[Dietary patterns among preschoolers and its association with education level of the parents]

Objective: To identify the dietary patterns among preschoolers in Ma'anshan, and to investigate its association with the education levels of the parents. Methods: A total of 16 439 children aged 3-6 were recruited from 91 kindergartens in Ma'anshan city to participate in the study. Food frequency and socio-demographic information were collected through questionnaire survey. Dietary data was collected using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and principal-components analysis was used to derive the dietary patterns. Ordinal multinomial logistic regression was employed to explore the association between the education level of parents and the dietary patterns. Results: Five dietary patterns- "processed" , "beverage" , "snack" , "protein" and "vegetarian" were identified. Data showed that the total variance was 48.02% and the cumulative proportion of processed reached 24.78%. Low educational level of the father was positively associated with both "beverage" (OR=1.36, 95%CI: 1.15-1.63) and "snack" dietary pattern (OR=1.21, 95%CI: 1.01-1.43). Low educational level of mother was positively associated with the "processed" (OR=1.31, 95%CI: 1.09-1.57) and "beverage" dietary pattern (OR=1.48, 95%CI: 1.23-1.77), and showed a negative correlation with "protein" (OR=0.62, 95%CI: 0.52-0.74) and "vegetarian" dietary pattern (OR=0.72, 95%CI: 0.60-0.86). Conclusion: Findings from this study showed that preschoolers in Ma'anshan tend to choose unhealthy dietary pattern. Dietary pattern was directly influenced by the parents, and especially the education level of the mothers.

Inhibition of the miR-17-92 Cluster Separates Stages of Palatogenesis

The role that noncoding regions of the genome play in the etiology of cleft palate is not well studied. A novel method of microRNA (miR) inhibition that allows for specific miR knockdown in vivo has been developed by our laboratory. To further understand the role of miRs in palatogenesis, we used a new mouse model to inhibit specific miRs within the miR-17-92 cluster. Transgenic mice expressing inhibitory complexes for miR-17 and miR-18 manifested a clefting phenotype that was distinct from that observed in mice carrying inhibitory complexes for miR-17, miR-18, miR-19, and miR-92. An in silico candidate gene analysis and bioinformatics review led us to identify TGFBR2 as a likely target of miR-17 and miR-19 family members. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) experiments showed that TGFBR1 and TGFBR2 expression levels were elevated in the palates of these miR transgenic embryos at embryonic day 15.5. RT-PCR data also showed that the expression of mature miRs from the miR-17-92 cluster was significantly decreased in the transgenic embryos. Decreased expression of TGFB pathway signaling ligands was also observed. Experiments in cells showed that inhibition of miR-17 and miR-18 was sufficient to induce increases in expression of TGFB receptors, while a concomitant decrease in TGFB signaling ligands was not observed. RT-PCR of mature miR-17-92 in cells demonstrated the selectivity and specificity of inhibitory complexes. While this study builds on previous studies that have implicated miR-17-92 in the regulation of important molecular components of the TGFB signaling pathway, it is likely that interactions remain to be elucidated between miR-17-92 and as-of-yet unidentified molecules important for the control of palatogenesis. The differential regulation of palatogenesis by members of the miR-17-92 cluster indicates that several gene combinations regulate palate elevation and extension during development.

GW170104: Observation of a 50-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence at Redshift 0.2

We describe the observation of GW170104, a gravitational-wave signal produced by the coalescence of a pair of stellar-mass black holes. The signal was measured on January 4, 2017 at 10∶11:58.6 UTC by the twin advanced detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory during their second observing run, with a network signal-to-noise ratio of 13 and a false alarm rate less than 1 in 70 000 years. The inferred component black hole masses are 31.2_{-6.0}^{+8.4}M_{⊙} and 19.4_{-5.9}^{+5.3}M_{⊙} (at the 90% credible level). The black hole spins are best constrained through measurement of the effective inspiral spin parameter, a mass-weighted combination of the spin components perpendicular to the orbital plane, χ_{eff}=-0.12_{-0.30}^{+0.21}. This result implies that spin configurations with both component spins positively aligned with the orbital angular momentum are disfavored. The source luminosity distance is 880_{-390}^{+450}  Mpc corresponding to a redshift of z=0.18_{-0.07}^{+0.08}. We constrain the magnitude of modifications to the gravitational-wave dispersion relation and perform null tests of general relativity. Assuming that gravitons are dispersed in vacuum like massive particles, we bound the graviton mass to m_{g}≤7.7×10^{-23}  eV/c^{2}. In all cases, we find that GW170104 is consistent with general relativity.

Systolic hypertension related single nucleotide polymorphism is associated with susceptibility of ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVE

Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is the most important risk factor for ischemic stroke. Genetic variants influencing hypertension can also be risk factors for ischemic stroke. Here, we examined the how single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with blood pressure impact the risk for ischemic stroke.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We selected 300 ischemic stroke patients and 300 controls. Then, we genotyped three single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with systolic hypertension in both groups.

RESULTS

Logistic regression analysis showed that the rs11099098 genotype was associated with a significantly decreased risk of IS (Dominant model: OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.37-0.82, p = 0.003). Two other SNPs, rs880315 and rs11072518, showed a trend towards association with stroke risk, but did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that genetic variants in systolic pressure-related genotypes may contribute to the etiology of ischemic stroke.

[Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour of thyroid: a case report]

A elderly woman patient，with a unclear boundary,solid,smooth surface,moderately active mass that estimated 0.4 cm at its greatest diameter in the left lobe of thyroid. Ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic mass in the left lobe and Computed Tomography showed a 38 mm×25 mm×23 mm oval lesion with uniform density in the left lobe also. The surgical findings revealed tumor located in the inner side of left thyroid lobe near the isthmus,with unclear boundary. Pathological examination showed unclear boundaries between thyroid and tumor,the tumor cells attack into the muscle tissue,braided/ fascicles spindle shaped or star shaped myofibroblasts cells in the tumor area with myxedema inflammatory background and the lesion did not have any mitotic figures. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that the spindle cells were positive for Vim,ACT,SMA,Bcl2 and ClyD1,and focal lesion histiocytes showed focal positive for CD68,CK and S-100,but negative for DES,Mgo,CD99,CD34,CD117,IgG4,ALK-1.The pathological diagnosis supports inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of thyroid. Imaging and immunohistochemistry and others are useful in differential diagnosis.

Upper Limits on the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background from Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run

A wide variety of astrophysical and cosmological sources are expected to contribute to a stochastic gravitational-wave background. Following the observations of GW150914 and GW151226, the rate and mass of coalescing binary black holes appear to be greater than many previous expectations. As a result, the stochastic background from unresolved compact binary coalescences is expected to be particularly loud. We perform a search for the isotropic stochastic gravitational-wave background using data from Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory's (aLIGO) first observing run. The data display no evidence of a stochastic gravitational-wave signal. We constrain the dimensionless energy density of gravitational waves to be Ω_{0}<1.7×10^{-7} with 95% confidence, assuming a flat energy density spectrum in the most sensitive part of the LIGO band (20-86 Hz). This is a factor of ∼33 times more sensitive than previous measurements. We also constrain arbitrary power-law spectra. Finally, we investigate the implications of this search for the background of binary black holes using an astrophysical model for the background.

Directional Limits on Persistent Gravitational Waves from Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run

We employ gravitational-wave radiometry to map the stochastic gravitational wave background expected from a variety of contributing mechanisms and test the assumption of isotropy using data from the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory's (aLIGO) first observing run. We also search for persistent gravitational waves from point sources with only minimal assumptions over the 20-1726 Hz frequency band. Finding no evidence of gravitational waves from either point sources or a stochastic background, we set limits at 90% confidence. For broadband point sources, we report upper limits on the gravitational wave energy flux per unit frequency in the range F_{α,Θ}(f)<(0.1-56)×10^{-8}    erg cm^{-2} s^{-1} Hz^{-1}(f/25  Hz)^{α-1} depending on the sky location Θ and the spectral power index α. For extended sources, we report upper limits on the fractional gravitational wave energy density required to close the Universe of Ω(f,Θ)<(0.39-7.6)×10^{-8}  sr^{-1}(f/25  Hz)^{α} depending on Θ and α. Directed searches for narrowband gravitational waves from astrophysically interesting objects (Scorpius X-1, Supernova 1987 A, and the Galactic Center) yield median frequency-dependent limits on strain amplitude of h_{0}<(6.7,5.5,  and  7.0)×10^{-25}, respectively, at the most sensitive detector frequencies between 130-175 Hz. This represents a mean improvement of a factor of 2 across the band compared to previous searches of this kind for these sky locations, considering the different quantities of strain constrained in each case.

Liquid-cooled Ti:Sapphire thin disk amplifiers for high average power 100-TW systems

In this work, numerical heat transfer simulations of direct water-cooled gain modules for thin disk (TD) Ti:Sapphire (Ti:Sa) power amplifiers are presented. By using the TD technique in combination with the extraction during pumping (EDP) method 100-TW class amplifiers operating around 300 W average power could be reached in the future. Single and double-sided cooling arrangements were investigated for several coolant flow velocities. Simulations which upscale the gain module for multiple kilowatts of average power were also performed for large aperture Ti:Sa disks and for multiple disks with several coolant channels.

[Inhibitory effect of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related protein 1 on retinal angiogenesis via ERK signaling pathway]

Objective: To explore the inhibitory effect of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related protein 1 (IGFBP-rP1), a novel anti-angiogenic factor, on retinal angiogenesis and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: Experimental study. C57BL/6J mice were classified into three groups: control group (n=24), oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) non-intervention group (n=24) and OIR intervention group (n=72). The OIR mouse model was established using improved Smith's methods (n= 96). Twelve-day-old mice in the OIR intervention group were randomly assigned into three groups receiving intravitreal injection of recombinant mouse IGFBP-rP1 (50 μg/L, 100 μg/L and 200 μg/L, respectively). Five days later, the proliferative neovascular responses were estimated by quantifying the new vessel area relative to the total retinal area in flattening retinas stained by high molecular FITC-Dextran and counting the number of neovascular cell nuclei breaking through the internal limiting membrane (ILM) in cross-sections. Retinal phosphor-ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2), ERK1/2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein expression was assessed by Western blot. Results: In the fluorescence angiograms, irregular neovascularization and fluorescence leakage were observed in the OIR model. In the OIR non-intervention group, the expression of p-ERK1/2 and VEGF was significantly up-regulated in comparison with the control group (t=100.068, P=0.000. t=6.526, P=0.003). The area ratios of new retinal vessels and the number of neovascular cell nuclei in mice receiving intravitreal injection of recombinant mouse IGFBP-rP1 both decreased significantly (F=1920, P=0.000. F=852.387, P=0.000), following the down-regulation of retinal p-ERK1/2 protein expression (F=859.587, P=0.000) and VEGF protein expression (F=24.301, P= 0.000) in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in ERK1/2 protein expression (P>0.05). Conclusions: IGFBP-rP1 inhibits retinal angiogenesis by blocking ERK signaling pathway and down-regulating VEGF expression. This highlights the potential importance of IGFBP-rP1 serving as a target of gene therapy for retinal neovascularization. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 207-211).

Heat-Shock Protein gp96 Enhances T Cell Responses and Protective Potential to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Vaccine

The commonly used Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine only induces moderate T cell responses and is less effective in protecting against pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in adults and ageing populations. Thus, developing new TB vaccine candidates is an important strategy against the spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Here, we demonstrated that immunization with heat-shock protein gp96 as an adjuvant led to a significantly increased CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell response to a BCG vaccine. Secretion of the Th1-type cytokines was increased by splenocytes from gp96-immunized mice. In addition, adding gp96 as an adjuvant effectively improved the protection against intravenous challenge with Mycobacterium bovis BCG in mice. Our study reveals the novel property of gp96 in boosting the vaccine-specific T cell response and its potential use as an adjuvant for BCG vaccines against mycobacterial infection.

Metabolic changes in rat serum after administration of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid and discriminated by SVM

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) exerts marked anticancer effects via promotion of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and prevention of oncogene expression. In this study, serum metabolomics and artificial intelligence recognition were used to investigate SAHA toxicity. Forty rats (220 ± 20 g) were randomly divided into control and three SAHA groups (low, medium, and high); the experimental groups were treated with 12.3, 24.5, or 49.0 mg kg^-1 SAHA once a day via intragastric administration. After 7 days, blood samples from the four groups were collected and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and pathological changes in the liver were examined using microscopy. The results showed that increased levels of urea, oleic acid, and glutaconic acid were the most significant indicators of toxicity. Octadecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, glycerol, propanoic acid, and uric acid levels were lower in the high SAHA group. Microscopic observation revealed no obvious damage to the liver. Based on these data, a support vector machine (SVM) discrimination model was established that recognized the metabolic changes in the three SAHA groups and the control group with 100% accuracy. In conclusion, the main toxicity caused by SAHA was due to excessive metabolism of saturated fatty acids, which could be recognized by an SVM model.

[Infestation status Aedes albopictus and related mosquito-borne infectious disease risk in central urban area in Shanghai]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate Aedes albopictus infestation status in the central urban area of Shanghai, and analyze the related epidemic risk of mosquito-borne infectious disease.

METHODS

Consecutive mosquito surveillance was conducted in the green lands and residential areas in the central urban area of Shanghai during 2012-2014, the Aedes albopictus density and its seasonal fluctuation were observed; the sequence of Aedes albopictus in Shanghai was aligned with that in other epidemic area abroad, and the susceptibility of Aedes albopictus to mosquito-borne virus and endemic risk were analyzed.

RESULTS

No Aedes aegypti was found in the central urban area of Shanghai. As predominant species in both the residential area and the green lands, the proportion of Aedes albopictus in the residential area was significantly higher than that in the green lands(78.53% vs. 19.99%, χ(2) =15 525.168, P<0.001), and so was the density(11.91, 42.02 pcs/day · site in the residential area vs. 3.65, 2.18, 2.73 pcs/day · site in the green lands, all P value <0.001). In 2014, the density reached 42.02 pcs/day · site and the proportion reached 94.69% in the residential areas. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the genetic distance between Aedes albopictus in Shanghai and Aedes albopictus in Africa was quite far.

CONCLUSION

No Aedes aegypti was found in Shanghai and its surrounding areas, while Aedes albopictus infestation in the central urban area of Shanghai was serious. Strict measures should be taken to reduce the Aedes albopictus density for the effective control Zika virus spread.

In vivo effects of high dietary copper levels on hepatocellular mitochondrial respiration and electron transport chain enzymes in broilers

The diet of broiler chickens supplemented with increasing concentrations of copper (Cu) was assessed for the effect of Cu on liver mitochondrial function. A total of 160, 1-d-old Cobb 500 broilers (Gallus domesticus) were randomly assigned in equal numbers into 4 groups, which differed in the concentration of copper supplements in the diet; 11 (control), 110, 220 and 330 mg of Cu/kg dry matter. Liver mitochondrial function was recorded at 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 d of age. Supplementation with 110 mg Cu/kg dry matter enhanced mitochondrial function and activities of complexes I-V, and this was significant at 36 d of age compared with the other diets (P < 0.05). Supplementation with 220 mg Cu/kg dry matter and 330 mg Cu/kg dry matter enhanced mitochondrial function and activities of complexes I-V at 12, 24 and 36 d of age, but displayed reduced function (P < 0.05) at 48 and 60 d of age except in complex IV (P > 0.05). Mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production was also increased (P < 0.05) with an increase of copper supplementation in the diet. The results indicate that appropriate dietary copper supplements are sufficient for improving mitochondrial function and activities of the respiratory complexes. Higher concentrations of copper, on the other hand, lead to copper toxicity by affecting certain respiratory complexes.

Patient-Level Adverse Event Patterns in a Single-Institution Study of the Multi-Kinase Inhibitor Sorafenib

Novel characterization of patterns of adverse events (AEs) of kinase inhibitors (KIs) could reveal new insights on human molecular physiology and methods to improve the therapeutic index of KIs. Incidence and severity of AEs for each of 157 patients enrolled in sorafenib clinical trials were determined for three clinically relevant treatment intervals: weeks 0–3, weeks 3–7, and after 7 weeks. The most common within patient co‐occurrences were mucositis with dermatologic events: hand‐foot syndrome (HFS; odds ratio [OR] = 4.36; p = 0.0017) and rash (OR = 5.32; p < 0.001). Prevalence of severe: alopecia (p = 0.02), diarrhea (p < 0.001), and fatigue (p = 0.005) increased over the course of therapy. Incidence of HFS (60%) and diarrhea (25%) increased up to a minimum steady‐state concentration (approximately 5 mcg mL^‐1) and plateaued thereafter. Common AEs of sorafenib occur in distinct temporal and tissue distribution patterns and this analysis identified unrecognized relationships among mechanism‐dependent and independent effects of a KI.

PDL Progenitor–Mediated PDL Recovery Contributes to Orthodontic Relapse

Periodontal ligament (PDL) is subjected to mechanical force during physiologic activities. PDL stem/progenitor cells are the main mesenchymal stem cells in PDL. However, how PDL progenitors participate in PDL homeostasis upon and after mechanical force is largely unknown. In this study, force-triggered orthodontic tooth movement and the following relapse were used as models to demonstrate the response of PDL progenitors and their role in PDL remodeling upon and after mechanical force. Upon orthodontic force, PDL collagen on the compression side significantly degraded, showing a broken and disorganized pattern. After force withdrawal, the degraded PDL collagen recovered during the early stage of relapse. Correspondingly, increased CD90+ PDL progenitors with suppressed expression of type I collagen (Col-I) were observed upon orthodontic force, whereas these cells accumulated at the degradation regions and regained Col-I expression after force withdrawal during early relapse. Our results further showed that compressive force altered cell morphology and repressed collagen expression in cultured PDL progenitors, which both recovered after force withdrawal. Force withdrawal–induced recovery of collagen expression in cultured PDL progenitors could be regulated by transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β), a key molecule for tissue homeostasis and extracellular matrix remodeling. More interesting, inhibiting the regained Col-I expression in CD90+ PDL progenitors by blocking TGF-β interrupted PDL collagen recovery and partially inhibited the early relapse. These data suggest that PDL progenitors can respond to mechanical force and may process intrinsic stability to recover to original status after force withdrawal. PDL progenitors with intrinsic stability are required for PDL recovery and consequently contribute to early orthodontic relapse, which can be regulated by TGF-β signaling.

A new potassium-based intermediate and its role in the desorption properties of the K-Mg-N-H system

New insights into the reaction pathways of different potassium/magnesium amide-hydride based systems are discussed. In situ SR-PXD experiments were for the first time performed in order to reveal the evolution of the phases connected with the hydrogen releasing processes. Evidence of a new K-N-H intermediate is shown and discussed with particular focus on structural modification. Based on these results, a new reaction mechanism of amide-hydride anionic exchange is proposed.

Environmental context for the terminal Ediacaran biomineralization of animals

In terminal Ediacaran strata of South China, the onset of calcareous biomineralization is preserved in the paleontological transition from Conotubus to Cloudina in repetitious limestone facies of the Dengying Formation. Both fossils have similar size, funnel-in-funnel construction, and epibenthic lifestyle, but Cloudina is biomineralized, whereas Conotubus is not. To provide environmental context for this evolutionary milestone, we conducted a high-resolution elemental and stable isotope study of the richly fossiliferous Gaojiashan Member. Coincident with the first appearance of Cloudina is a significant positive carbonate carbon isotope excursion (up to +6‰) and an increase in the abundance and (34) S composition of pyrite. In contrast, δ(34) S values of carbonate-associated sulfate remain steady throughout the succession, resulting in anomalously large (>70‰) sulfur isotope fractionations in the lower half of the member. The fractionation trend likely relates to changes in microbial communities, with sulfur disproportionation involved in the lower interval, whereas microbial sulfate reduction was the principal metabolic pathway in the upper. We speculate that the coupled paleontological and biogeochemical anomalies may have coincided with an increase in terrestrial weathering fluxes of sulfate, alkalinity, and nutrients to the depositional basin, which stimulated primary productivity, the spread of an oxygen minimum zone, and the development of euxinic conditions in subtidal and basinal environments. Enhanced production and burial of organic matter is thus directly connected to the carbon isotope anomaly, and likely promoted pyritization as the main taphonomic pathway for Conotubus and other soft-bodied Ediacara biotas. Our studies suggest that the Ediacaran confluence of ecological pressures from predation and environmental pressures from an increase in seawater alkalinity set the stage for an unprecedented geobiological response: the evolutionary novelty of animal biomineralization.

OH-initiated tropospheric photooxidation of allyl acetate: a theoretical study

The mechanisms of OH-initiated oxidation of allyl acetate in the presence of O2/NO have been investigated by performing density functional theory calculations. Two patterns (OH-addition and H-abstraction) of the initial reaction and the subsequent reactions of the primarily produced intermediates (IM1, IM2, and IM4) have been proposed. The OH-addition reactions are more favorable than the H-abstraction reactions, but H-abstraction from the CH2 group cannot be ignored. The major degradation products have been identified. The rate coefficients and the branching ratios of the primary reactions are obtained over the temperature of 200–500 K and the pressure range of 0.001–1000 atm. The total rate coefficient is 3.17 × 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 at 298 K and 1 atm. With respect to the typical concentration of OH radical (2.0 × 106 molecule cm−3), the atmospheric lifetime of AAC is estimated to be 4.40 h.

Mechanistic and kinetic investigation on OH-initiated oxidation of tetrabromobisphenol A

Detailed mechanism of the OH-initiated transformation of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) has been investigated by quantum chemical methods in this paper. Abstraction reactions of hydrogen atoms from the OH groups and CH3 groups of TBBPA are the dominant pathways of the initial reactions. The produced phenolic-type radical and alkyl-type radical may transfer to 4,4'-(ethene-1,1-diyl)bis(2,6-dibromophenol), 4-acetyl-2,6-dibromophenol and 2,6-dibromobenzoquinone at high temperature. In water, major products are 2,6-dibromo-p-hydroquinone, 4-isopropylene-2,6-dibromophenol and 4-(2-hydroxyisopropyl)-2,6-dibromophenol resulting from the addition reactions. Total rate constants of the initial reaction are 1.02 × 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) in gas phase and 1.93 × 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) in water at 298 K.

Human genome meeting 2016 : Houston, TX, USA. 28 February - 2 March 2016

O1 The metabolomics approach to autism: identification of biomarkers for early detection of autism spectrum disorder A. K. Srivastava, Y. Wang, R. Huang, C. Skinner, T. Thompson, L. Pollard, T. Wood, F. Luo, R. Stevenson O2 Phenome-wide association study for smoking- and drinking-associated genes in 26,394 American women with African, Asian, European, and Hispanic descents R. Polimanti, J. Gelernter O3 Effects of prenatal environment, genotype and DNA methylation on birth weight and subsequent postnatal outcomes: findings from GUSTO, an Asian birth cohort X. Lin, I. Y. Lim, Y. Wu, A. L. Teh, L. Chen, I. M. Aris, S. E. Soh, M. T. Tint, J. L. MacIsaac, F. Yap, K. Kwek, S. M. Saw, M. S. Kobor, M. J. Meaney, K. M. Godfrey, Y. S. Chong, J. D. Holbrook, Y. S. Lee, P. D. Gluckman, N. Karnani, GUSTO study group O4 High-throughput identification of specific qt interval modulating enhancers at the SCN5A locus A. Kapoor, D. Lee, A. Chakravarti O5 Identification of extracellular matrix components inducing cancer cell migration in the supernatant of cultivated mesenchymal stem cells C. Maercker, F. Graf, M. Boutros O6 Single cell allele specific expression (ASE) IN T21 and common trisomies: a novel approach to understand DOWN syndrome and other aneuploidies G. Stamoulis, F. Santoni, P. Makrythanasis, A. Letourneau, M. Guipponi, N. Panousis, M. Garieri, P. Ribaux, E. Falconnet, C. Borel, S. E. Antonarakis O7 Role of microRNA in LCL to IPSC reprogramming S. Kumar, J. Curran, J. Blangero O8 Multiple enhancer variants disrupt gene regulatory network in Hirschsprung disease S. Chatterjee, A. Kapoor, J. Akiyama, D. Auer, C. Berrios, L. Pennacchio, A. Chakravarti O9 Metabolomic profiling for the diagnosis of neurometabolic disorders T. R. Donti, G. Cappuccio, M. Miller, P. Atwal, A. Kennedy, A. Cardon, C. Bacino, L. Emrick, J. Hertecant, F. Baumer, B. Porter, M. Bainbridge, P. Bonnen, B. Graham, R. Sutton, Q. Sun, S. Elsea O10 A novel causal methylation network approach to Alzheimer’s disease Z. Hu, P. Wang, Y. Zhu, J. Zhao, M. Xiong, David A Bennett O11 A microRNA signature identifies subtypes of triple-negative breast cancer and reveals MIR-342-3P as regulator of a lactate metabolic pathway A. Hidalgo-Miranda, S. Romero-Cordoba, S. Rodriguez-Cuevas, R. Rebollar-Vega, E. Tagliabue, M. Iorio, E. D’Ippolito, S. Baroni O12 Transcriptome analysis identifies genes, enhancer RNAs and repetitive elements that are recurrently deregulated across multiple cancer types B. Kaczkowski, Y. Tanaka, H. Kawaji, A. Sandelin, R. Andersson, M. Itoh, T. Lassmann, the FANTOM5 consortium, Y. Hayashizaki, P. Carninci, A. R. R. Forrest O13 Elevated mutation and widespread loss of constraint at regulatory and architectural binding sites across 11 tumour types C. A. Semple O14 Exome sequencing provides evidence of pathogenicity for genes implicated in colorectal cancer E. A. Rosenthal, B. Shirts, L. Amendola, C. Gallego, M. Horike-Pyne, A. Burt, P. Robertson, P. Beyers, C. Nefcy, D. Veenstra, F. Hisama, R. Bennett, M. Dorschner, D. Nickerson, J. Smith, K. Patterson, D. Crosslin, R. Nassir, N. Zubair, T. Harrison, U. Peters, G. Jarvik, NHLBI GO Exome Sequencing Project O15 The tandem duplicator phenotype as a distinct genomic configuration in cancer F. Menghi, K. Inaki, X. Woo, P. Kumar, K. Grzeda, A. Malhotra, H. Kim, D. Ucar, P. Shreckengast, K. Karuturi, J. Keck, J. Chuang, E. T. Liu O16 Modeling genetic interactions associated with molecular subtypes of breast cancer B. Ji, A. Tyler, G. Ananda, G. Carter O17 Recurrent somatic mutation in the MYC associated factor X in brain tumors H. Nikbakht, M. Montagne, M. Zeinieh, A. Harutyunyan, M. Mcconechy, N. Jabado, P. Lavigne, J. Majewski O18 Predictive biomarkers to metastatic pancreatic cancer treatment J. B. Goldstein, M. Overman, G. Varadhachary, R. Shroff, R. Wolff, M. Javle, A. Futreal, D. Fogelman O19 DDIT4 gene expression as a prognostic marker in several malignant tumors L. Bravo, W. Fajardo, H. Gomez, C. Castaneda, C. Rolfo, J. A. Pinto O20 Spatial organization of the genome and genomic alterations in human cancers K. C. Akdemir, L. Chin, A. Futreal, ICGC PCAWG Structural Alterations Group O21 Landscape of targeted therapies in solid tumors S. Patterson, C. Statz, S. Mockus O22 Genomic analysis reveals novel drivers and progression pathways in skin basal cell carcinoma S. N. Nikolaev, X. I. Bonilla, L. Parmentier, B. King, F. Bezrukov, G. Kaya, V. Zoete, V. Seplyarskiy, H. Sharpe, T. McKee, A. Letourneau, P. Ribaux, K. Popadin, N. Basset-Seguin, R. Ben Chaabene, F. Santoni, M. Andrianova, M. Guipponi, M. Garieri, C. Verdan, K. Grosdemange, O. Sumara, M. Eilers, I. Aifantis, O. Michielin, F. de Sauvage, S. Antonarakis O23 Identification of differential biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma via transcriptome microarray meta-analysis S. Likhitrattanapisal O24 Clinical validity and actionability of multigene tests for hereditary cancers in a large multi-center study S. Lincoln, A. Kurian, A. Desmond, S. Yang, Y. Kobayashi, J. Ford, L. Ellisen O25 Correlation with tumor ploidy status is essential for correct determination of genome-wide copy number changes by SNP array T. L. Peters, K. R. Alvarez, E. F. Hollingsworth, D. H. Lopez-Terrada O26 Nanochannel based next-generation mapping for interrogation of clinically relevant structural variation A. Hastie, Z. Dzakula, A. W. Pang, E. T. Lam, T. Anantharaman, M. Saghbini, H. Cao, BioNano Genomics O27 Mutation spectrum in a pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) cohort and identification of associated truncating mutations in TBX4 C. Gonzaga-Jauregui, L. Ma, A. King, E. Berman Rosenzweig, U. Krishnan, J. G. Reid, J. D. Overton, F. Dewey, W. K. Chung O28 NORTH CAROLINA macular dystrophy (MCDR1): mutations found affecting PRDM13 K. Small, A. DeLuca, F. Cremers, R. A. Lewis, V. Puech, B. Bakall, R. Silva-Garcia, K. Rohrschneider, M. Leys, F. S. Shaya, E. Stone O29 PhenoDB and genematcher, solving unsolved whole exome sequencing data N. L. Sobreira, F. Schiettecatte, H. Ling, E. Pugh, D. Witmer, K. Hetrick, P. Zhang, K. Doheny, D. Valle, A. Hamosh O30 Baylor-Johns Hopkins Center for Mendelian genomics: a four year review S. N. Jhangiani, Z. Coban Akdemir, M. N. Bainbridge, W. Charng, W. Wiszniewski, T. Gambin, E. Karaca, Y. Bayram, M. K. Eldomery, J. Posey, H. Doddapaneni, J. Hu, V. R. Sutton, D. M. Muzny, E. A. Boerwinkle, D. Valle, J. R. Lupski, R. A. Gibbs O31 Using read overlap assembly to accurately identify structural genetic differences in an ashkenazi jewish trio S. Shekar, W. Salerno, A. English, A. Mangubat, J. Bruestle O32 Legal interoperability: a sine qua non for international data sharing A. Thorogood, B. M. Knoppers, Global Alliance for Genomics and Health - Regulatory and Ethics Working Group O33 High throughput screening platform of competent sineups: that can enhance translation activities of therapeutic target H. Takahashi, K. R. Nitta, A. Kozhuharova, A. M. Suzuki, H. Sharma, D. Cotella, C. Santoro, S. Zucchelli, S. Gustincich, P. Carninci O34 The undiagnosed diseases network international (UDNI): clinical and laboratory research to meet patient needs J. J. Mulvihill, G. Baynam, W. Gahl, S. C. Groft, K. Kosaki, P. Lasko, B. Melegh, D. Taruscio O36 Performance of computational algorithms in pathogenicity predictions for activating variants in oncogenes versus loss of function mutations in tumor suppressor genes R. Ghosh, S. Plon O37 Identification and electronic health record incorporation of clinically actionable pharmacogenomic variants using prospective targeted sequencing S. Scherer, X. Qin, R. Sanghvi, K. Walker, T. Chiang, D. Muzny, L. Wang, J. Black, E. Boerwinkle, R. Weinshilboum, R. Gibbs O38 Melanoma reprogramming state correlates with response to CTLA-4 blockade in metastatic melanoma T. Karpinets, T. Calderone, K. Wani, X. Yu, C. Creasy, C. Haymaker, M. Forget, V. Nanda, J. Roszik, J. Wargo, L. Haydu, X. Song, A. Lazar, J. Gershenwald, M. Davies, C. Bernatchez, J. Zhang, A. Futreal, S. Woodman O39 Data-driven refinement of complex disease classification from integration of heterogeneous functional genomics data in GeneWeaver E. J. Chesler, T. Reynolds, J. A. Bubier, C. Phillips, M. A. Langston, E. J. Baker O40 A general statistic framework for genome-based disease risk prediction M. Xiong, L. Ma, N. Lin, C. Amos O41 Integrative large-scale causal network analysis of imaging and genomic data and its application in schizophrenia studies N. Lin, P. Wang, Y. Zhu, J. Zhao, V. Calhoun, M. Xiong O42 Big data and NGS data analysis: the cloud to the rescue O. Dobretsberger, M. Egger, F. Leimgruber O43 Cpipe: a convergent clinical exome pipeline specialised for targeted sequencing S. Sadedin, A. Oshlack, Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance O44 A Bayesian classification of biomedical images using feature extraction from deep neural networks implemented on lung cancer data V. A. A. Antonio, N. Ono, Clark Kendrick C. Go O45 MAV-SEQ: an interactive platform for the Management, Analysis, and Visualization of sequence data Z. Ahmed, M. Bolisetty, S. Zeeshan, E. Anguiano, D. Ucar O47 Allele specific enhancer in EPAS1 intronic regions may contribute to high altitude adaptation of Tibetans C. Zeng, J. Shao O48 Nanochannel based next-generation mapping for structural variation detection and comparison in trios and populations H. Cao, A. Hastie, A. W. Pang, E. T. Lam, T. Liang, K. Pham, M. Saghbini, Z. Dzakula O49 Archaic introgression in indigenous populations of Malaysia revealed by whole genome sequencing Y. Chee-Wei, L. Dongsheng, W. Lai-Ping, D. Lian, R. O. Twee Hee, Y. Yunus, F. Aghakhanian, S. S. Mokhtar, C. V. Lok-Yung, J. Bhak, M. Phipps, X. Shuhua, T. Yik-Ying, V. Kumar, H. Boon-Peng O50 Breast and ovarian cancer prevention: is it time for population-based mutation screening of high risk genes? I. Campbell, M.-A. Young, P. James, Lifepool O53 Comprehensive coverage from low DNA input using novel NGS library preparation methods for WGS and WGBS C. Schumacher, S. Sandhu, T. Harkins, V. Makarov O54 Methods for large scale construction of robust PCR-free libraries for sequencing on Illumina HiSeqX platform H. DoddapaneniR. Glenn, Z. Momin, B. Dilrukshi, H. Chao, Q. Meng, B. Gudenkauf, R. Kshitij, J. Jayaseelan, C. Nessner, S. Lee, K. Blankenberg, L. Lewis, J. Hu, Y. Han, H. Dinh, S. Jireh, K. Walker, E. Boerwinkle, D. Muzny, R. Gibbs O55 Rapid capture methods for clinical sequencing J. Hu, K. Walker, C. Buhay, X. Liu, Q. Wang, R. Sanghvi, H. Doddapaneni, Y. Ding, N. Veeraraghavan, Y. Yang, E. Boerwinkle, A. L. Beaudet, C. M. Eng, D. M. Muzny, R. A. Gibbs O56 A diploid personal human genome model for better genomes from diverse sequence data K. C. C. Worley, Y. Liu, D. S. T. Hughes, S. C. Murali, R. A. Harris, A. C. English, X. Qin, O. A. Hampton, P. Larsen, C. Beck, Y. Han, M. Wang, H. Doddapaneni, C. L. Kovar, W. J. Salerno, A. Yoder, S. Richards, J. Rogers, J. R. Lupski, D. M. Muzny, R. A. Gibbs O57 Development of PacBio long range capture for detection of pathogenic structural variants Q. Meng, M. Bainbridge, M. Wang, H. Doddapaneni, Y. Han, D. Muzny, R. Gibbs O58 Rhesus macaques exhibit more non-synonymous variation but greater impact of purifying selection than humans R. A. Harris, M. Raveenedran, C. Xue, M. Dahdouli, L. Cox, G. Fan, B. Ferguson, J. Hovarth, Z. Johnson, S. Kanthaswamy, M. Kubisch, M. Platt, D. Smith, E. Vallender, R. Wiseman, X. Liu, J. Below, D. Muzny, R. Gibbs, F. Yu, J. Rogers O59 Assessing RNA structure disruption induced by single-nucleotide variation J. Lin, Y. Zhang, Z. Ouyang P1 A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of mitochondrial dna copy number A. Moore, Z. Wang, J. Hofmann, M. Purdue, R. Stolzenberg-Solomon, S. Weinstein, D. Albanes, C.-S. Liu, W.-L. Cheng, T.-T. Lin, Q. Lan, N. Rothman, S. Berndt P2 Missense polymorphic genetic combinations underlying down syndrome susceptibility E. S. Chen P4 The evaluation of alteration of ELAM-1 expression in the endometriosis patients H. Bahrami, A. Khoshzaban, S. Heidari Keshal P5 Obesity and the incidence of apolipoprotein E polymorphisms in an assorted population from Saudi Arabia population K. K. R. Alharbi P6 Genome-associated personalized antithrombotical therapy for patients with high risk of thrombosis and bleeding M. Zhalbinova, A. Akilzhanova, S. Rakhimova, M. Bekbosynova, S. Myrzakhmetova P7 Frequency of Xmn1 polymorphism among sickle cell carrier cases in UAE population M. Matar P8 Differentiating inflammatory bowel diseases by using genomic data: dimension of the problem and network organization N. Mili, R. Molinari, Y. Ma, S. Guerrier P9 Vulnerability of genetic variants to the risk of autism among Saudi children N. Elhawary, M. Tayeb, N. Bogari, N. Qotb P10 Chromatin profiles from ex vivo purified dopaminergic neurons establish a promising model to support studies of neurological function and dysfunction S. A. McClymont, P. W. Hook, L. A. Goff, A. McCallion P11 Utilization of a sensitized chemical mutagenesis screen to identify genetic modifiers of retinal dysplasia in homozygous Nr2e3^rd7 mice Y. Kong, J. R. Charette, W. L. Hicks, J. K. Naggert, L. Zhao, P. M. Nishina P12 Ion torrent next generation sequencing of recessive polycystic kidney disease in Saudi patients B. M. Edrees, M. Athar, F. A. Al-Allaf, M. M. Taher, W. Khan, A. Bouazzaoui, N. A. Harbi, R. Safar, H. Al-Edressi, A. Anazi, N. Altayeb, M. A. Ahmed, K. Alansary, Z. Abduljaleel P13 Digital expression profiling of Purkinje neurons and dendrites in different subcellular compartments A. Kratz, P. Beguin, S. Poulain, M. Kaneko, C. Takahiko, A. Matsunaga, S. Kato, A. M. Suzuki, N. Bertin, T. Lassmann, R. Vigot, P. Carninci, C. Plessy, T. Launey P14 The evolution of imperfection and imperfection of evolution: the functional and functionless fractions of the human genome D. Graur P16 Species-independent identification of known and novel recurrent genomic entities in multiple cancer patients J. Friis-Nielsen, J. M. Izarzugaza, S. Brunak P18 Discovery of active gene modules which are densely conserved across multiple cancer types reveal their prognostic power and mutually exclusive mutation patterns B. S. Soibam P19 Whole exome sequencing of dysplastic leukoplakia tissue indicates sequential accumulation of somatic mutations from oral precancer to cancer D. Das, N. Biswas, S. Das, S. Sarkar, A. Maitra, C. Panda, P. Majumder P21 Epigenetic mechanisms of carcinogensis by hereditary breast cancer genes J. J. Gruber, N. Jaeger, M. Snyder P22 RNA direct: a novel RNA enrichment strategy applied to transcripts associated with solid tumors K. Patel, S. Bowman, T. Davis, D. Kraushaar, A. Emerman, S. Russello, N. Henig, C. Hendrickson P23 RNA sequencing identifies gene mutations for neuroblastoma K. Zhang P24 Participation of SFRP1 in the modulation of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion gene in prostate cancer cell lines M. Rodriguez-Dorantes, C. D. Cruz-Hernandez, C. D. P. Garcia-Tobilla, S. Solorzano-Rosales P25 Targeted Methylation Sequencing of Prostate Cancer N. Jäger, J. Chen, R. Haile, M. Hitchins, J. D. Brooks, M. Snyder P26 Mutant TPMT alleles in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia from México City and Yucatán, Mexico S. Jiménez-Morales, M. Ramírez, J. Nuñez, V. Bekker, Y. Leal, E. Jiménez, A. Medina, A. Hidalgo, J. Mejía P28 Genetic modifiers of Alström syndrome J. Naggert, G. B. Collin, K. DeMauro, R. Hanusek, P. M. Nishina P31 Association of genomic variants with the occurrence of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)-induced coughing among Filipinos E. M. Cutiongco De La Paz, R. Sy, J. Nevado, P. Reganit, L. Santos, J. D. Magno, F. E. Punzalan , D. Ona , E. Llanes, R. L. Santos-Cortes , R. Tiongco, J. Aherrera, L. Abrahan, P. Pagauitan-Alan; Philippine Cardiogenomics Study Group P32 The use of “humanized” mouse models to validate disease association of a de novo GARS variant and to test a novel gene therapy strategy for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2D K. H. Morelli, J. S. Domire, N. Pyne, S. Harper, R. Burgess P34 Molecular regulation of chondrogenic human induced pluripotent stem cells M. A. Gari, A. Dallol, H. Alsehli, A. Gari, M. Gari, A. Abuzenadah P35 Molecular profiling of hematologic malignancies: implementation of a variant assessment algorithm for next generation sequencing data analysis and clinical reporting M. Thomas, M. Sukhai, S. Garg, M. Misyura, T. Zhang, A. Schuh, T. Stockley, S. Kamel-Reid P36 Accessing genomic evidence for clinical variants at NCBI S. Sherry, C. Xiao, D. Slotta, K. Rodarmer, M. Feolo, M. Kimelman, G. Godynskiy, C. O’Sullivan, E. Yaschenko P37 NGS-SWIFT: a cloud-based variant analysis framework using control-accessed sequencing data from DBGAP/SRA C. Xiao, E. Yaschenko, S. Sherry P38 Computational assessment of drug induced hepatotoxicity through gene expression profiling C. Rangel-Escareño, H. Rueda-Zarate P40 Flowr: robust and efficient pipelines using a simple language-agnostic approach;ultraseq; fast modular pipeline for somatic variation calling using flowr S. Seth, S. Amin, X. Song, X. Mao, H. Sun, R. G. Verhaak, A. Futreal, J. Zhang P41 Applying “Big data” technologies to the rapid analysis of heterogenous large cohort data S. J. Whiite, T. Chiang, A. English, J. Farek, Z. Kahn, W. Salerno, N. Veeraraghavan, E. Boerwinkle, R. Gibbs P42 FANTOM5 web resource for the large-scale genome-wide transcription start site activity profiles of wide-range of mammalian cells T. Kasukawa, M. Lizio, J. Harshbarger, S. Hisashi, J. Severin, A. Imad, S. Sahin, T. C. Freeman, K. Baillie, A. Sandelin, P. Carninci, A. R. R. Forrest, H. Kawaji, The FANTOM Consortium P43 Rapid and scalable typing of structural variants for disease cohorts W. Salerno, A. English, S. N. Shekar, A. Mangubat, J. Bruestle, E. Boerwinkle, R. A. Gibbs P44 Polymorphism of glutathione S-transferases and sulphotransferases genes in an Arab population A. H. Salem, M. Ali, A. Ibrahim, M. Ibrahim P46 Genetic divergence of CYP3A5*3 pharmacogenomic marker for native and admixed Mexican populations J. C. Fernandez-Lopez, V. Bonifaz-Peña, C. Rangel-Escareño, A. Hidalgo-Miranda, A. V. Contreras P47 Whole exome sequence meta-analysis of 13 white blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet traits L. Polfus, CHARGE and NHLBI Exome Sequence Project Working Groups P48 Association of adipoq gene with type 2 diabetes and related phenotypes in african american men and women: The jackson heart study S. Davis, R. Xu, S. Gebeab, P Riestra, A Gaye, R. Khan, J. Wilson, A. Bidulescu P49 Common variants in casr gene are associated with serum calcium levels in koreans S. H. Jung, N. Vinayagamoorthy, S. H. Yim, Y. J. Chung P50 Inference of multiple-wave population admixture by modeling decay of linkage disequilibrium with multiple exponential functions Y. Zhou, S. Xu P51 A Bayesian framework for generalized linear mixed models in genome-wide association studies X. Wang, V. Philip, G. Carter P52 Targeted sequencing approach for the identification of the genetic causes of hereditary hearing impairment A. A. Abuzenadah, M. Gari, R. Turki, A. Dallol P53 Identification of enhancer sequences by ATAC-seq open chromatin profiling A. Uyar, A. Kaygun, S. Zaman, E. Marquez, J. George, D. Ucar P54 Direct enrichment for the rapid preparation of targeted NGS libraries C. L. Hendrickson, A. Emerman, D. Kraushaar, S. Bowman, N. Henig, T. Davis, S. Russello, K. Patel P56 Performance of the Agilent D5000 and High Sensitivity D5000 ScreenTape assays for the Agilent 4200 Tapestation System R. Nitsche, L. Prieto-Lafuente P57 ClinVar: a multi-source archive for variant interpretation M. Landrum, J. Lee, W. Rubinstein, D. Maglott P59 Association of functional variants and protein physical interactions of human MUTY homolog linked with familial adenomatous polyposis and colorectal cancer syndrome Z. Abduljaleel, W. Khan, F. A. Al-Allaf, M. Athar , M. M. Taher, N. Shahzad P60 Modification of the microbiom constitution in the gut using chicken IgY antibodies resulted in a reduction of acute graft-versus-host disease after experimental bone marrow transplantation A. Bouazzaoui, E. Huber, A. Dan, F. A. Al-Allaf, W. Herr, G. Sprotte, J. Köstler, A. Hiergeist, A. Gessner, R. Andreesen, E. Holler P61 Compound heterozygous mutation in the LDLR gene in Saudi patients suffering severe hypercholesterolemia F. Al-Allaf, A. Alashwal, Z. Abduljaleel, M. Taher, A. Bouazzaoui, H. Abalkhail, A. Al-Allaf, R. Bamardadh, M. Athar

Molecular characterization and expression pattern of dmrt1 in the immature Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis

In this study, the cDNA of dmrt1 gene from the Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis was isolated and its expression pattern was characterized in different tissues of immature A. sinensis. By real-time quantitative PCR (qrtPCR) analysis, the A. sinensis dmrt1 mRNA was detected mainly in gonad and with a higher level in the testis than the ovary, especially in 3 and 4 year-old samples. This indicated that the dmrt1 expression exhibited gradual testis specificity with development. The subcellular localization analysis indicated that the Dmrt1 protein exists only in germ cells and not in somatic cells. These results suggest that A. sinensis dmrt1 might be a highly specific sex differentiation gene for testis development and spermatogenesis.

Low rate of advanced adenoma formation during a 5-year colonoscopy surveillance period after adequate polypectomy of non-advanced adenoma

AIM

Patients with non-advanced adenoma (NAA) underwent surveillance colonoscopy at intervals shorter than the interval recommended by the guidelines. We aimed to assess the incidence of recurrent advanced adenoma (AA) over a 5-year period and to identify risk factors for recurrence.

METHOD

Patients with and without NAA identified at baseline colonoscopy who had had at least two colonoscopy examinations during the subsequent 5 years were included in the study. Data on the patients' demographics and colorectal findings were extracted from a specially designed colonoscopy database. The primary outcome was the finding of recurrent AA formation. Multivariate analysis was used to identify factors that predict subsequent AA formation at surveillance colonoscopy.

RESULTS

Among 43 155 colonoscopy procedures, 828 cases were identified with NAA (374) and without an adenoma (454). Forty-eight (51.1%) of 94 received a follow-up colonoscopy within 1 year due to an inadequate baseline colonoscopy. Patients with NAA at baseline had a low incidence of AA at an interval of 1-5 years which was not statistically different from patients without adenoma formation at the initial baseline colonoscopy (1.5% vs 2.2%, P = 0.51). The incidence of AA at follow-up colonoscopy performed at 1-3 years and 3-5 years in patients with a baseline NAA was 1.7% and 1.4% (P = 0.59). Age over 50 years and male gender were independent risk factors for AA recurrence within 5 years.

CONCLUSION

Surveillance colonoscopy within 5 years is of little benefit to patients who had an adequate polypectomy of an NAA at baseline. Too frequent reexamination due to concerns about AA recurrence should be avoided.

Theoretical study on the mechanism of the gas phase reaction of methoxybenzene with ozone

Methoxybenzene (MB), is seen as a potential air pollutant which may cause environmental issues in the troposphere.

MicroRNA screening and functional study of obliterative bronchiolitis in a rat model simulating lung transplantation

The aim of this study was to provide the experimental basis for effective prevention and treatment of obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) by studying the changes on the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile after an orthotopic tracheal transplantation (OTT) simulating lung transplantation (LT). The OTT was performed on inbred rats to establish an OB animal model simulating LT, which was confirmed successful through pathological examination after 4 weeks. A miRNA microarray was used to screen for the most significantly differentially expressed miRNA in the OB tissues of donor transplanted trachea and real-time quantitative PCR was then used to validate the reliability of the microarray results. The microarray detection obtained 29 OB-related miRNAs, composed of 15 and 14 significantly up- and down-regulated miRNAs, respectively, among which miR-146a, miR-155, and miR-451, whose function is involved in the immune and inflammatory reactions, were subjected to relative quantitation research. The LT-simulated OTT-induced OB showed significantly differential expressions of multiple miRNAs, among which miR-146a and miR-155 were highly expressed, while miR-451 was lowly expressed, suggesting that these miRNAs may play an important regulatory role in the OB pathological process after LT.

Strategy of STAT3β cell-specific expression in macrophages exhibits antitumor effects on mouse breast cancer

Recent studies underscore the importance of crosstalk between tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and tumor cells in cancer progression and metastasis. In our study, AdCD68STAT3β, a recombinant adenovirus containing a STAT3β gene driven by CD68 macrophage-specific promoter, was used to suppress STAT3 and the downstream signaling pathways in TAMs. The results showed that STAT3β gene under the control of CD68 macrophage-specific promoter was only expressed in macrophages, which significantly inhibited the motility and invasion of breast cancer cells when co-cultured with 4T1 cells. Moreover, cell-specific STAT3β expression in TAMs extended survival of tumor-bearing mice and suppressed breast tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis, by regulating the crosstalk between tumor cells and TAMs. Therefore, our study provided a novel strategy for the antitumor effects of STAT3β.

A phase 2 randomized dose-ranging study of the JAK2-selective inhibitor fedratinib (SAR302503) in patients with myelofibrosis

In this phase 2 open-label randomized study, 31 patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk myelofibrosis received fedratinib 300, 400 or 500 mg once daily in consecutive 4-week cycles. Mean spleen volume reductions at 12 weeks (primary end point) were 30.3% (300 mg), 33.1% (400 mg) and 43.3% (500 mg). Spleen response rates (patients achieving ⩾35% spleen reduction) at 12/24 weeks were 30%/30% (300 mg), 50%/60% (400 mg) and 64%/55% (500 mg), respectively. By 4 weeks, improvements in myelofibrosis (MF)-associated symptoms were observed. At 48 weeks, 68% of patients remained on fedratinib and 16% had discontinued because of adverse events (AEs). Common grade 3/4 AEs were anemia (58%), fatigue (13%), diarrhea (13%), vomiting (10%) and nausea (6%). Serious AEs included one case of reversible hepatic failure and one case of Wernicke's encephalopathy (after analysis cutoff). Fedratinib treatment led to reduced STAT3 phosphorylation but no meaningful change in JAK2V617F allele burden. Significant modulation (P<0.05, adjusted for multiple comparisons) of 28 cytokines was observed, many of which correlated with spleen reduction. These data confirm the clinical activity of fedratinib in MF. After the analysis cutoff date, additional reports of Wernicke's encephalopathy in other fedratinib trials led to discontinuation of the sponsored clinical development program.

Intracellular pH-induced fluorescence used to track nanoparticles in cells

A nanoparticle with pH-induced fluorescence was reported for intracellular tracking. The fluorescence was evoked by the isomerization of the ring-closed form spiropyran (SP) to the ring-open form merocyanine (MC) in the weak acidic environment of cells. The SP-MC switch accelerated the dissociation of nanoparticles to trigger the release of trapped paclitaxel.

An antibody fragment functionalized dendritic PEGylated poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl diacrylate) as a vehicle of exogenous microRNA

The translation of interfering RNA to the clinic requires more effective delivery agents to enable safe and efficient delivery. The aim of this work was to create a multi-functional delivery agent using deactivation enhanced ATRP synthesis of poly(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (pDMAEMA)-co-PEGMEA/PEGDA (pD-b-P/DA) with linear pDMAEMA as a macro-initiator. The pD-b-P/DA was characterized for its potential to bind synthetic microRNA mimics to form structures and reacted with antibody-derived fragments (Fabs) using Michael-type addition. Conjugation of antibody fragments was verified using SDS-PAGE. Functional delivery of these interfering RNA complexes was proven using a dual luciferase reporter assay. Functional silencing of a reporter gene was improved by complexation of microRNA mimics with pD-b-P/DA alone and with Fab-decorated pD-b-P/DA. The improved silencing with Fab-decorated pD-b-P/DA was evident at 48 h but disappeared at 96 h. The resultant agent enables complexation of nucleic acid (microRNA mimic) and facile conjugation of antibody fragments via a Michael-type addition. In conclusion, this platform is effective at silencing in this reporter system and has potential as an effective delivery system of interfering RNA.

Rapid large-scale culturing of microencapsulated hepatocytes: a promising approach for cell-based hepatic support

INTRODUCTION

The efficacy of any bioartificial liver device requires both rapid production and proper bioactivity of the cells for the bioreactor. The goal of this study was to observe the effect of spinner speed and cell density on the proliferation of microencapsulated immortalized human hepatocytes (HepLL) and human hepatoma (HepG2) cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Alginate-chitosan microcapsulated HepG2 and HepLL cells were randomly divided into 2 groups, and each group was further divided into 8 subgroups according to embedded cell density and spinner speed. The growth, metabolism, and functions of the encapsulated cells in each group were evaluated.

RESULTS

In each group, the cell number, ammonium removal, albumin synthesis, and diazepam clearance increased significantly with the spinner speed, whereas embedded cell density had no impact. Albumin synthesis, removal of ammonium, and diazepam clearance were significantly higher in the microencapsulated HepLL groups than in HepG2 cells at any time point, without any significant difference in cell numbers.

CONCLUSIONS

Spinner culture significantly promoted microencapsulated HepLL and HepG2 cell bioactivity. Wrapped cells had optimal function on day 10 in rolling culture groups. These data show that HepLL cells would be a promising candidate for cell-based liver support therapy.

Immune influence of pregnancy on human H7N9 infection: a case report

INTRODUCTION

H7N9 infection has raised serious concerns worldwide. Pregnant women were considered to be at a high risk of influenza infection. Normal pregnancy was dependent on T helper (Th) 2 deviation. However, whether pregnancy influences the immune status of influenza H7N9 patients has not been reported.

CASE REPORT

Here, we reported a case of pregnant woman in the first trimester with H7N9 infection compared with the two non-pregnant female H7N9 patients for clinical features and relevant immunological changes. We found that there were no differences in plasma levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines between the pregnant and non-pregnant patients, and there was no Th2 deviation in the acute phase. However, the Th2 deviation was recurrent along with the clearance of infection in the H7N9 pregnant patient.

CONCLUSION

These cases highlighted that the pregnant patient infected with H7N9 could induce an effective Th1 immune response equal to that of non-pregnant patients with H7N9 virus infection, although the pregnancy itself could lead to a Th2 deviation. These data suggested that pregnant patients could acquire a similar antiviral response for H7N9 infection versus non-pregnant patients.