[Efficiency of CNV-seq in detecting fetal DMD gene deletion or duplication in prenatal diagnosis]

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) to detect the deletion or duplication of DMD gene in prenatal diagnosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out on the CNV-seq results of 34 544 fetuses diagnosed in the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province from January 2018 to July 2023. A total of 156 cases of fetuses were collected, including Group 1:125 cases with family history of Duchenne muscular dystrophy or Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD), and Group 2:31 cases with no family history but a DMD gene deletion or duplication was detected unexpectedly by CNV-seq. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was used as a standard method to detect the deletion or duplication. Consistency test was carried out basing on the results of CNV-seq and MLPA of all 156 cases. Results: Comparing to MLPA, CNV-seq had a coincidence rate of 92.3% (144/156) for DMD gene deletion or duplication, with a sensitivity and positive predictive value of 88.2%, with a specificity and negative predictive value of 94.3%, a missed detection rate of 3.8%, and a Kappa value of 0.839. CNV-seq missed 4 cases with deletions and 2 with duplications due to involved fragments less than 100 Kb, among 20 cases of deletions and 6 cases of duplications detected by MLPA in Group 1. In Group 2, the deletions and duplications detected by CNV-seq were 42% (13/31) and 58% (18/31), respectively, in which the percentage of duplication was higher than that in Group 1. Among those 18 cases with duplications, 3 cases with duplication locating in exon 42~67 were likely pathogenic; while 9 cases with duplication covering the 5' or 3' end of the DMD gene, containing exon 1 or 79 and with only one breakpoint within the gene, along with the last 6 cases with duplications locating at chrX: 32650635_32910000 detected only by CNV-seq, which might be judged as variants of uncertain significance. Conclusions: CNV-seq has a good efficiency to detect fetal DMD gene deletion or duplication in prenatal diagnosis, while a further verification test by MLPA is recommended. The duplications on chrX: 32650635_32910000, 5' or 3' end of DMD gene detected by CNV-seq should be carefully verified and assessed because those variants appear to be nonpathogenic polymorphisms.

Potential of a winterschmidtiid prey mite for the production of the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Mass rearing of the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) using natural (prey) methods is costly and laborious, limiting its application in the biological control of pests. A high-production, low-cost method using a prey substitute would help to relieve this problem. Oulenziella bakeri Hughes (Acari: Winterschmidtiidae) could be an alternative prey source, but studies on the reproductive parameters of N. californicus under rearing conditions are lacking. This study evaluated the potential of O. bakeri as an alternative prey in N. californicus rearing by comparing developmental parameters among N. californicus reared on three diets based on an age-stage two-sex life table. We found that the preoviposition period and developmental time of N. californicus did not vary based on diet. The fecundity of N. californicus adults reared on O. bakeri was 29.8 eggs per female, which was lower than that of adults reared on Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) (42.9 eggs per female); there was no significant difference between O. bakeri and apple pollen (30.2 eggs per female). The oviposition rate of mites fed on O. bakeri was 69% of that fed on T. urticae. Neoseiulus californicus reared on O. bakeri and apple pollen showed the same intrinsic rate of increase (0.25 per day), which was 86% of the rate of those fed on T. urticae. Compared with predatory mites reared on natural prey, N. californicus reared on O. bakeri had a high survival rate and good oviposition and population growth parameters, suggesting that O. bakeri is suitable for the rearing of N. californicus.

Role of the Hox Genes, Sex combs reduced, Fushi tarazu and Antennapedia, in Leg Development of the Spider Mite Tetranychus urticae

Mites, the second largest arthropod group, exhibit rich phenotypic diversity in the development of appendages (legs). For example, the fourth pair of legs (L4) does not form until the second postembryonic developmental stage, namely the protonymph stage. These leg developmental diversities drive body plan diversity in mites. However, little is known about the mechanisms of leg development in mites. Hox genes, homeotic genes, can regulate the development of appendages in arthropods. Three Hox genes, Sex combs reduced (Scr), Fushi tarazu (Ftz) and Antennapedia (Antp), have previously been shown to be expressed in the leg segments of mites. Here, the quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR shows that three Hox genes are significantly increased in the first molt stage. RNA interference results in a set of abnormalities, including L3 curl and L4 loss. These results suggest that these Hox genes are required for normal leg development. Furthermore, the loss of single Hox genes results in downregulating the expression of the appendage marker Distal-less (Dll), suggesting that the three Hox genes can work together with Dll to maintain leg development in Tetranychus urticae. This study will be essential to understanding the diversity of leg development in mites and changes in Hox gene function.

Four New Species of Larval Charletonia and Leptus (Acari: Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae), with a Checklist of the Two Genera and Their Hosts from China

Four new species, Charletonia rectangia Xu and Jin sp. nov., Leptus (Leptus) bomiensis Xu and Jin sp. nov., Leptus (Leptus) longisolenidionus Xu and Jin sp. nov., and Leptus (Leptus) striatus Xu and Jin sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on larvae. All four new species are from biodiversity hotspots, L. (L.) bomiensissp. nov. from the Eastern Himalayas biodiversity hotspot, while the other three species from the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.

The Effects of Alternative Foods on Life History and Cannibalism of Amblyseius herbicolus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

The development, survivorship, fecundity, and cannibalism of the predatory phytoseiid mite, Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant), fed six different alternative foods (Oulenziella bakeri, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Aleuroglyphus ovatus, almond pollen (Prunus armeniaca), apple pollen (Malus pumila), maize pollen (Zea mays)), and natural prey (Tetranychus urticae) were determined in the laboratory. Our findings indicated that A. herbicolus that fed on all six alternative foods could normally complete its developmental and reproductive cycles. The shortest pre-adult developmental duration was observed when A. herbicolus fed on almond pollen (4.91 d) as well as T. urticae (4.90 d), and the longest when it fed on maize pollen (6.24 d). Pre-adult survival rates were higher when the predator fed on almond pollen (0.99), maize pollen (0.96), and O. bakeri (0.93). The highest fecundity was observed when A. herbicolus fed on apple pollen (28.55 eggs/female), almond pollen (26.06 eggs/female), and O. bakeri (26.02 eggs/female) in addition to T. urticae (48.95 eggs/female), and the lowest when it fed on maize pollen (7.84 eggs/female). The highest value of the intrinsic rate of increase (r) was obtained when A. herbicolus fed on O. bakeri (0.202 d^-1) in addition to T. urticae (0.210 d^-1), followed by almond pollen (0.163 d^-1), and the lowest was when it fed on maize pollen (0.064 d^-1). Cannibalism of conspecific eggs by adults of A. herbicolus did not occur when O. bakeri and T. urticae were provided. The cannibalism rate of the predatory mite was the lowest when fed on almond pollen, T. putrescentiae, and A. ovatus and the highest on apple pollen. Above all, when fed on O. bakeri and almond pollen, and with no or low cannibalism rate, A. herbicolus had the best development, survivorship, fecundity, and population parameters. Therefore, O. bakeri and almond pollen could be potential alternative foods for mass rearing programs of A. herbicolus or to support its population in the fields.

An Energy-Restricted Diet Including Yogurt, Fruit, and Vegetables Alleviates High-Fat Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Mice by Modulating the Gut Microbiota

BACKGROUND

The importance of the composition of an energy-restricted diet in the treatment of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

In this study we aimed to investigate the benefits of a novel dietary treatment (50% calorie restriction diet composed of yogurt, fruit, and vegetables [CR-YD]) in mice with MetS.

METHODS

Forty 7-wk-old male C57BL/6 J mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n = 10/group) that were fed for 14 wk ad libitum with a normal diet (ND; 10%:70%:20% energy from fat: carbohydrate: protein) or for 12 wk with a high-fat diet (HFD; 60:20:20) or the HFD followed by 2 wk of feeding with a 50% calorie-restricted HFD (CR-HFD) or YD (CR-YD, 21.2%:65.4%:13.4% energy). Body weight, fat deposition, hepatic steatosis, serum concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers, and glucose homeostasis were assessed. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was used to validate the roles of gut microbiota in MetS.

RESULTS

The HFD group had 50% greater body weight and 475% greater fat deposition than the ND group (P < 0.05). Compared with the HFD group, the CR-HFD and CR-YD groups had 22% and 31% lower body weight and 49% and 75% less fat deposition, respectively (P < 0.05). Compared with the CR-HFD group, the CR-YD group had 11% lower body weight, 96% less fat deposition, 500% less hepatic steatosis, 75% lower glucose, and 450% more hepatic Akkermansia bacteria (P < 0.05). The CR-YD group also had 50% lower histopathology scores and 1.35-fold higher levels of Claudin4 than the CR-HFD group (P < 0.05). The HFD + CR-YD fecal group had 10.6% lower body weight, 119% lower steatosis, and 17.9% lower glucose (P < 0.05) than the HFD + CR-HFD fecal group.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with CR alone, the CR-YD diet has a better therapeutic effect in mice with HFD-induced MetS.

Isolation of Peptide Inhibiting SGC-7901 Cell Proliferation from Aspongopus chinensis Dallas

Aspongopus chinensis Dallas is used as a traditional Chinese medicine as well as an edible insect. Although its anti-tumor effects have been observed, the anti-tumor active component(s) in the hemolymph of A. chinensis remains unknown. In this study, a combination usage of ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, FPLC and RP-HPLC to separate and purify active peptides was performed based on the proliferation of the human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cell line treated with candidates. One peptide (MW = 2853.3 Da) was isolated from the hemolymph of A. chinensis. A total of 24 amino acid residues were continuously determined for the active peptide: N′-ECGYCAEKGIRCDDIHCCTGLKKK-C′. In conclusion, a peptide that can inhibit the proliferation of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells in the hemolymph of A. chinensis was purified in this study, which is homologous to members of the spider toxin protein family. These results should facilitate further works for this peptide, such as the cloning of genes, expression in vitro by prokaryotic or eukaryotic systems, more specific tests of anti-tumor activity, and so on.

Two New Species and a New Combination of the Subfamily Erythraeinae Based on Larval Stage (Acari: Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae) from China

The species Eatoniana yangshuonicus (Haitlinger) comb. nov. is transferred from the genus Erythraeus to Eatoniana based on the basifemoral setal formula 2-2-1. Two new species, Eatoniana nanlingensis Xu and Jin sp. nov. and Erythraeus (Erythraeus) kunyuensis Xu and Jin sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on larvae. Eatoniana nanlingensis sp. nov. from the Oriental region (Guangdong Province), Er. (Er.) kunyuensis sp. nov. from the Palaearctic region (Shandong Province). An updated key to larval species of the genus Eatoniana of the world is presented.

Juvenile Hormone Is an Important Factor in Regulating Aspongopus chinensis Dallas Diapause

Aspongopuschinensis is a Chinese traditional edible and medicinal insect, which is in great demand in the society. This insect reproduces once a year which is caused by reproductive diapause resulting in insufficient production in wild resources. However, the mechanism of diapause in A. chinensis is still unclear. In this study, we focus on the relationship between juvenile hormones (JHs) and A. chinensis diapause. The results showed that JHIII concentration in diapause adult individuals was significantly lower than that in diapause termination adult individuals. When exogenous JHⅢ was injected into diapause adults, the rate of mating was increased significantly, development of the reproductive systems was accelerated, consumption of fat intensified, the expression of juvenile hormone acid o-methyl-transferase (JHAMT) was upregulated, and juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase (JHEH) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) gene expressions were downregulated. In addition, RNAi of JHAMT decreased JH concentration, delayed the development of reproductive systems, slowed down fat consumption, and delayed the mean mating occurrence time significantly. Conversely, RNAi of JHEH resulted in an increased concentration of JH, development of reproductive systems was accelerated, consumption of fat was intensified, and mean mating occurrence time advanced significantly. Taken together, these findings uncovered that JH plays an important role in regulating reproductive diapause in A. chinensis and, thus, could provide a theoretical basis for further research on the diapause of A. chinensis.

Characterization of nitrilases from Variovorax boronicumulans that functions in insecticide flonicamid degradation and β-cyano-L-alanine detoxification

AIMS

To characterize the functions of nitrilases of Variovorax boronicumulans CGMCC 4969 and evaluate flonicamid (FLO) degradation and β-cyano-L-alanine (Ala(CN)) detoxification by this bacterium.

METHODS AND RESULTS

V. boronicumulans CGMCC 4969 nitrilases (NitA and NitB) were purified and substrate specificity assay indicated that both of them degraded insecticide FLO to N-(4-trifluoromethylnicotinoyl)glycinamide (TFNG-AM) and 4-(trifluoromethyl)nicotinol glycine (TFNG). Ala(CN), a plant detoxification intermediate, was hydrolyzed by NitB. Escherichia coli overexpressing NitA and NitB degraded 41.2 and 93.8% of FLO (0.87 mmol·L^-1 ) within 1 h, with half-lives of 1.30 and 0.25 h, respectively. NitB exhibited the highest nitrilase activity toward FLO. FLO was used as a substrate to compare their enzymatic properties. NitB was more tolerant to acidic conditions and organic solvents than NitA. Conversely, NitA was more tolerant to metal ions than NitB. CGMCC 4969 facilitated FLO degradation in soil and surface water and utilized Ala(CN) as a sole nitrogen source for growth.

CONCLUSIONS

CGMCC 4969 efficiently degraded FLO mediated by NitA and NitB; NitB was involved in Ala(CN) detoxification.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study promotes our understanding of versatile functions of nitrilases from CGMCC 4969 that is promising for environmental remediation.

Association of Homocysteine and Risks of Long-Term Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Death among Older Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Prospective Study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess whether raised baseline plasma tHcy concentrations increased the risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause death outcomes in older patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

DESIGN

A multicenter, prospective, observational study.

SETTING

Beijing, Shandong Province, Gansu Province of China.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1, 290 OSA patients aged 60 to 96 years from sleep centers of six hospitals in China consecutively recruited between January 2015 and October 2017.

MEASUREMENTS

Cox proportional models assessed the association between tHcy and the risk of new-onset all events among Chinese older OSA patients.

RESULTS

The final analysis (60.1% male; median age, 66 years) used data from 1, 100 subjects during a median follow-up of 42 months, a total of 105 (9.5%) patients developed MACE and 42 (3.8%) patients died. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed higher adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of MACE, myocardial infarction (MI), hospitalization for unstable angina, and composite of all events with tHcy levels in the 4th quartile (HR=5.93, 95% CI: 2.79-12.59; HR=4.72, 95% CI:1.36-4.61; HR=4.26, 95% CI:1.62-5.71; HR=4.17, 95% CI:2.23-7.81) and the 3rd quartile (HR=3.79, 95% CI:1.76-8.20; HR=3.65, 95% CI:1.04-2.98; HR=2.75, 95% CI:1.08-3.76; HR=2.51, 95% CI:1.31-4.83) compared to reference tHcy levels in quartile 1, respectively, while the aHRs (95% CIs) of all-cause death showed significantly higher only in the highest tHcy level quartile than in the lowest quartile (HR=3.20, 95% CI=1.16-8.84, P=0.025) with no significant differences in risks of cardiovascular death and hospitalisation for heart failure among groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

tHcy, a marker of prognosis for older OSA patients, was significantly associated with the increased risk of MACE and all-cause death in this population independent of BMI, smoking status, and other potential risk factors, but not all clinical components events of MACE. New therapeutic approaches for older patients with OSA should mitigate tHcy-associated risks of MACE, and even all-cause death.

The extracellular vesicular pseudogene LGMNP1 induces M2-like macrophage polarization by upregulating LGMN and serves as a novel promising predictive biomarker for ovarian endometriosis recurrence

STUDY QUESTION

How does ectopic endometrial stromal cell (Ecto-ESC)-derived extracellular vesicular Legumain pseudogene 1 (EV-LGMNP1), a newly identified pseudogene of Legumain (LGMN), contribute to M2-phenotype macrophage polarization, and does it predict recurrence in patients with ovarian endometriosis (EMs)?

SUMMARY ANSWER

EV-LGMNP1, which is abundant in Ecto-ESCs and serum from ovarian EMs, can direct macrophages towards an M2 phenotype by upregulating LGMN expression and is a promising biomarker for predicting ovarian EMs recurrence.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can mediate cell-to-cell crosstalk to promote disease progression via cargo molecule transport. Recently, LGMNP1, a newly identified pseudogene of LGMN, has been reported to promote cancer progression by upregulating LGMN. LGMN is a well-studied protein that can induce M2-like polarization.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

An in vitro study was conducted with Ecto-ESCs isolated from ectopic endometrial samples, collected from two patients with ovarian EMs (diagnosed by laparoscopy and histological analysis). A clinical retrospective cohort study of 52 ovarian EMs patients and 21 controls with available preoperative serum samples was carried out (2013-2017). The follow-up period ended either at the time of recurrence or on 31 December 2018.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Ecto-ESC-derived EVs (EV/Ecto-ESCs) were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy and western blotting. EV internalization by THP-1 cells, which are the most widely used primary human macrophages model, was detected by fluorescence labelling. After EV treatment, THP-1 cell polarization was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot analyses of CD86 (M1-related marker) and CD206 (M2-related marker). LGMNP1 mRNA expression level in EVs from both primary ectopic endometrioc stromal cells and serum was examined using qRT-PCR. Additionally, the expression of LGMN, the downstream target gene of LGMNP1, in THP-1 cells was evaluated using qRT-PCR and western blotting. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to evaluate the independent predictive factors of EMs recurrence-free survival. A novel nomogram model based on serum EV-LGMNP1 was then formulated to predict EMs recurrence.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

In vitro assays demonstrated that EV/Ecto-ESCs drove macrophages towards an M2-like phenotype. Moreover, LGMNP1 contributed to EV/Ecto-ESC-induced M2 macrophage polarization by upregulating LGMN mRNA expression levels. Clinically, serum EV-LGMNP1 was more highly expressed in recurrent EMs patients than in controls and EMs patients without recurrence. Survival analysis and our novel nomogram reconfirmed that serum EV-LGMNP1 was a novel promising and meaningful non-invasive biomarker for predicting EMs recurrence.

LARGE SCALE DATA

N/A.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

In vitro experiments were only performed on samples from two patients with ovarian endometriosis, and a larger sample size is needed. ESCs isolated from the eutopic endometrium of EMs and non-EMs patients should be studied in the future. Additionally, in vitro experiments should be performed using endometrial epithelium cells and further in vivo experiments, such as using mice endometriotic models to investigate whether EV/Ecto could induce M2 macrophage polarization, should be conducted. Moreover, multicentre, large-sample data are needed to validate our predictive nomogram model.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Our study provides novel insights into the mechanism of M2 polarization involved in ovarian EMs progression mediated by an 'EV-shuttled pseudogene LGMNP1' mode. In addition, serum EV-LGMNP1 may serve as a novel non-invasive biomarker for predicting recurrence, providing a new therapeutic target for ovarian EMs.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This project was supported by funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81971361), the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai Science and Technology (19ZR1406900), the Shanghai 'Rising Stars of Medical Talent' Youth Development Program (AB83030002019004), the Clinical Research Plan of SHDC (SHDC2020CR4087), the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (202040498), the Research and Innovation Project of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (2019-01-07-00-07-E00050) and the Clinical Research Plan of SHDC (SHDC2020CR1045B). There are no competing interests to declare.

[Diagnostic value of platelet associated biomarkers in chronic periprosthetic joint infection]

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of platelet count(PC),PC to mean platelet volume(MPV) ratio(PC/MPV) and plateletcrit(PCT) in chronic periprosthetic joint infection(PJI). Method: The medical records of 159 patients who underwent hip or knee revisions at Department of Joint Surgery,Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from August 2013 to June 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 51 patients(26 knees and 25 hips) in the PJI group,which included 28 males and 23 females,aged (68.0±11.8)years (range:32 to 84 years)with a body mass index(BMI)of (26.1±3.6) kg/m².There were 116 patients(19 knees and 97 hips) in the aseptic loosening(AL) group,including 67 males and 49 females,aged (70.3±8.9)years(range:49 to 89 years)with a BMI of (25.0±3.6)kg/m².The plasma C-reactive protein(CRP),erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR),PC,MPV,PC/MPV and PCT levels of the two groups were recorded and analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of each biomarker,expect for MPV,and the diagnostic value of each biomarker was compared according to the area under the curve(AUC).Independent-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparison between groups. Result: Compared with AL group,AJI group had significantly higher levels of CRP,ESR,PC,PC/MPV and PCT(all P<0.05),but lower level of MPV (P<0.05).The AUCs for CRP,ESR,PC,PC/MPV and PCT were 0.820, 0.829, 0.689, 0.668 and 0.676,respectively. Based on the Youden index,the optimal predictive cutoff for CRP was 11.12 mg/L,with a sensitivity of 74.4% and a specificity of 87.1%.The optimal predictive cutoff for ESR was 17.60 mm/1 h,with a sensitivity of 81.4% and a specificity of 75.3%.The optimal predictive cutoff for PC was 243.00×109/L,with a sensitivity of 60.6% and a specificity of 71.8%.The optimal predictive cutoff for PC/MPV was 24.95,the sensitivity was 58.1% and the specificity was 74.1%.And the optimal predictive cutoff for PCT was 0.24%,with a sensitivity of 69.8% and a specificity of 63.5%. Conclusion: PC,PC to MPV ratio and PCT were of limited value to diagnose PJI.

[Preliminary study of the fourth-generation CAR-T cells targeting CS1 in the treatment of refractory and recurrent multiple myeloma]

Objective: To design the fourth-generation chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells that secrete interleukin-7 (IL7) and chemokine C legend 19 (CCL19) on the basis of the second-generation CAR, and to analyze and compare the differences in proliferation, chemotaxis, tumor cell clearance and persistence in the microenvironment of multiple myeloma (MM) between them. Methods: The fourth-generation CAR vector plasmid was constructed by using 2A self-cleaving peptide technology. The third-generation lentiviral packaging system was used to prepare high-titer lentivirus. Flow cytometry was used to monitor the transduction efficiency of lentivirus and the subtype changes of CAR-T cells. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify the IL7 and CCL19 secreted by CAR-T cells.The calculation of absolute number of CAR-T cells during culture was used to analysis cell proliferation activity. Transwell migration assay was used to verify the chemotactic ability of CAR-T cells. The specific killing activity of CAR-T cells was detected by using the luciferase bioluminescence method. The NOD-Prkdcem26Cd52Il2rgem26Cd22/Nju (NOD) mouse xenograft model was used to verify the anti-myeloma activity and safety of CAR-T cells in vivo. Results: Flow cytometry results showed that the stable CAR expression rates of the second-generation anti-CS1 CAR-T and fourth-generation anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells were (91.50±0.29)% and (46.7±0.12)%, respectively. CAR-T cells were successfully constructed. Subtype analysis demonstrated that the ratio of stem memory T cell (TSCM) in anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells was (67.58±0.59)%, which was significantly higher than (50.74 ± 1.01)% of anti-CS1 CAR-T (P=0.000 1), with more strong immune memory function and better durability. Anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells can continuously secrete IL7 and CCL19 compared to MOCK-T and anti-CS1 CAR-T (P<0.000 1). The number of anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells reached (22.77±0.79)×10(6) on the 9th day after lentivirus transduction, which was significantly higher than (9.40±0.79)×10(6) of anti-CS1 CAR-T cells (P=0.000 1), with stronger proliferation ability. The number of chemotaxis cells of anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells to reactive T cells was (109.0±4.04), which was significantly higher than (9.33±1.20) of MOCK-T (P<0.000 1) and (7.33±0.88) of anti-CS1 CAR-T (P<0.000 1), with stronger chemotactic ability. The specific killing activity showed that both anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T and anti-CS1 CAR-T cells had specific killing efficacies when compared with the MOCK-T cells (P<0.000 1). Animal experiment indicated that anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells significantly reduced the tumor burden (P<0.000 1) and extended the overall survival time (P=0.006 1) of tumor-bearing mice. Conclusions: The anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells designed in this study show stronger proliferative activity, chemotactic ability, and durability without affecting the anti-myeloma activity in vivo and in vivo, which provides strategies for overcoming the defects of low survival rate, poor durability and inhibition by tumor microenvironment of traditional CAR-T cells, and offers preliminary experimental basis for the clinical application of the fourth-generation CAR-T cells.

Differential seeding and propagating efficiency of α-synuclein strains generated in different conditions

Background

Accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a main pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s and related diseases, which are collectively known as synucleinopathies. Growing evidence has supported that the same protein can induce remarkably distinct pathological progresses and disease phenotypes, suggesting the existence of strain difference among α-syn fibrils. Previous studies have shown that α-syn pathology can propagate from the peripheral nervous system (PNS) to the central nervous system (CNS) in a “prion-like” manner. However, the difference of the propagation potency from the periphery to CNS among different α-syn strains remains unknown and the effect of different generation processes of these strains on the potency of seeding and propagation remains to be revealed in more detail.

Methods

Three strains of preformed α-syn fibrils (PFFs) were generated in different buffer conditions which varied in pH and ionic concentrations. The α-syn PFFs were intramuscularly (IM) injected into a novel bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse line that expresses wild-type human α-syn, and the efficiency of seeding and propagation of these PFFs from the PNS to the CNS was evaluated.

Results

The three strains of α-syn PFFs triggered distinct propagation patterns. The fibrils generated in mildly acidic buffer led to the most severe α-syn pathology, degeneration of motor neurons and microgliosis in the spinal cord.

Conclusions

The different α-syn conformers generated in different conditions exhibited strain-specific pathology and propagation patterns from the periphery to the CNS, which further supports the view that α-syn strains may be responsible for the heterogeneity of pathological features and disease progresses among synucleinopathies.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40035-021-00242-5.

[Feasibility study of telemedicine model for diagnosis and treatment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome in China]

Objective: To explore the feasibility of applying telemedicine model in disease management for patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in China. Methods: A total of 24 patients were enrolled with suspected OSAHS who were admitted to the Sleep Center of Peking University People's Hospital from October 2015 to September 2016. Patients were diagnosed by electronic questionnaire assessment and home sleep apnea monitoring (HSAT) and were treated with remote automatic positive airway pressure (APAP). After 1 week, 1 month and 3 months of treatment, the patients were followed up by video. The follow-up questionnaire was completed by the patients through an independent data management platform. The APAP treatment data and compliance data were obtained through a built-in digital card of the APAP device. Linear regression model was used to explore the factors related to patient compliance. One-way repeated-measure analysis of variance was used to compare the changes of APAP duration and apnea hypopnea index (AHI) among patients at different treatment time points. Paired t-test was used to compare the EPWORTH scale (ESS) scores before and after treatment. Results: A total of 22 patients were diagnosed with OSAHS, including 20 males (90.9%), aged (45.6±10.2) years and AHI before treatment was (46.9±20.4) times/h. A total of 20 OSAHS patients received APAP treatment, and the proportion of patients with good compliance after 1 week, 1 month and 3 months of treatment were 15/19, 10/19 and 8/18, respectively. The severity of sleepiness before treatment affected compliance. Each 1-point increase in ESS score was associated with a 6.16% (95%CI: 3.01%, 9.31%) increase in compliance. Age, body mass index and AHI before treatment had no effect on compliance (all P values>0.05). The AHI of the patients who had been treated for 1 week, 1 month and 3 months were (2.5±2.1), (2.2±1.6) and (1.9±1.0) times/h, respectively. (P=0.195). After 3 months of treatment, the ESS score was (7.0±3.3), lower than that before treatment (10.6±3.1) (P=0.079). Conclusion: Telemedicine mode of diagnosis and treatment of OSAHS patients has good therapeutic effect and patient compliance, which is practical and feasible.

The first record of the water mite genus Ljania Thor, 1898 (Acari, Hydrachnidiae, Aturidae) from China, with description of two new species

This is the first record of the genus Ljania Thor, 1898 (Axonopsinae, Aturidae, Hydrachnidiae, Acari) from China. Two new species, Ljania jini sp. nov. and Ljania guangxiensis sp. nov., are described from Guangxi Province, P. R. China. The new detections bring the total number of Chinese aturid mites to eleven species, representing seven genera.

[Prognosis analysis of local recurrence after excision of breast phyllodes tumors]

Objective: To examine treatment outcomes of breast phyllodes tumors and the prognosis factors of local recurrence. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 276 patients who underwent surgical resection at Breast Center, Peking University People's Hospital from January 2011 to December 2019. Tumor subtype and histopathological features were determined from pathology reports, and the deadline of follow-up was September 30^th, 2020. All 276 patients underwent open surgery, including 17 patients of mastectomy, and 259 patients of lumpectomy. The enrolled patients were all female, with age of (41.5±11.3) years (rang: 11 to 76 years), and tumor diameter of 35(28) mm (M(Q_R)). The Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test were used for survival analysis. The multivariate analysis was implemented using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: According the pathologic test, there were 191 patients of benign phyllodes tumor, 67 patients of borderline tumor and 18 patients of malignant tumor. There were 249 patients with a follow-up of more than 6 months, and 14.1% (35/249) had local recurrence. The time-to-recurrence was (28.6±22.2) months (range: 2 to 96 months), (29.1±18.1) months (range: 2 to 80 months), (32.1±30.1) months (range: 5 to 96 months) and (12.0±6.9) months (range: 8 to 20 months) for benign, borderline and malignant phyllodes tumors. Tumor diameter (≥100 mm vs.<50 mm, HR=3.968, 95%CI: 1.550 to 10.158, P=0.004) and malignant heterologous element (yes vs. no, HR=26.933, 95%CI: 3.105 to 233.600, P=0.003) were prognosis factors of local recurrence. One death from malignant phyllodes occurred after distant metastasis. The 3-year disease-free survival rates of benign, borderline and malignant phyllodes tumor were 88.2%, 81.7% and 81.4% (P=0.300). Conclusion: Phyllodes tumors have a considerable local recurrence rate, which may be associated with tumor diameter and malignant heterologous element.

Intranasal administration of α-synuclein preformed fibrils triggers microglial iron deposition in the substantia nigra of Macaca fascicularis

Iron deposition is present in main lesion areas in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and an abnormal iron content may be associated with dopaminergic neuronal cytotoxicity and degeneration in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. However, the cause of iron deposition and its role in the pathological process of PD are unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the nasal mucosal delivery of synthetic human α-synuclein (α-syn) preformed fibrils (PFFs) on the pathogenesis of PD in Macaca fascicularis. We detected that iron deposition was clearly increased in a time-dependent manner from 1 to 17 months in the substantia nigra and globus pallidus, highly contrasting to other brain regions after treatments with α-syn PFFs. At the cellular level, the iron deposits were specifically localized in microglia but not in dopaminergic neurons, nor in other types of glial cells in the substantia nigra, whereas the expression of transferrin (TF), TF receptor 1 (TFR1), TF receptor 2 (TFR2), and ferroportin (FPn) was increased in dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, no clear dopaminergic neuron loss was observed in the substantia nigra, but with decreased immunoreactivity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and appearance of axonal swelling in the putamen. The brain region-enriched and cell-type-dependent iron localizations indicate that the intranasal α-syn PFFs treatment-induced iron depositions in microglia in the substantia nigra may appear as an early cellular response that may initiate neuroinflammation in the dopaminergic system before cell death occurs. Our data suggest that the inhibition of iron deposition may be a potential approach for the early prevention and treatment of PD.

[Prevention and treatment of root surface caries]

With the acceleration of population aging in China, the incidence of root surface caries is increasing year by year. Different from coronal caries, lesions of root surface caries mostly occur on the exposed root surfaces after gingival recession in elderly patients, mainly involving cementum and dentin. Root surface caries shows specificity in the pathogenic characteristics, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. This review mainly summarizes the etiology and prevalence, pathology and clinical manifestations, classification, as well as three-level-prevention of root caries, in order to provide relevant guidance for the clinical prevention and treatment of root caries.

First description of immature stages and redescription of female Bdella longicornis (Acari: Prostigmata: Bdellidae), with an ontogeny of chaetotaxy

Bdella longicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) is a widespread species. There has been no description of its immature stages before. In this paper, we redescribe its female adult and describe its four immature stages for the first time based on the specimens from P. R. China. Meanwhile, the ontogeny of chaetotaxy in B. longicornis is discussed.

Contributions to Chinese fauna of Torrenticolidae Piersig, 1902 (Acari, Hydrachnidia), with the description of three new species

Five species of torrenticolid mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia), collected in the Anzihe and Qingliangfeng national nature reserves, R. P. China, are identified. Three species are described as new to science: Torrenticola pseudosiamis Gu & Guo, sp. nov., T. anziensis Gu & Guo, sp. nov., and Monatractides sichuanensis Gu & Guo, sp. nov. The other two species, M. macrocorpis Gu & Guo, 2019, M. xiaoxiensis Gu & Guo, 2019, are newly reported from Zhejiang Province. Descriptions and illustrations of these species are included.

Two new species of the genus Onchodellus (Acari: Pachylaelapidae) from China

This paper describes two new species of the family Pachylaelapidae, Onchodellus menglaensis sp. nov. and O. quattuorspinous sp. nov., from the earth-boring dung beetles, Enoplotrupes sinensis Hope (Scarabaeoidea: Geotrupidae), collected from Mengla County, Yunnan Province, China. An identification key to the Chinese species of the genus Onchodellus (females) is provided.

Prospects of Application of Microbial Biofilm to Estimate PMI of Corpses in Water

Abstract

In forensic pathology, the estimation of postmortem interval （PMI） has always been a difficult issue, and there is still lack of effective methods to estimate PMI of corpses in water. Microbial biofilm refers to the microbial population attached to non-biological or biological surfaces by microorganisms during microbial growth, that has a three-dimensional structure, surrounded by extracellular polymers and matrix networks created by itself. A series of community succession phenomena of microorganisms occur during the occurrence and development of microbial population. The microbial community and its succession process of this kind of biofilm attached to the surface of a corpse in water may become a new basis for estimation of the PMI of corpses in water. This review elucidates on the concept, classification, research methods, and influencing factors of biofilm and analyzes its application prospects in PMI estimation of corpses in water, which would provide new ideas for the researches in this field.

Research Progress of Aquatic Corpse Decomposition and Postmortem Submersion Interval Estimation

Abstract

Human corpses can be found in a variety of aquatic environments. The decomposition of corpses in aquatic environments is different from those on land. A large number of factors influence the decomposition process in water, therefore postmortem submersion interval （PMSI） is difficult to estimate. To date, while studies on aquatic corpses are obviously fewer than those on terrestrial corpses, there are many problems in practical work. This review summarizes the stages and influencing factors of aquatic corpse decomposition, and introduces the relevant research progress of PMSI estimation based on decomposition stages, postmortem phenomena, aquatic insects, biofilm, and physical and chemical methods, in order to provide reference for aquatic decomposition researches and practices.

The genus Erythraeus (Acari: Erythraeidae) from China with descriptions of two new species and a key to larval species of the genus worldwide

Two new mite species, Erythraeus (Erythraeus) hubeiensis sp. nov. and E. (Zaracarus) hainanensis sp. nov., are described and illustrated based on larvae parasitizing insects (Hemiptera) in Hubei and Hainan Provinces, China. An updated key to larval species of the genus Erythraeus of the world is presented.

Ontogenetic development and redescription of Eotetranychus kankitus (Acariformes: Tetranychidae)

Eotetranychus kankitus Ehara, 1955 is redescribed from females, males, deutonymphs, protonymphs and larvae collected on Citrus reticulata Blanco (Rutaceae) from China. The ontogenetic changes in leg chaetotaxy are provided and compared with the similar species Eotetranychus tiliarium (Hermann, 1804) and the considerably hypotrichous species Eotetranychus xuzhouensis (Wang Ma, 1987).

Application of High-throughput Sequencing in Researches of Cadaveric Microorganisms and Postmortem Interval Estimation

Necrobiome is the main factor causing the cadaver decomposition. Studying the microbial succession during decomposition is one of the main tasks of forensic microbiology. The interactive relationships among cadaver, environment and microorganisms are complicated. The microbial succession study relies on macroscopic monitoring of community composition and the diversity change in each decomposition stage. With the maturity and development of high-throughput sequencing （HTS）, the structure and diversity of microbial communities in different environments have been successively revealed. A new breakthrough to explore the cadaveric microorganisms has been opened as well. It has become the research hotspots in forensic microbiology to reveal the microbial succession in the process of cadaver decomposition and to interpret the essence of various decomposition phenomena by using HTS, which can provide a new reference for postmortem interval （PMI） estimation. The present paper reviews studies on PMI estimation by using cadaveric microorganism. Problems and application prospects of forensic microbiology studies are discussed on the basis of the current application of HTS technology in the exploration of microbial succession.

[Cryptococcus bloodstream infection: a retrospectively analysis of 16 cases in one tertiary hospital]

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics of cryptococcus bloodstream infection. Methods: A retrospectively analysis was performed by collecting data of clinical manifestations, underlying diseases, susceptible factors, therapy and prognosis of cryptococcus bloodstream infection in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from December 2006 to December 2017. Results: The most common symptom of the 16 patients was fever (12/16). When combined with cryptococcus infection of central nervous system, the manifestations may include dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting.Among the 16 patients, 11 cases had underlying diseases, which listed as leukemia, lymphoma, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis B, cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease and carcinoma of the liver; 12 cases had invasive procedures, 6 cases had hypoproteinemia, 4 cases had long-term usage of glucocorticoids, and 5 cases received broad spectrum antibiotics longer than 1 week.8 cases died, 6 cases improved and 2 cases were transferred to the specialized hospital for their newly diagnosed AIDS. Conclusions: Bloodstream infection of cryptococcus is a relatively rare disease.Fever is one of the most common symptoms of cryptococcus bloodstream infection.Underlying diseases, invasive procedures, hypoproteinemia, long-term application of glucocorticoids and antibiotics are the risk factors for cryptococcus bloodstream infection.

[Study the impacts of diagnosis on occupational noise-induced deafness after bring into the different high frequency hearing threshold weighted value]

Objective: Study of the results and the degree on occupational noise-induced deafness in-to the different high frequency hearing threshold weighted value, in order to provide theoretical basis for the re-vision of diagnostic criteria on occupational noise-induced deafness. Methods: A retrospective study was con-ducted to investigate the cases on the diagnosis of occupational noise-induced deafness in Guangdong province hospital for occupational disease prevention and treatment from January 2016 to January 2017. Based on the re-sults of the 3 hearing test for each test interval greater than 3 days in the hospital, the best threshold of each frequency was obtained, and based on the diagnostic criteria of occupational noise deafness in 2007 edition, Chi square test, t test and variance analysis were used to measure SPSS21.0 data, their differences are tested among the means of speech frequency and the high frequency weighted value into different age group, noise ex-posure group, and diagnostic classification between different dimensions. Results: 1. There were totally 168 cases in accordance with the study plan, male 154 cases, female 14 cases, the average age was 41.18 ±6.07 years old. 2. The diagnosis rate was increased into the weighted value of different high frequency than the mean value of pure speech frequency, the weighted 4 kHz frequency increased by 13.69% (χ(2)=9.880, P=0.002) , 6 kHz increased by 15.47% (χ(2)=9.985, P=0.002) and 4 kHz+6 kHz increased by15.47% (χ(2)=9.985, P=0.002) , the difference was statistically significant. The diagnostic rate of different high threshold had no obvious differ-ence between the genders. 3. The age groups were divided into less than or equal to 40years old group (A group) and 40-50 years old group (group B) , there were higher the diagnostic rate between high frequency weighted 4 kHz (A group χ(2)=3.380, P=0.050; B group χ(2)=4.054, P=0.032) , weighted 6 kHz (A group χ(2)=6.362, P=0.012; B group χ(2)=4.054, P=0.032) , high frequency weighted 4 kHz+6 kHz (A group χ(2)=6.362, P=0.012; B group χ(2)=4.054, P=0.032) than those of speech frequency average value in the same group on oc-cupational noise-induced deafness diagnosis rate, the difference was statistically significant. There was no sig-nificant difference between age groups (χ(2)=2.265, P=0.944) . 4. The better ear's mean value of pure speech fre-quency and the weighted values into different high frequency of working years on each group were compared, working years more than 10 years group was significantly higher than that of average thresholds of each frequen-cy band in 3-5 group (F=2.271, P=0.001) , 6-10 group (F=1.563, P=0.046) , the difference was statistically significant. The different high frequency weighted values were higher than those of the mean value of pure speech frequency, and the high frequency weighted 4 kHz+6 kHz had the highest frequency difference, with an average increase of 2.83 dB. 5. The diagnostic rate into weighted different high frequency was higher in the mild, moderate and severe grades than in the pure speech frequency. In the comparison of diagnosis for mild occupational noise-induced deafness, in addition to the weighted 3 kHz high frequency (χ(2)=3.117, P=0.077) had no significant difference, the weighted 4 kHz (χ(2)=10.835, P=0.001) , 6 kHz (χ(2)=9.985, P=0.002) , 3 kHz+4 kHz (χ(2)=6.315, P=0.012) , 3 kHz+6 kHz (χ(2)=6.315, P=0.012) , 4 kHz+6 kHz (χ(2)=9.985, P=0.002) , 3 kHz+4 kHz+6 kHz (χ(2)=7.667, P=0.002) were significantly higher than the diagnosis rate of the mean value of pure speech frequency. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the moderate and se-vere grades (P>0.05) . Conclusion: Bring into different high frequency hearing threshold weighted value in-creases the diagnostic rate of occupational noise-induced deafness, the weighted 4 kHz, 6 kHz and 4 kHz+ 6 kHz high frequency value affects the result greatly, and the weighted 4 kHz+6 kHz high frequency hearing threshold value is maximum the effect on occupational noise-induced deafness diagnosis.

[Association of HLA-DQ and IFNL4 polymorphisms with hepatitis B virus infection and clearance]

Objective: To confirmed the polymorphisms of HLA-DQ and IFNL4 were associated with HBV infection and clearance in a Chinese population. Methods: The Sequenom MassARRAY MALDI-TOF system was used to genotype the HLA-DQrs9275319 and IFNL4rs368234815, rs12971396, rs12979860, and rs8099917. A binary logistic regression test was conducted to estimate the relative risk of these SNPs with HBV infection and clearance. Haploview4.2 software and PHASE software (v2.0.2) were employed to analyze linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype frequencies. The MDR program was applied to analyze interactions between SNP and SNP.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 19.0 and P-values were corrected by Bonferroni's corrections. Results: A total of 1,069 subjects were recruited and divided into three groups: 238 healthy controls(HC), 397 with HBV-related chronic liver disease (CLD), 434 with spontaneous clearance (SC). The rs9275319TT was most frequently identified among all groups(86.2% in the CLD group, 77.6% in the SC group, and 75.9% in the HC group).Carriage of the rs9275319 C allele was a protective factor for chronic HBV infection (the allele model: P = 0.000 3, OR,0.514; 95% CI, 0.359-0.738) and clearance (the allele model: P = 0.002, OR, 1.659; 95% CI, 1.197-2.300). HLA-DQ rs9275319 showed a significant association with HBV infection (allele model, OR, 0.514; 95% CI, 0.359-0.738, adjusted P = 0.000 3) and spontaneous clearance (allele model, OR, 1.659; 95% CI, 1.197-2.300, adjusted P = 0.002). However, there was no association between IFNL4 polymorphism and HBV infection((allele model: P = 0.082 for rs368234815; P = 0.063 for rs12971396; P = 0.517 for rs12979860; P =0.695 for rs8099917) or spontaneous clearance ((allele model: P = 0.358 for rs368234815; P = 0.105 for rs12971396; P = 0.640 for rs12979860; P = 0.640 for rs8099917;all P > 0.05). The multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) test showed there was a three-way interaction (rs12971396, rs12979860, and rs9275319) between IFNL4 and HLA-DQ polymorphisms for HBV infection (permutation P = 0.009 for the best factor model) and clearance (permutation P = 0.014 for the best factor model). Conclusion: The SNP-SNP interaction between HLA-DQ and IFNL4 is associated with the regulation of HBV infection and natural clearance.

Immune Characteristics of Chinese Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients: Implications for Cancer Immunotherapies

Immunotherapeutic agents have demonstrated encouraging signs of clinical utility in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The goal of this study is to analyze the immune characteristics of Chinese patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) to inform the development of immunotherapies in this patient population. Tumor samples from 211 DLBCL patients were analyzed for cell of origin (COO) and immune characteristics using the NanoString platform as well as MYC protein expression through immunohistochemistry. Lower incidence of the germinal center B-cell (GCB) subtype (93/211, 44.1%) was observed in this cohort. Compared to the GCB subtype, the activated B-cell (ABC) subtype was associated with significantly increased expression of multiple pro-inflammatory gene signatures and decreased expression of anti-inflammatory gene signatures. Instead of affecting the pro-inflammatory genes, MYC protein overexpression showed a negative correlation with the expression of T-cell receptor (TCR) and T regulatory genes as well as the OX40 gene. Regardless of COO, higher PD-L1 or IDO1 gene expression correlated with increased expression of T effector and Interferon-γ gene signatures while the expression of multiple oncogenes including ACTR3B, ERBB2, AKT2 and SMARCD1 was down-regulated. Our findings may thus be helpful in guiding further development of immunotherapies for the different subsets of Chinese DLBCL patients.

Pathogenic differences of the entomopathogenic fungus Isaria cateniannulata to the spider mite Tetranychus urticae (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) and its predator Euseius nicholsi (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae)

Isaria cateniannulata and Euseius nicholsi are two important biological control agents currently being used in many areas of China to control a variety of pests. In order to determine the possibility of a concomitant application with the two agents in a biocontrol program involving the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, we quantified the pathogenicity of a strain of I. cateniannulata (08XS-1) against females of both T. urticae and E. nicholsi. We observed the infection process using scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy to distinguish differences in fungal performance. The female mites were infected by I. cateniannulata at 2 × 10⁷ conidia/ml. The mortality of T. urticae was 100% when treated with submerged conidia and 92% when treated with aerial conidia (spray), and that of E. nicholsi was 4.2 and 6.7%, correspondingly. Following infection with aerial or submerged conidia, mated E. nicholsi females displayed no significant differences between treatments and control, indicating the fungus had no obvious effect on their vitality and fertility. This demonstrates that I. cateniannulata is safe to E. nicholsi when used to control T. urticae. The two types of propagules of I. cateniannulata are readily produced by common culture, and the submerged conidia, because of their substantially higher mortality, are preferable to the aerial conidia. Our results indicate that I. cateniannulata and E. nicholsi are viable candidates to be concomitantly applied in the biocontrol programs of T. urticae.

Risk Factors, Clinical Features and Prognosis for Subtypes of Ischemic Stroke in a Chinese Population

It is unanimously accepted that stroke is a highly heterogeneous disorder. Different subtypes of ischemic stroke may have different risk factors, clinical features, and prognoses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors, clinical characteristics, and prognoses of different subtypes of ischemic stroke defined by the Trial of ORG10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria. We prospectively analyzed the data from 530 consecutive patients who were admitted to our hospital with acute ischemic stroke within 7 days of stroke onset during the study period. Standardized data assessment was used and the cause of ischemic stroke was classified according to the TOAST criteria. Patients were followed up till 30 and 90 days after stroke onset. It was found that large-artery atherosclerosis was the most frequent etiology of stroke (37.4%), and showed the highest male preponderance, the highest prevalence of previous transient ischemic attack, and the longest hospital stay among all subtypes. Small artery disease (36.4%) was associated with higher body mass index, higher plasma triglycerides, and lower plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than cardioembolism. Cardioembolism (7.7%), which was particularly common in the elderly (i.e., individuals aged 65 years and older), showed the highest female preponderance, the highest prevalence of atrial fibrillation, the earliest presentation to hospital after stroke onset, the most severe symptoms on admission, the maximum complications associated with an adverse outcome, and the highest rate of stroke recurrence and mortality. Our results suggest that ischemic stroke should be regarded as a highly heterogeneous disorder. Studies involving risk factors, clinical features, and prognoses of ischemic stroke should differentiate between etiologic stroke subtypes.

[Safety and efficacy of rotational atherectomy in the interventional treatment of coronary chronic total occlusion lesions]

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of rotational atherectomy in the interventional treatment of coronary chronic total occlusion lesions. Methods: In this retrospective study,a total of 31 consecutive patients with coronary chronic total occlusion(CTO) lesions underwent rotational atherectomy in our hospital from February 2004 to December 2016 were enrolled,and the clinical features were analyzed. Coronary atherectomy was performed if balloon failed to cross the CTO lesions or balloon could not be fully dilated in the CTO lesions after wire crossing. The definition of procedure success was defined as residual stenosis less than 20% after implantation of drug eluting stent and rotational atherectomy. After the procedure, the patients were followed up to observe major adverse cardiac and cerebral vascular events which including cardiogenic death, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, and target lesion revascularization. Results: The 1.25 mm diameter burr was firstly selected in 80.6% (25/31) patients,and 96.8%(30/31) patients used only 1 burr to complete the rotational atherectomy procedure. The complication rate was 9.8% (3/31) including 1 patient with coronary dissection and 3 patients with slow flow or no flow. There was 1 patent with both coronary dissection and slow flow. The procedure success rate was 96.8%(30/31). Interventional treatment related myocardial infarction occurred in 3 patients during hospitalization.The 30 patients with procedure success were followed up 36(11, 96) months. The incidence rate of major adverse cardiac and cerebral vascular events was 13.3% (4/30), of which the cardiogenic death rate was 3.3% (1/30), the myocardial infarction rate was 6.7% (2/30), cerebrovascular accident rate was 3.3%(1/30),and the target lesion revascularization rate was 6.7% (2/30). Conclusion: Rotational atherectomy is safe and effective in the interventional treatment of coronary CTO lesions.

Characterization of PD-L1 expression in Chinese non-small cell lung cancer patients with PTEN expression as a means for tissue quality screening

The goal of this study is to evaluate PD-L1 prevalence and its association with major clinical characteristics in Chinese non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to inform the clinical development of anti-PD1/PD-L1 agents in this population. We used phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression through IHC as a surrogate tissue quality marker to screen surgical NSCLC samples in tissue microarray (TMA; 172 cases) or whole-section (268 cases) format. The samples were then analyzed with a clinically validated PD-L1 IHC assay. The results were correlated with baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes. PTEN IHC showed that 108 TMA samples and 105 whole-section samples qualified for PD-L1 IHC. With a clinically relevant cutoff, 41.7% of the TMA samples were PD-L1 positive. PD-L1 level was much lower in EGFR-mutant patients and seemed to be a favorable prognostic factor for both overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). These findings were confirmed in the whole-section samples except that their survival data were not mature enough for correlation analysis. In summary, PD-L1 expression was detected in approximately 40% of PTEN-qualified Chinese NSCLC samples, negatively correlated with EGFR mutation and seemed to be a favorable prognostic factor for both OS and RFS. Notably, the different results from PTEN-qualified and PTEN-disqualified samples underscore the importance of tissue quality control prior to biomarker testing.

[Analysis on the novel compound heterozygous mutation FⅪ of a patient with hereditary factor Ⅺ deficiency]

Objective: To investigate the clinical phenotype and genotype characteristics of a Chinese hereditary factor Ⅺ deficiency pedigree. Methods: The activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), FⅪ activity (FⅪ: C) were measured by clotting method using automatic coagulation analyzer. The FⅪ antigen (FⅪ: Ag) was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fifteen exons of F11 from the proband and his pedigree members were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), then sequenced. Pymol software was used to analyze the novel mutations. Results: APTT, FⅪ: C and FⅪ: Ag of proband was 74.2 s, 4.0% and 2.9%, respectively. For his older sister, APTT, FⅪ: C and FⅪ: Ag was 67.1 s, 3.0% and 1.8%, respectively. APTT, FⅪ: C and FⅪ: Ag of healthy controls were 34.5 s, 100.0% and 100.0%. FⅪ: C of proband's father, mother and brother were 72.0%, 62.0%, and 78.0%, respectively. FⅪ: Ag of them were 50.0%, 43.0%, and 51.8%, respectively. The other coagulant parameters of the proband and his pedigree were all in the normal range. Sequence analysis showed two heterozygous gene mutations in F11 of the proband and his older sister. One was a deletion of T at nucleotide 1 491 in exon 12, resulting in a frameshift. A substitution of leucine 465 by tryptophan and a terminal coden after 7 amino acid: F11NM_13142c.1491delT (p.Leu465Trp.fs*7). The other was a G to A substitution at nucleotide 1 815 in exon 15, resulting in a substitution of glycine 573 by aspartic acid: F11 NM_13142c.1815G>A (p.Gly573Asp). F11NM_13142c.1491delT (p.Leu465Trp.fs*7) heterozygotes were found both in the proband's father and his brother while p. Gly573Asp heterozygote was only found in his mother. F11 of the proband's uncle was wild. Conclusion: The novel compound heterozygous mutations of F11NM_13142c.1491delT (p.Leu465Trp.fs*7) and F11 NM_13142 c. 1815G>A (p.Gly573Asp) are responsible for FⅪ deficiency to the proband, which induced the decrease of FⅪ: C and FⅪ: Ag.

The potential of microRNAs as human prostate cancer biomarkers: A meta-analysis of related studies

Prostate cancer (PC) is a very important kind of male malignancies. When PC evolves into a stage of hormone resistance or metastasis, the fatality rate is very high. Currently, discoveries and advances in miRNAs as biomarkers have opened the potential for the diagnosis of PC, especially early diagnosis. miRNAs not only can noninvasively or minimally invasively identify PC, but also can provide the data for optimization and personalization of therapy. Moreover, miRNAs have been shown to play an important role to predict prognosis of PC. The purpose of this meta‐analysis is to integrate the currently published expression profile data of miRNAs in PC, and evaluate the value of miRNAs as biomarkers for PC. All of relevant records were selected via electronic databases: Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, and CNKI based on the assessment of title, abstract, and full text. we extracted mean ± SD or fold change of miRNAs expression levels in PC versus BPH or normal controls. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall survival (OS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS), were also calculated to detect the relationship between high miRNAs expression and PC prognosis. Selected 104 articles were published in 2007‐2017. According to the inclusion criteria, 104 records were included for this meta‐analysis. The pooled or stratified analyze showed 10 up‐regulated miRNAs (miR‐18a, miR‐34a, miR‐106b, miR‐141, miR‐182, miR‐183, miR‐200a/b, miR‐301a, and miR‐375) and 14 down‐regulated miRNAs (miR‐1, miR‐23b/27b, miR‐30c, miR‐99b, miR‐139‐5p, miR‐152, miR‐187, miR‐204, miR‐205, miR‐224, miR‐452, miR‐505, and let‐7c) had relatively good diagnostic and predictive potential to discriminate PC from BPH/normal controls. Furthermore, high expression of miR‐32 and low expression of let‐7c could be used to differentiate metastatic PC from local/primary PC. Additional interesting findings were that the expression profiles of five miRNAs (miR‐21, miR‐30c, miR‐129, miR‐145, and let‐7c) could predict poor RFS of PC, while the evaluation of miR‐375 was associated with worse OS. miRNAs are important regulators in PC progression. Our results indicate that miRNAs are suitable for predicting the different stages of PC. The detection of miRNAs is an effective way to control patient's prognosis and evaluate therapeutic efficacy. However, large‐scale detections based on common clinical guidelines are still necessary to further validate our conclusions, due to the bias induced by molecular heterogeneity and differences in study design and detection methods.

Complete mitogenome of tea green leafhopper, Empoasca onukii (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Anshun, Guizhou Province in China

Tea green leafhopper, Empoasca onukii (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is one of the most serious pest insects in tea plantations in Asia. In this study, Mitogenome of this species was assembled with high coverage using Illumina sequencing data and the 15,167 bp length was acquired. The base composition is 38.1% for A, 11.2% for C, 10.5% for G, and 40.2% for T. The mitogenome includes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA, and two ribosomal RNA genes. The phylogeny showed that it is closely related to E. vitis with high bootstrap value supported. The complete mitogenome of E. onukii can provide essential DNA molecular data for further phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis.

Au20Si12: A hollow Catalan pentakis dodecahedron

A stable hollow Au₂₀Si₁₂ cage with I_h symmetry has been predicted using first-principles density functional theory. The stability of the cage-like Au₂₀Si₁₂ structure is verified by vibrational frequency analysis and molecular dynamics simulations. A relatively large highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap of 1.057 eV is found. Electronic structure analysis shows that clearly p-d hybridizations between Si atoms and Au atoms are of great importance for the stability of Au₂₀Si₁₂ cage. The cage-like Au₂₀Si₁₂ structure may have potential applications in semiconductor industry and microelectronics.

Structural and antigenic analysis and cloning of surface antigen protein 5 in Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii is identified as an obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite that infects warm blooded animals and humans worldwide. SAG5 protein includes SAG5A, -5B, -5C, -5D, and -5E five subtypes. SAG5A, -5B, -5C, and -5D are expressed on the surface of Toxoplasma gondii. In this study, we used online T-Coffee tool to analyze SAG5 proteins sequence alignment. SMART software was used to predict secondary structures of SAG5A, -5B, -5C, and -5D. The 3D models of SAG5 proteins were constructed and analyzed with SWISS-MODEL server and VMD software. Results indicated that SAG5A, -5B, -5C, and -5D are highly homologous proteins. Furthermore, liner-B cell epitopes and Th-cell epitopes of the four proteins were predicted using DNAMAN software and Epitope Database online service. The bioinformatics analysis of SAG5A, -5B, -5C, and -5D proteins could provide valuable information on prevention and treatment of toxoplasmosis. In addition, the four genes were obtained by PCR and inserted into an eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-C1 respectively. Identified by restriction enzyme digestion, the four recombinant plasmids were transfected into HEK 293-T cells and tested by RT-PCR. Results showed that the constructed plasmids were all transfected to HEK 293-T cells successfully.

Genetic Polymorphisms of 21 STR Loci in Hunan Province-based Han Population

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the genetic polymorphisms of 21 short tandem repeat （STR） loci （D3S1358, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, Penta E, D2S441, TPOX, TH01, D2S1338, CSF1PO, Penta D, D10S1248, D19S433, vWA, D21S11, D18S51, D6S1043, D8S1179, D5S818, D12S391 and FGA）.

METHODS

A total of 560 blood samples were collected from unrelated healthy individuals of Han population in Hunan Province. Chelex-100 extraction method was applied to the extraction of genomic DNA, and an AGCU EX22 Kit and 9700 STR amplification was used in amplification reactions. The products were separated and analyzed on 310 Genetic Analyzer.

RESULTS

A total of 248 alleles were observed, the allelic frequencies ranging from 0.001 to 0.518. Observation of genotype distributions for each locus showed no deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium except Penta E （P=0.023）. The combined power of discrimination, combined power of exclusion, and combined matching probability of the 21 STR loci were approximately 0.999 999 999 999 999 999 999 999 8, 0.999 999 998, and 1.36×10⁻²⁵, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The 21 STR loci show high polymorphisms in the Han population, which can provide valuable data and a theoretical basis for forensic individual identification and paternity testing.

[Effect of mouse nerve growth factor on cognitive impairment in whole brain irradiation rats]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the positive effects of mouse nerve growth factor(mNGF) on cognitive impairment in whole brain irradiation rats.

METHODS

Fifty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group, mNGF treated group, saline treated group.mNGF treated group and saline treated group were cranial irradiated at a single dose of 12 Gy by X-ray.30 days after radiation each group were treated with correspondent drugs.60 days after radiation, Morris water maze experiment, EB leakage of the brain, and expressions of neuN, vWF, ZO-1 in hippocampus by immunofluorescence, and expressions of neuN, vWF, ZO-1, VEGF and GFAP in hippocampus by Western blot were tested and analyzed.

RESULTS

The escape latencies: normal control group< mNGF treated group< saline treated group; the numbers of crossing hidden platform in these 3 groups were 3.00± 1.08, 1.50± 1.08, 0.38± 0.48 times (P<0.01). EB leakage of these 3 groups were 0.14±0.14, 0.66±0.20 and 1.36±0.27 μg/g (P<0.05). In immunofluorescence, expressions of neuN, vWF and ZO-1: normal control group> mNGF treated group> saline treated group.In Western blot, expressions of neuN, vWF and ZO-1: normal control group> mNGF treated group> saline treated group, yet the expressions of VEGF and GFAP: normal control group< mNGF treated group< saline treated group.

CONCLUSION

mNGF ameliorates cognitive impairment after whole brain irradiation.