Characterization of Thermally Induced Flavor Compounds from the Glucosinolate Progoitrin in Different Matrices via GC-TOF-MS

As important flavor precursors, glucosinolates are ubiquitous in the plant family of Brassicaceae. Glucosinolate degradation products are the major volatile flavor compounds of rapeseed oil, accounting for up to 80% of the total volatiles. However, up to now, little attention has been paid to the volatile flavor products of the nonenzymatic thermal degradation of glucosinolates. One of the most important factors that determine the flavor of hot-pressed rapeseed oil is the roasting process, where the thermal degradation of glucosinolates mainly occurs. The thermal degradation behavior and volatile products of progoitrin (the main glucosinolate of rapeseed) in different matrices (phosphate buffer at a pH value of 5.0, 7.0, or 9.0, sea sand, and rapeseed powder) at different temperatures (150-200 °C) and times (0-60 min) were studied using HPLC and GC-TOF-MS. Thereby, the degradation rate of progoitrin decreased in the following order: pH 9.0 > sea sand > rapeseed powder > pH 7.0 > pH 5.0. Further, a higher degradation was observed with increasing temperature and time. Under the applied conditions in this study, 2,4-pentadienenitrile was the major nitrile and thiophenes were the major sulfur-containing volatile compounds formed. Possible formation pathways of main sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing volatiles were proposed.

Treatment of Mucous Cyst of the Distal Interphalangeal Joint With Osteophyte Excision and Joint Debridement

Background

Mucous cyst of the distal interphalangeal joint (DMC) or interphalangeal connection of the thumb is common in middle-aged and elderly people, and it often occurs in the fingers of people with osteoarthritis (OA). Although there are many conservative treatments, DMC is usually treated by surgery. The common complications of surgical treatment are recurrence of DMC and skin necrosis. This article introduces the method and clinical effect of osteophyte excision and joint debridement in the treatment of DMC of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint.

Methods

In total, 19 cases of affected fingers made an 'S' incision in the DIP joint under local anesthesia to remove the osteophyte of the DIP joint, clean the dorsal joint capsule, wash the joint, and retain only the bilateral collateral ligament and extensor tendon device. It is suspected that the injured finger of the extensor tendon should be protected by external fixation.

Results

Out of 15 patients, 1 patient presented with partial skin necrosis that healed after dressing changes while the other patients recovered well. The visual analog scale (VAS) scores of all affected fingers after surgery were lower than those before the surgery (VAS score: 4.93 ± 0.88 vs. 4.07 ± 1.03, p < 0.05). The range of motion (ROM) of the affected finger decreased in one patient, and the post-operative activity of the other fingers increased in varying degrees (ROM: 67.60 ± 5.40 vs. 71.27 ± 7.06, p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Using osteophyte excision and joint debridement to treat DMC can avoid skin necrosis caused by cyst removal and can avoid the recurrence of DMC to the greatest extent, so it is a safe and effective way of treatment.

Establishment of prediction models for COVID-19 patients in different age groups based on Random Forest algorithm

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a global pandemic. Age is an independent factor in death from the disease, and predictive models to stratify patients according to their mortality risk are needed.

AIM

To compare the laboratory parameters of the younger (≤70) and the elderly (>70) groups, and develop death prediction models for the two groups according to age stratification.

DESIGN

A retrospective, single-center observational study.

METHODS

This study included 437 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China, 2020. Epidemiological information, laboratory data and outcomes were extracted from electronic medical records and compared between elderly patients and younger patients. First, recursive feature elimination (RFE) was used to select the optimal subset. Then, two random forest (RF) algorithms models were built to predict the prognoses of COVID-19 patients and identify the optimal diagnostic predictors for patients' clinical prognoses.

RESULTS

Comparisons of the laboratory data of the two age groups revealed many different laboratory indicators. RFE was used to select the optimal subset for analysis, from which 11 variables were screened out for the two groups. The RF algorithm were built to predict the prognoses of COVID-19 patients based on the best subset, and the area under ROC curve (AUC) of the two groups is 0.874 (95% CI: 0.833-0.915) and 0.842 (95% CI: 0.765-0.920).

CONCLUSION

Two prediction models for COVID-19 were developed in the patients with COVID-19 based on random forest algorithm, which provides a simple tool for the early prediction of COVID-19 mortality.

Case report: Local bleomycin injection: A possible treatment option for primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy

In recent years, it has been determined that primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumors of infancy (PMMTI) are solid tumors. To date, very few cases of PMMTI have been reported, and there is no consensus regarding treatment. To provide additional references, it is necessary to collect and report the diagnoses and treatment outcomes of related cases. We report the case of a 38-day-old girl who presented with a 5-cm purple tumor in the right shoulder. Upon hospital admission, the patient received an intratumoral injection of bleomycin after diagnosis of a possible lymphangioma. 10 days after the treatment, the tumor began to develop inflammation and necrosis, resulting in a clear demarcation between the tumor and surrounding tissue. Hence, during the second hospitalization, we performed a successful tumor resection. Postoperatively, the tumor was pathologically diagnosed as PMMTI. 3 months after excision, the patient showed no local recurrence on re-examination. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a PMMTI in which bleomycin, or other similar chemotherapeutic drugs, have been injected into tumors. This result offers novel insights into the treatment of PMMTI. Injection therapy with bleomycin and similar chemotherapeutics may result in specific responses to PMMTI, which may help in developing better surgical conditions or improving outcomes in non-surgical patients.

Huaier Polysaccharide Attenuates Doxorubicin-Induced Acute Cardiotoxicity by Regulating Ferroptosis

We studied the effects of Huaier polysaccharide (HP) in doxorubicin-induced myocardial injury in mice. The content of HP in Trametes robiniophila Murr medicinal fungus determined by the phenol-sulfuric acid method was 85.25%. In the in vitro model, the viability of H9c2 cells was significantly increased after HP treatment compared to the control, while doxorubicin (DOX) decreased this parameter. The inhibitory effect of DOX on cell viability was attenuated after HP treatment. In the in vivo model, the body weight of mice in DOX and DOX+HP groups was significantly decreased compared to the control group. ECG showed significantly elevated ST segment in the DOX group, while in the DOX+HP group, ECG was close to normal. The levels of cardiotoxicity markers cTnI and lactate dehydrogenase in the DOX+HP group were significantly lower than in the DOX group. In the DOX group, the myocardial tissue had obvious structural disorder and interfibrillar vacuoles. In the DOX+HP group, the cardiomyocytes were neatly arranged without interfibrillar vacuoles. The expression of the ferroptosis marker glutathione peroxidase 4 was increased in the DOX+HP group compared to the DOX group. Thus, our study reveals that HP attenuated DOX-induced myocardial injury in mice probably by regulating ferroptosis.

An application research for near-surface repository of strontium-90 sorption kinetic model on mudrocks

In this study,90Sr was used as the test radionuclide to characterize the sorption kinetics and effects of initial 90Sr activity and remaining 90Sr in solid concentration were simulated for a near-surface repository. The study focused on the sorption characteristics of radionuclides in unsaturated groundwater environment (or vadose zone) is the important information for investigating the near-surface disposal of intermediate and low-level radioactive waste (ILLW). Moreover, the 90Sr sorption experiments reached equilibrium within 56 h, which fit to the first order sorption kinetic model, and the remaining 90Sr in mudrock samples showed obvious sorption equilibrium hysteresis, which fit to the second order sorption kinetic model. Before reaching the maximum sorption capacity, the sorption rate constant increases with 90Sr increasing; the distribution coefficient (Kd) of 56 h decreases with the remaining 90Sr decreasing. In addition, it showed that the slow sorption process dominated before the sorption reaches equilibrium. In fact, a reliable safety assessment methodology for on-going near-surface repository required a lot of the radionuclides parameters with local environment including the radionuclides sorption/desorption rate constant and maximum sorption capacity.

Depthwise Nonlocal Module for Fast Salient Object Detection Using a Single Thread

Recently, deep convolutional neural networks have achieved significant success in salient object detection. However, existing state-of-the-art methods require high-end GPUs to achieve real-time performance, which makes it hard to adapt to low cost or portable devices. Although generic network architectures have been proposed to speed up inference on mobile devices, they are tailored to the task of image classification or semantic segmentation, and struggle to capture intrachannel and interchannel correlations that are essential for contrast modeling in salient object detection. Motivated by the above observations, we design a new deep-learning algorithm for fast salient object detection. The proposed algorithm for the first time achieves competitive accuracy and high inference efficiency simultaneously with a single CPU thread. Specifically, we propose a novel depthwise nonlocal module (DNL), which implicitly models contrast via harvesting intrachannel and interchannel correlations in a self-attention manner. In addition, we introduce a depthwise nonlocal network architecture that incorporates both DNLs module and inverted residual blocks. The experimental results show that our proposed network attains very competitive accuracy on a wide range of salient object detection datasets while achieving state-of-the-art efficiency among all existing deep-learning-based algorithms.

Magnonic Unidirectional Spin Hall Magnetoresistance in a Heavy-Metal-Ferromagnetic-Insulator Bilayer

We report the observation of the unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance (USMR), which depends on the current or magnetization direction, in heavy-metal-ferromagnetic-insulator bilayer, Pt-Y_{3}Fe_{5}O_{12} (YIG). This USMR is apparently not caused by the mechanisms established in metallic bilayer, in which the ferromagnetic layer is required to be electrically conductive. From the magnetic field, current, temperature, and YIG thickness dependent measurements, the USMR is attributed to the asymmetric magnon creation and annihilation induced by the spin-orbit torque. This asymmetry and the resultant USMR are further revealed by the micromagnetic simulations combined with the spin-orbit torque and the spin drift-diffusion model. Our finding exhibits a nonlinear manipulation of magnons with the charge current.

[Value of IgA antiphospholipid antibodies in diagnosis of the antiphospholipid syndrome]

Objective: To examine the prevalence of multiple antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) subtypes in healthy people and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients, and to assess the value of IgA-aPL in the diagnosis of APS. Methods: According to the 2006 Sydney International APS Classification Criteria, a total of 218 APS patients who were admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital or West China Hospital of Sichuan University from July to December 2019 were enrolled. Among them, 66 were males, and 152 were females, aged (44.5±15.4) years, including 148 primary APS patients and 70 secondary APS patients. Age-and gender-matched controls were collected at the same period at the ratio of 1∶1 with the APS cases. IgA/IgG/IgM anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and anti-β₂ glycoprotein I antibodies (aβ₂GPI) were detected by chemiluminescent immunoassay. The differences of indicators between groups were analyzed, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of IgA-aPL for APS. Results: The positivity of IgA-aCL and IgA-aβ₂GPI was 20.6% and 15.6% in the APS patients, while in the IgG/IgM-aCL or IgG/IgM-aβ₂GPI negative individuals, the isolated positivity of IgA-aCL and IgA-aβ₂GPI was only 2.3% and 0.9%, respectively. Accordingly, IgA-aCL and IgA-aβ₂GPI isolated positivity could be used to diagnose APS (P=0.216, 1, respectively). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of IgG/IgM-aCL for APS diagnosis was 0.833, which was significantly better than that of IgG-aCL alone (AUC=0.776, P<0.001); while the AUC of IgA/IgG/IgM-aCL was 0.833, which could not further increase the diagnostic value for APS (P=0.287). As for aβ₂GPI, the diagnostic efficacy of combined IgG/IgM (AUC=0.875) or IgA/IgG/IgM (AUC=0.875) antibodies was not superior to IgG-aβ₂GPI used alone (AUC=0.869, both P>0.05). Besides, patients with IgA-aPL were more likely to have heart valve lesions and thrombocytopenia (both P<0.05). Conclusion: Based on the existing serological markers, such as lupus anticoagulant, IgG/IgM subtype of aCL and aβ₂GPI, testing IgA-aCL and IgA-aβ₂GPI cannot further improve the predictive value of APS. However, IgA-aPL is associated with clinical manifestations of APS, including heart valve lesions and thrombocytopenia.

Decreased miR-4512 Levels in Monocytes and Macrophages of Individuals With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Contribute to Innate Immune Activation and Neutrsophil NETosis by Targeting TLR4 and CXCL2

Objective

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with complex etiology that is not yet entirely understood. We aimed to elucidate the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) in SLE in a Tibetan population.

Methods

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from SLE patients (n = 5) and healthy controls (n = 5) were used for miRNA–mRNA co-sequencing to detect miRNAs related to immune abnormalities associated with SLE. Luciferase reporter assay was used to identify potential targets of candidate miRNA. The target genes were verified in miRNA-agomir/antagomir transfection assays with multiple cells lines and by expression analysis. The effects of candidate miRNA on monocyte and macrophage activation were evaluated by multiple cytokine profiling. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation was analyzed in vitro by cell stimulation with supernatants of monocytes and macrophages transfected with candidate miRNA. The rodent MRL/lpr lupus model was used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of CXCL2Ab on SLE and the regulation effect of immune disorders.

Results

Integrated miRNA and mRNA expression profiling identified miRNA-4512 as a candidate miRNA involved in the regulation of neutrophil activation and chemokine-related pathways. MiR-4512 expression was significantly reduced in monocytes and macrophages from SLE patients. MiR-4512 suppressed the TLR4 pathway by targeting TLR4 and CXCL2. Decreased monocyte and macrophage miR-4512 levels led to the expression of multiple proinflammatory cytokines in vitro. Supernatants of miR-4512 antagomir-transfected monocytes and macrophages significantly promoted NETs formation (P < 0.05). Blocking of CXCL2 alleviated various pathogenic manifestations in MRL/lpr mice, including kidney damage and expression of immunological markers of SLE.

Conclusions

We here demonstrated the role of miR-4512 in innate immunity regulation in SLE. The effect of miR-4512 involves the regulation of monocytes, macrophages, and NETs formation by direct targeting of TLR4 and CXCL2, indicating the miR-4512-TLR4-CXCL2 axis as a potential novel therapeutic target in SLE.

Targeting of EIF4EBP1 by miR-99a-3p affects the functions of B lymphocytes via autophagy and aggravates SLE disease progression

Excessive activation of immune cells plays a key role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The regulation of immune cells by miRNAs is a research hotspot. In this study, second-generation high-throughput sequencing revealed a reduction in miR-99a-3p expression in patients with SLE; however, the specific mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unclear. After transfection with an miR-99a-3p agomir, the proliferation of Ball-1 cells decreased and the levels of their apoptosis increased. The opposite effects were observed in cells transfected with the miR-99a-3p antagomir. Luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-99a-3p directly targeted EIF4EBP1. Rescue experiments confirmed the proposed interaction between miR-99a-3p and EIF4EBP1. In vitro, in vivo and clinical investigations further confirmed that the miR-99a-3p agomir reduced the expression of EIF4EBP1, LC3B and LAMP-2A. In the in vivo experiments, serum levels of anti-nuclear antibodies, double-stranded DNA, IgE, IgM, IL-6, IL-10 and B lymphocyte stimulator were higher in mice from the antagomir group than those in mice from the MRL/lpr group. Furthermore, the protein and mRNA levels of EIF4EBP1, LC3B and LAMP-2A, the intensity of immunohistochemical staining of EIF4EBP1, LC3B and LAMP-2A, the urinary protein levels, and the C3 immunofluorescence deposition increased in mice from the antagomir group. The upregulation of miR-99a-3p expression protected B cells from EIF4EBP1-mediated autophagy, whilst the downregulation of miR-99a-3p expression induced autophagy via the EIF4EBP1-mediated regulation of the autophagy signalling pathway in B cells isolated from individuals with SLE. Based on these results, miR-99a-3p and EIF4EBP1 may be considered potential targets for SLE treatment.

Association of four gene polymorphisms in Chinese Guangxi population with diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients

Background

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common chronic microvascular complications of diabetes. Many studies have suggested that genetic factors are important in the context of DR. This study evaluated the associations of GWAS (Genome-wide association study) -identified DR-associated SNPs in a Chinese population in Guangxi Province with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

A total of 386 hospitalized T2DM patients without proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and 316 hospitalized T2DM patients with PDR were included in this case–control study. Four tag SNPs, including rs1800896 in the IL-10 gene, rs2010963 in the VEGFA gene, rs2070600 in the RAGE gene and rs2910164 in the miR-146a gene, were examined using KASP (kompetitive allele specific PCR) genotyping assays.

Results

There were no significant differences in the genotype or allele frequencies of the miR-146a polymorphism (rs2910164) between subjects with PDR and those without DR. The TC genotype of rs1800896 was determined to be associated with an increased risk of PDR (the odds ratio (OR) was 2.366, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) ranging from 1.144 to 4.894). The CG genotypes of rs2010963 was associated with an decreased risk of PDR (the OR was 0.588, with a 95% CI ranging from 0.366 to 0.946). Regarding rs2070600, 2 genotypes (TT and CT) were associated with a decreased risk of PDR (the OR of the TT genotype was 0.180, with a 95% CI ranging from 0.037 to 0.872, and the OR of the CT genotype was 0.448, with a 95% CI ranging from 0.266 to 0.753).

Conclusions

The rs1800896 polymorphisms in the IL-10 gene, rs2010963 in the VEGFA gene and rs2070600 in the RAGE gene are associated with the risk of PDR in the Han Chinese population of Guangxi Province. Our findings provide suggestive evidence that these polymorphisms may be involved in the pathogenesis of PDR and should be investigated further.

Effects of mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 on proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human dental follicle cells

BACKGROUND

To explore the role of the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 in the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human dental follicle cells (hDFCs), and its mechanism, so as to provide the basis for the use of hDFCs to achieve bone regeneration.

METHODS

hDFCs were obtained from fresh dental follicle tissues by enzymatic digestion, and cell phenotype and multipotential differentiation were identified. Identification of the expression of mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 was performed by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. CCK-8 was used to determine the optimal concentration of the Piezo1 agonist, Yoda1. Then, according to the obtained results, Alizarin red staining, RT-PCR quantitative analysis and Western blot were used to further observe the osteogenic differentiation of hDFCs and its probable mechanism via Wnt/β-catenin signalling. The data were analysed by SPSS 22.0 software.

RESULTS

The results of the concentration gradient experiments indicated that 0.5 µM Piezo1 agonist (Yoda1) enhanced the proliferation of hDFCs. Compared with the control group, a considerable number of calcium nodules showed that activating Piezo1 could promote the osteogenic differentiation of hDFCs. The relative mRNA and protein expression of Piezo1, ALP, RUNX2, OCN and BMP2 in the Piezo1 agonist group were higher than that of the control group. Furthermore, the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin related to the classical osteogenic pathway were significantly up-regulated in the Piezo1 agonist group.

CONCLUSION

Activating mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 with an appropriate concentration of Yoda1 has a positive effect on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hDFCs. This mechanism of promoting osteogenic differentiation may be mediated by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Association of Circulating T Follicular Helper Cells With Idiopathic Optic Neuritis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders

Background: T follicular helper cells (Tfh cells) play an important role in activating B lymphocytes and may associate with idiopathic Optic Neuritis (ON) and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD).

Objective: This study aimed to examine the potential role of Tfh cells in pathogenesis of idiopathic ON and NMOSD.

Methods: Circulating CD4⁺CXCR5⁺ and CD4⁺CXCR5⁺PD-1⁺ cells in 46 idiopathic ON and 68 NMOSD patients as well as 28 healthy controls were examined by flow cytometry before treatment. Serum AQP4 antibody, Expended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Visual Outcome Scale (VOS) were detected before and after treatment.

Results: The percentages of circulating CD4⁺CXCR5⁺ and CD4⁺CXCR5⁺PD-1⁺Tfh cells in CD4⁺ cells (%) were significantly increased in idiopathic ON and NMOSD compared with those of healthy controls (p < 0.01). No significant difference of Tfh cells in blood and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) was found between ON and NMOSD patients. The percentages of CSF, CD4⁺, CXCR5⁺, and CD4⁺CXCR5⁺PD-1⁺ cells in CD4⁺ cells (%) were positively correlated with those of the blood (r = 0.5781, r = 0.6079, p = 0.0076, and p = 0.0045, respectively). EDSS scores of NMOSD group were higher than those of ON group and the time course of NMOSD patients was longer than that of ON patients (p < 0.01). After methylprednisolone treatment, both EDSS and VOS scores were significantly decreased at discharge compared with before treatment (p < 0.01). There was no significant correlation among Tfh cell percentages in CD4⁺ cells, CSF leukocytes, CSF protein, annual recurrence rate, EDSS and VOS scores between two groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: The Circulating T follicular helper cells were increased in both idiopathic ON and NMOSD.

Phenotypic and genetic correlations of pork myoglobin content with meat colour and other traits in an eight breed-crossed heterogeneous population

Meat colour is one of the most important meat quality traits affecting consumption desire. Genetic improvement for meat colour traits is not so easy because pigs can be phenotyped only after slaughter. Besides the parameters from the optical instrument, other indexes that reflect the material basis of meat colour should be measured accurately and used in the genomic analysis. Myoglobin (Mb) is the main chemical component determining meat colour. However, to what extent the Mb content contributes to meat colour, and whether it can be used as a trait for pig breeding to improve meat colour, and the correlations of Mb content with complex porcine traits are largely unknown. To address these questions, we measured the muscle Mb content in 624 pigs from the 7th generation of a specially designed eight breed-crossed pig heterogeneous population, evaluated its phenotypic and genetic correlations with longissimus thoracis colour score at 24 h after slaughter. More than that, we also systematically phenotyped more than 100 traits on these animals to evaluate the potential correlations between muscle Mb content and economically important traits. Our results showed that the average muscle Mb content in the 624 pigs was 1.00 mg/g, ranging from 0.51 to 2.17 mg/g. We found that higher Mb content usually correlated with favourable meat colour, higher marbling score, less moisture content, and less drip loss. Genetic correlation analysis between muscle Mb content and 101 traits measured in this study shows that Mb content is also significantly correlated with 31 traits, including marbling, shear force, firmness, and juiciness. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest studies about the correlations of muscle Mb content with as many as 100 various traits in a large-scale genetically diversified population. Our results showed that the Mb content could be a selection parameter for the genetic improvement of meat colour. The selection for higher Mb content will also benefit marbling, shear force, firmness, and overall liking but might not affect the growth, carcass, and fat deposition traits.

Comparison of modeling accuracy between Radixact®and CyberKnife®Synchrony®respiratory tracking system

Synchrony Respiratory Tracking system adapted from CyberKnife has been introduced in Radixact to compensate the tumor motion caused by respiration. This study aims to compare the modeling accuracy of the Synchrony system between Radixact and CyberKnife. Two Synchrony plans based on fiducial phantoms were created for CyberKnife and Radixact, respectively. Different respiratory motion traces were used to drive a motion platform to move along the superoinferior and left-right direction. The cycle time and the amplitude of target/surrogate motion of one selected motion trace were scaled to investigate the dependence of modeling accuracy on the motion characteristic. The predicted target position, the correlation error, potential difference (Radixact only) and standard error (CyberKnife only) were extracted from raw data or log files of the two systems. The modeling accuracy was evaluated by calculating the root-mean-square (RMS) error between the predicted target positions and the input motion trace. A threshold T95 within which 95% of the potential difference or the standard error lay was defined and evaluated. Except for the motion trace with a small amplitude and a good (linear) correlation between target and surrogate motion, Radixact showed smaller RMS errors than CyberKnife. The RMS error of both systems increased with the motion amplitude and showed a decreasing trend with the increasing cycle time. No correlation was found between the RMS error and the amplitude of surrogate motion. T95 could be a good estimator of modeling accuracy for CyberKnife rather than Radixact. The correlation error defined in Radixact were largely affected by the number of fiducial markers and the setup error. In general, the modeling accuracy of the Radixact Synchrony system is better than that of the CyberKnife Synchrony system under unfavorable conditions.

[Surface modification of titanium implant with hBMP-2/hIGF-1 for promoting biocompatibility and osteogenesis]

OBJECTIVE

To prepare the human bone morphogenetic protein-2(hBMP-2)/human insulin-like growth factor-1(hIGF-1)coating titanium(Ti)and assess its performance as a dental implant material.

METHODS

hBMP-2 and hIGF-1 were coated to the smooth surface of a Ti plate, and its efficacy for promoting bone formation and bone integration was compared with a pristine Ti plate.The surface characteristics of the metal samples were evaluated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and by contact angle measurement.MG63 cells were seeded on the surface of the Ti plates, and MTT assay and alizarin red staining was used to examine the cell proliferation and formation of calcified nodules, respectively.Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)secretion of the cells was examined with ELISA, and cellular expressions of osteocalcin and osteopontin were detected with Western blotting for assessing osteogenesis.

RESULTS

SEM examination showed that the surface of Ti with hBMP-2 and hIGF-1 coating presented with a radial pattern resembling snowflakes.The contact angles of non-coated Ti, hBMP-2-coated Ti, hIGF-1-coated, and hBMP-2/-hIGF-1-coated Ti samples were 83.2°, 54°, 56° and 54°, respectively.Compared with the non-coated Ti plate, the surface-modified Ti samples showed a significantly smaller contact angle (P=0.032, 0.029, and 0.028), indicating a good hydrophilicity of the samples.MTT assay showed that MG63 cells grew well on the surface of the coated Ti plates.The hBMP-2/IGF-1 coating significantly induced cellular secretion of ALP(P=0.021, 0.014)and obviously promoted osteogenesis of MG63 cells (P < 0.05).Western blotting results showed that hBMP-2/IGF-1 coating significantly enhanced the expressions of osteocalcin and osteopontin in the seeded cells (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

hBMP-2 and hIGF-1 coating of Ti material can promote osteogenesis of the cells seeded on its surface to improve the performance of such Ti material as dental implants.

[Exosomes-based strategies for dental pulp regeneration]

Researches on pulp regeneration based on odontogenic stem cells have made a breakthrough and some results have been applied clinically in recent years. It is demonstrated that exosomes secreted by stem cells play a significant role in tissue regeneration. Compared with stem cells, exosomes exhibit more advantages such as wider sources, more immediate effects, and less immune rejections, which are expected to be exploited in the pulp regeneration by cell-homing. In this review, the conventional dental pulp tissue engineering and exosomes-based dental pulp regeneration method are discussed, the new strategy for dental pulp regeneration by using exosomes is analyzed and proposed.

NMR-based metabolomics approach on optimization of malolactic fermentation of sea buckthorn juice with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum

This work investigated the impact of malolactic fermentation on the metabolomic profile of sea buckthorn juice to optimize the fermentation process for flavor modification. Six strains of L. plantarum were used with varied pH of the juice, cell acclimation, and fermentation time. ¹H-NOESY spectra were acquired from fresh and fermented juices with a total of 46 metabolites identified. Less sugars and quinic acid were metabolized at pH 2.7 while oxidation of ascorbic acid was reduced at pH 3.5. l-Malic acid, essential amino acids, and nucleosides were consumed early during fermentation while sugars in general were consumed later in the fermentation. If deacidification is the main target of fermentation, strains that produce less acids and ferment less sugars, shorter fermentation time, and lower starter pH should be used. Higher starter pH and longer fermentation time promote formation of antimicrobial compounds and potentially increase antioxidant stability.

Inhibition of microRNA-346 inhibits myocardial inflammation and apoptosis after myocardial infarction via targeting NFIB

OBJECTIVE

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a sudden cardiovascular event that endangers human life. MicroRNA is considered to be an important participant in the pathophysiology of myocardial infarction (MI). This article aim was to study the function and mechanisms of microRNA-346 (miR-346) on myocardium after MI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To study the role of miR-346 in MI, we established H2O2-induced H9c2 cell injury model and rat MI model. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect miR-346 expression. Western blot was utilized to measure the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, TNF-α, IL-6 and NFIB. Apoptosis of H9c2 cells was detected by TUNEL staining and flow cytometry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay was utilized to measure the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in supernatant. Assessment of left ventricular function in rats was performed using echocardiography.

RESULTS

MiR-346 was significantly upregulated in H2O2-treated H9c2 cells and ischemic myocardium. In the H9c2 cell injury model, the expressions of Bax, TNF-α, and IL-6 were greatly increased while Bcl-2 expression was decreased, and the number of TUNEL-positive cells and apoptosis rate were also significantly increased. At the same time, the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the cell supernatant were markedly increased. However, after miR-346 expression was suppressed, these results were reversed. The expression of Bcl-2 increased, while the expression of Bax, TNF-α, and IL-6 decreased. The contents of TNF-α and IL-6 in the cell supernatant also decreased significantly. Both the number of TUNEL-positive cells and the apoptosis rate were markedly reduced. After injecting antagomir-346 into the myocardium of rats to silence miR-346, the cardiac function of MI rats was remarkably improved, and the LDH content in the serum of rats also decreased significantly. Using computational predictions tools, Western blotting and Luciferase activity assay, we found that nuclear factor I/B (NFIB) was targeted by miR-346.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of miR-346 was increased in H9c2 cells and ischemic myocardium of MI rats. Silencing miR-346 can significantly inhibit the inflammatory response and the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes by targeting NFIB.

Flavor of rapeseed oil: An overview of odorants, analytical techniques, and impact of treatment

As one of the three major vegetable oils in the world, rapeseed oil is appreciated for its high nutritional value and characteristic flavor. Flavor is an essential attribute, determining rapeseed oil quality and consumer acceptance. The present manuscript provides a systematic literature review of recent advances and knowledge on the flavor of rapeseed oil, which focuses on aroma-active as well as off-flavor compounds, flavor analysis techniques (i.e., extraction, qualitative, quantitative, sensory, and chemometric methods), and effects of treatments (storage, dehulling, roasting, microwave, flavoring with herbs, refining, and oil heating) on flavor from sensory and molecular perspectives. One hundred thirty-seven odorants found in rapeseed oil from literature are listed and possible formation pathways of some key aroma-active compounds are also proposed. Future flavor analysis techniques will evolve toward time-saving, portability, real-time monitoring, and visualization, which aims to obtain a "complete" flavor profile of rapeseed oil. The changes of volatile compounds in rapeseed oil under different treatments are summarized in this view. Studies to elucidate the influence of different treatments on the formation of aroma-active compounds are needed to get a deeper understanding of factors leading to the variations of rapeseed oil flavor.

The analysis of acne increasing suicide risk

Acne is associated with depression and anxiety; however, the relationship between acne and suicide is still unclear. This study is aimed to evaluate the association between acne and suicide by conducting a meta-analysis. Studies were identified by electronic searches of the PubMed and EMBASE databases from their inception through Jan 10, 2020. Two authors separately assessed the quality and extracted data from the selected studies. When the heterogeneity was significant, we used a random-effects model to calculate overall pooled risk estimates.Five studies involving a total of 2,276,798 participants were finally included in the meta-analysis; 52,075 participants had acne. Suicide was positively associated with acne in the overall analysis (odds ratio (OR) 1.50, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.09-2.06, P = .004, I2 = 74.1%). Subgroup analyses were performed for suicidal behavior groups (P = .002, I2 = 80.4%), suicidal ideation or thoughts groups (P = .849, I2 = 0.0%), International Classification of Diseases version 9 (ICD-9) groups (P = .137, I2 = 49.6%), non-ICD-9 groups (P = .950, I2 = 0.0%), American groups (P = .311, I2 = 2.4%), and non-American groups (P = .943, I2 = 0.0%). Sensitivity analyses indicated flawed results. No publication bias was detected.Acne may significantly increase suicide risk. Clinicians should actively treat acne and consider suicide screening. Further international studies with high-quality analyses are needed as more data are published.Ethical approval and patient consent are not required because this study is a literature-based study.

[Analysis of incidence characteristics of occupational chronic benzene poisoning under two diagnostic criteria]

Objective: To analyze the incidence characteristics of occupational chronic benzene poisoning under two diagnostic criteria. Methods: In March 2020, 126 patients who were divided into the old criteria group (74 cases) and the new criteria group (52 cases) were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were diagnosed with occupational chronic benzene poisoning, and were diagnosed in our hospital during the period of January 2009 to December 2019. The gender composition, age of onset, years of benzene exposure, industry distribution, work type, benzene concentration in working environment and diagnostic grade of the two groups of patients were analyzed and compared. The follow-up of 22 benzene poisoning observation subjects under the old criteria were retrospectively analyzed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in gender composition, age of onset, years of benzene exposure, industry distribution and work type between the old criteria group and the new criteria group (P>0.05) . In the old criteria group and the new criteria group, 41.9% (31/74) and 17.3% (9/52) of the patients' workplace benzene concentration exceeded the maximum allowable concentration, respectively. The composition of different benzene concentration in the workplace between the two groups showed statistically significant (P<0.05) . In the old criteria group, the proportion of mild poisoning (79.7%, 59/74) was the majority, while in the new criteria group, the proportion of moderate and severe poisoning (51.9%, 27/52) were the majority, and there was statistically significance in the composition ratio of diagnostic grade between the two groups (P<0.05) . Under the old criteria, after folow-up of 22 cases of benzene poisoning observation subjects, we observed that 8 cases (36.4%) progressed to the level of chronic benzene poisoning. Conclusion: The revision of diagnostic criteria for benzene poisoning may affect the composition of diagnosis classification. Based on the rights and interests of workers, formulating more complete diagnostic criteria and system policies will be more conducive to the development of occupational benzene poisoning prevention and control.