A technique to quantify very low activities in regions of interest with a collimatorless detector

We present a new method to measure sub-microcurie activities of photon-emitting radionuclides in organs and lesions of small animals in vivo. Our technique, named the collimator-less likelihood fit, combines a very high sensitivity collimatorless detector with a Monte Carlo-based likelihood fit in order to estimate the activities in previously segmented regions of interest along with their uncertainties. This is done directly from the photon projections in our collimatorless detector and from the region of interest segmentation provided by an x-ray computed tomography scan. We have extensively validated our approach with 225Ac experimentally in spherical phantoms and mouse phantoms, and also numerically with simulations of a realistic mouse anatomy. Our method yields statistically unbiased results with uncertainties smaller than 20% for activities as low as ~111 Bq (3 nCi) and for exposures under 30 minutes. We demonstrate that our method yields more robust recovery coefficients when compared to SPECT imaging with a commercial pre-clinical scanner, specially at very low activities. Thus, our technique is complementary to traditional SPECT/CT imaging since it provides a more accurate and precise organ and tumor dosimetry, with a more limited spatial information. Finally, our technique is specially significant in extremely low-activity scenarios when SPECT/CT imaging is simply not viable.

Suppression of microRNA-320 Induces Cerebral Protection Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Targeting HMGB1/NF-kappaB Axis

MicroRNAs have been shown to potentially function in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury. This study aimed to examine the expression of microRNA-320 (miR-320) in cerebral IR injury and its involvement in cerebral mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses by targeting the HMGB1/NF-kappaB axis. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion to simulate cerebral IR injury. The cerebral expression of miR-320 was assessed using qRT-PCR. Neurological function, cerebral infarct volume, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines were evaluated using relevant methods, including staining, fluorometry, and ELISA. HMGB1 expression was analyzed through Western blotting. The levels of miR-320, HMGB1, neurological deficits, and cerebral infarction were significantly higher after IR induction. Intracerebral overexpression of miR-320 resulted in substantial neurological deficits, increased infarct volume, elevated levels of 8-isoprostane, NF-kappaBp65, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and HMGB1 expression. It also promoted the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and ROS levels while reducing MnSOD and GSH levels. Downregulation of miR-320 and inhibition of HMGB1 activity significantly reversed the outcomes of cerebral IR injury. MiR-320 plays a negative role in regulating cerebral inflammatory/oxidative reactions induced by IR injury by enhancing HMGB1 activity and modulating mitochondrial function.

Effects of Rainfall Exclusion Treatment on Photosynthetic Characteristics of Black Locust in the Sub-Humid Region of the Loess Plateau, China

The mesic-origin species Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) is widely planted in the semiarid and sub-humid areas of the Loess Plateau for the reforestation of vegetation-degraded land. Under the scenario of changing precipitation patterns, exploring the response of photosynthesis to drought allows us to assess the risk to sustainable development of these plantations. In this study, paired plots were established including the control and a treatment of 30% exclusion of throughfall (since 2018). The photosynthetic characteristics were investigated using a portable photosynthesis system for four periods in the full-leaf growing season of 2021-2022, the fourth and fifth years, on both treated and controlled sampling trees. Leaf gas exchange parameters derived from diurnal changing patterns, light response curves, and CO2 response curves showed significant differences except for period II (9-11 September 2021) between the two plots. The photosynthetic midday depression was observed in 2022 in the treated plot. Meanwhile, the decline of net photosynthetic rate in the treated plot was converted from stomatal limitation to non-stomatal limitation. Furthermore, we observed that black locust adapted to long-term water deficiency by reducing stomatal conductance, increasing water use efficiency and intrinsic water use efficiency. The results demonstrate that reduction in precipitation would cause photosynthesis decrease, weaken the response sensitivity to light and CO2, and potentially impair photosynthetic resilience of the plantations. They also provide insights into the changes in photosynthetic functions under global climate change and a reference for management of plantations.

STING-Dependent Sensing of Self-DNA Driving Pyroptosis Contributes to Radiation-Induced Lung Injury

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Radiation therapy (RT) is indispensable for managing thoracic carcinomas. However, its application is limited by radiation-induced lung injury (RILI), one of the most common and fatal complications of thoracic RT. Nonetheless, the exact molecular mechanisms of RILI remain poorly understood.

MATERIALS/METHODS

To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, various knockout (KO) mouse strains were subjected to 16 Gy whole-thoracic RT. RILI was assessed by qRT-PCR, ELISA, histology, western blot, immunohistochemistry, and CT examination. To perform further mechanistic studies on the signaling cascade during the RILI process, pulldown, CHIP, and rescue assays were conducted.

RESULTS

We found that the cGAS-STING pathway was significantly upregulated after irradiation exposure in both the mouse models and clinical lung tissues. Knocking down either cGAS or STING led to attenuated inflammation and fibrosis in mouse lung tissues. NLRP3 is hardwired to the upstream DNA-sensing cGAS-STING pathway to trigger of the inflammasome and amplification of the inflammatory response. STING deficiency suppressed the expressions of the NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis-pertinent components containing IL-1β, IL-18, and cleaved caspase-1. Mechanistically, interferon regulatory factor 3, the essential transcription factor downstream of cGAS-STING, promoted the pyroptosis by transcriptionally activating NLRP3. Moreover, we found that RT triggered the release of self-dsDNA in the bronchoalveolar space, which is essential for the activation of cGAS-STING and the downstream NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis. Of note, Pulmozyme, an old drug for the management of cystic fibrosis, was revealed to have the potential to mitigate RILI by degrading extracellular dsDNA and then inhibiting the cGAS-STING-NLRP3 signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

These results delineated the crucial function of cGAS-STING as a key mediator of RILI, and described a mechanism of pyroptosis linking cGAS-STING activation with the amplification of initial RILI. These findings indicate that the dsDNA-cGAS-STING-NLRP3 axis might be potentially amenable to therapeutic targeting for RILI.

Safety and Efficacy of Hypofractionated Radiotherapy Combined with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Patients with Lung Metastases after Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with pulmonary metastases after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

Twenty-five patients with lung metastases after OLT for HCC who underwent HFRT using helical tomotherapy concomitantly with TKIs (sorafenib or lenvatinib) were retrospectively. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), local control rate (LCR), objective response rate (ORR), and treatment-related side effects.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 35.5 months, with a median interval from OLT to lung metastasis of 15.3 months. The median PFS and OS were 9.9 and 32.7 months, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year PFS and OS rates were 36.0%, 16.0%, and 12.0%, and 84.0%, 52.0%, and 20.0%, respectively. The LCR of pulmonary metastases at 1 year was 100%, whereas the two-year LCR was 76.9%. The 1- and 2- year ORRs were 95.2% and 69.2%, respectively, with no grade > 2 adverse events. Radiation pneumonitis was observed in 17 patients (68.0%). Grade 1 pneumonitis occurred in 15 patients (60.0%), and grade 2 pneumonitis occurred in 2 patients (8.0%).

CONCLUSION

The combination therapy of HFRT with TKIs is a feasible, safe, and promising approach in the treatment of pulmonary metastases for HCC after OLT.

Salvage Radiotherapy Improves Survival in Patients with Metastatic Liver Cancer after Immunotherapy Oligoprogression

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have ameliorated the survival outcome of liver cancer, a majority of patients receiving ICIs have eventually developed progression. Local therapy, especially radiotherapy (RT), is increasingly being considered in the setting of oligoprogression to delay the need to change systemic therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RT as a salvage treatment in patients with oligoprogression after ICIs.

MATERIALS/METHODS

This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the use of salvage radiotherapy in oligoprogressive metastatic liver cancer patients. Patients with metastatic liver cancer who had previous stability or response after ≥ 6 mo of ICIs were eligible if they developed progression of five of fewer metastases.

RESULTS

Overall, 178 patients treated between August 2018 and March 2022 were included. The patients were followed for a median of 17.2 months. The overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 38.2% and 57.8%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 6.5 (95% CI:5.116-7.884) and 17.3 (95% CI:11.166-23.434) months. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with OS included tumor size, tumor number, and radiated tumor site (intrahepatic vs. extrahepatic). The most frequent AEs were fatigue, decreased appetite, rash, fever, and nausea. The above-mentioned AEs were reversible and manageable.

CONCLUSION

Salvage radiotherapy has a potential activity and is tolerable for oligoprogression after ICIs with appropriate radiated tumor site and patient selection. A prospective randomized trial is ongoing to validate this finding (ChiCTR2200060664).

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Combined with Sintilimab in Patients with Recurrent or Oligometastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Phase II Clinical Trial

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The anti-tumor activity and tolerability of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and PD-1 inhibitors have been illustrated in retrospective studies, but the results vary across a broad range. This study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of SBRT combined with sintilimab in patients with recurrent or oligometastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

This trial involved patients with recurrent or oligometastatic HCC intravenously treated with SBRT plus sintilimab every 3 weeks for 12 months or until disease progression. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

Twenty-five patients were enrolled from August 14, 2019, to August 23, 2021. The median treatment duration was 10.2 months. SBRT was delivered at a median dose of 54 in six fractions. The median follow-up time was 21.9 months, and 32 targeted lesions among 25 patients were evaluated for treatment response according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. The median PFS was 19.7 months, with PFS rates of 68% and 45.3% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) was not reached, with OS rates of 91.5% and 83.2% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. The 1- and 2-year local control rate were 100% and 90.9%, respectively. The confirmed objective response rate and disease control rate was 96%, and 96%, respectively. Most adverse events were graded as 1 or 2, and grade 3 adverse events were observed in three patients.

CONCLUSION

SBRT plus sintilimab is an effective, well-tolerated treatment regimen for patients with recurrent or oligometastatic HCC.

A scientometrics and visualization analysis of oxidative stress modulator Nrf2 in cancer profiles its characteristics and reveals its association with immune response

Background

Nrf2, an essential and fascinating transcription factor, enjoys a dual property in the occurrence and development of inflammation and cancer. For over two decades, numerous studies regarding Nrf2 in cancer have been reported, whereas there is still a lack of a scientometrics and visualization analysis of Nrf2 in cancer. Hence, a scientometric study regarding the oxidative stress modulator Nrf2 was implemented.

Methods

After the quality screening, we defined 7168 relevant studies from 2000 to 2021. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, R software, and GraphPad Prism were used for the following scientometric study and visualization analysis, including field profiles, research hotspots, and future predictions.

Results

The total number of publications and citations are 1058 and 54,690, respectively. After polynomial fitting curve analysis, two prediction functions of the annual publication number (y = 3.3909x² - 13585x + 1 E+07) and citation number (185.45x² - 743669x + 7 E+08) were generated. After scientometric analysis, we found that Biochemistry Molecular Biology correlates with Nrf2 in cancer highly, and Free Radical Biology and Medicine is a good choice for submitting Nrf2-related manuscripts. The current research hotspots of Nrf2 in cancer mainly focus on cancer therapy and its cellular and molecular mechanisms. "antioxidant response element (87.5)", "gene expression (43.98)", "antioxidant responsive element (21.14)", "chemoprevention (20.05)", "carcinogenesis (19.2)", "cancer chemoprevention (18.45)", "free radical (17.15)", "response element (14.17)", and "chemopreventive agent (14.04)" are important for cancer therapy study. In addition, "glutathione-S-transferase (47)", "keap1 (15.39)", and "heme oxygenase 1 gene (24.35)" are important for inflammation and cell fate study. More interestingly, by performing an "InfoMap" algorithm, the thematic map showed that the "immune response" is essential to oxidative stress modulator Nrf2 but not well developed, indicating it deserves further exploration.

Conclusion

This study revealed field profiles, research hotspots, and future directions of oxidative stress modulator Nrf2 in inflammation and cancer research, and our findings will offer a vigorous roadmap for further studies in this field.

Prediction of university fund revenue and expenditure based on fuzzy time series with a periodic factor

Financial management and decision-making of universities play an essential role in their development. Predicting fund revenue and expenditure of universities can provide a necessary basis for funds risk prevention. For the lack of solid data reference for financial management and funds risk prevention in colleges and universities, this paper presents a prediction model of University fund revenue and expenditure based on fuzzy time series with a periodic factor. Combined with the fuzzy time series, this prediction method introduces the periodic factor of university funds. The periodic factor is used to adjust the proportion of the predicted value of the fuzzy time series and the periodic observation value. A fund revenue prediction model and a fund expenditure prediction model are constructed, and an experiment is carried out with the actual financial data of a university in China. The experimental result shows the effectiveness of the proposed model, which can provide solid references for financial management and funds risk prevention in universities.

Analysis of and Reduction in Noise in Current Measurement of XCP under the Laboratory Condition

Expendable current profiler (XCP) is one of the most vital devices detecting ocean currents. Compared with other methods, the expendable feature makes trials with XCP much faster and more hidden, while the accuracy of XCP is considerably influenced by electromagnetic noise all around. Aiming at researching the influence and reducing the noise, this study carried out laboratory simulation experiments. The designed laboratory experiments mainly have a self-developed rotation gear, an XCP prototype, a plastic flume, and two copper plates as power. Firstly, these experiments analyzed the main sources of electromagnetic noise for XCP detection. Secondly, we built a noise simulation environment and conducted XCP detection experiments under different noise in the flume. The data obtained by XCP were transmitted to the computer to be stored and processed. The results show the internal noise impact on XCP is significantly less than the external. For an excitation power of 1 mV, the offset of theoretical and actual data brought by internal noise is 12 times smaller than external and can be corrected.

Tree species richness as an important biotic factor regulates the soil phosphorus density in China's mature natural forests

Tree species richness has been recognized as an underlying driving factor for regulating soil phosphorus (P) status in many site-specific studies. However, it remains poorly understood whether this is true at broad scales where soil P strongly rely on climate, soil type and vegetation type. Here, based on the data of 946 mature natural forest sites from a nationwide field survey in China, we analyzed the impact of tree species richness on soil P density of China's mature natural forests (deciduous coniferous forest, DCF; evergreen coniferous forest, ECF; deciduous broad-leaved forest, DBF; evergreen broad-leaved forest, EBF; and mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest, MF). Our results showed that tree species richness had a negative effect on soil P density in China's mature natural forests. The Random Forest regression model showed that the relative importance of tree species richness to soil P density was second only to the climate factors (mean annual temperature, MAT; mean annual precipitation, MAP). In addition, the structural equation model (SEM) results showed that the goodness fit of SEM increased when the tree species richness was included into the model. These results suggested that tree species richness was an important factor in regulating the China's mature natural forests soil P density. Furthermore, the SEM results showed that the decreased soil P density was related to the increase in ANPP and the decrease in litter P concentration induced by tree species richness. This result indicates that tree species richness could facilitate plant P absorption and inhibit plant P return into the soil, and thus reducing the soil P density in China's mature natural forests. In conclusion, we found tree species richness was an important biotic factor in regulating soil P density at broad scales, which should be fully considered in Earth models that represent P cycle.

Operating Performance Improvement Based on Prediction and Grade Assessment for Sintering Process

Sintering is the preproduction process of ironmaking, whose products are the basis of ironmaking. How to improve the operating performance of the iron ore sintering process has always been a problem that operators are committed to solve. An operating performance improvement method based on prediction and grade assessment is presented in this article. First, considering the data distribution characteristics of the process, a performance index prediction model based on the Gaussian process regression is built, in which the mutual information analysis method is used to select the inputs of the performance index prediction model. Then, the operating performance grade is assessed by a threshold division method. Next, the operating performance grade guides the control of the burn-through point to improve the operating performance. Finally, experimental verification is performed based on the actual running data. The results show that the proposed method has high prediction accuracy, and it is also significant in improving the operating performance. Therefore, this approach provides an effective solution to predict and improve operating performance.

Using pre-operative radiomics to predict microvascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma based on Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the value of performing gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics for preoperative prediction of microvascular invasion (MVI) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on multiple sequences.

Methods

We randomly allocated 165 patients with HCC who underwent partial hepatectomy to training and validation sets. Stepwise regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm were used to select significant variables. A clinicoradiological model, radiomics model, and combined model were constructed using multivariate logistic regression. The performance of the models was evaluated, and a nomogram risk-prediction model was built based on the combined model. A concordance index and calibration curve were used to evaluate the discrimination and calibration of the nomogram model.

Results

The tumour margin, peritumoural hypointensity, and seven radiomics features were selected to build the combined model. The combined model outperformed the radiomics model and the clinicoradiological model and had the highest sensitivity (90.89%) in the validation set. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.826, 0.755, and 0.708 for the combined, radiomics, and clinicoradiological models, respectively. The nomogram model based on the combined model exhibited good discrimination (concordance index = 0.79) and calibration.

Conclusions

The combined model based on radiomics features of Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI, tumour margin, and peritumoural hypointensity was valuable for predicting HCC microvascular invasion. The nomogram based on the combined model can intuitively show the probabilities of MVI.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12880-022-00855-w.

Dynamic changes of pulmonary diffusion capacity in survivors of non-critical COVID-19 during the first six months

BACKGROUND

The dynamic trends of pulmonary function in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors since discharge have been rarely described. We aimed to describe the changes of lung function and identify risk factors for impaired diffusion capacity.

METHODS

Non-critical COVID-19 patients admitted to the Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, China, were enrolled from March to June 2020. Subjects were prospectively followed up with pulmonary function tests at discharge, three and six months after discharge.

FINDINGS

Eighty-six patients completed diffusion capacity tests at three timepoints. The mean diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (D_LCO)% pred was 79.8% at discharge and significantly improved to 84.9% at Month-3. The transfer coefficient of the lung for carbon monoxide (K_CO)% pred significantly increased from 91.7% at discharge to 95.7% at Month-3. Both of them showed no further improvement at Month-6. The change rates of D_LCO% pred and K_CO% pred were significantly higher in 0-3 months than in 3-6 months. The alveolar ventilation (V_A) improved continuously during the follow-ups. At Month-6, impaired D_LCO% pred was associated with being female (OR 5.2 [1.7-15.8]; p = 0.004) and peak total lesion score (TLS) of chest CT > 8.5 (OR 6.6 [1.7-26.5]; p = 0.007). D_LCO% pred and K_CO% pred were worse in females at discharge. And in patients with impaired diffusion capacity, females' D_LCO% pred recovered slower than males.

INTERPRETATION

The first three months is the critical recovery period for diffusion capacity. The impaired diffusion capacity was more severe and recovered slower in females than in males. Early pulmonary rehabilitation and individualized interventions for recovery are worthy of further investigations.

[Research progress on building of disease control and prevention system of the international experience]

Through literature search in regular database and official websites of relevant countries, this paper combs and summarizes the main characteristics of disease prevention and control systems in five countries, the United States, Germany, South Korea, Australia and Japan, and the European Union at key levels including legal construction, organizational structure, financing, personnel construction and international cooperation, in order to provide decision support for the construction of disease prevention and control system in China in the future.

POS1040 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OMERACT PSAMRIS IN A PHASE IIB, RANDOMISED PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY OF ABATACEPT IN PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS

Background:

The semi-quantitative Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Psoriatic Arthritis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (PsAMRIS) was developed for the evaluation of inflammatory and destructive changes in PsA,1 but has limited trial usage.

Objectives:

To retrospectively utilise the PsAMRIS in a multi-dose, randomised Phase IIb study of abatacept in patients with PsA who have inadequate response to DMARDs (NCT00534313).2

Methods:

Patients were randomised to abatacept (3, 10 or 30/10 mg/kg [the 30-mg/kg group switched to 10 mg/kg after the first two doses]) or placebo and treated for 169 days, after which all patients received abatacept 10 mg/kg through to Day 365. MRI scans of one hand or foot from 123 patients with PsA collected at baseline and on Days 85, 169 and 365 were centrally evaluated by two readers blinded to chronological order and treatment arm. Synovitis, bone oedema, tenosynovitis, periarticular inflammation, bone erosion, bone proliferation and joint space narrowing were assessed as per OMERACT PsAMRIS; a novel total inflammation score was calculated from the sum of synovitis, bone oedema, tenosynovitis and periarticular inflammation. Variables were analysed using all cases (hand or foot) and by hand and foot cases separately.

Results:

At Day 169, the abatacept 30/10 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg group showed the most decrease (improvement) in each inflammatory assessment (Figure 1). The Day 169 change from baseline severity in synovitis and tenosynovitis in the abatacept 30/10 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg groups, respectively, were significantly reduced (improved) compared with placebo (estimated differences of –0.966 [p=0.039] and –1.652 [p=0.014], respectively) (Table 1). Patients originally randomised to placebo and then switched to abatacept 10 mg/kg at Day 169 showed significant improvements in synovitis, tenosynovitis and total inflammation from Day 169 to Day 365 (Table 1, Figure 1). The structural outcomes joint space narrowing and bone erosion remained stable within each treatment group, showing little change from baseline to Days 85, 169 and 365. After separating hand and foot analyses (72 hand and 51 foot cases), only hand tenosynovitis in the 10-mg/kg group and foot synovitis in the 3-mg/kg group were significantly reduced (improved) at Day 169 compared with placebo (differences of –2.331 [p=0.017] and –1.689 [p=0.010], respectively). In general, more comparisons in the hand analysis were statistically significant versus in the foot analysis.

Conclusion:

This analysis confirmed the efficacy of abatacept 10 and 30/10 mg/kg when assessed with the OMERACT PsAMRIS. The inflammatory pathologies, synovitis and tenosynovitis, appeared to be the most responsive MRI outcomes. Analysing hand and foot cases together yielded results consistent with the primary clinical efficacy endpoint (ACR20 response rate), as the abatacept 10- and 30/10-mg/kg groups showed significant differences versus placebo at Day 169;2 reduced sample size in separate hand and foot assessments may have prevented finding significant results corresponding to the combined analysis. These results also demonstrate the responsiveness of the PsAMRIS in PsA randomised clinical trials.

References:

[1]Glinatsi D, et al. J Rheumatol 2015;42:2473–2479.

[2]Mease P, et al. Arthritis Rheum 2011;63:939–948.

Table 1.

MRI variables showing significant treatment effectsa

Between groups at Day 169MRI scoreComparatorComparatorDifferenceSEp valueSynovitisPlaceboAbatacept 30/10 mg/kg–0.9660.4610.039TenosynovitisPlaceboAbatacept 10 mg/kg–1.6520.6620.014Placebo group before/after switchbMRI scoreTreatment, Day 169Treatment, Day 365DifferenceSEp valueSynovitisPlaceboAbatacept 10 mg/kg–1.0180.4580.029TenosynovitisPlaceboAbatacept 10 mg/kg–0.9400.3900.018Total inflammationPlaceboAbatacept 10 mg/kg–2.2751.0670.036

aBased on change from baseline at the stated time points (unadjusted p values).

bPatients were switched to abatacept 10 mg/kg after Day 169.

Acknowledgements:

Professional medical writing and editorial assistance was provided by Rob Coover, MPH, at Caudex and was funded by Bristol Myers Squibb.

Disclosure of Interests:

Mikkel Østergaard Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Hospira, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Novo, Orion, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Merck, Novartis, Paul Bird Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, Grant/research support from: Gilead, Chahin Pachai Shareholder of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Shuyan Du Shareholder of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Chun Wu Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Jessica Landis Shareholder of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Thomas Fuerst Employee of: Bioclinica, Inc., a contract research service providing radiology central reading services to pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies, Harris A Ahmad Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Sean Connolly Shareholder of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Philip G Conaghan Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Novartis, Consultant of: AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Flexion Therapeutics, Galapagos, Gilead, Novartis, Pfizer.

Correlation of radiomic features on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance with microvessel density in hepatocellular carcinoma based on different models

Objective

To explore the correlations of radiomic features of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) with microvessel density (MVD) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), based on single-input and dual-input two-compartment extended Tofts (SITET and DITET) models.

Methods

We compared the quantitative parameters of SITET and DITET models for DCE-MRI in 30 patients with HCC using paired sample t-tests. The correlations of SITET and DITET model parameters with CD31-MVD and CD34-MVD were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation analysis. A diagnostic model of CD34-MVD was established and the diagnostic abilities of models for MVD were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis.

Results

There were significant differences between the quantitative parameters in the two kinds of models. Compared with SITET, DITET parameters showed better correlations with CD31-MVD and CD34-MVD. The K^trans and Ve radiomics features of the DITET model showed high efficiency for predicting the level of CD34-MVD according to ROC analysis, with areas under curves of 0.83 and 0.94, respectively.

Conclusion

Compared with SITET, the DITET model provides a better indication of the microcirculation of HCC and is thus more suitable for examining patients with HCC.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Community in Roots and Nitrogen Uptake Patterns of Understory Trees Beneath Ectomycorrhizal and Non-ectomycorrhizal Overstory Trees

Nitrogen (N) is an essential plant nutrient, and plants can take up N from several sources, including via mycorrhizal fungal associations. The N uptake patterns of understory plants may vary beneath different types of overstory trees, especially through the difference in their type of mycorrhizal association (arbuscular mycorrhizal, AM; or ectomycorrhizal, ECM), because soil mycorrhizal community and N availability differ beneath AM (non-ECM) and ECM overstory trees (e.g., relatively low nitrate content beneath ECM overstory trees). To test this hypothesis, we examined six co-existing AM-symbiotic understory tree species common beneath both AM-symbiotic black locust (non-ECM) and ECM-symbiotic oak trees of dryland forests in China. We measured AM fungal community composition of roots and natural abundance stable isotopic composition of N (δ15N) in plant leaves, roots, and soils. The root mycorrhizal community composition of understory trees did not significantly differ between beneath non-ECM and ECM overstory trees, although some OTUs more frequently appeared beneath non-ECM trees. Understory trees beneath non-ECM overstory trees had similar δ15N values in leaves and soil nitrate, suggesting that they took up most of their nitrogen as nitrate. Beneath ECM overstory trees, understory trees had consistently lower leaf than root δ15N, suggesting they depended on mycorrhizal fungi for N acquisition since mycorrhizal fungi transfer isotopically light N to host plants. Additionally, leaf N concentrations in the understory trees were lower beneath ECM than the non-ECM overstory trees. Our results show that, without large differences in root mycorrhizal community, the N uptake patterns of understory trees vary between beneath different overstory trees.

Mapping forest type and age in China's plantations

Forest age serves as an essential factor in determining the accuracy of historical and future carbon (C) uptake quantifications, which is especially critical for China since the forest C stock dynamics are sensitive to the fast-growing, young-age plantations. However, a spatially explicit forest age maps with specific focus on forest plantations is not available yet. In this study, we developed a 1-km resolution age and type maps of forest plantations, and quantified their uncertainties spatially using field-measured data, national forest inventory data, digitalized forest maps, and remote sensing-based forest height maps. Simulation results showed forest plantations were 16.5 years old at national scale in 2005, which is close to the age of 16.6 years old derived from the 7th national inventory data using medium age in each forest plantation group with weighted area. Interestingly, we found that human management played an important role in forest age map reconstruction, which has not yet been considered in former studies. We also suggest that forest age and type maps should be used consistently in C stock simulations to avoid biases from mismatch information. Large uncertainty found in this study suggests further endeavors are required for improving the forest age and type maps.

[The role of CT coronary angiography in improving the positive rate of coronary angiography in patients with low-or moderate-risk non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction]

Objective: To investigate whether CT coronary angiography (CTA) can safely and effectively reduce the number of invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) whose Grace score is low-or moderate-risk, and increase ICA positive rate. Methods: One hundred and two NSTEMI patients, including 61 males and 41 females, aged 38-80 (58±12) years, were prospectively included and treated in Henan Provincial People's Hospital from February 2017 to February 2018. By using random number method, the patients were divided into control group (51 cases) and experimental group (51 cases). Patients in the control group were arranged for elective ICA examination according to the risk stratification. If further intervention or surgical treatment was required, the ICA examination was positive; in the experimental group, the CTA examination was completed through the green channel first. If the CTA showed that the main coronary artery and its main branches were severe or extreme stenosis, further ICA examination was arranged; otherwise, a secondary prophylactic drug treatment was developed and the patients were then discharged and followed up for 1 year. ICA number, ICA positive rate, length of hospital stay, hospital cost, hospital anxiety and depression score (HADS), major cardiovascular events (MACE) within 1 year, and other serious adverse events related to examination or surgery were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 37 patients in the experimental group underwent ICA, and the positive rate of ICA was 94.59% (35/37), which was significantly higher than that of the control group [62.75% (32/51)] (P<0.05). The average length of hospital stay and the HADS score before ICA in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group [(3.8±2.2) d vs (4.8±2.4) d; 8.8±4.5 vs 11.4±6.8] (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the cumulative incidence of MACE (3 cases vs 5 cases, P=0.423) and other serious adverse events (8 cases vs 10 cases, P=0.548) within 1 year between the two groups. Conclusion: CTA significantly reduces the number of ICA and the average length of hospital stay, and increases the positive rate of ICA in NSTEMI patients whose Grace score is low-or moderate-risk. There is no increase in cardiovascular risks within 1 year.

Combined application of silicon and nitric oxide jointly alleviated cadmium accumulation and toxicity in maize

Cadmium (Cd) contamination is a serious threat to plants and humans. Application of silicon (Si) or nitric oxide (NO) could alleviate Cd accumulation and toxicity in plants, but whether they have joint effects on alleviating of Cd accumulation and toxicity are not known. Therefore, the combined effect of Si and NO application on maize growth, Cd uptake, Cd transports and Cd accumulation were investigated in a pot experiment. Here, we reported that Cd stress decreased growth, caused Cd accumulation in plants. The combined application of Si and NO triggered a significant response in maize, increasing plant growth and reducing Cd uptake, accumulation, translocation and bioaccumulation factors under Cd stress. The grain Cd concentration was decreased by 66 % in the Si and NO combined treatment than Cd treatment. Moreover, the combined application of Si and NO reduced Cd health risk index in maize more effectively than either treatment alone. This study provided new evidence that Si and NO have a strong joint effect on alleviating the adverse effects of Cd toxicity by decreasing Cd uptake and accumulation. We advocate for supplement of Cd-contaminated soil with Si fertilizers and treatment of crops with NO as a practical approach to alleviating Cd toxicity.

Soil nitrogen cycling is determined by the competition between mycorrhiza and ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotes

Mycorrhizal fungi have considerable effects on soil carbon (C) storage, as they control the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM), by modifying the amount of soil nitrogen (N) available for free-living microbes. Through their access to organic N, ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi compete with free-living soil microbes; this competition is thought to slow down SOM decomposition. However, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi cannot decompose SOM, and therefore must wait for N to first be processed by free-living microbes. It is unclear what form of N the ECM fungi and free-living microbes compete for, or which microbial groups compete for N with ECM fungi. To investigate this, we focused on the N transformation steps (i.e., the degradation of high-molecular-weight organic matter, mineralization, and nitrification) and the microbes driving each step. Simple comparisons between AM forests and ECM forests are not sufficient to assert that mycorrhizal types would determine the N transformation steps in soil, because soil physiochemistry, which strongly affects N transformation steps, differs between the forests. We used an aridity gradient with large differences in soil moisture, pH, and SOM quantity and quality, to distinguish the mycorrhizal and physicochemical effects on N transformation. Soil samples (0-10 cm depth) were collected from AM-symbiotic black locust forests under three aridity levels, and from ECM-symbiotic oak forests under two aridity levels. Soil physicochemical properties, extractable N dynamics and abundance, composition, and function of soil microbial communities were measured. In ECM forests, the ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotic abundance was low, whereas that of ECM fungi was high, resulting in lower nitrate N content than in AM forests. Since ECM forests did not have lower saprotrophic fungal abundance and prokaryotic decompositional activity than the AM forests, the hypothesis that ECM fungi could reduce SOM decay and ammonification by free-living microbes, might not hold in ECM forests. However, the limitation of ECM fungi on nitrate N production would result in a feedback that will accelerate plant dependence on these fungi, thereby raising soil C storage through an increase in the ECM biomass and plant C investment in soils.

miR-126 suppresses neuronal apoptosis in rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation via regulating p38MAPK

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of microRNA-126 (miR-126) on neuronal apoptosis in cardiopulmonary resuscitation rats and to explore the related molecular mechanism. The expression of miR-126 in brain tissues of rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation was measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The basic parameters of cardiopulmonary resuscitation were recorded by miR-126 mimic injection in rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes of hippocampus. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe the expression of p38 and caspase-3 protein. Furthermore, the expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in rat hippocampus was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot. In order to confirm whether miR-126 takes part in the p38MAPK pathway in the hippocampus of rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the p38MAPK pathway inhibitor (SB203580) and activator (anisomycin) were added. The results showed overexpression of miR-126 could significantly increase the neurological function score and improve the pathological morphology of hippocampus in rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. miR-126 overexpression also could reduce the neuronal apoptosis, p38, and caspase-3 expression in the hippocampus. Moreover, the p38MAPK and JNK expression was downregulated and ERK1/2 expression was upregulated after miR-126 mimic injection (p < 0.05). The results of inhibition of p38MAPK pathway were consistent with those of overexpression of miR-126 (p > 0.05). This study indicated miR-126 could significantly reduce neuronal apoptosis of hippocampus in rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which might be involved in the regulation of p38MAPK pathway.

Identification of E2F8 as a Transcriptional Regulator of Gluconeogenesis in Primary Mouse Hepatocytes

The dysregulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis is a major factor in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Hepatic gluconeogenesis is known to be tightly regulated at the transcription/expression level. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the E2F8 transcription factor in glucose metabolism. Here, we found that hepatic expression levels of E2F8 were increased in db/db and high-fat-diet-induced obese mice. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of E2F8 in primary mouse hepatocytes upregulated expression of gluconeogenic genes, including those for PGC-1α, PEPCK, and G6Pase, subsequently increasing cellular glucose output. We demonstrated that E2F8 overexpression impairs insulin sensitivity in vitro. Furthermore, knockdown of E2F8 expression increased insulin sensitivity in primary hepatocytes. In summary, these findings indicated that E2F8 is involved in gluconeogenesis and insulin resistance and may represent a new therapeutic target in T2DM prevention.

Final results for the neutron -asymmetry parameter A0 from the UCNA experiment

The UCNA experiment was designed to measure the neutron β-asymmetry parameter A0 using polarized ultracold neutrons (UCN). UCN produced via downscattering in solid deuterium were polarized via transport through a 7 T magnetic field, and then directed to a 1 T solenoidal electron spectrometer, where the decay electrons were detected in electron detector packages located on the two ends of the spectrometer. A value for A0 was then extracted from the asymmetry in the numbers of counts in the two detector packages. We summarize all of the results from the UCNA experiment, obtained during run periods in 2007, 2008–2009, 2010, and 2011–2013, which ultimately culminated in a 0.67% precision result for A0.

Ti n+1C n MXenes with fully saturated and thermally stable Cl terminations

MXenes are a rapidly growing family of 2D materials that exhibit a highly versatile structure and composition, allowing for significant tuning of the materials properties. These properties are, however, ultimately limited by the surface terminations, which are typically a mixture of species, including F and O that are inherent to the MXene processing. Other and robust terminations are lacking. Here, we apply high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), corresponding image simulations and first-principles calculations to investigate the surface terminations on MXenes synthesized from MAX phases through Lewis acidic melts. The results show that atomic Cl terminates the synthesized MXenes, with mere residual presence of other termination species. Furthermore, in situ STEM-electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) heating experiments show that the Cl terminations are stable up to 750 °C. Thus, we present an attractive new termination that widely expands the MXenes' functionalization space and enables new applications.

Climate and litter C/N ratio constrain soil organic carbon accumulation

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays critical roles in stabilizing atmospheric CO2 concentration, but the mechanistic controls on the amount and distribution of SOC on global scales are not well understood. In turn, this has hampered the ability to model global C budgets and to find measures to mitigate climate change. Here, based on the data from a large field survey campaign with 2600 plots across China's forest ecosystems and a global collection of published data from forested land, we find that a low litter carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) and high wetness index (P/PET, precipitation-to-potential-evapotranspiration ratio) are the two factors that promote SOC accumulation, with only minor contributions of litter quantity and soil texture. The field survey data demonstrated that high plant diversity decreased litter C/N and thus indirectly promoted SOC accumulation by increasing the litter quality. We conclude that any changes in plant-community composition, plant-species richness and environmental factors that can reduce the litter C/N ratio, or climatic changes that increase wetness index, may promote SOC accumulation. The study provides a guideline for modeling the carbon cycle of various ecosystem scales and formulates the principle for land-based actions for mitigating the rising atmospheric CO2 concentration.