Multifunctional nanocomposites MGO/FU-MI inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and enhance the effect of chemoradiotherapy in vivo and in vitro

PURPOSE

The limitation of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer and the rise of the application of nanomaterials in the field of biomedicine have promoted the application of various nanomaterials in the combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. To improve the efficiency of cancer treatment, the multifunctional nanocomposites MGO/FU-MI (MGO/FU-MI NCs) were used for combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy to verify its effectiveness in treating tumors.

METHODS

The proliferation activity of MGO/FU-MI NCs on MC-38 and B16 cells was detected by CCK-8, and the level of apoptosis and reactive oxygen species were detected by flow cytometry. To verify its efficacy in the combination of chemoradiotherapy, different treatment regimens were developed for several groups of tumor-bearing mice.

RESULTS

The MGO/FU-MI NCs can induce apoptosis, stimulate ROS production, and inhibit cell proliferation. In vivo experiments, when MGO/FU-MI NCs are used alone for chemotherapy, have a certain therapeutic effect on mouse tumors. When MGO/FU-MI NCs are combined with radiation, the tumor volume can be significantly reduced and the survival time of mice is significantly prolonged.

CONCLUSION

The MGO/FU-MI NCs are very effective in the treatment of tumors when combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and have the potential to be a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

[Spatio-temporal distribution of Oncomelania hupensis snails along the Danyang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the spatio-temporal characteristics of Oncomelania hupensis snails along the Danyang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal, so as to provide scientific evidence for the dynamic assessment of the risk of snail spread in this region.

METHODS

O. hupensis snail status was collected in the plain regions with waterway networks in the study area from 2012 to 2017. The spatio-temporal variations of snail distribution were investigated along the Danyang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal using buffer zone analysis, spatial autocorrelation, hotspot analysis and standard deviational ellipse with the geographical information system (GIS) tools.

RESULTS

The number of snail habitats showed a tendency towards a rise in the study area from 2012 to 2017, and snail habitats were predominantly distributed in the 1 000 m long buffer zone of the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal, notably along the Jiuqu River at the junction between the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal. The distribution of snail habitats appeared spatial autocorrelations in 2014, 2016 and 2017, and the hotspot areas were mainly identified at the junction between the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. In addition, the overall distribution of snail habitats was located in the northeastern-southwestern part of the study aera, and gradually shifted to the southern and northern parts with the time.

CONCLUSIONS

The spatial distribution of O. hupensis snails is complex along the Danyang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal, and there is a risk of snail spread from the upper reaches to the lower reaches, where snail control needs to be intensified.

Genetic variants in the folate metabolic pathway genes predict cutaneous melanoma-specific survival

BACKGROUND

Folate metabolism plays an important role in DNA methylation and nucleic acid synthesis and thus may function as a regulatory factor in cancer development. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified some single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with cutaneous melanoma-specific survival (CMSS), but no SNPs were found in genes involved in the folate metabolic pathway.

OBJECTIVES

To examine associations between SNPs in folate metabolic pathway genes and CMSS.

METHODS

We comprehensively evaluated 2645 (422 genotyped and 2223 imputed) common SNPs in folate metabolic pathway genes from a published GWAS of 858 patients from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and performed the validation in another GWAS of 409 patients from the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, in which 95/858 (11·1%) and 48/409 (11·7%) patients died of cutaneous melanoma, respectively.

RESULTS

We identified two independent SNPs (MTHFD1 rs1950902 G>A and ALPL rs10917006 C>T) to be associated with CMSS in both datasets, and their meta-analysis yielded an allelic hazards ratio of 1·75 (95% confidence interval 1·32-2·32, P = 9·96 × 10^-5 ) and 2·05 (1·39-3·01, P = 2·84 × 10^-4 ), respectively. The genotype-phenotype correlation analyses provided additional support for the biological plausibility of these two variants' roles in tumour progression, suggesting that variation in SNP-related mRNA expression levels is likely to be the mechanism underlying the observed associations with CMSS.

CONCLUSIONS

Two possibly functional genetic variants, MTHFD1 rs1950902 and ALPL rs10917006, were likely to be independently or jointly associated with CMSS, which may add to personalized treatment in the future, once further validated. What is already known about this topic? Existing data show that survival rates vary among patients with melanoma with similar clinical characteristics; therefore, it is necessary to identify additional complementary biomarkers for melanoma-specific prognosis. A hypothesis-driven approach, by pooling the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a specific biological pathway as genetic risk scores, may provide a prognostic utility, and genetic variants of genes in folate metabolism have been reported to be associated with cancer risk. What does this study add? Two genetic variants in the folate metabolic pathway genes, MTHFD1 rs1950902 and ALPL rs10917006, are significantly associated with cutaneous melanoma-specific survival (CMSS). What is the translational message? The identification of genetic variants will make a risk-prediction model possible for CMSS. The SNPs in the folate metabolic pathway genes, once validated in larger studies, may be useful in the personalized management and treatment of patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Next-generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis

OBJECTIVE

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common parasitic disease of the human central nervous system (CNS). However, a diagnosis of NCC may be hard to make if the specific clinical and routine neuroimaging manifestations are lacking, which hinders physicians from considering further immunodiagnostic tests.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Seven patients presented with fever, headache, nausea, cognitive decline, confusion, or progressive leg weakness. There were no pathogens found in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); patients were clinically suspected of meningoencephalitis or cerebrovascular disease. To clearly determine the etiology, next generation sequencing (NGS) of the CSF was used to detect pathogens in these seven patients.

RESULTS

Taenia solium DNA sequences were detected in the seven patients, but not in the non-template controls (NTCs) or the other patients with clinically suspected CNS infections. Based on the patients' medical data and the diagnostic criteria for NCC, seven patients were diagnosed with probable NCC. The unique reads aligning to Taenia solium ranged from 6 to 261064, with genomic coverage ranging from 0.0003% to 14.8079%. The number of unique reads and genomic coverage dropped in three of the seven patients after antiparasitic treatment, consistent with the relief of symptoms.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that NGS of the CSF might be an auxiliary diagnostic method for NCC patients. Larger studies are required.

The association of serum total bile acid with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese adults: a cross sectional study

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the major cause of chronic liver disease globally. Bile acids (BAs) have emerged as relevant signaling molecules that are associated with NAFLD development. This study was aimed to examine the association of serum total bile acids (TBAs) with NAFLD in a large population of Chinese subjects.

Methods

This cross sectional study recruited 152,336 participants from the Second Xiangya Hospital, China. NAFLD was diagnosed based on the presence of hepatic steatosis on ultrasonography, without significant alcohol consumption and other known causes for chronic liver disease. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to test for the association of serum TBAs with NAFLD, adjusting for conventional risk factors of NAFLD.

Results

A total of 27.4% of the participants had NAFLD. Patients with NAFLD had slightly higher TBA levels than those without, 3.4 vs. 3.0 μmol/L (p < 0.001). However, TBA levels were not associated with NAFLD in the multivariate logistic regression model, which adjusted for age, gender and other acknowledged risk factors for NAFLD (OR = 1.00. 95% CI: 1.00–1.00, p = 0.797).

Conclusions

We found that the serum TBA levels were not associated with NAFLD. Future studies in a large population, focusing on serum BA composition may improve the understating of the role of BAs in NAFLD.

Theoretical screening of efficient single-atom catalysts for nitrogen fixation based on a defective BN monolayer

The electrocatalytic reduction of naturally abundant N2 to NH3 is an attractive approach to replace the Haber-Bosch nitrogen-fixation process that causes enormous energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. However, designing high-performance catalysts toward the electrocatalytic N2 reduction reaction (eNRR) remains one of the greatest challenges in this area. Herein, high-throughput screening of catalysts for the NRR among a series of transition metal atoms supported on a defective hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheet is performed through spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) computations. Strikingly, among the 18 candidates, the V/Tc atom anchored on a defective h-BN monolayer (V@BN and Tc@BN) showed good NRR activity with relatively low onset potentials. Particularly, V@BN was found to exhibit outstanding catalytic activity for the NRR via an enzymatic pathway with an extremely low overpotential of 0.25 V. The value is significantly lower than that on the Ru (0001) stepped surface that has the best NRR catalytic performance among bulk metal catalysts. The novel NRR activity of V@BN is attributed to the enhanced electrical conductivity due to V-doping, the "donation-backdonation" process for N2 activation, and the highly centralized spin-polarization on the V atom. This work not only provides a quite promising catalyst for the NRR but also provides new insights for the rational design of single-atom NRR catalysts.

Estrogen downregulates gp130 expression in HUVECs by regulating ADAM10 and ADAM17 via the estrogen receptor

Glycoprotein130 (gp130) is an important signal transducer in the interleukin-6 (IL-6) trans-signaling pathway, which plays a crucial role in chronic inflammation in atherosclerosis. Studies suggest that estrogen can inhibit IL-6/gp130 signaling and reduce the risk of coronary artery disease, but the precise mechanism is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether and how estrogen regulates gp130 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs were first treated with IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) to induce inflammation, then treated with estradiol. We then measured the expression of gp130, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) and 17 (ADAM17) by RT-PCR and western blot. Levels of soluble gp130 (sgp130) in the culture supernatant were measured by ELISA. We found that IL-6 and sIL-6R increased expression of gp130 protein and decreased levels of sgp130 protein, without affecting gp130 mRNA levels. Estradiol treatment reversed these effects in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. These effects were regulated by ADAM10 and ADAM17 via an estrogen receptor α/β-dependent mechanism. These results shed further light on the mechanism underlying the clinical effects of estrogen therapy in atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.

Metal-Level Thermally Conductive yet Soft Graphene Thermal Interface Materials

Along with the technology evolution for dense integration of high-power, high-frequency devices in electronics, the accompanying interfacial heat transfer problem leads to urgent demands for advanced thermal interface materials (TIMs) with both high through-plane thermal conductivity and good compressibility. Most metals have satisfactory thermal conductivity but relatively high compressive modulus, and soft silicones are typically thermal insulators (0.3 W m^-1 K^-1). Currently, it is a great challenge to develop a soft material with the thermal conductivity up to metal level for TIM application. This study solves this problem by constructing a graphene-based microstructure composed of mainly vertical graphene and a thin cap of horizontal graphene layers on both the top and bottom sides through a mechanical machining process to manipulate the stacked architecture of conventional graphene paper. The resultant graphene monolith has an ultrahigh through-plane thermal conductivity of 143 W m^-1 K^-1, exceeding that of many metals, and a low compressive modulus of 0.87 MPa, comparable to that of silicones. In the actual TIM performance measurement, the system cooling efficiency with our graphene monolith as TIM is 3 times as high as that of the state-of-the-art commercial TIM, demonstrating the superior ability to solve the interfacial heat transfer issues in electronic systems.

Hepatic Glucagon Signaling Regulates PCSK9 and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol

RATIONALE

Glucagon is a key hormone that regulates the adaptive metabolic responses to fasting. In addition to maintaining glucose homeostasis, glucagon participates in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism; however, the molecular pathways underlying this effect are incompletely understood.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the role of hepatic Gcgr (glucagon receptor) signaling in plasma cholesterol regulation and identify its underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We show that Gcgr signaling plays an essential role in LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) homeostasis through regulating the PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) levels. Silencing of hepatic Gcgr or inhibition of glucagon action increased hepatic and plasma PCSK9 and resulted in lower LDLR (LDL receptor) protein and increased plasma LDL-C. Conversely, treatment of wild-type (WT) mice with glucagon lowered LDL-C levels, whereas this response was abrogated in Pcsk9^-/- and Ldlr^-/- mice. Our gain- and loss-of-function studies identified Epac2 (exchange protein activated by cAMP-2) and Rap1 (Ras-related protein-1) as the downstream mediators of glucagon's action on PCSK9 homeostasis. Moreover, mechanistic studies revealed that glucagon affected the half-life of PCSK9 protein without changing the level of its mRNA, indicating that Gcgr signaling regulates PCSK9 degradation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide novel insights into the molecular interplay between hepatic glucagon signaling and lipid metabolism and describe a new posttranscriptional mechanism of PCSK9 regulation.

Graphene foam-embedded epoxy composites with significant thermal conductivity enhancement

High thermal conductivity polymer composites at low filler loading are of considerable interest because of their wide range of applications. The construction of three-dimensional (3D) interconnected networks can offer a high-efficiency increase for the thermal conductivity of polymer composites. In this work, a facile and scalable method to prepare graphene foam (GF) via sacrificial commercial polyurethane (PU) sponge templates was developed. Highly thermally conductive composites were then prepared by impregnating epoxy resin into the GF structure. An ultrahigh thermal conductivity of 8.04 W m-1 K-1 was obtained at a low graphene loading of 6.8 wt%, which corresponds to a thermal conductivity enhancement of about 4473% compared to neat epoxy. This strategy provides a facile, low-cost and scalable method to construct a 3D filler network for high-performance composites with potential to be used in advanced electronic packaging.

[Expression of RAGE in asthmatic rats and the intervention of Roxithromycin]

Objective: To observe the expression of the Receptor of Advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in asthmatic rats, and explore the intervention of Roxithromycin. Methods: A total of 18 Specific Pathogen Free-class Brown Norway male rats were randomly divided into control group, asthma model group and Roxithromycin group, with 6 rats in each group. The asthmatic model was sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of Ovalbumin (OVA)+Al(OH)(3), and challenged with OVA. Rats in Roxithromycin group were given Roxithromycin 30 mg/kg 30 minutes before each challenge. Rats in control group and asthma model group were treated with equal volume of saline. The concentrations of RAGE and interleukin (IL)-4 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA); the pathological changes of lung tissues were observed by HE-staining; the thickness of airway wall and airway smooth muscle were measured by Image-Pro Plus; the relative expression of RAGE in lung tissues were detected by Western blot. Results: In asthma model group, the concentrations of RAGE and IL-4 in the serum and BALF were obviously higher than those in control group [(494±32) vs (327±45) ng/L; (32.4±5.8) vs (13.1±2.9) ng/L; (553±38) vs (399±56) ng/L; (37.8±3.4) vs (19.4±2.5) ng/L] (all P<0.01); in Roxithromycin group, the concentrations of RAGE and IL-4 in the serum and BALF were obviously lower than those in asthma model group [(438±18) vs (494±32) ng/L; (22.8±6.0) vs (32.4±5.8) ng/L; (444±42) vs (553±38) ng/L; (25.6±4.5) vs (37.8±3.4) ng/L] (all P<0.05). In asthma model group, the bronchial wall was thickened, the lumen was narrow, the mucosal wrinkles were significantly increased, edema appeared under the mucosa, and a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrated and aggregated in the bronchi, perivascular and alveolar spaces; the thickness of airway wall and airway smooth muscle were significantly increased than those in control group (P<0.01); in Roxithromycin group, airway inflammation and remodeling were alleviated compared with those in asthma model group (P<0.05). In asthma model group, the expression of RAGE in lung tissues were significantly increased than those in control group (P<0.01); in Roxithromycin group, the expression of RAGE were significantly decreased than those in asthma model group (P<0.01). There were positive correlations between the expression of RAGE and IL-4 in BALF and serum (r=0.782, 0.804, all P<0.01); there were positive correlations between RAGE and total white cell counts, eosinophil counts, smooth muscle thickness (r=0.897, 0.927, 0.860, all P<0.01). Conclusions: The increasing of RAGE in asthmatic rats are positively correlated with airway inflammation and airway remodeling. Roxithromycin may inhibit the development of asthma by reducing the expression of RAGE.

Association of circulating growth differentiation factor-15, Krüppel-like factor 4 and growth arrest-specific 6 with coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND

Current assessment tools for patients with acute chest pain are either traumatic (coronary angiography) or unreliable (measurement of cardiac troponin concentrations). We investigated whether the novel cardiovascular stress markers, serum growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) and growth arrest-specific 6 (gas6) may be useful biomarkers of coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODS

A total of 350 male patients were enrolled, 198 with CAD and 152 controls, based on coronary angiography. GDF-15, KLF4 and gas6 concentrations were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Multivariate logistic regression and multivariate linear regression were performed to evaluate potential associations of GDF-15, KLF4 and gas6 with risk of CAD or CAD severity.

RESULTS

Serum GDF-15, KLF4 and gas6 concentrations were significantly higher in male patients with CAD than in control subjects (P < .05), and they correlated significantly with involvement of coronary vessels (P < .05). After adjusting for confounding factors, we found that circulating GDF-15 concentrations remained positively associated with the presence of CAD (odds ratio [OR] per 1-standard deviation [SD] increase, 3.182; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.586 to 6.382; P = .001), as did KLF4 concentrations (OR per 1-SD increase, 13.05; 95% CI 2.940 to 57.921, P = .001). Moreover, circulating GDF-15 concentrations were positively associated with the Gensini score (estimated SD change per 1-SD increase, 22.091; 95% CI 9.147 to 35.035, P = .001), as were KLF4 concentrations (estimated SD change per 1-SD increase, 27.996; 95% CI 10.082 to 45.910, P = .002). Gas6, in contrast, showed no relationship to presence of CAD or Gensini score.

, CONCLUSIONS

In this case-control study, increased concentrations of circulating GDF-15 and KLF4 were significantly associated with the presence and severity of CAD.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 and lipid metabolism

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to highlight the recent findings of one of the most promising therapeutic targets in LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) management, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9).

RECENT FINDINGS

Endoplasmic reticulum cargo receptor, surfeit locus protein 4 interacts with PCSK9 and regulates its exit from endoplasmic reticulum and its secretion. Once secreted, PCSK9 binds to heparin sulfate proteoglycans on the hepatocyte surface and this binding is required for PCSK9-LDL receptor (LDLR) complex formation and LDLR degradation. Posttranscriptionally, recent work has shown that PCSK9 gets degraded in lysosomes by activation of the glucagon receptor signaling, providing more data on the hormonal regulation of PCSK9. Finally, human studies with PCSK9 inhibitors offered more evidence on their benefits and safe use.

SUMMARY

Recent work on the regulation of PCSK9 has enhanced our understanding of its biology, which may provide important information for future PCSK9-based therapies.

Potential associations of circulating growth differentiation factor-15 with sex hormones in male patients with coronary artery disease

This study aimed to explore the association between growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a stress-induced factor, and sex hormones in male patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study, we recruited 253 male patients with CAD and 205 male controls. Patients were divided into three groups in accordance with GDF-15 tertiles. Serum levels of GDF-15, testosterone, estradiol and other biochemical variables were measured. Serum levels of GDF-15 were significantly increased and serum testosterone and testosterone/estradiol ratio (T/E2 ratio) were significantly decreased in CAD patients compared with controls. Patients with high GDF-15 levels had lower testosterone (203.97, 95% CI 154.67-328.30 vs. 303.98, 95% CI 246.93-345.66; P = 0.001) and T/E2 ratio (8.82, 95% CI 5.77-11.41 vs. 11.07, 95% CI 7.91-14.32; P = 0.013). Correlation analyses showed that serum GDF-15 levels inversely correlated with testosterone levels (r = -0.339) and T/E2 ratio (r = -0.365) (both P < 0.001). In multivariate regression analyses, the association between GDF-15 and T/E2 ratio was maintained (B=-0.442, 95% CI -99.568 to -6.991, P = 0.015). Furthermore, in vitro studies showed a synergistic effect of testosterone and estradiol on GDF-15 secretion, and demonstrated that testosterone association with estradiol decreased GDF-15 secretion through androgen receptor/estrogen receptor-mediated pathways. Together, these results suggest that upregulation of GDF-15 in the presence of low and imbalanced sex hormone levels may contribute to CAD. Thus, restoring the balance of testosterone and estradiol may inhibit the effects of GDF-15 and serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CAD.

Potential relation between soluble growth differentiation factor-15 and testosterone deficiency in male patients with coronary artery disease

Background

There is a mutual interaction between inflammation and endocrine disorders in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is associated with CAD, and the effects of testosterone on CAD as reported in literature have been considered as anti-atherosclerotic. The present study aimed to examine the possible association between serum GDF-15 and testosterone in male CAD patients.

Methods

GDF-15 and testosterone concentrations were determined in blood samples of 426 male patients with CAD and 220 male controls. Serum concentrations of hs-CRP, and other baseline characteristics were also measured.

Results

Serum levels of GDF-15 were higher in CAD patients when compared to controls, and testosterone concentrations were lower (p < 0.001). Patients with low testosterone levels had higher concentrations of GDF-15 (p < 0.001). In stratified analyses, inverse relations between GDF-15 levels and testosterone were noted for almost all strata, stratified by categories of hs-CRP, leukocytes, neutrophils, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, glucose, HDL-c, and LDL-c, and whether had hypertension, diabetes, and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Furthermore, in the linear regression models with bootstrap resampling with 1000 replications, high GDF-15 levels were independently associated with testosterone deficiency in male patients with CAD.

Conclusions

In male patients with CAD, high GDF-15 levels were associated with testosterone deficiency. These results support that upregulation of GDF-15 in the presence of low testosterone levels during CAD progression is a potential mechanism by which GDF-15 affects CAD.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12933-019-0823-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ring-Opening Reactions of NHC-Boriranes with In Situ Generated HCl: Synthesis of a New Class of NHC-Boralactones

The first ring-opening reactions of ligated boriranes (boracyclopropanes) are described. Treatment of readily available NHC-boriranes bearing ester substituents on the borirane ring with HCl provides stable γ-NHC-bora-γ-lactones in isolated yields ranging from 40% to 73%. The reactions occur through 1,3-addition of HCl across a B-C bond of the NHC-borirane to form a ring-opened NHC-boryl chloride, followed by lactonization with chloride displacement. Experimental evidence suggests that both the borirane ring-opening reaction and the boralactonization reaction occur with inversion at boron.

A Paper-Like Inorganic Thermal Interface Material Composed of Hierarchically Structured Graphene/Silicon Carbide Nanorods

With the increasing integration of devices in electronics fabrication, there are growing demands for thermal interface materials (TIMs) with high through-plane thermal conductivity for efficiently solving thermal management issues. Graphene-based papers consisting of a layer-by-layer stacked architecture have been commercially used as lateral heat spreaders; however, they lack in-depth studies on their TIM applications due to the low through-plane thermal conductivity (<6 W m^-1 K^-1). In this study, a graphene hybrid paper (GHP) was fabricated by the intercalation of silicon source and the in situ growth of SiC nanorods between graphene sheets based on the carbothermal reduction reaction. Due to the formation of covalent C-Si bonding at the graphene-SiC interface, the GHP possesses a superior through-plane thermal conductivity of 10.9 W m^-1 K^-1 and can be up to 17.6 W m^-1 K^-1 under packaging conditions at 75 psi. Compared with the current graphene-based papers, our GHP has the highest through-plane thermal conductivity value. In the TIM performance test, the cooling efficiency of the GHP achieves significant improvement compared to that of state-of-the-art thermal pads. Our GHP with characteristic structure is of great promise as an inorganic TIM for the highly efficient removal of heat from electronic devices.

Genomewide analysis of 6-methyladenine DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of systemic lupus erythematosus

Aim

The aim of this paper is to explore the expression of 6-methyladenine (6mA) DNA and to elucidate its gene regulation role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

Twenty SLE patients and 20 normal control healthy individuals (HCs) were included in this study. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and subsequently underwent 6mA-immunoprecipitation-sequencing (6mA-IP-Seq) after DNA quality control and 6mA precipitation. Bioinformation analysis was applied to the raw data comparing 6mA levels between SLE patients and HCs.

Results

We identified 5462 hypermethylation and 431 hypomethylation genes in PBMCs of individuals with SLE, which indicated that a high level of 6mA participates in the pathogenesis of SLE. Gene ontology analysis revealed that hypermethylation genes might regulate the inflammatory process, which has been well documented in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Conclusion

6mA may be involved in the initial development of SLE, which may lead to its potential use as an early diagnostic marker and therapeutic target.

EPR and Preparative Studies of 5- endo Cyclizations of Radicals Derived from Alkenyl NHC-Boranes Bearing tert-Butyl Ester Substituents

Radical H atom abstraction from a set of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes of alkenylboranes bearing two tert-butyl ester substituents was studied by EPR spectroscopy. The initial boraallyl radical intermediates rapidly ring closed onto the O atoms of their distal ester groups in 5- endo mode to yield 1,2-oxaborole radicals. Unexpectedly, two structural varieties of these radicals were identified from their EPR spectra. These proved to be two stable rotamers, in which the carbonyl group of the tert-butyl ester was oriented toward and away from the NHC ring. These rotamers were akin to the s- trans and s- cis rotamers of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Their stability was attributed to the quasi-allylic interaction of their unpaired electrons with the carbonyl units of their adjacent ester groups. EPR spectroscopic evidence for two rotamers of the analogous methyl ester containing NHC-oxaborole radicals was also obtained. An improved synthetic procedure for preparing rare NHC-boralactones was developed involving treatment of the alkenyl NHC-boranes with AIBN and tert-dodecanethiol.

Baseline levels of serum high sensitivity C reactive protein and lipids in predicting the residual risk of cardiovascular events in Chinese population with stable coronary artery disease: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The contributions of inflammation, triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) to the residual risk of cardiovascular events have not been determined in a large cohort of Chinese population before. This study was aimed to investigate the association of serum levels of high sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP), TG and HDL-C with the residual risk of cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODS

We enrolled 4090 patients with stable CAD from 13 hospitals in China. All participants received optimal medical treatment (OMT) for stable CAD suggested by guidelines and were followed. The endpoint measures were the first occurrence of a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), defined as cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke or unplanned coronary revascularization. Cox proportional regression analysis was conducted to identify independent predictors of MACE.

RESULTS

We found that hs-CRP and HDL-C levels were associated with coronary lesion severity at baseline (both p < 0.001). After 3 months OMT, 91.2% (3730/4090) patients achieved the therapeutic goal for low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (< 1.8 mmoL/L). During a mean follow-up period of 39.5 months, 11.5% (471/4090) patients suffered MACE. In multivariate Cox proportional regression analysis, the hazard ratio for MACE was 1.17 (95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.28, p < 0.001) per standardized deviation in the log-transformed hs-CRP levels after adjustment for other traditional cardiovascular risk factors. However, baseline TG and HDL-C levels were not associated with MACE in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline hs-CRP level was an independent predictor of residual risk of cardiovascular events in Chinese population with stable CAD. However, TG and HDL-C levels were not associated with MACE.