Knowledge about, attitudes toward and acceptance and predictors of intention to receive the mpox vaccine among cancer patients in China: A cross-sectional survey

This study aimed to investigate the knowledge about, attitudes toward, and acceptance and predictors of receiving the mpox vaccine among Chinese cancer patients. Patients were selected using a convenience sampling method. A web-based self-report questionnaire was developed to assess cancer patients' knowledge, attitudes, and acceptance regarding the mpox vaccine. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine predictors of acceptance of the mpox vaccine. A total of 805 cancer patients were included in this study, with a vaccine hesitancy rate of 27.08%. Approximately 66% of the patients' information about mpox and the vaccine came from the mass media, and there was a significant bias in the hesitant group's knowledge about mpox and the vaccine. Multivariable logistic regression analysis suggested that retirement; chemotherapy; the belief that the mpox vaccine could prevent disease, that vaccination should be compulsory when appropriate and that the mpox vaccine prevents mpox and reduces complications; the willingness to pay for the mpox vaccine; the willingness to recommend that friends and family receive the mpox vaccine; and the belief that the mpox vaccine should be distributed fairly and equitably were factors that promoted vaccination. The belief that mpox worsens tumor prognosis was a driving factor for vaccine hesitancy. This study investigated the knowledge of cancer patients about mpox and the vaccine, evaluated the acceptance and hesitancy rates of the mpox vaccine and examined the predictors of vaccination intention. We suggest that the government scientifically promote the vaccine and develop policies such as free vaccination and personalized vaccination to increase the awareness and acceptance rate of the mpox vaccine.

Prediction and identification of HLA-A*0201-restricted epitopes from cancer testis antigen CT23

Cancer-testis antigen CT23 is a class of tumor-associated antigens (TAA) characterized by restricted expression in male germ cells and a variety of tumor tissues. Numerous studies have shown that CT23 is closely related to tumor cell viability, proliferation, metastasis and invasion. CT23 is immunogenic and can cause specific immune response in tumor patients. Therefore, it is considered to be one of the best target antigens for designing therapeutic tumor vaccines and T-cell-mediated tumor immunotherapy. In this study, we initially obtained seven HLA-A*0201-restricted CT23 epitope candidate peptides through the T cell epitope prediction program. Subsequently, a T2 cell binding assay revealed the potential binding of all candidate peptides with HLA-A2 molecules. Notably, peptide P7 (ALLVLCYSI) exhibited the highest affinity, as evidenced by a fluorescence index (FI) of 2.19. Dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with CT23 candidate peptide can stimulate CD8+T cell activation and proliferation, and compared with other candidate peptides, candidate peptide P7 is superior. The cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) stimulated by the peptide P7 had killing effect on tumor cells (HLA-A*0201+, CT23+), but no killing effect on tumor cells (HLA-A*0201-, CT23+). The CTLs induced by the peptide P7 also had a specific killing effect on T2 cells bearing the peptide P7. In summary, our findings suggest that the CT23 peptide P7 (ALLVLCYSI) can induce immune responses and holds potential for tumor-specific CTL therapy.

Improved Measurement of the Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

Reactor neutrino experiments play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge of neutrinos. In this Letter, the evolution of the flux and spectrum as a function of the reactor isotopic content is reported in terms of the inverse-beta-decay yield at Daya Bay with 1958 days of data and improved systematic uncertainties. These measurements are compared with two signature model predictions: the Huber-Mueller model based on the conversion method and the SM2018 model based on the summation method. The measured average flux and spectrum, as well as the flux evolution with the ^{239}Pu isotopic fraction, are inconsistent with the predictions of the Huber-Mueller model. In contrast, the SM2018 model is shown to agree with the average flux and its evolution but fails to describe the energy spectrum. Altering the predicted inverse-beta-decay spectrum from ^{239}Pu fission does not improve the agreement with the measurement for either model. The models can be brought into better agreement with the measurements if either the predicted spectrum due to ^{235}U fission is changed or the predicted ^{235}U, ^{238}U, ^{239}Pu, and ^{241}Pu spectra are changed in equal measure.

Fluoropolymer ferroelectrics: Multifunctional platform for polar-structured energy conversion

Ferroelectric materials are currently some of the most widely applied material systems and are constantly generating improved functions with higher efficiencies. Advancements in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based polymer ferroelectrics provide flexural, coupling-efficient, and multifunctional material platforms for applications that demand portable, lightweight, wearable, and durable features. We highlight the recent advances in fluoropolymer ferroelectrics, their energetic cross-coupling effects, and emerging technologies, including wearable, highly efficient electromechanical actuators and sensors, electrocaloric refrigeration, and dielectric devices. These developments reveal that the molecular and nanostructure manipulations of the polarization-field interactions, through facile defect biasing, could introduce enhancements in the physical effects that would enable the realization of multisensory and multifunctional wearables for the emerging immersive virtual world and smart systems for a sustainable future.

Precision Measurement of Reactor Antineutrino Oscillation at Kilometer-Scale Baselines by Daya Bay

We present a new determination of the smallest neutrino mixing angle θ_{13} and the mass-squared difference Δm_{32}^{2} using a final sample of 5.55×10^{6} inverse beta-decay (IBD) candidates with the final-state neutron captured on gadolinium. This sample is selected from the complete dataset obtained by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in 3158 days of operation. Compared to the previous Daya Bay results, selection of IBD candidates has been optimized, energy calibration refined, and treatment of backgrounds further improved. The resulting oscillation parameters are sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0851±0.0024, Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.466±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the normal mass ordering or Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.571±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the inverted mass ordering.

The willingness of Chinese healthcare workers to receive monkeypox vaccine and its independent predictors: A cross-sectional survey

The global monkeypox outbreak in 2022 has severely affected the life and health of people. Currently, partial smallpox vaccines have been approved for monkeypox prevention. Considering the potential occupational health risks of monkeypox infection among healthcare workers (HCWs), this study explored the willingness of Chinese HCWs to receive the monkeypox vaccine and analyzed the factors influencing their decision. We conducted an online cross-sectional survey among HCWs of 10 Chinese hospitals from May 30th, 2022 to August 1st, 2022. Specifically, a self-report questionnaire was administered to evaluate the attitude and acceptance of HCWs toward the monkeypox vaccine, followed by a multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the independent predictors of vaccination. The survey included 1032 participants, of whom 90.12% expressed their willingness for vaccination (vaccine hesitancy rate = 9.88%). Univariate analysis showed that 11 variables differed significantly between the vaccine acceptance and vaccine hesitancy groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the age of 30-40 years (odds ratio [OR] = 0.504, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.284-0.893, p = 0.019 vs. age of <30 years old), working in a secondary hospital (OR = 0.449, 95% CI: 0.249-0.808, p = 0.019 vs. working in a tertiary hospital), considering vaccination necessary for controlling monkeypox infection (OR = 4.135, 95% CI: 2.109-8.106, p < 0.001 vs. not considering it necessary), willingness to pay for the monkeypox vaccine (OR = 2.125, 95% CI: 1.206-3.745, p = 0.009 vs. no willingness to pay), considering implementation of mandatory vaccination necessary (OR = 1.990, 95% CI: 1.023-3.869, p = 0.043 vs. not considering it necessary), and recommending family members and friends to take the vaccine (OR = 13.847, 95% CI: 7.487-25.609, p < 0.001 vs. not recommending) were crucial independent predictors of the willingness to receive monkeypox-related vaccination. This study evaluated the acceptance and hesitancy rates of Chinese HCWs toward the monkeypox vaccine and found that the willingness to receive vaccination was mainly correlated to age, hospital level, and attitude toward vaccination. Therefore, to promote vaccine absorption, we recommend expanding publicity, formulating reasonable policies, and improving the recognition of vaccines.

High Expression of Fibronectin 1 Predicts a Poor Prognosis in Glioblastoma

OBJECTIVE

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most malignant intracranial neoplasm, is associated with a high mortality and recurrence rate due to the aggressive nature and heterogeneity of the tumor. Some of the molecular markers involved in the tumorigenesis of GBM are essential in prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment. Due to the limitations of therapeutic effects, this study aims to explore novel biomarkers with prognostic value and to provide new insights into therapeutic targets.

METHODS

The expression profile of mRNAs in GBM was detected by RNA-sequencing, and differentially expressed genes were identified by integrating the data from RNA-seq results and the GEPIA2 database. Of the total 40 hub genes, FN1, P4HB, and PPIB showed prognostic significance based on both GEPIA2 and CGGA databases. The validation of FN1, P4HB, and PPIB expression by qPCR and correlation analysis with clinicopathological features were performed in 41 GBM tissues from our institution.

RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that FN1 and P4HB expressions levels were related to the overall survival (OS) of GBM patients (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that FN1 overexpression (HR=9.199, P=0.002) was an independent and unfavorable prognostic factor for GBM patients. The median survival time was 8.5 months and 21 months for high and low expressions of FN1, respectively.

CONCLUSION

It was suggested that FN1 could be an ideal target for prognosis and a potential therapeutic target in GBM.

Combined treatment with epigenetic agents enhances anti-tumor activity of MAGE-D4 peptide-specific T cells by upregulating the MAGE-D4 expression in glioma

Objective

The study evaluated the efficacy of combined epigenetic drugs of decitabine (DAC), valproic acid (VPA), and trichostatin A (TSA) on immunotherapy against glioma.

Methods

The expression and prognosis of MAGE-D4 in glioma were analyzed online, and the expression of MAGE-D4 and HLA-A2 in glioma induced by epigenetic drugs was detected by qRT-PCR, Western blot, and flow cytometry. The methylation status of the MAGE-D4 promoter was determined by pyrosequencing. An HLA-A2 restricted MAGE-D4 peptide was predicted and synthesized. An affinity assay and a peptide/HLA complex stability assay were performed to determine the affinity between peptide and HLA. CCK8 assay, CFSE assay, ELISA and ELISPOT were performed to detect the function of MAGE-D4 peptide-specific T cells. Flow cytometry, ELISA, and cytotoxicity assays were used to detect the cytotoxicity effect of MAGE-D4 peptide-specific T cells combined with epigenetic drugs against glioma in vitro. Finally, the glioma-loaded mouse model was applied to test the inhibitory effect of specific T cells on gliomas in vivo.

Results

MAGE-D4 was highly expressed in glioma and correlated with poor prognosis. Glioma cells could be induced to express MAGE-D4 and HLA-A2 by epigenetic drugs. MAGE-D4-associated peptides were found that induce DCs to stimulate the highest T-cell activities of proliferation, IL-2 excretion, and IFN-γ secretion. MAGE-D4 peptide-specific T cells treated with TSA only or combining TSA and DAC had the most cytotoxicity effect, and its cytotoxicity effect on glioma cells decreased significantly after HLA blocking. In vivo experiments also confirmed that MAGE-D4-specific T cells inhibit TSA-treated glioma.

Conclusion

MAGE-D4 is highly expressed in glioma and correlated with the prognosis of glioma. The novel MAGE-D4 peptide identified was capable of inducing MAGE-D4-specific T cells that can effectively inhibit glioma growth, and the epigenetic drug application can enhance this inhibition.

First Measurement of High-Energy Reactor Antineutrinos at Daya Bay

This Letter reports the first measurement of high-energy reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay, with nearly 9000 inverse beta decay candidates in the prompt energy region of 8-12 MeV observed over 1958 days of data collection. A multivariate analysis is used to separate 2500 signal events from background statistically. The hypothesis of no reactor antineutrinos with neutrino energy above 10 MeV is rejected with a significance of 6.2 standard deviations. A 29% antineutrino flux deficit in the prompt energy region of 8-11 MeV is observed compared to a recent model prediction. We provide the unfolded antineutrino spectrum above 7 MeV as a data-based reference for other experiments. This result provides the first direct observation of the production of antineutrinos from several high-Q_{β} isotopes in commercial reactors.

[Characteristics and Source Apportionment of Volatile Organic Compounds in August in the Chang-Zhu-Tan Urban Area]

Continuous sampling using the tank sampling method were conducted in Changsha, Zhuzhou, and Xiangtan cities from August 18 to 27, 2020, and 106 VOCs species were analyzed using GC-MS analysis. Then, the regional VOCs concentrations, generation potential, and source of VOCs were studied. The results showed that the average φ(VOCs) was (20.5±10.5)×10^-9 in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area, in which OVOCs (33.5%) and alkanes (28.2%) accounted for the highest proportion. The ozone formation potential (OFP) of VOCs was 118.5 μg·m^-3, and the contributions of aromatic hydrocarbons, olefin, and OVOCs to OFP were 37.4%, 24.2%, and 23.6%, respectively. The average secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOA_p) of the VOCs was 0.5 μg·m^-3, and the contribution of aromatic hydrocarbons to SOA_p was 97.0%, among which C8 aromatic hydrocarbons contributed 41.7%. Toluene, m/p-xylene, and o-xylene were the common dominant species that contributed significantly to OFP and SOA_p. The characteristic ratio results showed that VOCs in Changsha were relatively influenced by industrial processes and solvent use, whereas Zhuzhou and Xiangtan were more affected by coal and biomass combustion. The PMF results showed that the VOCs mainly came from vehicle exhaust and oil and gas volatilization (27.2%), coal and biomass combustion (23.7%), industrial processes (20.4%), solvent use (17.2%), and natural sources (11.5%) in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area.

Relaxor ferroelectric polymer exhibits ultrahigh electromechanical coupling at low electric field

Electromechanical (EM) coupling-the conversion of energy between electric and mechanical forms-in ferroelectrics has been used for a broad range of applications. Ferroelectric polymers have weak EM coupling that severely limits their usefulness for applications. We introduced a small amount of fluorinated alkyne (FA) monomers (<2 mol %) in relaxor ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE-CFE) terpolymer that markedly enhances the polarization change with strong EM coupling while suppressing other polarization changes that do not contribute to it. Under a low-dc bias field of 40 megavolts per meter, the relaxor tetrapolymer has an EM coupling factor (k₃₃) of 88% and a piezoelectric coefficient (d₃₃) >1000 picometers per volt. These values make this solution-processed polymer competitive with ceramic oxide piezoelectrics, with the potential for use in distinct applications.

Joint Determination of Reactor Antineutrino Spectra from ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu Fission by Daya Bay and PROSPECT

A joint determination of the reactor antineutrino spectra resulting from the fission of ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu has been carried out by the Daya Bay and PROSPECT Collaborations. This Letter reports the level of consistency of ^{235}U spectrum measurements from the two experiments and presents new results from a joint analysis of both data sets. The measurements are found to be consistent. The combined analysis reduces the degeneracy between the dominant ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu isotopes and improves the uncertainty of the ^{235}U spectral shape to about 3%. The ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu antineutrino energy spectra are unfolded from the jointly deconvolved reactor spectra using the Wiener-SVD unfolding method, providing a data-based reference for other reactor antineutrino experiments and other applications. This is the first measurement of the ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu spectra based on the combination of experiments at low- and highly enriched uranium reactors.

Neuroprotection of chromobox 7 knockout in the mouse after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via nuclear factor E2-related factor 2/hemeoxygenase-1 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

To explore the mechanism of chromobox 7 (CBX7)-mediated nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway in the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

METHODS

The experimental wild-type (WT) and CBX7^-/- mice were used to establish cerebral I/R models using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery to determine CBX7 levels at different time points after MCAO injury. For all mice, neurological behavior, infarct size, water content, and oxidative stress-related indicators were determined, and transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)) staining method was employed to observe cell apoptosis, while Western blot to measure the expression of CBX7 and Nrf/HO-1 pathway-related proteins.

RESULTS

At 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 3 days, and 7 days after mice with MCAO, CBX7 expression was gradually up-regulated and the peak level was reached at 24 h. Mice in the WT + MCAO group had increased infarct size, with significant increases in the modified neurological severity scores and water content in the brain, as well as the quantity of TUNEL-positive cells. For the oxidative stress-indicators, an increase was seen in the content of MDA (malondial dehyde), but the activity of SOD (superoxide dismutase) and content of GSH-PX (glutathione peroxidase) and CAT (catalase) were decreased; meanwhile, the protein expression of CBX7, HO-1, and nuclear Nrf2 was up-regulated, while the cytoplasmic Nrf2 was down-regulated. Moreover, CBX7 knockout attenuated I/R injury in mice.

CONCLUSION

Knockout of CBX7 may protect mice from cerebral I/R injury by reducing cell apoptosis and oxidative stress, possibly via activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

High-entropy polymer produces a giant electrocaloric effect at low fields

More than a decade of research on the electrocaloric (EC) effect has resulted in EC materials and EC multilayer chips that satisfy a minimum EC temperature change of 5 K required for caloric heat pumps^1-3. However, these EC temperature changes are generated through the application of high electric fields^4-8 (close to their dielectric breakdown strengths), which result in rapid degradation and fatigue of EC performance. Here we report a class of EC polymer that exhibits an EC entropy change of 37.5 J kg^-1 K^-1 and a temperature change of 7.5 K under 50 MV m^-1, a 275% enhancement over the state-of-the-art EC polymers under the same field strength. We show that converting a small number of the chlorofluoroethylene groups in poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) terpolymer into covalent double bonds markedly increases the number of the polar entities and enhances the polar-nonpolar interfacial areas of the polymer. The polar phases in the polymer adopt a loosely correlated, high-entropy state with a low energy barrier for electric-field-induced switching. The polymer maintains performance for more than one million cycles at the low fields necessary for practical EC cooling applications, suggesting that this strategy may yield materials suitable for use in caloric heat pumps.

Hydrogel Ionic Diodes toward Harvesting Ultralow-Frequency Mechanical Energy

Energy harvesting from human motion is regarded as a promising protocol for powering portable electronics, biomedical devices, and smart objects of the Internet of things. However, state-of-the-art mechanical-energy-harvesting devices generally operate at frequencies (>10 Hz) well beyond human activity frequencies. Here, a hydrogel ionic diode formed by the layered structures of anionic and cationic ionomers in hydrogels is presented. As confirmed by finite element analysis, the underlying mechanism of the hydrogel ionic diode involves the formation of the depletion region by mobile cations and anions and the subsequent increase of the built-in potential across the depletion region in response to mechanical pressure. Owing to the enhanced ionic rectification ratio by the embedded carbon nanotube and silver nanowire electrodes, the hydrogel ionic diode exhibits a power density of ≈5 mW cm^-2 and a charge density of ≈4 mC cm^-2 at 0.01 Hz, outperforming the current energy-harvesting devices by several orders of magnitude. The applications of the self-powered hydrogel ionic diode to tactile sensing, pressure imaging, and touchpads are demonstrated, with sensing limitation is as low as 0.01 kPa. This work is expected to open up new opportunities for ionic-current-based ionotronics in electronics and energy devices.

Neuroprotection of chromobox 7 knockout in the mouse after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via nuclear factor E2-related factor 2/hemeoxygenase-1 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

To explore the mechanism of chromobox 7 (CBX7)-mediated nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway in the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

METHODS

The experimental wild-type (WT) and CBX7^-/- mice were used to establish cerebral I/R models using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery to determine CBX7 levels at different time points after MCAO injury. For all mice, neurological behavior, infarct size, water content, and oxidative stress-related indicators were determined, and transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)) staining method was employed to observe cell apoptosis, while Western blot to measure the expression of CBX7 and Nrf/HO-1 pathway-related proteins.

RESULTS

At 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 3 days, and 7 days after mice with MCAO, CBX7 expression was gradually up-regulated and the peak level was reached at 24 h. Mice in the WT + MCAO group had increased infarct size, with significant increases in the modified neurological severity scores and water content in the brain, as well as the quantity of TUNEL-positive cells. For the oxidative stress-indicators, an increase was seen in the content of MDA (malondial dehyde), but the activity of SOD (superoxide dismutase) and content of GSH-PX (glutathione peroxidase) and CAT (catalase) were decreased; meanwhile, the protein expression of CBX7, HO-1, and nuclear Nrf2 was up-regulated, while the cytoplasmic Nrf2 was down-regulated. Moreover, CBX7 knockout attenuated I/R injury in mice.

CONCLUSION

Knockout of CBX7 may protect mice from cerebral I/R injury by reducing cell apoptosis and oxidative stress, possibly via activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

MicroRNA-802 promotes the progression of osteosarcoma through targeting p27 and activating PI3K/AKT pathway

PURPOSE

Increasing evidences suggest dysfunctions of microRNAs (miRNAs) are playing important part in tumors. Therefore, the role of miR-802 in osteosarcoma (OS) was exploited. The object was to evaluate the effect of miR-802 and verify its influence on p27 Kip1 (p27) in OS.

METHODS

RT-qPCR experiment was used to detect miR-802 and p27 expression in OS tissues and cells. We explored the function of miR-802 through Transwell assays. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT serine/threonine kinase pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was detected by Western blot assays. Luciferase assay was used to testify the target of miR-802.

RESULTS

MiR-802 expression was elevated in OS, which was related to poor clinical outcome in OS patients. MiR-802 overexpression promoted OS migration, invasion and EMT. Further, p27 is a direct target of miR-802. P27 elevation counteracted the promotion effect of OS on EMT, migration and invasion induced by miR-802. In addition, miR-802 overexpression inactivated PI3K/AKT pathway via targeting p27 in OS.

CONCLUSION

MiR-802 promoted the progress of EMT, migration and invasion in OS via targeting p27. This newly identified miR-802/p27/PI3K/AKT axis may represent potential targets for OS.

Combined treatment with epigenetic agents enhances anti-tumor activity of T cells by upregulating the ACRBP expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of combined epigenetic drugs of decitabine (DAC), valproic acid (VPA) and trichostatin A (TSA) on immunotherapy with a murine model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

Dendritic cells (DCs) transduced with recombinant lentivirus expressing a cancer-testis antigen, acrosin binding protein (ACRBP), are referred to as DC/ACRBP. CD8⁺ T cells were harvested from spleens of C57BL/6 mice and activated by DC/ACRBP. Cytotoxicity of DC/ACRBP-activated T cells was analyzed by cytotoxicity and murine xenograft assays.

RESULTS

Cytotoxicity assay results revealed that DC/ACRBP-activated T cells exhibited the highest cytotoxicity against HCC cells pre-treated with triple drugs (DAC+VPA+TSA) compared with dual drugs (DAC+VPA and DAC+TSA) and single drug (DAC, VPA and TSA) respectively. Analyses of RT-PCR and immunoblotting demonstrated that the highest ACRBP expression of HCC cells was induced by the triple drugs compared with the single and dual drugs. These results indicated that DC/ACRBP-activated T cells might be ACRBP-specific lymphocytes, and the augmented cytotoxicity may be dependent on the upregulation of ACRBP expression. These assumptions were further confirmed by xenograft tumor assay. Tumor cells of mice administrated with the triple drugs exhibited increased ACRBP expression compared with those of mice without administration. As expected, DC/ACRBP-activated T cells adopted by mice injected with the triple drugs, compared with those adopted by mice without injection, remarkably impeded growth and facilitated apoptosis of tumor cells.

CONCLUSION

These data suggested that combined treatment with DAC, VPA and TSA may enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of ACRBP-specific T cells by upregulating ACRBP expression in HCC.

Morphology-induced dielectric enhancement in polymer nanocomposites

The mechanism of the recently discovered enhancement of dielectric properties in dilute polymer-nanoparticle composites is investigated by experiments and computer simulations. We show that the weakening of the hydrogen bonds between the nanoparticles and the polymer chains reduces the polymer-nanoparticle composite's dielectric enhancement. The subsequent multiscale simulations investigate the attachment of solvated highly dipolar polymers to oxide nanoparticles, which leads to deposition of nanoparticle-polymer blobs during solution casting and a reduced density compared to a neat polymer film. Coarse-grained simulations of nanocomposite morphology are followed by molecular dynamics and density functional theory calculations of permittivities. The increased free volume in the nanocomposite enables easier reorientation of monomer dipoles with an applied electric field, and thus a higher dielectric permittivity. The numerical results are in excellent agreement with experimental data for PEEU and PEI nanocomposites.

Identification of Dysregulated microRNAs in Glioma Using RNA-sequencing

Glioma is the most common malignant brain tumor in central nervous system. Despite advances in the treatment of glioma such as surgery and chemoradiotherapy, most patients are easy to relapse, resulting in adverse clinical outcomes. Hence, effective molecular-targeting treatment may be one of attractive strategies for glioma therapy. The dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs), one of the candidates of therapeutic targets, are believed to play an important role in the progression of glioma. In this study, we aimed to examine the expression profile of miRNAs in glioma and provide a reference for glioma therapy. Firstly, expression profile of miRNAs in 5 normal brain tissues, 5 low-grade glioma (LGG) tissues and 5 glioblastoma (GBM) tissues was detected by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Next, the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were predicted and then GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis performed by bioinformatics. Finally, 10 miRNAs which were significantly up- or down-regulated both in GBM and LGG were validated by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). RNA-seq results indicated a number of DEmiRNAs in glioma. There were 64 up-regulated miRNAs and 17 down-regulated miRNAs in LGG, and 181 up-regulated miRNAs and 124 down-regulated miRNAs in GBM, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the target genes of these DEmiRNAs were enriched in various biological processes and signaling pathways such as cell metabolic and developmental process. Selected DEmiRNAs were further confirmed by qRT-PCR. miRNA-10b-5p, miRNA-92b-3p and miRNA-455-5p were significantly up-regulated in both GBM and LGG; while miRNA-542-3p was significantly up-regulated in LGG; miRNA-184 and miRNA-206 were significantly down-regulated in both GBM and LGG; miRNA-766-5p and miRNA-1-3p were significantly down-regulated in GBM. The subject of our study demonstrated several dysregulated miRNAs may serve as a potential therapeutic target for glioma.

Improving electric thermal stability of polypropylene by chemically linking small amount of hindered phenol groups

Thermal stability of polypropylene (PP) over a broad temperature is critical for many applications. Hindered phenol (HP) groups have been utilized in PP for thermal-oxidative protection. This paper studies thermal stability of the electret property of PP linked with 0.2 mol% HP. It is observed that small amount of chemically linked HP groups improves electret thermal stability as reflected by the higher peak temperature of the thermally stimulated discharge curve and about 65% increase in the trap level. In addition, the HP groups in PP generate “rigid backbones” which maintain the PP film shapes to temperatures near the melting (~ 150 °C), compared with pristine PP at 70 °C.

Creating an Eco-Friendly Building Coating with Smart Subambient Radiative Cooling

Subambient daytime radiative cooling (SDRC) provides a promising electricity- and cryogen-free pathway for global energy-efficiency. However, current SDRC systems require stringent surface designs, which are neither cost-effective nor eco-friendly, to selectively emit thermal radiation to outer space and simultaneously maximize solar reflectance. Here, a generic method is developed to upgrade the conventional building-coating materials with a peculiar self-adaptive SDRC effect through combining particle scattering, sunlight-excited fluorescence, and mid-infrared broadband radiation. It is also theoretically proved that heat exchange with the sky can eliminate the use of resonant microstructures and noble metal mirrors in conventional SDRC, and also leads to enhanced daytime cooling yet suppressed nighttime overcooling. When exposed to direct sunlight, the upgraded coating over an aluminum plate can achieve 6 °C (7 °C on a scale-model building) below the ambient temperature under a solar intensity of 744 W m^-2 (850 W m^-2 ), yielding a cooling power of 84.2 W m^-2 . The results pave the way for practical large-scale applications of high-performance SDRC for human thermal comfort in buildings.

Cancer-testis Antigen OY-TES-1 Expression and Immunogenicity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Cancer testis (CT) antigens have received particular attention in cancer immunotherapy. OY-TES-1 is a member of CT antigens. This study was to evaluate OY-TES-1 expression and immunogenicity in hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC). OY-TES-1 mRNA expression was detected in 56 HCC tissues and 5 normal liver tissues by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). Of the 56 cases of HCC tissues tested, 37 cases had tumor and matched adjacent non-cancer tissues and were subjected to both RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR. OY-TES-1 protein was subsequently observed on a panel of tissue microarrays. Sera from patients were tested for OY-TES-1 antibody by ELISA. To identify OY-TES-1 capable of inducing cellular immune response, OY-TES-1 protein was used to sensitize dentritic cells and the cytotoxicity effect was measured in vitro. The results showed that OY-TES-1 mRNA was highly expressed in 41 of the 56 (73.21%) HCC tissues, whereas none in 5 normal liver tissues. OY-TES-1 mRNA was frequently expressed not only in HCC tissues (72.97%, 27/37), but also in paired adjacent non-cancer tissues (64.86%, 24/37). But the mean expression level of OY-TES-1 mRNA in HCC tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent non-cancer tissues (0.76854 vs. 0.09834, P=0.021). Immunohistochemistry showed that OY-TES-1 protein expression was detected in 6 of the 49 cases of HCC tissues, and absent in 9 cases of normal liver and 6 cases of cirrhosis tissues. Seropositivity was detected in 10 of the 45 HCC patients, but not detected in 17 cirrhosis patients and 76 healthy donors. The specific cytotoxic T cells elicited by OY-TES-1 could kill HLA-A₂⁺ HCC cell line which expressed OY-TES-1. The target lysis was mainly HLA class I -dependent and could be blocked by antibodies against monomorphic HLA class I but not HLA class II molecule. In summary, OY-TES-1 expression is up-regulated in HCC tissues and can be recognized by humoral and cellular responses, which suggests that OY-TES-1 is an attractive target for tumor immunotherapy in HCC.

Improved Constraints on Sterile Neutrino Mixing from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, MINOS+, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments

Searches for electron antineutrino, muon neutrino, and muon antineutrino disappearance driven by sterile neutrino mixing have been carried out by the Daya Bay and MINOS+ collaborations. This Letter presents the combined results of these searches, along with exclusion results from the Bugey-3 reactor experiment, framed in a minimally extended four-neutrino scenario. Significantly improved constraints on the θ_{μe} mixing angle are derived that constitute the most constraining limits to date over five orders of magnitude in the mass-squared splitting Δm_{41}^{2}, excluding the 90% C.L. sterile-neutrino parameter space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE observations at 90% CL_{s} for Δm_{41}^{2}<13  eV^{2}. Furthermore, the LSND and MiniBooNE 99% C.L. allowed regions are excluded at 99% CL_{s} for Δm_{41}^{2}<1.6 eV^{2}.

[Clinical characteristics and risk factors analysis of intracranial and extracranial arterial dissection]

Objective: To compare and analyze the clinical features and potential risk factors of intracranial and extracranial arterial dissection. Methods: A total of 241 consecutive patients with cervicocerebral artery dissection (CAD) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2010 to 2019 were observed. The 241 CAD patients were divided into extracranial artery dissection group (EAD) (n=81) and intracranial artery dissection group (IAD) (n=160), clinical characteristics and risk factors were compared between the two groups. Results: Compared with EAD, the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was higher in patients with ischemic stroke in the IAD group (P=0.015). Patients with IAD were more likely to present with headache (58.8% vs 37.0%, P<0.001), and dissection Aneurysms (76.3% vs 38.3%, P<0.001). Patients with EAD more likely to have a history of mild head and neck injuries (11.1% vs 4.4%, P=0.047) and often involved the anterior circulation (77.8% vs 20.0%, P<0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed differences in a history of minor head and neck trauma (OR=3.53, 95%CI 1.04-11.97, P=0.042), anterior circulation involvement (OR=0.09, 95%CI 0.05-0.19, P<0.001), dissection aneurysms (OR=4.98, 95%CI 2.80-8.84, P<0.001), headache (OR=2.42, 95%CI 1.39-4.20, P=0.002) remained significant, and the NHISS score lost its significance. Conclusions: EAD often involves the anterior circulation and a history of mild injury to the head and neck. IAD is more prone to exhibit headache symptoms, and it is more likely to form a dissection aneurysm, and the symptoms of ischemic stroke are more severe.

Porous carbon from tobacco stalk for removal of organic dyes from water

Tobacco stalk, a kind of agricultural residue, will cause environmental pollution because it contains some harmful substances such as nicotine. To realize the high-value utilization of this agricultural residue, we prepared porous carbon (TS-C) by high temperature carbonization using tobacco stalk as a precursor. It was found that TS-C displays a hierarchical pore structure and high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 1416 m² g⁻¹. Moreover, TS-C has excellent performance in organic dye adsorption at room temperature, especially for Gentian violet (GV), with the maximum adsorption capacity of 926 mg g⁻¹.

Harmful organic dyes in water can be removed by porous carbon from hazardous tobacco stalk.

Extraction of the ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu Antineutrino Spectra at Daya Bay

This Letter reports the first extraction of individual antineutrino spectra from ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu fission and an improved measurement of the prompt energy spectrum of reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay. The analysis uses 3.5×10^{6} inverse beta-decay candidates in four near antineutrino detectors in 1958 days. The individual antineutrino spectra of the two dominant isotopes, ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu, are extracted using the evolution of the prompt spectrum as a function of the isotope fission fractions. In the energy window of 4-6 MeV, a 7% (9%) excess of events is observed for the ^{235}U (^{239}Pu) spectrum compared with the normalized Huber-Mueller model prediction. The significance of discrepancy is 4.0σ for ^{235}U spectral shape compared with the Huber-Mueller model prediction. The shape of the measured inverse beta-decay prompt energy spectrum disagrees with the prediction of the Huber-Mueller model at 5.3σ. In the energy range of 4-6 MeV, a maximal local discrepancy of 6.3σ is observed.

[Impact of diagnostic ureteroscopy and biopsy on radical nephroureterectomy of upper tract urothelial carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of preoperative diagnostic ureteroscopy and biopsy (UB) on radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) and the prognosis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

METHODS

The clinical data of UTUC patients receiving RNU between Jan. 2007 and Dec. 2016 were retrospectively collected. The median follow up time was 40 months. The operation time and blood loss of RNU were compared between UB group and non-UB group. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to the time interval between UB and RNU, and surgery methods of lower ureter. The linear regression model was used to adjust for other common factors that impacted operation time.

RESULTS

A total of 163 UTUC patients were included in the final analysis. For the lower ureter, open ureterectomies were performed in 91 patients (55.9%), while retroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterectomies were performed in 72 patients (44.1%). A total of 110 (67.5%) patients received preoperative UB. Compared with non-UB group, the average operation time of UB group was significantly longer [(252.5±79.8) min vs. (221.3±79.8) min, P=0.019], but no difference of blood loss was found (median, 50 mL vs. 50 mL, P=0.143). In subgroup analysis, the average operation time of RNU was significantly prolonged when RNU was performed after 1 week of UB (P=0.023). Meanwhile, the median blood loss of RNU increased significantly when it was done after 2 weeks of UB compared with non-UB group (100 mL vs. 50 mL, P=0.012). UB was also significantly prolonged the operation time of RNU in retroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterectomy group (P=0.012). In multivariable analysis, UB (P=0.049), ≥pT3 (P=0.039), pN+ (P=0.018) and ureterectomy method (P=0.005) were independent risk factors of prolonged operation time. The 3-year cancer specific survival (CSS) rate was 87.2% in our cohort. UB had no significant impact on cancer specific survival (P=0.435).

CONCLUSION

UB was an independent risk factor of prolonged RNU time, but did not significantly influence cancer specific survival of upper tract urothelial carcinoma patients.

[Perioperative management of endoscopic ear surgery]

With the rapid development of modern equipment and widespread familiarity with the relative knowledge, endoscopic ear surgery has attracted many oto-surgeons and is becoming more popular in primary hospitals in China. Standardized management of perioperative period in this field can help surgeons shorten the learning curve and avoid potential complications in endoscopic ear surgery. In this article, the management technique was introduced in detail, covering five main aspects including handling of related in-struments, preoperative examination and preparation, informed consent, preparation for patients and operation room setup. Extra focus was placed on the manipulation and resolution of possible difficulties during the procedure.

Measurement of the Electron Antineutrino Oscillation with 1958 Days of Operation at Daya Bay

We report a measurement of electron antineutrino oscillation from the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment with nearly 4 million reactor ν[over ¯]_{e} inverse β decay candidates observed over 1958 days of data collection. The installation of a flash analog-to-digital converter readout system and a special calibration campaign using different source enclosures reduce uncertainties in the absolute energy calibration to less than 0.5% for visible energies larger than 2 MeV. The uncertainty in the cosmogenic ^{9}Li and ^{8}He background is reduced from 45% to 30% in the near detectors. A detailed investigation of the spent nuclear fuel history improves its uncertainty from 100% to 30%. Analysis of the relative ν[over ¯]_{e} rates and energy spectra among detectors yields sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0856±0.0029 and Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.471_{-0.070}^{+0.068})×10^{-3}  eV^{2} assuming the normal hierarchy, and Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.575_{-0.070}^{+0.068})×10^{-3}  eV^{2} assuming the inverted hierarchy.

Efficient alkaloid capture from water using a charged porous organic polymer

Berberine hydrochloride (BH), an important alkaloid, can be captured from water and released in organic solution circularly by a charged porous polymer (TPB–HCP), which is hypercross-linked using the cost-effective Friedel–Crafts reaction using sodium tetraphenylborate as the monomer. With high BET surface area, hierarchical porous structure and charged characteristics, TPB–HCP displays excellent adsorption capacity for BH owing to the synergistic effects of size matching and electrostatic interaction.

A charged porous polymer displays excellent adsorption capacity for berberine hydrochloride from the synergistic effects of size matching and electrostatic interaction.

Field-Induced Instability of a Gapless Spin Liquid with a Spinon Fermi Surface

The ground state of the quantum kagome antiferromagnet Zn-brochantite, ZnCu_{3}(OH)_{6}SO_{4}, which is one of only a few known spin-liquid (SL) realizations in two or three dimensions, has been described as a gapless SL with a spinon Fermi surface. Employing nuclear magnetic resonance in a broad magnetic-field range down to millikelvin temperatures, we show that in applied magnetic fields this enigmatic state is intrinsically unstable against a SL with a full or a partial gap. A similar instability of the gapless Fermi-surface SL was previously encountered in an organic triangular-lattice antiferromagnet, suggesting a common destabilization mechanism that most likely arises from spinon pairing. A salient property of this instability is that an infinitesimal field suffices to induce it, as predicted theoretically for some other types of gapless SLs.

Enhancement of the dielectric response in polymer nanocomposites with low dielectric constant fillers

In order to increase the dielectric constants of polymer-based dielectrics, composite approaches, in which inorganic fillers with much higher dielectric constants are added to the polar polymer matrix, have been investigated. However, high dielectric constant fillers cause high local electric fields in the polymer, resulting in a large reduction of the electric breakdown strength. We show that a significant increase in the dielectric constant can be achieved in polyetherimide nanocomposites with nanofillers whose dielectric constant can be similar to that of the matrix. The presence of nanofillers reduces the constraints on the dipole response to the applied electric field, thus enhancing the dielectric constant. Our results demonstrate that through nanostructure engineering, the dielectric constant of nanocomposites can be enhanced markedly without using high dielectric constant nanofillers.

Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay experiment has observed correlations between reactor core fuel evolution and changes in the reactor antineutrino flux and energy spectrum. Four antineutrino detectors in two experimental halls were used to identify 2.2 million inverse beta decays (IBDs) over 1230 days spanning multiple fuel cycles for each of six 2.9 GW_{th} reactor cores at the Daya Bay and Ling Ao nuclear power plants. Using detector data spanning effective ^{239}Pu fission fractions F_{239} from 0.25 to 0.35, Daya Bay measures an average IBD yield σ[over ¯]_{f} of (5.90±0.13)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission and a fuel-dependent variation in the IBD yield, dσ_{f}/dF_{239}, of (-1.86±0.18)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission. This observation rejects the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino flux as a function of the ^{239}Pu fission fraction at 10 standard deviations. The variation in IBD yield is found to be energy dependent, rejecting the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino energy spectrum at 5.1 standard deviations. While measurements of the evolution in the IBD spectrum show general agreement with predictions from recent reactor models, the measured evolution in total IBD yield disagrees with recent predictions at 3.1σ. This discrepancy indicates that an overall deficit in the measured flux with respect to predictions does not result from equal fractional deficits from the primary fission isotopes ^{235}U, ^{239}Pu, ^{238}U, and ^{241}Pu. Based on measured IBD yield variations, yields of (6.17±0.17) and (4.27±0.26)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission have been determined for the two dominant fission parent isotopes ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu. A 7.8% discrepancy between the observed and predicted ^{235}U yields suggests that this isotope may be the primary contributor to the reactor antineutrino anomaly.

Absence of Magnetic Thermal Conductivity in the Quantum Spin-Liquid Candidate YbMgGaO_{4}

We present the ultralow-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity measurements on single crystals of YbMgGaO_{4}, which was recently argued to be a promising candidate for a quantum spin liquid (QSL). In a zero magnetic field, a large magnetic contribution of specific heat is observed, and exhibits a power-law temperature dependence (C_{m}∼T^{0.74}). On the contrary, we do not observe any significant contribution of thermal conductivity from magnetic excitations. In magnetic fields H≥6  T, the exponential T dependence of C_{m} and the enhanced thermal conductivity indicate a magnon gap of the fully polarized state. The absence of magnetic thermal conductivity at the zero field in this QSL candidate puts a strong constraint on the theories of its ground state.

Limits on Active to Sterile Neutrino Oscillations from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments

Searches for a light sterile neutrino have been performed independently by the MINOS and the Daya Bay experiments using the muon (anti)neutrino and electron antineutrino disappearance channels, respectively. In this Letter, results from both experiments are combined with those from the Bugey-3 reactor neutrino experiment to constrain oscillations into light sterile neutrinos. The three experiments are sensitive to complementary regions of parameter space, enabling the combined analysis to probe regions allowed by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) and MiniBooNE experiments in a minimally extended four-neutrino flavor framework. Stringent limits on sin^{2}2θ_{μe} are set over 6 orders of magnitude in the sterile mass-squared splitting Δm_{41}^{2}. The sterile-neutrino mixing phase space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments is excluded for Δm_{41}^{2}<0.8  eV^{2} at 95%  CL_{s}.

Improved Search for a Light Sterile Neutrino with the Full Configuration of the Daya Bay Experiment

This Letter reports an improved search for light sterile neutrino mixing in the electron antineutrino disappearance channel with the full configuration of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. With an additional 404 days of data collected in eight antineutrino detectors, this search benefits from 3.6 times the statistics available to the previous publication, as well as from improvements in energy calibration and background reduction. A relative comparison of the rate and energy spectrum of reactor antineutrinos in the three experimental halls yields no evidence of sterile neutrino mixing in the 2×10^{-4}≲|Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.3  eV^{2} mass range. The resulting limits on sin^{2}2θ_{14} are improved by approx imately a factor of 2 over previous results and constitute the most stringent constraints to date in the |Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.2  eV^{2} region.

An Ultrasensitive Magnetoelectric Sensor System For the Quantitative Detection of Liver Iron

Ultrasensitive magnetoelectric (ME) sensors have been developed using magnetostrictive/piezoelectric laminate heterostructures. This paper discusses a highly interdisciplinary design of a room temperature biomagnetic liver susceptometry system (BLS) based on the ME sensors. The ME-sensor based BLS maintains the ultrahigh sensitivity to detect the weak AC biomagnetic signals and introduces a low equivalent magnetic noise. The results reveal a "turning point" and successfully indicate the output signals to be linearly responsive to iron concentrations from normal iron level (0.05 mg_Fe/g_{liver phantom}) to 5 mg_Fe/g_{liver phantom} iron overload level (100X overdose). Further, the introduction of the water-bag technique shows the promise on the automatic deduction of the background (tissue) signal, enabling an even higher sensitivity and better signal-to-noise (SNR). With these improvements, it becomes feasible to get improved characterization flexibility and the field distribution mapping potential via signal processing from the correlations of multiple sensors in the system. Considering the wide presence of biomagnetic signals in human organs, the potential impact of such biomagnetic devices on medicine and health care could be enormous and far-reaching.

Electrocaloric response near room temperature in Zr- and Sn-doped BaTiO3 systems

The electrocaloric effect (ECE) in (1-x)BaZr0.18 Ti0.82O3-(x)BaSn0.11Ti0.89O3 (BZT18-BST11, 0.1≤x≤0.5) ceramics is investigated near room temperature using a calorimetry method. The ceramics exhibit relaxor-like ferroelectric characteristics and by merging phases, a large electrocaloric (EC) response is observed in the system. The largest entropy change is 4.8 Jkg(-1) K(-1) (along with a temperature change of 3.5 K), which is induced under an electric field of 10 MV m(-1) for the 0.8 BaZr0.18Ti0.82O3-0.2 BaSn0.11Ti0.89O3 ceramics. This result reveals that the coexistence of multiple phases improves the ECE of the ceramics, which provides an effective route to achieve a large EC response using a small electric field.This article is part of the themed issue 'Taking the temperature of phase transitions in cool materials'.

Abstract 4929: UbcH10 may represent a potential marker of gastric carcinoma

Gastric cancer is a fatal disease with limited early diagnostic methods available. There is an urgent need to find more effective targets for early diagnosis and therapeutics. UbcH10 is an ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme with a high expression reported in some cancers. Several gastric tumor cell lines with high or low expression of UbcH10 were exploited to study the role of UbcH10 in gastric cancer. Knocking down of UbcH10 expression using siRNA in high expressing gastric cancer cell lines resulted in reduced proliferation, increased cisplatin-induced apoptosis and reduced serum-induced ERK, Akt and p38 phosphorylation signaling. In agreement, overexpression of UbcH10 expression in low-expression gastric cancer cell lines led to enhanced cell proliferation, resistance to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Most importantly, IHC analyses showed that the UbcH10 protein expressed at a high level in patient gastric cancer tissues, but not in adjacent mesenchyme tissues. These data suggest that UbcH10 may promote gastric cancer growth and can serve as a biomarker for diagnosis or target for new therapeutics in gastric cancer.

Citation Format: Mengxuan Yang, Yingying Qu, Gang Hu, Shiwei Tu, RL Shi, XB Wu, ZQ Hu, QM Zhang, SQ Liu, GF Pan, Ziping Zhang, He Zhou. UbcH10 may represent a potential marker of gastric carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4929.

Measurement of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

This Letter reports a measurement of the flux and energy spectrum of electron antineutrinos from six 2.9 GWth nuclear reactors with six detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls in the Daya Bay experiment. Using 217 days of data, 296 721 and 41 589 inverse β decay (IBD) candidates were detected in the near and far halls, respectively. The measured IBD yield is (1.55±0.04) ×10(-18)  cm(2) GW(-1) day(-1) or (5.92±0.14) ×10(-43)  cm(2) fission(-1). This flux measurement is consistent with previous short-baseline reactor antineutrino experiments and is 0.946±0.022 (0.991±0.023) relative to the flux predicted with the Huber-Mueller (ILL-Vogel) fissile antineutrino model. The measured IBD positron energy spectrum deviates from both spectral predictions by more than 2σ over the full energy range with a local significance of up to ∼4σ between 4-6 MeV. A reactor antineutrino spectrum of IBD reactions is extracted from the measured positron energy spectrum for model-independent predictions.

DNA methyltransferase 3B -149C/T polymorphism and the risk of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a case-control study

A variety of molecular epidemiological studies have been conducted to examine the association between the DNMT3B -149C/T polymorphism and cancer susceptibility; however, there has been no study investigating the association between the DNMT3B -149C/T polymorphism and the risk of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) until now. To determine the role of the DNMT3B -149C/T polymorphism in LSCC, we genotyped 113 patients with LSCC and 110 controls from a Chinese population using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The chi-square test was used to examine differences in the distributions of genotypes studied between patients and controls. The association between the DNMT3B -149C/T polymorphism and the risk of LSCC was estimated using ORs and their 95%CIs. Genotypic frequencies in the patients with LSCC were not similar to those of the controls, with the differences being statistically significant (P = 0.001). When the DNMT3B -149 CC genotype was used as the reference group, the CT genotype was not associated with LSCC risk (adjusted OR, 2.12; 95%CI = 0.89-5.19; P = 0.07), but the TT genotype was associated with significantly increased risk for LSCC (adjusted OR = 3.27; 95%CI = 1.79-10.66; P = 0.009). Under the recessive model of inheritance, the TT genotype was associated with significantly increased risk for LSCC (adjusted OR = 1.98; 95%CI = 1.12-5.95; P = 0.012), compared with other genotypes. These results suggested that the DNMT3B -149C/T polymorphism is associated with a genetic susceptibility for developing LSCC in a Chinese population.

New measurement of antineutrino oscillation with the full detector configuration at Daya Bay

We report a new measurement of electron antineutrino disappearance using the fully constructed Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. The final two of eight antineutrino detectors were installed in the summer of 2012. Including the 404 days of data collected from October 2012 to November 2013 resulted in a total exposure of 6.9×10^{5} GW_{th}  ton days, a 3.6 times increase over our previous results. Improvements in energy calibration limited variations between detectors to 0.2%. Removal of six ^{241}Am-^{13}C radioactive calibration sources reduced the background by a factor of 2 for the detectors in the experimental hall furthest from the reactors. Direct prediction of the antineutrino signal in the far detectors based on the measurements in the near detectors explicitly minimized the dependence of the measurement on models of reactor antineutrino emission. The uncertainties in our estimates of sin^{2}2θ_{13} and |Δm_{ee}^{2}| were halved as a result of these improvements. An analysis of the relative antineutrino rates and energy spectra between detectors gave sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.084±0.005 and |Δm_{ee}^{2}|=(2.42±0.11)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} in the three-neutrino framework.

Atomic-Scale Interfacial Magnetism in Fe/Graphene Heterojunction

Successful spin injection into graphene makes it a competitive contender in the race to become a key material for quantum computation, or the spin-operation-based data processing and sensing. Engineering ferromagnetic metal (FM)/graphene heterojunctions is one of the most promising avenues to realise it, however, their interface magnetism remains an open question up to this day. In any proposed FM/graphene spintronic devices, the best opportunity for spin transport could only be achieved where no magnetic dead layer exists at the FM/graphene interface. Here we present a comprehensive study of the epitaxial Fe/graphene interface by means of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The experiment has been performed using a specially designed FM₁/FM₂/graphene structure that to a large extent restores the realistic case of the proposed graphene-based transistors. We have quantitatively observed a reduced but still sizable magnetic moments of the epitaxial Fe ML on graphene, which is well resembled by simulations and can be attributed to the strong hybridization between the Fe 3d_z2 and the C 2p_z orbitals and the sp-orbital-like behavior of the Fe 3d electrons due to the presence of graphene.

Down-regulation of cancer/testis antigen OY-TES-1 attenuates malignant behaviors of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro

Cancer/testis (CT) antigens are normally expressed in testis and overexpressed in various tumor types. However, their biological function is largely unknown. OY-TES-1, one of cancer/testis (CT) antigens, is reported overexpression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). And we assumed that OY-TES-1 contribute to oncogenesis and progression of HCC. In this study, we knocked down OY-TES-1 by small interference RNA (siRNA) in HCC cell lines (HepG2 and BEL-7404) to verify this assumption and evaluate its potential as therapeutic targets for HCC. We showed that down regulation of OY-TES-1 decreased cell growth, induced the G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis, and prevented migration and invasion in the two HCC cell lines. Further analysis revealed that down regulation of OY-TES-1 increased expression of apoptosis-regulated protein caspase-3, and decreased expression of cell cycle-regulated protein cyclin E, migration/invasion-regulated proteins MMP2 and MMP9. These findings may shed light on the gene therapy about the OY-TES-1 expression in HCC cells.

MAGED4 expression in glioma and upregulation in glioma cell lines with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment

Melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) family genes have been considered as potentially promising targets for anticancer immunotherapy. MAGED4 was originally identified as a glioma-specific antigen. Current knowledge about MAGED4 expression in glioma is only based on mRNA analysis and MAGED4 protein expression has not been elucidated. In the present study, we investigated this point and found that MAGED4 mRNA and protein were absent or very lowly expressed in various normal tissues and glioma cell line SHG44, but overexpressed in glioma cell lines A172,U251,U87-MG as well as glioma tissues, with significant heterogeneity. Furthermore, MAGED4 protein expression was positively correlated with the glioma type and grade. We also found that the expression of MAGED4 inversely correlated with the overall methylation status of the MAGED4 promoter CpG island. Furthermore, when SHG44 and A172 with higher methylation were treated with the DNA demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA-CdR) reactivation of MAGED4 mRNA was mediated by significant demethylation in SHG44 instead of A172. However, 5-AZA-CdR treatment had no effect on MAGED4 protein in both SHG44 and A172 cells. In conclusion, MAGED4 is frequently and highly expressed in glioma and is partly regulated by DNA methylation. The results suggest that MAGED4 might be a promising target for glioma immunotherapy combined with 5-AZA-CdR to enhance its expression and eliminate intratumor heterogeneity.

Cancer testis antigen OY-TES-1: analysis of protein expression in ovarian cancer with tissue microarrays

Revised manuscript accepted for publication March 5, Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the potential of cancer testis antigen OY-TES-1 as a vaccine for ovarian cancer (OC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A tissue microarray (TMA) containing 107 samples from OC tissues and 48 samples from OC adjacent tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry with the OY-TES-1 polyclonal antibody. The correlation between OY-TES-1 and clinic pathological traits of OC was statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

The expression of OY-TES-1 protein was found in 81% (87/107) of OC tissues and 56% (27/48) of OC adjacent tissues. The immunostaining intensity of OY-TES-1 in OC tissues was significantly higher than that in OC adjacent tissues tested (p = 0.040). OC adjacent tissues only demonstrated lower immunostaining intensity, whereas some of OC tissues presented higher immunostaining intensity and majority showed the heterogeneity of protein distribution. There was no statistically significant correlation found between OY-TES-1 expression and any other clinicopathological traits such as age, FIGO stage, pathological grade, and histological type.

CONCLUSIONS

OY-TES-1 was expressed in OC tissues with a high proportion, and some of OC tissues presented OY-TES-1 expression in high level vs OC adjacent tissues. OY-TES-1 could be an attractive target for immunotherapy for OC in the future.