Efficient production of high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid with a two-stage fermentation

A two-stage fermentation process with a segmented control strategy provides high-level synthesis in both HA titer and molecular weight.

Structural responses of metallic glasses under neutron irradiation

Seeking nuclear materials that possess a high resistance to particle irradiation damage is a long-standing issue. Permanent defects, induced by irradiation, are primary structural changes, the accumulation of which will lead to structural damage and performance degradation in crystalline materials served in nuclear plants. In this work, structural responses of neutron irradiation in metallic glasses (MGs) have been investigated by making a series of experimental measurements, coupled with simulations in ZrCu amorphous alloys. It is found that, compared with crystalline alloys, MGs have some specific structural responses to neutron irradiation. Although neutron irradiation can induce transient vacancy-like defects in MGs, they are fully annihilated after structural relaxation by rearrangement of free volumes. In addition, the rearrangement of free volumes depends strongly on constituent elements. In particular, the change in free volumes occurs around the Zr atoms, rather than the Cu centers. This implies that there is a feasible strategy for identifying glassy materials with high structural stability against neutron irradiation by tailoring the microstructures, the systems, or the compositions in alloys. This work will shed light on the development of materials with high irradiation resistance.

Polymorphisms of rs1347093 and rs1397529 are associated with lung cancer risk in northeast Chinese population

Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest morbidity and mortality all over the world. Here we researched the association between two SNPs (rs1347093 in MIR217HG and rs1397529 in Gab1) and the risk of lung cancer in northeast Chinese population, including 825 cases and 766 controls. We carried out χ2 test, unconditional logistic regression analysis and crossover analysis to estimate the relationship between SNPs and lung cancer risk and the interaction between SNPs and smoking on susceptibility to lung cancer. The results indicated that rs1347093, rs1397529 polymorphisms were associated with lung cancer risk, especially with adenocarcinoma risk. Dominant genetic model of the rs1347093 was associated with reduced risk of lung cancer compared to CC genotype (AC+AA vs. CC: adjusted OR = 0.599, 95%CI = 0.418-0.858, P=0.005). For rs1347093, the similar result was found. Dominant genetic model of the rs1397529 was associated with reduced risk of lung cancer compared to AA genotype (AC+CC vs. AA: adjusted OR = 0.664, 95%CI = 0.491-0.897, P=0.008). There is no significant interaction between rs1347093, rs1397529 polymorphism and smoking on susceptibility to lung cancer. Our study might demonstrate that rs1347093 in MIR217HG and rs1397529 in Gab1 could be meaningful as the novel biomarker for lung cancer risk.

Genetic polymorphisms in pre-miRNAs predict the survival of non-small-cell lung cancer in Chinese population: a cohort study and a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To explore the association of genetic polymorphisms in pre-miRNA 30c-1 rs928508 and pre-miRNA 27a rs895819 with non-small-cell lung cancer prognosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

480 patients from five hospitals were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. They were followed up for five years. The association between genotypes and overall survival was assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression models. A meta-analysis was conducted to provide evidence for the effect of microRNA 27a rs895819 on cancer survival.

RESULTS

G-allele containing genotypes of microRNA 30c-1 polymorphisms and C-allele containing genotypes of microRNA 27a were significantly associated with poorer overall survival. Multivariate Cox regression models indicated that these genetic polymorhpisms were independently predictive factors of poorer overall survival. In stratified analysis, the effect was observed in many strata. The significant joint effect was also observed in our study. Patients with G allele of microRNA 30c-1 rs928508 and C allele of microRNA 27a rs895819 had the poorer overall survival than patients with C allele of rs928508 and T allele of rs895819. The effect of the microRNA 27a rs895819 on non-small cell lung cancer overall survival was supported by the meta-analysis results.

CONCLUSIONS

The two single nucleotide polymorphisms in microRNA 30c-1 and microRNA 27a can predict the outcome of non-small cell lung cancer patients and they may decrease the sensitivity to anti-cancer drugs.

Preliminary study on the changes of ovarian reserve, menstruation, and lymphocyte subpopulation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients of childbearing age

Objective

The main aim of this study was to investigate the ovarian reserve, menstruation, and lymphocyte subpopulation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients of childbearing age.

Methods

We enrolled 40 SLE patients of childbearing age and 40 age-matched healthy controls. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) was tested by electrochemiluminescence, and lymphocyte subsets were tested by flow cytometry. Menstruation situation was obtained by interview.

Results

The AMH level of the SLE group was significantly lower than that of the control group ( p < 0.001), which was negatively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR ( r = −0.316, p = 0.047)) and disease activity (SLEDAI ( r = −0.338, p = 0.033)). The AMH concentration of SLE patients with normal menstruation was higher than those with abnormal menstruation ( p < 0.001). The percentages of CD4+ T lymphocytes and NK (natural killer) cells in the SLE group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( p < 0.001). However, the percentages of B cells and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the SLE group were higher than those in the control group ( p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Decreased AMH and high incidence of abnormal menstruation indicated that autoimmunity activities of SLE can impair the ovarian reserve of female patients. Lymphocytes in SLE patients were in a state of disorder.

Association of PPP1R13L and CD3EAP polymorphisms with risk and survival of non-small cell lung cancer in Chinese non-smoking females

PPP1R13L and CD3EAP were confirmed to play important roles in transcription and apoptosis. SNPs in PPP1R13L and CD3EAP may be associated with lung cancer risk and survival. This study investigated the association of PPP1R13L rs1005165 and CD3EAP rs967591 with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) risk and survival in Chinese non-smoking females. 442 NSCLC cases and 480 cancer-free controls were conducted in the case-control study, and 283 cases were in cohort study. Genotype was determined by Taqman real-time PCR. The statistical analyses were performed by SPSS 22.0 software. We found that rs1005165 and rs967591 were significantly associated with NSCLC risk in Chinese non-smoking females. For rs1005165, compared with homozygous wild CC genotype, carriers of CT or TT genotype had lower risk of NSCLC (adjusted ORs were 0.675 and 0.713, 95% CI were 0.461-0.988 and 0.525-0.968, respectively), adjusted OR for dominant model was 0.702, 95% CI was 0.526-0.937. For rs967591, AA genotype (adjusted OR = 0.721, 95% CI = 0.532-0.978) and at least one A allele (GA+AA) (adjusted OR = 0.716, 95% CI = 0.536-0.956) were significantly correlated with lower risk of NSCLC, compared with GG genotype. But we didn't find correlation between the two SNPs and survival time in Chinese non-smoking NSCLC females. In general, we found PPP1R13L rs1005165 and CD3EAP rs967591 might be associated with lower NSCLC risk in Chinese non-smoking females, but no significant relationship was found with NSCLC survival.

MiR-196a2 and lung cancer in Chinese non-smoking females: a genetic association study and expression analysis

Background

The common polymorphism rs11614913 in miR-196a2 might be associated with lung cancer risk for non-smoking females in northeast China.

Methods

The genotypes of rs11614913 in miR-196a2 were determined by a case-control study including 1003 patients with lung cancer and 1003 healthy controls. The tissues were detected to assess the miRNA expression. Secondary structures of miR-196a2 were predicted.

Results

There was a significant association between miR-196a2 rs11614913 and lung cancer risk in Chinese non-smoking females. Individuals carrying TC or CC genotype had increased risk of lung cancer compared with TT genotype (adjusted risks were 1.63 and 1.67). The C allele was associated with a higher risk of lung cancer with a significant risk of 1.27. The similar significant results were also found in lung adenocarcinoma. There was a significant association between miR-196a2 expression and lung cancer risk (t=2.594, P=0.012). The relative expression of miR-196a2 was significantly higher for CC genotype comparing with the CT or TT genotype in tumor tissues (P values were all 0.003). The optimal free energies were different for T allele and C allele.

Conclusions

The polymorphism rs11614913 in miR-196a2 may be associated with lung cancer risks in Chinese non-smoking females through affecting miR-196a2 expression and secondary structure.

Studies on the chitin/chitosan binding properties of six cuticular proteins analogous to peritrophin 3 from Bombyx mori

Chitin deacetylation is required to make the cuticle rigid and compact through chitin chain crosslinking. Thus it is presumed that specialized proteins are required to bind deacetylated chitin chains together. However, deacetylated-chitin binding proteins have not ever been reported. In a previous work, six cuticular proteins analogous to peritrophin 3 (CPAP3s) were found to be abundant in the moulting fluid of Bombyx mori. In this study, these BmCPAP3s (BmCPAP3-A1, BmCPAP3-A2, BmCPAP3-B, BmCPAP3-C, BmCPAP3-D1 and BmCPAP3-D2) were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using metal-chelating affinity chromatography. Their binding activities demonstrated that although all of the BmCPAP3s showed similar binding abilities toward crystalline chitin and colloidal chitin, they differed in their affinities toward partially and fully deacetylated chitin. Amongst them, BmCPAP3-D1 exhibited the highest binding activity toward deacetylated chitin. The gene expression pattern of BmCPAP3-D1 was similar to BmCPAP3-A1 and BmCPAP3-C at most stages except that it was dramatically upregulated at the beginning of the pupa to adult transition stage. This work is the first report of a chitin-binding protein, BmCPAP3-D1, which exhibits high binding affinity to deacetylated chitin.

[Therapeutic effects of histone deacetylase inhibitor givinostat on air inflammation and high airway resistance in a murine asthma model]

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of givinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI), on the development of chronic asthma with airway inflammation, airway remodeling and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Methods: BALB/C mice were randomly divided into control group, asthma group, dexamethasone group and givinostat group (n=12 per group). AHR was assessed. Total cell numbers and differential counts, interleukin-4(IL-4), interleukin-5(IL-5) and interferon-γ (IFNγ) levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured in the above 4 groups. The pathology of lung tissue was evaluated. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and Western blot were used to detect α smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) and transforming growth factor-β1(TGFβ1). Results: Compared with the asthma only group, givinostat treatment relieved airway resistance (2.96±1.01 vs 6.50±0.79, P<0.05). Total inflammatory cells [(33.04±5.62)×10(4)/ml vs (98.04±9.27)×10(4)/ml, P<0.01], eosinophil cells [(9.17±2.33)×10(4)/ml vs(37.64±6.98)×10(4)/ml, P<0.01], IL-4 [(10.12±2.98)ng/ml vs (16.88±2.78)ng/ml, P<0.05] and IL-5 [(27.09±3.62)ng/ml vs (37.86±7.34)ng/ml, P<0.05] levels were all reduced in givinostat group, while IFNγ [(91.86±23.73)pg/ml vs (60.49±11.88)pg/ml, P>0.05] was enhanced in BALF. Inflammatory cell infiltration around the airway was reduced, with decreased inflammatory cell score[(1.60±0.69)points vs (3.40±0.68) points, P<0.01] and inflammatory cell number (111.65±31.41 vs 601.25±186.85, P<0.01). The goblet cell metaplasia [(26.36±2.33)% vs (57.21±11.56)%] and collagen deposition area [(52.77±7.58)μm(2)/μm vs (111.81±12.40)μm(2)/μm] were obviously reduced (P<0.01). The expressions of α-SMA and TGFβ1 in the lung tissue were both significantly decreased (P<0.01). Conclusion: Givinostat treatment can reduce airway inflammation, airway remodeling and airway hyperresponsiveness in chronic asthma. Its effect is comparable to that of glucocorticoid hormone treatment.

Are dietary reports in a case-control study on thyroid cancer biased by risk perception of Chernobyl fallout?

BACKGROUND

In retrospective case-control studies performed following nuclear tests or nuclear accidents, individual thyroid radiation dose reconstructions are based on fallout and meteorological data from the residential area, demographic characteristics, and lifestyle as well as dietary information. Collecting the latter is a controversial step, as dietary declarations may be affected by the subjects' beliefs about their risk behavior. This report analyses the potential for such bias in a case-control study performed in eastern France.

METHODS

The study included 765 cases of differentiated thyroid carcinoma matched with 831 controls. Risk perceptions and beliefs of cases and controls were compared using Chi² tests and differences in dietary reports were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA.

RESULTS

In general, atmospheric pollution and living near a nuclear power plant were the two major risks that may influence thyroid cancer occurrence cited by cases and controls. When focusing in particular on the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, cases were more likely to think that the consequences were responsible for thyroid cancer occurrence than controls. Vegetable consumption during the two months after the Chernobyl accident was correlated with the status of subjects, but not to their beliefs. Conversely, consumption of fresh dairy products was not correlated with the status or beliefs of subjects.

CONCLUSION

We found no evidence of systematic bias in dietary reports according to the status or beliefs held by subjects about the link between thyroid cancer occurrence and Chernobyl fallout. As such, these dietary reports may be used in further studies involving individual dosimetric reconstructions.

[Clinical analysis of 21 cases with short fetal femur in the third trimester]

Objective: To analyze the clinical features and to explore the etiology of short fetal femur during the third trimester. Methods: From January 2010 to June 2016, 21 singleton pregnancies with short fetal femur detected by ultrasonography during the third trimester were referred to the Chinese PLA General Hospital. Clinical data were collected, karyotype or single nucleotide polymorphism microarray was carried out to detect chromosomal abnormalities, and FGFR3 c.1138G>A mutation detection was carried out to detect achondroplasia (ACH) via invasive procedure, respectively. The deviation of femur length from the mean value of the gestational age in ultrasonography was expressed as the Z-score. The difference between ACH and isolated short femur (ISF, in the absence of associated structure abnormality or genetic abnormality) was then explored. Results: In the 21 fetuses, 11 had abnormal genetic test results(52%, 11/21), including 9 cases of ACH, 1 case of Ellis-van Creveld Syndrome and 1 case of Pallister-Killian syndrome. In the 10 ISF fetuses (48%, 10/21), 3 cases were fetal growth restriction, 1 was normal small for gestational age infant and 6 cases were unexplained. The median Z-scores for 9 cases of ACH and 10 cases of ISF in the third trimester were -5.04, -3.20, respectively. The short femur in ACH was more severe than in ISF (P=0.005) in the third trimester. Conclusions: The etiology of short fetal femur is complicated, including skeletal dysplasia, chromosomal abnormality, fetal growth restriction, as well as normal variants during fetal development. Genetic test should be considered during the antenatal consultation.

Walking Responses of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) to Its Aggregation Pheromone and Odors of Wheat Infestations

The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a worldwide pest of stored grains. Using "Y"-tube olfactometry we studied the response of T. castaneum to odors from simulated wheat infestations containing conspecifics, and infestations containing the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), and the granary weevil Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Tribolium castaneum larvae were significantly attracted to odors from all three test species. Tribolium castaneum adults were attracted to grains infested by R. dominica and flour infested by T. castaneum but repelled from grains infested by S. granarius. Further behavioral analysis with pheromones showed that T. castaneum were significantly attracted to their aggregation pheromone, dimethyldecanal (DMD), but not to the R. dominica aggregation pheromone, a mixture of dominicalure 1 and 2. Female T. castaneum adults were attracted to ∼50-fold less DMD than larvae and 100-fold less than male adults, suggesting they are more sensitive to DMD. This study improves our understanding of T. castaneum behaviors to infested grain volatile compounds and pheromones, and may help develop new control methods for grain pest species.

[Urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 enhances tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells through competitively inhibiting miR-18a]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate how urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) and miR-18a modulates acquired tamoxifen resistance and the relevant mechanisms in estrogen receptor (ER) positive cancer cells.

METHODS

qRT-PCR was performed to detect UCA1 and miR-18a expression in breast cancer cells. Dual luciferase assay was performed to detect the binding between miR-18a and UCA1 3'UTR. Tamoxifen sensitive MCF-7 cells were transfected with UCA1 expression vector or miR-18a inhibitors. Tamoxifen resistant LCC9 and BT474 cells were transfected with UCA1 siRNA or miR-18a mimics. CCK-8 assay was performed to detect cell viability. Soft agar assay was performed to assess cell colony formation. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to check cell cycle distribution.

RESULTS

UCA1 was significantly upregulated in tamoxifen resistant LCC2, LCC9, and BT474 cells than in tamoxifen sensitive MCF-7 cells. UCA1 expression was significantly upregulated in MCF-7 cells after treatment with 0.1 μmol/L tamoxifen. UCA1 overexpression enhanced cell viability of MCF-7 cells after tamoxifen treatment, while UCA1 siRNA significantly suppressed viability of LCC9 and BT474 cells after tamoxifen treatment. In MCF-7 cells, compared with vector control+tamoxifen group, the average cell colony number and colony size of the UCA1+tamoxifen group was 19.0% more and 29.0% larger respectively, while the proportions of the cells in G1 phase and in S phase were 7.3% lower and 6.7% higher respectively. In BT474 cells, compared with siRNA control+tamoxifen group, the average cell colony number and colony size of the si-UCA1+tamoxifen group were 54.0% less and 42.0% smaller respectively, while the proportions of the cells in G1 phase and in S phase were 9.0% higher and 6.2% lower respectively. UCA1 directly interacted with miR-18a and reduced its expression in ER positive breast cancer cells. Knockdown of miR-18a increased viability of MCF-7 cells after tamoxifen treatment, while miR-18a overexpression significantly reduced viability of BT474 cells after tamoxifen treatment. In MCF-7 cells, compared with miRNA inhibitor control+tamoxifen group, the average cell colony number and colony size of the miR-18a inhibitor+tamoxifen group were 15.0% more and 33.0% larger respectively, while the proportions of the cells in G1 phase and in S phase were 8.8% lower and 5.3% higher respectively. In BT474 cells, compared with miRNA control+tamoxifen group, the average cell colony number and colony size of the miR-18a mimics+tamoxifen group were 47.0% less and 25.0% smaller respectively, while the proportions of the cells in G1 phase and in S phase were 13.3% higher and 7.9% lower respectively.

CONCLUSION

UCA1 can increase tamoxifen resistance of ER positive breast cancer cells via competitively inhibiting of miR-18a.

100-fold improvement in carrier drift mobilities in alkanephosphonate-passivated monocrystalline TiO2 nanowire arrays

Single crystal rutile titania nanowires grown by solvothermal synthesis are actively being researched for use as electron transporting scaffolds in perovskite solar cells, in low detection limit ultraviolet photodetectors, in photoelectrochemical water-splitting, and in chemiresistive and electrochemical sensing. The electron drift mobility (μ _n ) in solution-grown TiO₂ nanowires is very low due to a high density of deep traps, and reduces performance in optoelectronic devices. In this study, the effects of molecular passivation of the nanowire surface by octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA), on carrier transport in TiO₂ nanowire ensembles, were investigated using transient space charge limited current measurements. Infrared spectroscopy indicated the formation of a highly ordered phosphonate monolayer with a high likelihood of bidentate binding of ODPA to the rutile surface. We report the hole drift mobility (μ _p ) for the first time in unpassivated solvothermal rutile nanowires to be 8.2 × 10^-5 cm² V^-1 s^-1 and the use of ODPA passivation resulted in μ _p improving by nearly two orders of magnitude to 7.1 × 10^-3 cm² V^-1 s^-1. Likewise, ODPA passivation produced between a 2 and 3 order of magnitude improvement in μ _n from ∼10^-5-10^-6 cm² V^-1 s^-1 to ∼10^-3 cm² V^-1 s^-1. The bias dependence of the post-transit photocurrent decays in ODPA-passivated nanowires indicated that minority carriers were lost to trapping and/or monomolecular recombination for small values of bias (<5 V). Bimolecular recombination was indicated to be the dominant recombination mechanism at higher bias values.

Scanning Electron Microscopy Study of the Antennal Sensilla of Monema flavescens Walker (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae)

Monema flavescens Walker (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) is a serious polyphagous defoliator. Using scanning electron microscopy, the external morphology of the antennal sensilla of this pest was examined for a better understanding of the mechanisms of insect-insect and insect-plant chemical communications. The antennae of M. flavescens were filiform in shape, and 11 morphological types of sensilla were found in both sexes. Six types of likely chemosensory sensilla were identified: uniporous sensilla chaetica, multiporous sensilla trichodea, and four types of multiporous sensilla basiconica. The sensilla identified as likely mechanoreceptors included two subtypes of aporous sensilla chaetica, aporous sensilla coeloconica, aporous sensilla styloconica, and Böhm's bristles, whereas the position of the antennae was monitored by Böhm's bristles.