A novel technique for endobronchial blocker placement for one-lung ventilation in children under 2 years

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to report our clinical experience with intraluminal calculated distance for endobronchial blocker placement (ICEB) and to find out whether ICEB could reduce the number of hypoxemia episodes during blocker placement compared with extraluminal blocker placement for one-lung ventilation in children under the age of 2 years.

METHODS

The medical records of all children under the age of 2 years with a 5 French (F) or 4F WeiLi (WeiLi medical Inc, Guangzhou, China) endobronchial blocker for one-lung ventilation in thoracic surgery from July 2015 through July 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. After November 2015, one-lung ventilation was achieved using the ICEB technique, while before November 2015, extraluminal blocker placement was used. The success rate of blocker placement, quality of lung deflation, number of hypoxemia episodes, blocker dislodgement, and successful reposition after dislodgement were compared between the two groups.

RESULT

The incidence of hypoxemia episodes during blocker placement was lower in the ICEB group compared to the extraluminal placement group. Moreover, the success rate of blocker reposition during the operation was higher in the ICEB group than the extraluminal placement group. The success rate of endobronchial blocker placement was similar between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraluminal calculated distance for endobronchial blocker placement is a feasible method to achieve lung isolation and could reduce hypoxemia episodes during blocker placement in children under the age of 2 years.

Breast cancer Ki67 expression prediction by DCE-MRI radiomics features

AIM

To investigate whether quantitative radiomics features extracted from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) are associated with Ki67 expression of breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This institutional review board-approved retrospective study comprised 377 Chinese women who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2015. This cohort included 53 low-Ki67 expression (Ki67 proliferation index less than 14%) and 324 cases with high-Ki67 expression (Ki67 proliferation index more than 14%). A binary-classification of low-versus high- Ki67 expression was performed. A set of 56 quantitative radiomics features, including morphological, greyscale statistic, and texture features, were extracted from the segmented lesion area. Three machine learning classification methods, including naive Bayes, k-nearest neighbour and support vector machine, were employed for the classification and the least absolute shrink age and selection operator (LASSO) method was used to select most predictive features set for the classifiers. Classification performance was evaluated by the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.

RESULES

The model that used naive Bayes classification method achieved the best performance than the other two methods, yielding 0.773 AUC, 0.757 accuracy, 0.777 sensitivity and 0.769 specificity. Three most predictive features, i.e., contrast, entropy and line likeness, were selected by the LASSO method and showed a statistical significance (p<0.05) in the classification.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed that quantitative radiomics imaging features of breast tumour extracted from DCE-MRI are associated with breast cancer Ki67 expression. Future larger studies are needed in order to further evaluate the findings.

Cardiovascular benefits of reducing personal exposure to traffic-related noise and particulate air pollution: A randomized crossover study in the Beijing subway system

To assess the cardiovascular benefits of protecting against particulate air pollution and noise, we conducted a randomized crossover study with 40 young healthy college students from March to May 2017 in the underground subway, Beijing. Participants each received 4 treatments (no intervention phase [NIP], respirator intervention phase [RIP], headphone intervention phase [HIP], respirator plus headphone intervention phase [RHIP]) in a randomized order during 4 different study periods with 2-week washout intervals. We measured personal exposure to particulate matter (PM), noise and electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters (heart rate variability (HRV), heart rate (HR) and ST segment changes), ambulatory blood pressure (BP) continuously for 4 hours to investigate the cardiovascular effects. Compared with NIP, most of the HRV parameters increased, especially high frequency (HF) [21.1% (95% CI: 15.7%, 26.9%), 18.2% (95% CI: 12.8%, 23.9%), and 35.5% (95% CI: 29.3%, 42.0%) in RIP, HIP, and RHIP, respectively], whereas ST segment elevation and HR decreased for all 3 modes of interventions. However, no significant differences were observed in BP among the 4 treatments. In summary, short-term wearing of a respirator and/or headphone may be an effective way to minimize cardiovascular risk induced by air pollution in the subway by improving autonomic nervous function.

Use of integrative epigenetic and mRNA expression analyses to identify significantly changed genes and functional pathways in osteoarthritic cartilage

Aim

Osteoarthritis (OA) is caused by complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetic mechanisms control the expression of genes and are likely to regulate the OA transcriptome. We performed integrative genomic analyses to define methylation-gene expression relationships in osteoarthritic cartilage.

Patients and Methods

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of articular cartilage from five patients with OA of the knee and five healthy controls was conducted using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip (Illumina, San Diego, California). Other independent genome-wide mRNA expression profiles of articular cartilage from three patients with OA and three healthy controls were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Integrative pathway enrichment analysis of DNA methylation and mRNA expression profiles was performed using integrated analysis of cross-platform microarray and pathway software. Gene ontology (GO) analysis was conducted using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID).

Results

We identified 1265 differentially methylated genes, of which 145 are associated with significant changes in gene expression, such as DLX5, NCOR2 and AXIN2 (all p-values of both DNA methylation and mRNA expression < 0.05). Pathway enrichment analysis identified 26 OA-associated pathways, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway (p = 6.25 × 10-4), phosphatidylinositol (PI) signalling system (p = 4.38 × 10-3), hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signalling pathway (p = 8.63 × 10-3 pantothenate and coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis (p = 0.017), ErbB signalling pathway (p = 0.024), inositol phosphate (IP) metabolism (p = 0.025), and calcium signalling pathway (p = 0.032).

Conclusion

We identified a group of genes and biological pathwayswhich were significantly different in both DNA methylation and mRNA expression profiles between patients with OA and controls. These results may provide new clues for clarifying the mechanisms involved in the development of OA.

Cite this article: A. He, Y. Ning, Y. Wen, Y. Cai, K. Xu, Y. Cai, J. Han, L. Liu, Y. Du, X. Liang, P. Li, Q. Fan, J. Hao, X. Wang, X. Guo, T. Ma, F. Zhang. Use of integrative epigenetic and mRNA expression analyses to identify significantly changed genes and functional pathways in osteoarthritic cartilage. Bone Joint Res 2018;7:343–350. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.75.BJR-2017-0284.R1.

[Intravesical salpingiosis: case report and review of the literature]

Endosalpingiosis of the urinary bladder is a rare benign condition characterised by the presence of ectopic endosalpingeal tissue in the bladder. If histology shows two or more Müllerian-derived components, this condition is referred to as Müllerianosis.To our knowledge less than 20 cases of Müllerianosis and 5 cases of endosalpingiosis have been documented in the literature.Although the pathogenesis remains unclear, two theories exist. The implantation theory assumes that Müllerian-derived tissue gets implanted in the wall of the urinary bladder during pelvic surgery. The second theory proposes a metaplastic origin of the disease.Patients suffering from endosalpingiosis or Müllerianosis may present with symptoms such as suprapubic pain, frequent urination, dysuria or gross haematuria, possibly with a cyclical appearance.We present the case of a 40-year-old female patient, who primarily presented with painful haematuria and was diagnosed with endosalpingiosis and treated by transurethral resection. Also we review the current literature.

The interruptive effect of electric shock on odor response requires mushroom bodies in Drosophila melanogaster

Nociceptive stimulus involuntarily interrupts concurrent activities. This interruptive effect is related to the protective function of nociception that is believed to be under stringent evolutionary pressure. To determine whether such interruptive effect is conserved in invertebrate and potentially uncover underlying neural circuits, we examined Drosophila melanogaster. Electric shock (ES) is a commonly used nociceptive stimulus for nociception related research in Drosophila. Here, we showed that background noxious ES dramatically interrupted odor response behaviors in a T-maze, which is termed blocking odor response by electric shock (BOBE). The interruptive effect is not odor specific. ES could interrupt both odor avoidance and odor approach. To identify involved brain areas, we focused on the odor avoidance to 3-OCT. By spatially abolishing neurotransmission with temperature sensitive Shibire^TS1 , we found that mushroom bodies (MBs) are necessary for BOBE. Among the 3 major MB Kenyon cell (KCs) subtypes, α/β neurons and γ neurons but not α'/β' neurons are required for normal BOBE. Specifically, abolishing the neurotransmission of either α/β surface (α/β_s ), α/β core (α/β_c ) or γ dorsal (γ_d ) neurons alone is sufficient to abrogate BOBE. This pattern of MB subset requirement is distinct from that of aversive olfactory learning, indicating a specialized BOBE pathway. Consistent with this idea, BOBE was not diminished in several associative memory mutants and noxious ES interrupted both innate and learned odor avoidance. Overall, our results suggest that MB α/β and γ neurons are parts of a previously unappreciated central neural circuit that processes the interruptive effect of nociception.

Search for Tensor, Vector, and Scalar Polarizations in the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background

The detection of gravitational waves with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo has enabled novel tests of general relativity, including direct study of the polarization of gravitational waves. While general relativity allows for only two tensor gravitational-wave polarizations, general metric theories can additionally predict two vector and two scalar polarizations. The polarization of gravitational waves is encoded in the spectral shape of the stochastic gravitational-wave background, formed by the superposition of cosmological and individually unresolved astrophysical sources. Using data recorded by Advanced LIGO during its first observing run, we search for a stochastic background of generically polarized gravitational waves. We find no evidence for a background of any polarization, and place the first direct bounds on the contributions of vector and scalar polarizations to the stochastic background. Under log-uniform priors for the energy in each polarization, we limit the energy densities of tensor, vector, and scalar modes at 95% credibility to Ω_{0}^{T}<5.58×10^{-8}, Ω_{0}^{V}<6.35×10^{-8}, and Ω_{0}^{S}<1.08×10^{-7} at a reference frequency f_{0}=25  Hz.

Association of size-fractionated indoor particulate matter and black carbon with heart rate variability in healthy elderly women in Beijing

Associations between size-fractionated indoor particulate matter (PM) and black carbon (BC) and heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate (HR) in elderly women remain unclear. Twenty-nine healthy elderly women were measured for 24-hour HRV/HR indices. Real-time size-fractionated indoor PM and BC were monitored on the same day and on the preceding day. Mixed-effects models were applied to investigate the associations between pollutants and HRV/HR indices. Increases in size-fractionated indoor PM were significantly associated with declines in power in the high-frequency band (HF), power in the low-frequency band (LF), and standard deviation of all NN intervals (SDNN). The largest decline in HF was 19% at 5-minute moving average for an interquartile range (IQR) increase (24 μg/m³ ) in PM_0.5 . The results showed that smaller particles could lead to greater reductions in HRV indices. The reported associations were modified by body mass index (BMI): Declines in HF at 5-minute average for an IQR increase in PM_0.5 were 34.5% and 1.0% for overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m² ) and normal-weight (BMI <25 kg/m² ) participants, respectively. Moreover, negative associations between BC and HRV indices were found to be significant in overweight participants. Increases in size-fractionated indoor PM and BC were associated with compromised cardiac autonomic function in healthy elderly women, especially overweight ones.

[Effects of exogenous high mobility group protein box 1 on angiogenesis in ischemic zone of early scald wounds of rats]

Objective: To observe effects of exogenous high mobility group protein box 1 (HMGB1) on angiogenesis in ischemic zone of early scald wounds of rats. Methods: Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into HMGB1 group and simple scald (SS) group according to the random number table, with 18 rats in each group. Comb-like copper mould was placed on the back of rats for 20 s after being immersed in 100 ℃ hot water for 3 to 5 min to make three ischemic zones of wound. Immediately after scald, rats in HMGB1 group were subcutaneously injected with 0.4 μg HMGB1 and 0.1 mL phosphate buffer solution (PBS), and rats in SS group were subcutaneously injected with 0.1 mL PBS from boarders of ischemic zone of scald wound. At post scald hour (PSH) 24, 48, and 72, 6 rats in each group were collected. Protein expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in ischemic zone of wound at PSH 24, 48, and 72 and protein expressions of CD31 in ischemic zone of wound at PSH 48 and 72 were detected by immunohistochemistry. The number of microvessel in CD31 immunohistochemical sections of ischemic zone of wound at PSH 48 and 72 was calculated after observing by the microscope. The mRNA expressions of VEGF and CD31 in ischemic zone of wound were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction at PSH 24, 48, and 72. Data were processed with analysis of variance of factorial design, t test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: (1) At PSH 24, 48, and 72, protein expressions of VEGF in ischemic zone of wound of rats in HMGB1 group were significantly higher than those of rats in SS group (t=7.496, 4.437, 5.402, P<0.05 or P<0.01). At PSH 48 and 72, protein expressions of CD31 in ischemic zone of wound of rats in HMGB1 group were 0.038 8±0.007 9 and 0.057 7±0.001 2 respectively, significantly higher than 0.013 4±0.004 9 and 0.030 3±0.004 0 of rats in SS group (t=10.257, 15.055, P<0.01). (2) At PSH 48 and 72, the number of microvessel in ischemic zone of wound of rats in HMGB1 group was obviously more than that of rats in SS group (t=3.536, 4.000, P<0.05). (3) At PSH 24, 48, and 72, mRNA expressions of VEGF in ischemic zone of wound of rats in HMGB1 group were significantly higher than those of rats in SS group (t=4.406, 3.821, 3.356, P<0.05). At PSH 24 and 48, mRNA expressions of CD31 in ischemic zone of wound of rats in HMGB1 group were significantly higher than those of rats in SS group (t=4.113, 3.466, P<0.05). At PSH 72, mRNA expressions of CD31 in ischemic zone of wound of rats in 2 groups were close (t=0.010, P>0.05). Conclusions: Exogenous HMGB1 can promote angiogenesis in ischemic zone of early scald wounds of rats by increasing expressions of VEGF and CD31.

[Efficacy of Yisaipu tapering in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis]

Objective: To assess the efficacy of Yisaipu tapering in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: A total of 87 cases of AS patients from Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital who were treated with Yisaipu and celecoxib were retrospectively analyzed from February 2013 to April 2017.All patients received full dose Yisaipu and celecoxib in the initial 12 weeks.After that, the patients in the full dose group maintained Yisaipu (50 mg/w) treatment from the 13(rd) to 24(th) week, while tapering group received Yisaipu 50 mg subcutaneous injection once every other week.By using AS disease activity score (ASDAS), Bath AS functional index (BASFI) and magnetic resonance (MR) score of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) plus recording adverse events, differences of efficacy and safety between groups were compared. Results: ASDAS and BASFI of tapering group were 1.1±0.7 and 1.3±1.1, while those of full dose group were 1.0±0.7 and 1.1±1.0, respectively.No significant difference of ASDAS or BASFI was found between groups.Besides, the MR scores of tapering and full dose groups were 8±7 and 8±6 respectively before therapy, while they were significantly lower in the 24(th) week (4±4 and 4±3, P<0.05). However, changes of MR score between groups were similar (P>0.05). Conclusion: Dose tapering of Yisaipu subcutaneous injection might be effective for keeping stable of disease activity and function in patients with AS.Its efficacy is similar to those of full dose Yisaipu.

A novel flow sensor based on resonant sensing with two-stage microleverage mechanism

The design, simulation, fabrication, and experiments of a novel flow sensor based on resonant sensing with a two-stage microleverage mechanism are presented in this paper. Different from the conventional detection methods for flow sensors, two differential resonators are adopted to implement air flow rate transformation through two-stage leverage magnification. The proposed flow sensor has a high sensitivity since the adopted two-stage microleverage mechanism possesses a higher amplification factor than a single-stage microleverage mechanism. The modal distribution and geometric dimension of the two-stage leverage mechanism and hair are analyzed and optimized by Ansys simulation. A digital closed-loop driving technique with a phase frequency detector-based coordinate rotation digital computer algorithm is implemented for the detection and locking of resonance frequency. The sensor fabricated by the standard deep dry silicon on a glass process has a device dimension of 5100 μm (length) × 5100 μm (width) × 100 μm (height) with a hair diameter of 1000 μm. The preliminary experimental results demonstrate that the maximal mechanical sensitivity of the flow sensor is approximately 7.41 Hz/(m/s)² at a resonant frequency of 22 kHz for the hair height of 9 mm and increases by 2.42 times as hair height extends from 3 mm to 9 mm. Simultaneously, a detection-limit of 3.23 mm/s air flow amplitude at 60 Hz is confirmed. The proposed flow sensor has great application prospects in the micro-autonomous system and technology, self-stabilizing micro-air vehicles, and environmental monitoring.

Diversity of activity participation determines bone mineral content in the lower limbs of pre-pubertal children with developmental coordination disorder

This study examined the relationships between activity participation and bone mineralization in children with developmental coordination disorder. Limited participation in physical, recreational, social, and skill-based and self-improvement activities contributed to lower bone mineral content. For improved bone health, these children should participate in a variety of activities, not only physical activities.

INTRODUCTION

Limited activity participation in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) may have a negative impact on bone mineral accrual. The objectives of this study were to compare bone mineralization and activity participation patterns of pre-pubertal children with DCD and those with typical development, and to determine the association between activity participation patterns and bone mineralization in children with DCD.

METHODS

Fifty-two children with DCD (mean age = 7.51 years) and 61 children with typical development (mean age = 7.22 years) participated in the study. Appendicular and total body (less head) bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) were evaluated by a whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan. Activity participation patterns were assessed using the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) questionnaire.

RESULTS

Children with DCD had lower appendicular and total body BMCs and BMDs than children with typical development overall (p < 0.05). They also had lower CAPE total activity and physical activity diversity scores (p < 0.05). After accounting for the effects of age, sex, height, lean mass, and fat mass, the total activity diversity score remained independently associated with leg BMC in children with DCD, explaining 5.1% of the variance (p = 0.030). However, the physical activity diversity score was no longer associated with leg BMC (p = 0.090).

CONCLUSIONS

Diversity of activity participation and bone mineralization were lower in pre-pubertal children with DCD. Decreased total activity participation diversity was a contributing factor to lower BMC in the legs of children with DCD.

[Effects and underlying mechanism of berberine on renal tubulointerstitial injury in diabetic rats]

Objective: To investigate the effect of Berberine on renal tubulointerstitial injury and its potential mechanism in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control rats (NC group), diabetic rats without drug treatment (DM group), diabetic rats treated with Berberine (BBR group) for 8 weeks. At the end of the study, blood and urine samples were collected for biochemical examination, and tubulointerstitial fibrosis was quantified by Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) and Masson staining. The expressions of E-cadherin (E-cad), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) were detected by immunohistochemistry analysis, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. Results: 24 h urinary microalbumin (mAlb)[(170.5±58.1) vs (253.7±53.0) mg]and urinary N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG)[(33.5±7.2) vs (49.5±9.3)U/L]in diabetic rats were significantly decreased by BBR treatment(both P<0.05). The apparent renal tubulointerstitial injury was found in the DM group, which was ameliorated by BBR treatment. The expression of α-SMA, NF-κB and MCP-1 were significantly decreased, accompanied by increased expression of E-cad in BBR-treated DM rats (all P<0.05). Conclusion: BBR could ameliorate renal tubulointerstitial injury in diabetic rats, the mechanism of which may be associated with the amelioration of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through suppressing the expression of the NF-κB and MCP-1.

GW170817: Implications for the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background from Compact Binary Coalescences

The LIGO Scientific and Virgo Collaborations have announced the event GW170817, the first detection of gravitational waves from the coalescence of two neutron stars. The merger rate of binary neutron stars estimated from this event suggests that distant, unresolvable binary neutron stars create a significant astrophysical stochastic gravitational-wave background. The binary neutron star component will add to the contribution from binary black holes, increasing the amplitude of the total astrophysical background relative to previous expectations. In the Advanced LIGO-Virgo frequency band most sensitive to stochastic backgrounds (near 25 Hz), we predict a total astrophysical background with amplitude Ω_{GW}(f=25  Hz)=1.8_{-1.3}^{+2.7}×10^{-9} with 90% confidence, compared with Ω_{GW}(f=25  Hz)=1.1_{-0.7}^{+1.2}×10^{-9} from binary black holes alone. Assuming the most probable rate for compact binary mergers, we find that the total background may be detectable with a signal-to-noise-ratio of 3 after 40 months of total observation time, based on the expected timeline for Advanced LIGO and Virgo to reach their design sensitivity.

4-Phenylpyrimidine monolayer protection of a copper surface from salt corrosion

4-Phenylpyrimidine (4-PPM) containing N heteroatoms can easily form compact and uniform layers on metallic surfaces. In this work, the protection of a copper surface from corrosion in 3 wt% NaCl by a 4-PPM layer was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization methods. Under optimum conditions, the inhibition efficiency of a 4-PPM layer for copper corrosion reached 83.2%. Raman analysis in conjunction with calculations using density functional theory (DFT) based on the B3LYP/LANL2DZ basis set suggested that the 4-PPM molecule anchored on the copper surface via the N₁ atom to construct a uniform layer.

The efficiency of a 4-phenylpyrimidine monolayer optimally self-assembled on a copper surface against corrosion by a 3 wt% NaCl solution could reach 83.2%.

The prognosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome: a cohort study

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare and severe complication of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Cohort studies indicate that the underlying diseases of PAH associated with connective tissue disease (CTD-PAH) in Asian countries are different from that in the United States and in Europe. This study investigated the clinical characteristics, survival, and prognostic factors of pSS-PAH in Chinese patients. We enrolled 29 patients with pSS-PAH who visited our referral center during August 2007 and May 2015. PAH was confirmed by right heart catheterization (RHC). Baseline demographic data, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, autoantibody results, hemodynamics data, and treatment regimens were analyzed. All patients were followed up at the Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) every three to six months. All patients were female. Mean age of pSS onset was 34.4 ± 11.1 years. Mean age of PAH diagnosed by RHC was 40.6 ± 9.0 years. There was no significant difference in age, disease duration, and hemodynamic findings between the survivors and the non-survivors in this cohort. The overall one-, three-, and five-year survival rates were 80.2%, 74.8%, and 67.4%, respectively. Prognostic factors of mortality were time between pSS onset and PAH onset (HR 1.102, 95% CI 1.017-1.185, p = 0.018) and cardiac index < 2 l/min/m² (HR 5.497, 95% CI 1.063-28.434, p = 0.042). In contrast, the use of immunosuppressants (HR 0.110, 95% CI 0.024-0.495, p = 0.004) was related to better survival. This study demonstrates that the predictors of mortality in patients with pSS-PAH include delayed onset of PAH in pSS and worse cardiac function. Immunosuppressants can improve the prognosis of pSS-PAH.

Application of 3D-printing technology in the treatment of humeral intercondylar fractures

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This study was aimed to compare conventional surgery and surgery assisted by 3D-printing technology in the treatment of humeral intercondylar fractures. In addition, we also investigated the effect of 3D-printing technology on the communication between doctors and patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 91 patients with humeral intercondylar fracture were enrolled in the study from March 2013 to August 2015. They were divided into two groups: 43 cases of 3D-printing group, 48 cases of conventional group. The individual models were used to simulate the surgical procedures and carry out the surgery according to plan. Operation duration, blood loss volume, fluoroscopy times and time to fracture union were recorded. The final functional outcomes, including the motion of the elbow, MEPS and DASH were also evaluated. Besides, we made a simple questionnaire to verify the effectiveness of the 3D-printed model for both doctors and patients.

RESULTS

The operation duration, blood loss volume and fluoroscopy times for 3D-printing group was 76.6±7.9minutes, 231.1±18.1mL and 5.3±1.9 times, and for conventional group was 92.0±10.5minutes, 278.6±23.0mL and 8.7±2.7 times respectively. There was statistically significant difference between the conventional group and 3D-printing group (p<0.05). However, No significant difference was noted in the final functional outcomes between the two groups. Furthermore, the questionnaire showed that both doctors and patients exhibited high scores of overall satisfaction with the use of a 3D-printing model.

DISCUSSIONS

This study suggested the clinical feasibility of 3D-printing technology in treatment of humeral intercondylar fractures.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level II prospective randomized study.

First Search for Nontensorial Gravitational Waves from Known Pulsars

We present results from the first directed search for nontensorial gravitational waves. While general relativity allows for tensorial (plus and cross) modes only, a generic metric theory may, in principle, predict waves with up to six different polarizations. This analysis is sensitive to continuous signals of scalar, vector, or tensor polarizations, and does not rely on any specific theory of gravity. After searching data from the first observation run of the advanced LIGO detectors for signals at twice the rotational frequency of 200 known pulsars, we find no evidence of gravitational waves of any polarization. We report the first upper limits for scalar and vector strains, finding values comparable in magnitude to previously published limits for tensor strain. Our results may be translated into constraints on specific alternative theories of gravity.

Prospects for observing and localizing gravitational-wave transients with Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA

We present possible observing scenarios for the Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA gravitational-wave detectors over the next decade, with the intention of providing information to the astronomy community to facilitate planning for multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves. We estimate the sensitivity of the network to transient gravitational-wave signals, and study the capability of the network to determine the sky location of the source. We report our findings for gravitational-wave transients, with particular focus on gravitational-wave signals from the inspiral of binary neutron star systems, which are the most promising targets for multi-messenger astronomy. The ability to localize the sources of the detected signals depends on the geographical distribution of the detectors and their relative sensitivity, and [Formula: see text] credible regions can be as large as thousands of square degrees when only two sensitive detectors are operational. Determining the sky position of a significant fraction of detected signals to areas of 5-[Formula: see text] requires at least three detectors of sensitivity within a factor of [Formula: see text] of each other and with a broad frequency bandwidth. When all detectors, including KAGRA and the third LIGO detector in India, reach design sensitivity, a significant fraction of gravitational-wave signals will be localized to a few square degrees by gravitational-wave observations alone.

Trends of Activities of Daily Living Disability Situation and Association with Chronic Conditions among Elderly Aged 80 Years and Over in China

OBJECTIVES

In China, few studies reported the disability situation and the association between disabilities with chronic conditions in aged people. This study investigates the cross-sectional trends of prevalence and severity of activities of daily living disability (ADL) in Chinese oldest-old people from 1998 to 2008, and identified the potential risk factors of disability.

DESIGN

A combination of population-based longitudinal prospective study and probabilistically sampling cross-sectional studies.

SETTING

The Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) was based on a random sampling of aged people from twenty-two provinces in China.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 52,667 participants aged from 80 years old to 105 years old sampled in the year of 1998 (n=8,768), 2000 (n=10,940), 2002 (n=10,905), 2005 (n=10,396) and 2008 (n=11,658) were analyzed respectively.

RESULTS

The prevalence of ADL disability decreased from the year of 1998 (18%) to 2008 (12%). The disability prevalence significantly increased in 2002 and decreased in 2008 (P<0.001) in total participants than the year of 1998. The prevalence trends of low ADL disability level were almost identical with that of the total ADL disability. Stroke/cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and cognitive impairment were the strongest risk factors of disability. Vision impairment became less associated with ADL disability (P=0.045), while the association between multimorbidity and ADL disability became stronger (P=0.033).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of ADL disability declined among the oldest-old population in China from the year of 1998 to 2008 without obeying a linear pattern. Temporal trends of ADL disability mainly attributed to the change of low disability level prevalence. Stroke/CVD and cognitive impairment were the most common risk factors of disability. Vision impairment caused disability has become less common, while risks of multimorbidity related disability increased.

Dramatic photoluminescence quenching in carbon dots induced by cyclic voltammetry

We disclose an electrochemically activated quenching mechanism that is dominant in certain types of C-dots.

[Application and analysis of abdominal aortic branch malperfusion pattern in thoracic endovascular aortic repair for Stanford B aortic dissection]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficiency of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in dealing with abdominal aortic branch malperfusion based on the analysis of aortic computed tomography angiography (CTA) images in pre- and post-TEVAR.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis from September 2015 to March 2016 in single institution to 32 patients, diagnosed as Stanford B aortic dissection with abdominal aortic branch malperfusion, CTA images in pre- and post-TEVAR were collected. Based on the aortic branch malperfusion pattern redefined by Nagamine, we identified and characterized branch malperfusion pattern for four abdominal aortic branches (celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, bilateral renal artery) in statistical analysis.

RESULTS

In the four abdominal aortic branches (total 128 branches), 86 branches (67.2%) expressed with Class I patterns, in which subtype I-b presented with 0.8%, subtype I-c with 5.5%; 14 branches (10.9%) expressed with Class II patterns, in which subtype II-b-1 with 3.9%, subtype II-b-2 with 3.1%; 16 branches (12.5%) expressed with Class III patterns, all with subtype III-a, no subtype III-b and III-c presented. The remaining 12 branches were normal. The 100% successful rate of TEVAR obtained in 32 patients performed. The mean following-up was 4 months. Aortic CTA showed that among the 14 "high-risk" abdominal aortic branch malperfusion, 13 (92.9%) with obvious branch malperfusion in post-TEVAR were observed to improve, and the remaining one branch malperfusion (7.1%) was observed to change from subtype I-b to I-c.

CONCLUSION

Few ratios in abdominal aortic branches suffered with obvious malperfusion complicated by Stanford B aortic dissection. For branches with "high-risk" malperfusion pattern, optimal changes were observed in abdominal aortic branch without revascularization in post-TEVAR, as well other branches with non-"high-risk" pattern perfusion were mostly stable in post-TEVAR. It could be of profound benefit to extend branch malperfusion patterns redefined by Nagamine in clinical practice to assess aortic dissection and in further guide for revascularization or not.

Functional analysis of human intrafusal fiber innervation by human γ-motoneurons

Investigation of neuromuscular deficits and diseases such as SMA, as well as for next generation prosthetics, utilizing in vitro phenotypic models would benefit from the development of a functional neuromuscular reflex arc. The neuromuscular reflex arc is the system that integrates the proprioceptive information for muscle length and activity (sensory afferent), to modify motoneuron output to achieve graded muscle contraction (actuation efferent). The sensory portion of the arc is composed of proprioceptive sensory neurons and the muscle spindle, which is embedded in the muscle tissue and composed of intrafusal fibers. The gamma motoneurons (γ-MNs) that innervate these fibers regulate the intrafusal fiber's stretch so that they retain proper tension and sensitivity during muscle contraction or relaxation. This mechanism is in place to maintain the sensitivity of proprioception during dynamic muscle activity and to prevent muscular damage. In this study, a co-culture system was developed for innervation of intrafusal fibers by human γ-MNs and demonstrated by morphological and immunocytochemical analysis, then validated by functional electrophysiological evaluation. This human-based fusimotor model and its incorporation into the reflex arc allows for a more accurate recapitulation of neuromuscular function for applications in disease investigations, drug discovery, prosthetic design and neuropathic pain investigations.

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of articular cartilage reveals significant epigenetic alterations in Kashin-Beck disease and osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

To determine genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of knee cartilage from patients with Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) and osteoarthritis (OA).

METHOD

Knee cartilage was collected from 14 grade III KBD patients, 5 primary OA patients and 13 healthy subjects. The genome-wide methylation profiles of 5 KBD cartilage, 5 OA cartilage and 5 normal cartilage were determined by Illumina HumanMethylation450 array. Illumina Methylation Analyzer package was employed for identifying differentially methylated CpG sites. Functional annotation and enrichment analysis of differentially methylated genes (DMG) were conducted using GeneRIF database, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) and The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). Mass spectrometry (MS) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were conducted to validate the functional relevance of identified KBD associated gene.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 1212 differentially methylated CpG sites in KBD vs Normal, annotated to 264 hypermethylated and 368 hypomethylated genes. Comparing the DNA methylation profiles of KBD vs Normal and OA vs Normal detected overlap of 367 differentially methylated CpG sites (annotated to 182 genes) as well as 845 KBD-specific differentially methylated CpG sites (annotated to 471 unique genes). MS and IHC confirmed the hypermethylation status and decreased protein expression of HAPLN1 gene in KBD cartilage.

CONCLUSION

Our data implicate epigenetic dysregulation of a host of genes in KBD and OA. Furthermore, we observed common causal epigenetic changes shared by KBD and OA.

Nanostructured (Co, Mn)3O4 for High Capacitive Supercapacitor Applications

Nanostructured Co doped Mn₃O₄ spinel structure ((Co, Mn)₃O₄) were prepared by co-precipitation under O₃ oxidizing conditions and post-heat treatment. The product was composed of nanogranules with a diameter of 20-60 nm. The electrochemical performance of (Co, Mn)₃O₄ electrode was tested by cyclic voltammetry, impedance, and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. A maximum specific capacitance value of 2701.0 F g^-1 at a current density of 5 A g^-1 could be obtained within the potential range from 0.01 to 0.55 V versus Hg/HgO electrode in 6 mol L^-1 KOH electrolyte. When at high current density of 30 A g^-1, the capacitance is 1537.2 F g^-1 or 56.9% of the specific capacitance at 5 A g^-1, indicating its good rate capability. After 500 cycles at 20 A g^-1, the specific capacitance remains 1324 F g^-1 with a capacitance retention of 76.4%.

GW170817: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Neutron Star Inspiral

On August 17, 2017 at 12∶41:04 UTC the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo gravitational-wave detectors made their first observation of a binary neutron star inspiral. The signal, GW170817, was detected with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 32.4 and a false-alarm-rate estimate of less than one per 8.0×10^{4}  years. We infer the component masses of the binary to be between 0.86 and 2.26  M_{⊙}, in agreement with masses of known neutron stars. Restricting the component spins to the range inferred in binary neutron stars, we find the component masses to be in the range 1.17-1.60  M_{⊙}, with the total mass of the system 2.74_{-0.01}^{+0.04}M_{⊙}. The source was localized within a sky region of 28  deg^{2} (90% probability) and had a luminosity distance of 40_{-14}^{+8}  Mpc, the closest and most precisely localized gravitational-wave signal yet. The association with the γ-ray burst GRB 170817A, detected by Fermi-GBM 1.7 s after the coalescence, corroborates the hypothesis of a neutron star merger and provides the first direct evidence of a link between these mergers and short γ-ray bursts. Subsequent identification of transient counterparts across the electromagnetic spectrum in the same location further supports the interpretation of this event as a neutron star merger. This unprecedented joint gravitational and electromagnetic observation provides insight into astrophysics, dense matter, gravitation, and cosmology.

Prognostic value of the cancer oncogene Kelch-like 6 in gastric cancer

Background

Kelch-like 6 (KLHL6) is a cancer oncogene previously associated with specific human cancers, such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Here, the mechanisms of KLHL6 function were explored in gastric cancer (GC) cells, in an in vivo experimental tumour model, and the prognostic value of KLHL6 analysis in GC tissue evaluated in a cohort of patients with GC.

Methods

Associations between clinicopathological and survival data and KLHL6 expression in GC tissues were analysed. The effects of downregulation of KLHL6 in GC cells was investigated using proliferation, invasion, apoptosis and lymphangiogenesis assays, and analysis of tumour growth in an in vivo experimental model.

Results

KLHL6 was upregulated in 43 per cent of GC tissues compared with 5 per cent of paired non-tumour tissues from 84 patients. KLHL6 protein expression in GC tissues was much higher than that in atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia tissues from benign gastric disease samples. KLHL6 expression was positively related to the intestinal Laurén classification in GC tissues. Downregulated expression of KLHL6 in MGC-803 GC cells reduced colony formation, proliferation, viability, migration and invasion, enhanced apoptosis and inhibited the cell cycle in the G1 phase. Downregulated expression of KLHL6 also suppressed tumour growth in mice. Furthermore, downregulated expression of KLHL6 mRNA reduced the expression of nuclear-associated antigen Ki-67, vascular endothelial growth factor C, hepatocyte growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase 2 in vitro, and KLHL6 protein in tumour tissue of mice.

Conclusion

Abnormal expression of the KLHL6 oncogene promoted GC progression in vitro and in vivo, and its expression level in tumour tissue was found to be of prognostic value.

GW170814: A Three-Detector Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Coalescence

On August 14, 2017 at 10∶30:43 UTC, the Advanced Virgo detector and the two Advanced LIGO detectors coherently observed a transient gravitational-wave signal produced by the coalescence of two stellar mass black holes, with a false-alarm rate of ≲1 in 27 000 years. The signal was observed with a three-detector network matched-filter signal-to-noise ratio of 18. The inferred masses of the initial black holes are 30.5_{-3.0}^{+5.7}M_{⊙} and 25.3_{-4.2}^{+2.8}M_{⊙} (at the 90% credible level). The luminosity distance of the source is 540_{-210}^{+130}  Mpc, corresponding to a redshift of z=0.11_{-0.04}^{+0.03}. A network of three detectors improves the sky localization of the source, reducing the area of the 90% credible region from 1160   deg^{2} using only the two LIGO detectors to 60  deg^{2} using all three detectors. For the first time, we can test the nature of gravitational-wave polarizations from the antenna response of the LIGO-Virgo network, thus enabling a new class of phenomenological tests of gravity.

Integrative analysis of GWAS, eQTLs and meQTLs data suggests that multiple gene sets are associated with bone mineral density

Objectives

Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of bone mineral density (BMD) have successfully identified multiple susceptibility genes, yet isolated susceptibility genes are often difficult to interpret biologically. The aim of this study was to unravel the genetic background of BMD at pathway level, by integrating BMD GWAS data with genome-wide expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) data

Method

We employed the GWAS datasets of BMD from the Genetic Factors for Osteoporosis Consortium (GEFOS), analysing patients’ BMD. The areas studied included 32 735 femoral necks, 28 498 lumbar spines, and 8143 forearms. Genome-wide eQTLs (containing 923 021 eQTLs) and meQTLs (containing 683 152 unique methylation sites with local meQTLs) data sets were collected from recently published studies. Gene scores were first calculated by summary data-based Mendelian randomisation (SMR) software and meQTL-aligned GWAS results. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was then applied to identify BMD-associated gene sets with a predefined significance level of 0.05.

Results

We identified multiple gene sets associated with BMD in one or more regions, including relevant known biological gene sets such as the Reactome Circadian Clock (GSEA p-value = 1.0 × 10^-4 for LS and 2.7 × 10^-2 for femoral necks BMD in eQTLs-based GSEA) and insulin-like growth factor receptor binding (GSEA p-value = 5.0 × 10^-4 for femoral necks and 2.6 × 10^-2 for lumbar spines BMD in meQTLs-based GSEA).

Conclusion

Our results provided novel clues for subsequent functional analysis of bone metabolism, and illustrated the benefit of integrating eQTLs and meQTLs data into pathway association analysis for genetic studies of complex human diseases.

Cite this article: W. Wang, S. Huang, W. Hou, Y. Liu, Q. Fan, A. He, Y. Wen, J. Hao, X. Guo, F. Zhang. Integrative analysis of GWAS, eQTLs and meQTLs data suggests that multiple gene sets are associated with bone mineral density. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:572–576.

Mutation screening of 10 cancer susceptibility genes in unselected breast cancer patients

Variants of cancer susceptibility genes other than BRCA1/2 have been proved to be associated with increased risks of breast cancer. This study was performed to investigate the spectrum and prevalence of mutations in 10 cancer susceptibility genes in paired tumor/normal tissues of 292 unselected Chinese breast cancer patients. We performed an analysis of germline and somatic variants in ATM, CDH1, CHEK2, ESR1, GATA3, MAP3K1, MSH2, PALB2, RB1 and STK11 genes by integrating microfluidic PCR-based target enrichment and next-generation sequencing technologies. In total, 3 germline and 25 somatic deleterious mutations were found among 27 patients (9.25%), and 17 of them were novel mutations. Most deleterious mutations were prevalent in luminal A invasive breast cancer (P = .014). We also observed 83 variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in 100 patients (34.25%), 23 of which were predicted to be deleterious by in silico prediction programs (MetaSVM and MetaLR). VUS carriers had higher positive rate of lymph node metastasis than non-carriers (P = .008) and were predominantly present in ER+ tumors (P = .018). Our findings would enhance the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer in Chinese population.

The association between MICA/MICB polymorphism and respiratory syncytial virus infection in children

MICA/MICB gene polymorphisms are related to several cancers and infectious diseases, but there are no reports on the association between MICA/MICB gene polymorphisms and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. To clarify the association between MICA/MICB gene polymorphisms and infection of RSV in children, we collected fresh blood samples from paediatric patients with and without pneumonia after RSV infection. The MICA/MICB alleles were characterized by PCR sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) and PCR sequence-based genotyping (PCR-SBT), and then, the frequency of the MICA/MICB alleles and haplotypes was calculated. The results showed that the frequencies of MICA*002:01 and MICA-A9 in RSV-infected patients were significantly lower than in controls (9% vs. 20%, pc = 0.04). The allele frequency of MICA*002:01 in pneumonia patients (8%) and nonpneumonia patients (9%) was significantly lower than in controls (20%, pc = 0.02). MICA*002:01-MICB*008(Δrel = 0.616), MICA*009-MICB*016 (Δrel = 0.506), and MICA*045-MICB*014 (Δrel = 0.700) showed linkage disequilibrium in patients infected with RSV. The haplotype frequency of MICA*002:01-MICB*005:02 in RSV-infected patients was significantly lower than in controls (10% vs. 16%, pc = 0.033). In conclusion, allele MICA*002:01/A9 and haplotype MICA*002:01-MICB*005:02 were negatively associated with RSV respiratory tract infections.

[Associations between overweight-obesity and puberty timing in children with different genders in China]

Objective: To understand the associations between overweight-obesity and puberty timing in children with different genders. Methods: The girls in grade 2, 3, 7, 8 and boys in grade 3, 4, 7, 8 were recruited from primary and middle schools in North new area of Shenyang, Yanqing district of Beijing, Erqi district of Zhengzhou and Jiulongpo district of Chongqing by purposive sampling method between October and December 2014, respectively. The information of demographic characteristics of the respondents were collected and the pubertal development status was evaluated by Pubertal Development Scale (PDS). A total of 6 701 students were recruited; 6 137 out of which were valid with complete questionnaires. The associations between overweight-obesity and puberty timing were estimated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of overweight-obesity in primary schools were 34.8% (522/1 499) among boys and 24.2% (341/1 409) among girls, respectively. The prevalence of overweight-obesity in middle schools were 31.3% (591/1 658) among boys and 21.8% (342/1 571) among girls, respectively. The prevalence of premature puberty in primary schools were 15.0% (225/1 499) among boys and 14.2% (200/1 409) among girls, respectively. The prevalence of delayed puberty in middle schools were 14.3% (237/1 658) among boys and 14.9% (234/1 571) among girls, respectively. After adjusting the effects of region, age, one-child, family income and the parents' educational levels, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that overweight-obesity had significantly positive association with premature puberty (OR=2.16, 95%CI: 1.56-2.99) among girls in primary schools, and significantly negative association with delayed puberty (OR=0.54, 95%CI: 0.36-0.80) among girls in middle schools when compared with students with normal weights, both P values were <0.05. There was no significant associations among boys in primary and middle schools between overweight-obesity and puberty timing, and the corresponding OR(95%CI) were 1.08(0.80-1.45) and 0.93(0.69-1.27) respectively, both P values >0.05. Conclusion: There was significantly positive association between overweight-obesity and premature puberty among girls, and significantly negative association with delayed puberty among girls in middle schools; but the association was not found among boys.

Altered expression of chondroitin sulfate structure modifying sulfotransferases in the articular cartilage from adult osteoarthritis and Kashin-Beck disease

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of enzymes involved in chondroitin sulfate (CS) sulfation in the articular cartilage isolated from adult patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and Kashin-Beck disease (KBD), using normal adults as controls.

METHODS

Articular cartilage samples were collected from normal, OA and KBD adults aged 38-60 years old, and divided into three groups with six individual subjects in each group. The morphology and pathology grading of knee joint cartilage was examined by Safranin O staining. The localization and expression of enzymes involved in CS sulfation (CHST-3, CHST-11, CHST-12, CHST-13, carbohydrate (N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O) sulfotransferase 15 - CHST-15, and uronyl 2-O-sulfotransferase - UST) were examined by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and semi-quantitative analysis.

RESULTS

Positive staining rates for anabolic enzymes CHST-3, CHST-12, CHST-15, and UST were lower in the KBD and OA groups than those in the control group. Meanwhile, reduced levels of CHST-11, and CHST-13 in KBD group were observed, in contrast to those in OA and control groups. The expressions of all six CS sulfation enzymes were less detected in the superficial and deep zones of KBD cartilage compared with control and OA cartilage.

CONCLUSION

The reduced expression of the CS structure modifying sulfotransferases in the chondrocytes of both KBD and OA adult patients may provide explanations for their cartilage damages, and therapeutic targets for their treatment.

Recovery of lithium from the effluent obtained in the process of spent lithium-ion batteries recycling

A novel process of lithium recovery as lithium ion sieve from the effluent obtained in the process of spent lithium-ion batteries recycling is developed. Through a two-stage precipitation process using Na₂CO₃ and Na₃PO₄ as precipitants, lithium is recovered as raw Li₂CO₃ and pure Li₃PO₄, respectively. Under the best reaction condition (both the amounts of Na₂CO₃ and Li₃PO₄vs. the theoretical ones are about 1.1), the corresponding recovery rates of lithium (calculated based on the concentration of the previous stage) are 74.72% and 92.21%, respectively. The raw Li₂CO₃ containing the impurity of Na₂CO₃ is used to prepare LiMn₂O₄ as lithium ion sieve, and the tolerant level of sodium on its property is studied through batch tests of adsorption capacity and corrosion resistance. When the weight percentage of Na₂CO₃ in raw Li₂CO₃ is controlled less than 10%, the Mn corrosion percentage of LiMn₂O₄ decreases to 21.07%, and the adsorption capacity can still keep at 40.08 mg g^-1. The results reveal that the conventional separation sodium from lithium may be avoided through the application of the raw Li₂CO₃ in the field of lithium ion sieve.