and glutaminolysis both in vitro and in vivo, including in patient-derived xenografts. We reported Gankyrin increases glucose consumption, lactate production, glutamine consumption and glutamate production in HCC through upregulating the expression of the transporters and enzymes involved in glycolysis and glutaminolysis, including HK2, GLUT1, LDHA, PKM2, ASCT2 and GLS1. We further demonstrated that Gankyrin drives glycolysis and glutaminolysis through upregulating c-Myc via activating β-catenin signaling. Importantly, we found c-Myc mediated metabolic reprogramming might contribute to the tumorigenicity, metastasis and drug resistance induced by Gankyrin. c-Myc inhibitor synergizes with Sorafenib or Regorafenib to suppress HCC PDX tumors with high Gankyrin levels. We detected a significant correlation between Gankyrin and β-catenin expression levels in a cohort of HCC biopsies, and combination of these two parameters is a more powerful predictor of poor prognosis. Collectively, our results uncovered that Gankyrin functions as an essential regulator in glycolysis and glutaminolysis via activation of β-catenin/c-Myc to promotes tumorigenesis, metastasis and drug resistance in human HCC.

[Relationship between thrombolysis in myocardial infarction risk index and the severity of coronary artery lesions and long-term outcome in acute myocardial infarction patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between thrombolysis in myocardial infarction risk index(TRI) and the severity of coronary artery lesions and long-term outcome in acute myocardial infarction(AMI) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI). Methods: A total of 1 663 consecutive AMI patients undergoing PCI between January and December 2013 in Fuwai hospital were prospectively included in this study. The severity of coronary artery lesions was evaluated using the SYNTAX score. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was used to analyze the optimal cut-off value of TRI on predicting all-cause mortality at 2 years after PCI.The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the optimal cut-off value of TRI:high TRI group (TRI ≥ 23.05, 465 cases) and low TRI group(TRI<23.05, 1 198 cases). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used for determining the relationship between TRI and SYNTAX scores≥33. A multivariate Cox regression analyses was used to identify the influence factors of long-term outcome after PCI. Results: SYNTAX score was higher in high TRI group than in low TRI group (13.00(7.00, 20.50) vs.10.25(7.00, 17.00), P<0.001). TRI was independently associated with SYNTAX score ≥ 33 (OR=1.09,95% CI 1.03-1.16, P=0.004). After the 2 years follow-up, rates of all-cause death (4.1% (19/465) vs. 0.3% (4/1 198) , P<0.001), cardiac death (2.6% (12/465) vs. 0.2% (2/1 198) , P< 0.001) and stent thrombosis (1.7% (8/465) vs. 0.5% (6/1 198) , P=0.015) were all significantly higher in high TRI group than in low TRI group. Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that TRI≥ 23.05 was an independent risk factor of all-cause death (HR=5.22, 95%CI 1.63-16.72, P=0.005), cardiac death (HR=8.48, 95%CI 1.75-41.07, P=0.008) and stent thrombosis(HR=3.87, 95%CI 1.32-11.41, P=0.014) at 2 years after PCI in AMI patients, but which was not the independent risk factor of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (HR=0.96, 95%CI 0.69-1.36, P=0.834) .The area under ROC curve of TRI ≥ 23.05 on predicting 2 years all-cause mortality in AMI patients undergoing PCI was 0.803(95%CI 0.711-0.894, P<0.001). Conclusions: TRI is independently associated with SYNTAX score ≥ 33. TRI is also an independent risk factor of 2 years all-cause death, cardiac death and stent thrombosis in AMI patients undergoing PCI.

Strain-tunable molecular doping in germanane: a first-principles study

Germanane, fully hydrogenated germanene, has recently attracted great interest, both theoretical and experimental. In this paper we thoroughly study strain-tunable n/p-type doping in germanane by adsorption of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)/tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) molecules through first-principles calculations. The results show that both TTF and TCNQ molecules can non-covalently functionalize the electronic properties of germanane. Not surprisingly, TTF molecular adsorption induces n-type doping in germanane because the TTF molecule is a typical electron donor. Moreover, a linearly tunable band gap of germanane and differing n-type doping strengths can be realized by a biaxial strain ranging from -3% to 3%. Analysis indicates that tensile strain would promote the doping effect whereas compressive strain would inhibit it. Comparatively, TCNQ molecular adsorption induces a germanane/TCNQ system which exhibits metallic characteristics. Surprisingly, however, under a tensile strain of 2.5%, a strong p-type doping effect is achieved in germanene/TCNQ. In particular, with increasing tensile strain over the range 2.5%-3%, the strain-tunable p-type doping effect decreases gradually. Such a multiple effect of molecular adsorption and strain on the electronic properties of germanane could be helpful for potential future applications of germanane-based electron devices.

Temperature-Driven Topological Phase Transition and Intermediate Dirac Semimetal Phase in ZrTe_{5}

We present an infrared spectroscopy study of ZrTe_{5}, which confirms a recent theoretical proposal that this material exhibits a temperature-driven topological quantum phase transition from a weak to a strong topological insulating state with an intermediate Dirac semimetal state around T_{p}≃138  K. Our study details the temperature evolution of the energy gap in the bulk electronic structure. We found that the energy gap closes around T_{p}, where the optical response exhibits characteristic signatures of a Dirac semimetal state, i.e., a linear frequency-dependent optical conductivity extrapolating to the origin (after subtracting a weak Drude response). This finding allows us to reconcile previous diverging reports about the topological nature of ZrTe_{5} in terms of a variation of T_{p} that depends on the crystal growth condition.

Enabling liquid vapor analysis using synchrotron VUV single photon ionization mass spectrometry with a microfluidic interface

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) single photon ionization mass spectrometry (SPI-MS) is a vacuum-based technique typically used for the analysis of gas phase and solid samples, but not for liquids due to the challenge in introducing volatile liquids in a vacuum. Here we present the first demonstration of in situ liquid analysis by integrating the System for Analysis at the Liquid Vacuum Interface (SALVI) microfluidic reactor into VUV SPI-MS. Four representative volatile organic compound (VOC) solutions were used to illustrate the feasibility of liquid analysis. Our results show the accurate mass identification of the VOC molecules and the reliable determination of appearance energy that is consistent with ionization energy for gaseous species in the literature as reported. This work validates that the vacuum-compatible SALVI microfluidic interface can be utilized at the synchrotron beamline and enable the in situ study of gas-phase molecules evaporating off the surface of a liquid, which holds importance in the study of condensed matter chemistry.