Differences in teachers verbal responsiveness to groups of children with ASD who vary in cognitive and language abilities

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to examine whether verbal responsiveness in special education teachers varied among subgroups of children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 112) who differed in cognitive and language abilities.

METHODS

Participants were divided into clusters using cluster analysis based on standardised cognitive and language tests using k-mean clustering. For each child, a 15-min video of free play in school setting was collected. Three types of responsive utterances were coded: follow-in directives for behaviour, follow-in directives for language and follow-in comments.

RESULTS

Results showed that the three groups did not differ in overall verbal responsiveness after controlling for engagement, classroom type, age and gender. However, groups differ in follow-in directives for language, but not in follow-in directives for behaviours or follow-in comments. Compared with children with autism spectrum disorder who had higher cognitive and language ability, children with more severe impairments received fewer follow-in directives for language. Moreover, children with more cognitive and language impairments produced fewer amount of vocal/verbal acts, which results in receiving fewer verbal responses from their teachers. Additionally, teachers from the three groups did not differ in their responses to the child's verbal/vocal acts when the number of the child's verbal/vocal acts were controlled for.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest child characteristics are related to the type of teachers' verbal responses in preschools. This difference in follow-in directives for questions may be related to language or other outcomes that warrant further investigations.

The Effects of Angelica Sinensis Polysaccharide on Tumor Growth and Iron Metabolism by Regulating Hepcidin in Tumor-Bearing Mice

Background/Aims: Iron plays a fundamental role in cell biology and its concentration must be precisely regulated. It is well documented that excess iron burden contributes to the occurrence and progression of cancer. Hepcidin secreted by liver plays an essential role in orchestrating iron metabolism. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the ability of angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) to decrease iron burden in tumor-bearing mice and the mechanism of ASP regulation hepcidin expression. Methods: Western blot, RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the regulation of hepcidin and related cytokines by ASP. The role of ASP in tumor proliferation was investigated using in vivo assays. Iron depositions and iron concentrations in organs were determined by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: We found that ASP could inhibit tumor growth in mice xenografted with 4T1 and H22 cancer cells. In vivo experiments also showed that ASP could potently regulate hepcidin expression in liver and serum and decrease iron burden in liver, spleen and grafted tumors in mouse model. Treatment with ASP in hepatic cell lines reproduced comparable results in decreasing hepcidin as in mouse liver. Furthermore, we found that ASP markedly suppressed the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), JAK2, p-STAT3, and p-SMAD1/5/8 in liver, suggesting that JAK/STAT and BMP-SMAD pathways were involved in the regulation of hepcidin expression by ASP. We also found down-regulation of iron-related cytokines in ASP treated mice. Conclusion: The present study provides new evidence that ASP decreases hepcidin expression, which can reduce iron burden and inhibit tumor proliferation. These findings might aid ASP developed as a potential candidate for cancer treatment in patients with iron overload.

Isoliquiritigenin decreases the incidence of colitis-associated colorectal cancer by modulating the intestinal microbiota

Imbalances in intestinal bacteria correlate with colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). Traditional Chinese medicines have been used to adjust the gut microbiota, and isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a flavonoid extracted from licorice, has shown antitumor efficacy. In this study, the effects of ISL on CAC development and the gut microbiota were evaluated using an azoxymethane and dextran sulphate sodium (AOM/DSS)-induced mouse model of CAC (CACM). Histopathological analysis suggested that ISL reduced tumor incidence in vivo. Moreover, high-throughput sequencing and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) studies of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed that the structure of the gut microbial community shifted significantly following AOM/DSS treatment, and that effect was alleviated by treatment with high-dose ISL (150 mg/kg). Compared to the microbiota in the control mice (CK), the levels of Bacteroidetes decreased and the levels of Firmicutes increased during CAC development. ISL reversed the imbalance at the phylum level and altered the familial constituents of the gut microbiota. Specifically, the abundance of Helicobacteraceae increased after treatment with high-dose ISL, while the abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Rikenellaceae decreased. At the genus level, ISL reduced the abundance of opportunistic pathogens (Escherichia and Enterococcus), and increased the levels of probiotics, particularly butyrate-producing bacteria (Butyricicoccus, Clostridium, and Ruminococcus). Thus, ISL protects mice from AOM/DSS-induced CAC, and ISL and the gut microbiota may have synergistic anti-cancer effects.

John J, Strauss T, Szelc AM, Tagg N, Terao K, Thomson M, Toups M, Tsai YT, Tufanli S, Usher T, Van De Pontseele W, Van de Water RG, Viren B, Weber M, Wickremasinghe DA, Wolbers S, Wongjirad T, Woodruff K, Yang T, Yates L, Zeller GP, Zennamo J, Zhang C. The Pandora multi-algorithm approach to automated pattern recognition of cosmic-ray muon and neutrino events in the MicroBooNE detector

The development and operation of liquid-argon time-projection chambers for neutrino physics has created a need for new approaches to pattern recognition in order to fully exploit the imaging capabilities offered by this technology. Whereas the human brain can excel at identifying features in the recorded events, it is a significant challenge to develop an automated, algorithmic solution. The Pandora Software Development Kit provides functionality to aid the design and implementation of pattern-recognition algorithms. It promotes the use of a multi-algorithm approach to pattern recognition, in which individual algorithms each address a specific task in a particular topology. Many tens of algorithms then carefully build up a picture of the event and, together, provide a robust automated pattern-recognition solution. This paper describes details of the chain of over one hundred Pandora algorithms and tools used to reconstruct cosmic-ray muon and neutrino events in the MicroBooNE detector. Metrics that assess the current pattern-recognition performance are presented for simulated MicroBooNE events, using a selection of final-state event topologies.

Cysteine-Rich Intestinal Protein 1 Silencing Inhibits Migration and Invasion in Human Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Cysteine-rich intestinal protein 1 (CRIP1), a member of the LIM/double zinc finger protein family, is abnormally expressed in several tumour types. However, few data are available on the role of CRIP1 in cancer. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression profile and functions of CRIP1 in colorectal cancer.

METHODS

To examine the protein expression level of CRIP1, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on 56 pairs of colon cancer tissue samples. Western blotting was performed to investigate CRIP1 protein expression in four colon cancer cell lines. The endogenous expression of CRIP1 was suppressed using short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Cell proliferation assays were used to determine whether CRIP1 silencing affected cell proliferation. Flow cytometry analysis was used to detect cell apoptosis. The effects of silencing CRIP1 on cell migration and invasion was detected using the transwell and wound-healing assays.

RESULTS

IHC analysis showed that protein level of CRIP1 was significantly higher in tumour tissue samples than in paired non-tumour tissue samples and that the CRIP1 level was higher in metastatic tissue samples than in non-metastatic tissue samples. In addition, protein levels of CRIP1 were higher in highly metastatic colon cancer cell lines than in colon cancer cell lines with low metastasis. Further, CRIP1 silencing had no effect on cell proliferation or apoptosis in SW620 and HT29 cells. CRIP1 silencing suppressed cell migration and invasion obviously in SW620 and HT29 cells.

CONCLUSION

The present study provides new evidence that abnormal expression of CRIP1 might be related to the degree of metastasis in colorectal cancer and that CRIP1 silencing could effectively inhibit migration and invasion during colorectal cancer development. These findings might aid the development of a biomarker for colon cancer prognosis and metastasis, and thus help to treat this common type of cancer.

Publisher's Note: JLab Measurements of the ^{3}He Form Factors at Large Momentum Transfers [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 162501 (2017)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.162501.

Design and synthesis of a fluorescent probe based on naphthalene anhydride and its detection of copper ions

Copper, as the third most abundant transition metal ions of human, plays an essential role in the redox reaction, signal transduction, hematopoiesis, and other physiological processes. Abnormal content of copper ions in the body will cause some diseases such as anemia, coronary heart disease, Menkes’ syndrome. In this article, a new fluorescence probe L for Cu²⁺ was designed and synthetized by using 4-bromo-1,8 naphthalene anhydride and 2-thiophene formaldehyde as raw materials. Fluorescent probe L itself exhibited strong fluorescence, upon the addition of Cu²⁺ ions, the fluorescence was quenched. The fluorescent detection limit for Cu²⁺ ions was determined to be 1.8 μM based on a 3δ/S method. UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectra indicated that probe L showed good selectivity and sensitivity for Cu²⁺, and this selectivity was not interfered by other metal ions and anions. Further cell fluorescence imaging experiments indicated that the probe L had potential to be used to examine copper ions in vivo.

JLab Measurements of the ^{3}He Form Factors at Large Momentum Transfers

The charge and magnetic form factors, F_{C} and F_{M}, respectively, of ^{3}He are extracted in the kinematic range 25  fm^{-2}≤Q^{2}≤61  fm^{-2} from elastic electron scattering by detecting ^{3}He recoil nuclei and scattered electrons in coincidence with the two High Resolution Spectrometers of the Hall A Facility at Jefferson Lab. The measurements find evidence for the existence of a second diffraction minimum for the magnetic form factor at Q^{2}=49.3  fm^{-2} and for the charge form factor at Q^{2}=62.0  fm^{-2}. Both minima are predicted to exist in the Q^{2} range accessible by this Jefferson Lab experiment. The data are in qualitative agreement with theoretical calculations based on realistic interactions and accurate methods to solve the three-body nuclear problem.

Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay experiment has observed correlations between reactor core fuel evolution and changes in the reactor antineutrino flux and energy spectrum. Four antineutrino detectors in two experimental halls were used to identify 2.2 million inverse beta decays (IBDs) over 1230 days spanning multiple fuel cycles for each of six 2.9 GW_{th} reactor cores at the Daya Bay and Ling Ao nuclear power plants. Using detector data spanning effective ^{239}Pu fission fractions F_{239} from 0.25 to 0.35, Daya Bay measures an average IBD yield σ[over ¯]_{f} of (5.90±0.13)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission and a fuel-dependent variation in the IBD yield, dσ_{f}/dF_{239}, of (-1.86±0.18)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission. This observation rejects the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino flux as a function of the ^{239}Pu fission fraction at 10 standard deviations. The variation in IBD yield is found to be energy dependent, rejecting the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino energy spectrum at 5.1 standard deviations. While measurements of the evolution in the IBD spectrum show general agreement with predictions from recent reactor models, the measured evolution in total IBD yield disagrees with recent predictions at 3.1σ. This discrepancy indicates that an overall deficit in the measured flux with respect to predictions does not result from equal fractional deficits from the primary fission isotopes ^{235}U, ^{239}Pu, ^{238}U, and ^{241}Pu. Based on measured IBD yield variations, yields of (6.17±0.17) and (4.27±0.26)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission have been determined for the two dominant fission parent isotopes ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu. A 7.8% discrepancy between the observed and predicted ^{235}U yields suggests that this isotope may be the primary contributor to the reactor antineutrino anomaly.

Controllable picoliter pipetting using hydrophobic microfluidic valves

A picoliter pipetting technique using the microfluidic method is presented. Utilizing the hydrophobic self-assembled monolayer films patterned in microchannels as pressure-controlled valves, a small volume of liquid can be separated by a designed channel trap and then ejected from the channel end at a higher pressure. The liquid trap section is composed of a T-shaped channel junction and a hydrophobic patch. The liquid volume can be precisely controlled by varying the distance of the hydrophobic patch from the T-junction. By this means, liquid less than 100 pl can be separated and pipetted. The developed device is potentially useful for sample dispensing in biological, medical, and chemical applications.

Fabp4-Cre-mediated Sirt6 deletion impairs adipose tissue function and metabolic homeostasis in mice

SIRT6 is a member of sirtuin family of deacetylases involved in diverse processes including genome stability, metabolic homeostasis and anti-inflammation. However, its function in the adipose tissue is not well understood. To examine the metabolic function of SIRT6 in the adipose tissue, we generated two mouse models that are deficient in Sirt6 using the Cre-lox approach. Two commonly used Cre lines that are driven by either the mouse Fabp4 or Adipoq gene promoter were chosen for this study. The Sirt6-knockout mice generated by the Fabp4-Cre line (Sirt6^f/f:Fabp4-Cre) had a significant increase in both body weight and fat mass and exhibited glucose intolerance and insulin resistance as compared with the control wild-type mice. At the molecular levels, the Sirt6^f/f :Fabp4-Cre-knockout mice had increased expression of inflammatory genes including F4/80, TNFα, IL-6 and MCP-1 in both white and brown adipose tissues. Moreover, the knockout mice showed decreased expression of the adiponectin gene in the white adipose tissue and UCP1 in the brown adipose tissue, respectively. In contrast, the Sirt6 knockout mice generated by the Adipoq-Cre line (Sirt6^f/f :Adipoq-Cre) only had modest insulin resistance. In conclusion, our data suggest that the function of SIRT6 in the Fabp4-Cre-expressing cells in addition to mature adipocytes plays a critical role in body weight maintenance and metabolic homeostasis.

Astaxanthin increases radiosensitivity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through inducing apoptosis and G2/M arrest

Nowadays esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is primarily treated by a comprehensive approach combining surgical resection and neoadjuvant chemo- or radiotherapy. However, ESCC is resistant to radiation therapy, resulting in its invasion, infiltration, and metastasis. It usually has rapidly progressed and has a poor outcome clinically. The purpose of this study is to determine the potential radiosensitizing effect of astaxanthin (ATX) and explore the underlying mechanisms in ESCC cells in vitro. ESCC cell lines were exposure to irradiation, in the presence or absence of ATX treatment. Cell viability and radiosensitization were tested by CCK8 assay and clonogenic survival assay, respectively. Cell apoptosis and the changes of cell cycle distribution were observed by flow cytometry. The protein expression of Bcl2, Bax, CyclinB1, and Cdc2 was examined by western blot analysis. It was shown that ATX improved radiosensitivity of ESCC cells and induced apoptosis and G2/M arrest via inhibiting Bcl2, CyclinB1, Cdc2, and promoting Bax expression. In conclusion, ATX might function as a promising radiosensitizer in ESCC cells by leading to apoptosis and G2/M arrest.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Cytomegalovirus Infection in Patients With Kidney Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience

BACKGROUND

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is deemed to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients after kidney transplantation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence of CMV infection and risk factors for CMV infection in our center, to help in determination of its impact on the kidney function in this patient population, and to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of CMV infection.

METHODS

A total of 319 kidney transplant recipients from our center were studied between January 2000 and December 2015. The CMV viral load in each kidney transplant patients was monitored with the use of CMV quantitative nucleic acid testing (CMV-QNAT). Laboratory data and other medical records were also collected.

RESULTS

The incidence of CMV infection was 8.8% in our studied patients. The patients within 3 to 6 months and 5 to 10 years after transplantation had a higher risk of CMV infection. CMV infection was probably correlated with lower white blood cell counts but elevated hemoglobin, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, potassium, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Anti-CMV immunoglobulin (Ig)G and history of allograft rejection were also associated with CMV infection. In multivariate regression analysis, white blood cells, eGFR, anti-CMV IgG, and history of allograft rejection were the independent risk factors associated with CMV infection in kidney transplantation patients.

CONCLUSIONS

CMV infection was an important complication after kidney transplantation, particularly in these patients with allograft impairment.

Characterization and application of a self-aspirating electrospray source with pneumatic-assisted ionization

A single gas-assisted electrospray ion source developed for ambient mass spectrometry is introduced in this paper. Simultaneous self-aspiration and electrospray could be achieved by using a constant sheath gas flow supplied from a mini air pump. A gas dynamic study of the spray module is carried out for structural optimization. The entire device exhibits a simplified design and has been systematically characterized through both simulated and experimental investigations. According to the results, the ion source exhibited satisfactory stability and the ability for quantitative operation in routine electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the ion source can be operated as a desorption electrospray ionization source to perform direct desorption/ionization of the solid samples. The versatile source described here appears to provide a practical approach to perform ambient mass spectrometry analysis with unrestricted sampling operation, and the extensive gas dynamic studies together with the experimental characterization are believed to be helpful in building self-aspirating spray devices. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

SIRT6 protects against palmitate-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis

Chronic exposure of pancreatic β-cells to abnormally elevated levels of free fatty acids can lead to β-cell dysfunction and even apoptosis, contributing to type 2 diabetes pathogenesis. In pancreatic β-cells, sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) has been shown to regulate insulin secretion in response to glucose stimulation. However, the roles played by SIRT6 in β-cells in response to lipotoxicity remain poorly understood. Our data indicated that SIRT6 protein and mRNA levels were reduced in islets from diabetic and aged mice. High concentrations of palmitate (PA) also led to a decrease in SIRT6 expression in MIN6 β-cells and resulted in cell dysfunction and apoptosis. Knockdown of Sirt6 caused an increase in cell apoptosis and impairment in insulin secretion in response to glucose in MIN6 cells even in the absence of PA exposure. Furthermore, overexpression of SIRT6 alleviated the palmitate-induced lipotoxicity with improved cell viability and increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In summary, our data suggest that SIRT6 can protect against palmitate-induced β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis.

Limits on Active to Sterile Neutrino Oscillations from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments

Searches for a light sterile neutrino have been performed independently by the MINOS and the Daya Bay experiments using the muon (anti)neutrino and electron antineutrino disappearance channels, respectively. In this Letter, results from both experiments are combined with those from the Bugey-3 reactor neutrino experiment to constrain oscillations into light sterile neutrinos. The three experiments are sensitive to complementary regions of parameter space, enabling the combined analysis to probe regions allowed by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) and MiniBooNE experiments in a minimally extended four-neutrino flavor framework. Stringent limits on sin^{2}2θ_{μe} are set over 6 orders of magnitude in the sterile mass-squared splitting Δm_{41}^{2}. The sterile-neutrino mixing phase space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments is excluded for Δm_{41}^{2}<0.8  eV^{2} at 95%  CL_{s}.

Improved Search for a Light Sterile Neutrino with the Full Configuration of the Daya Bay Experiment

This Letter reports an improved search for light sterile neutrino mixing in the electron antineutrino disappearance channel with the full configuration of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. With an additional 404 days of data collected in eight antineutrino detectors, this search benefits from 3.6 times the statistics available to the previous publication, as well as from improvements in energy calibration and background reduction. A relative comparison of the rate and energy spectrum of reactor antineutrinos in the three experimental halls yields no evidence of sterile neutrino mixing in the 2×10^{-4}≲|Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.3  eV^{2} mass range. The resulting limits on sin^{2}2θ_{14} are improved by approx imately a factor of 2 over previous results and constitute the most stringent constraints to date in the |Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.2  eV^{2} region.