Harvesting Multi-Color Photoluminescence in Non-Aromatic Interpenetrated Metal-Organic Framework Nanocrystals via Pressure-Modulated Carbonyls Aggregation

Interpenetrated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with non-aromatic ligands provide a unique platform for adsorption, catalysis, and sensing applications. However, non-emission and the lack of optical property tailoring make it challenging to fabricate smart responsive devices with non-aromatic interpenetrated MOFs based on ligand-centered emission. In this paper, we introduce the pressure-induced aggregation effect in non-aromatic interpenetrated Zn4O(ADC)4(Et3N)6 (IRMOF-0) nanocrystals (NCs), where carbonyl groups aggregation results in O-O distances smaller than the sum of the van der Waals radii (3.04 Å), triggering the photoluminescence turn-on behavior. It is noteworthy that the IRMOF-0 NCs display an ultra-broad emission tunability of 130 nm from deep blue (440 nm) to yellow (570 nm) upon release to ambient conditions at different pressures. The eventual retention of through-space n-π* interactions in different degrees via pressure treatment is primarily responsible for achieving a controllable multi-color emission behavior in initially non-emissive IRMOF-0 NCs. The fabricated multi-color phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes based on the pressure-treated IRMOF-0 NCs exhibit excellent thermal, chromaticity, and fatigue stability. Our proposed strategy not only imparts new vitality to non-aromatic interpenetrated MOFs but also offers new perspectives for advancements in the field of multi-color displays and daylight illumination. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Single substrate-functionalized molybdenum oxide nanozyme for specific colorimetric monitoring of xanthine oxidase activity

Xanthine-functionalized molybdenum oxide nanodots (X-MoO3-x NDs) with peroxidase (POD)-like activity were developed for selective, sensitive, and facile colorimetric quantification of xanthine oxidase (XO). Xanthine functionalization can not only be favorable for the successful nanozyme preparation, but also for the specific recognition of XO as well as the simultaneous generation of hydrogen peroxide, which was subsequently transformed into hydroxyl radical to oxidize the chromogenic reagent based on the POD-like catalysis. Under the optimized conditions, the colorimetric biosensing platform was established for XO assay without addition of further substrates, showing good linearity relationship between absorbance difference (ΔA) and XO concentrations in the range 0.05-0.5 U/mL (R2 = 0.998) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.019 U/mL. The quantification of XO occurs in 25 min, which is superior to the previously reported and commercial XO assays. The proposed method has been successfully used in the assay of human serum samples, showing its high potential in the field of clinical monitoring.

Error-diffusion-kernel parameters for binary pattern in 1-bit fringe projection profilometry

In fringe projection profilometry, 1-bit processing of 8-bit raster patterns is a common method to suppress nonlinear errors in commercial projectors and realize high-speed projection in industrial projectors. In the process of generating 1-bit fringes from sinusoidal fringes, the generation of high-order harmonics is inevitable; choosing to introduce fewer high-order harmonics of the algorithm is conducive to defocus to obtain a better sinusoidal pattern. This paper proposes a method to expand the error-diffusion kernel of the conventional Floyd-Steinberg diffusion dithering algorithm from 2×3 to 3×5, which can reduce the grayscale change of surrounding pixels and generate 1-bit fringes with fewer high-order harmonics. Meanwhile, this paper optimizes the parameters of the 3×5 error-diffusion kernel and proposes the optimal parameters for this kind of diffusion kernel. The simulation results show that the fringes generated by the proposed 3×5 error-diffusion-kernel algorithms are closer to sinusoidal fringes after Gaussian low-pass filtering. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the 3×5 diffusion kernel algorithms is higher.

Surface Dose and Skin Toxicity Analysis in Breast Cancer Radiotherapy after Conserving Surgery with Five Treatment Modalities

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The present study aimed to evaluate surface dose and skin toxicity in breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery with five treatment modalities: flattening filter mode of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT-FF,6MV), flattening filter-free mode of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT-FFF,6MV), direct mode of TOMO (TOMO-direct, FFF, 6MV), helical mode of TOMO (TOMO-helical, FFF, 6MV), intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT, spot scanning).

MATERIALS/METHODS

Ten patients with breast cancer treated at our institution after breast-conserving surgery were randomly selected for this study. Five plans were designed for each patient with the same target coverage and the prescription of 50Gy/25f, IMRT-6FF, IMRT-6FFF, TOMO-direct, TOMO-helical, and IMPT. Based on CT datasets, IMRT-6FFF, TOMO-direct, TOMO-helical, and IMPT were compared to IMRT-6FF with skin dose and skin toxicity. Among the five plannings, the angles of the IMRT-6FF vs. IMRT-6FFF and TOMO-direct were the same. We extracted the relative complement in the Body of its 3Derosion defined by a spherical structuring element of radius r = 3 mm and r = 5mm (skin3 and skin5). To calculate the relative Dose-surface histograms (DSH), we used the surface of patients receiving at least 5Gy to delimit the breast region's skin area and normalize the absolute DSH. Skin dose were assessed with V5Gy, V10Gy, V15Gy, V20Gy, V25Gy, V30Gy, V40Gy, V45Gy, V50Gy of the structure of skin3 and skin5. The published NTCP LKB (normal tissue complication probability, Lyman-Kutcher-Burman) model (TD50 = 39 Gy,m = 0.14,n = 0.38) was employed to evaluate severe acute radiation-induced skin toxicity.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference between the structure of skin3 and skin5 between IMRT-6FF and IMRT-6FFF. For the same PTV coverage, the TOMO-helical plans had significantly higher surface dose in terms of V5Gy, V10Gy, and V15Gy than the IMRT plans (p <0.005). For structure of skin3, mean V30Gy, V35Gy, V40Gy, V45Gy, V50Gy were (64.0%,65.8%,79.0%,70.0%,64.6%), (51.3%,55.4%,74.3%,61.7%,59.5%), (32.4%,36.6%,65.2%,53.0%,53.0%), (13.7%,14.1%,45.8%,35.7%,37.6%), (1.6%/0.8%/12.2%,6.6%,1.0%). For the structure of skin5, mean V30Gy, V35Gy, V40Gy, V45Gy, V50Gy were (66.1%,67.1%,76.4%,68.6%,62.6%), (57.9%,60.4%,72.3%,61.2%,57.7%), (45.5%,48.4%,65.2%,53.9%,51.8%), (28.4%,30.8%,51.2%,42.0%,40.0%), (6.8%,6.3%,22.6%,17.9%,8.0%).Compared to IMRT-6FF, TOMO-direct and TOMO-helical had higher surface dose(p<0.05). For IMRT-6FF/IMRT-6FFF/TOMO-direct/TOMO-helical/IMPT, the mean ratio of severe acute radiational skin toxicity were14.7%,17.1%,46.3%,29.4%, and 24.1%.

CONCLUSION

For TOMO-direct and TOMO-helical planning, the skin dose and toxicity ratio were higher than IMRT-6FF. Compared to IMRT-6FF, V45Gy of skin3 and V40Gy of skin5 of IMPT were higher than IMRT-6FF, while the skin toxicity ratio was no significant difference.

[Ten-year changes in clinical characteristics and antiviral treatment patterns of chronic hepatitis B in China: a CR-HepB-based real-world study]

Objective: To understand ten-year changes in clinical characteristics and antiviral treatment patterns of chronic hepatitis B in China. Methods: Patients with chronic HBV infection:demographic, virologic, hematologic, blood biochemistry, and antiviral treatment data were extracted from the China Registry of Hepatitis B (CR-HepB) database between 2012 and 2022 for descriptive statistics and change trend analysis. Multiple group comparisons were conducted using the Kruskal Wallis H test, while counting data was compared between groups using χ (2) test. Results: A total of 180 012 patients with chronic HBV infection were included, with a median age of 40 years old, and a male proportion accounting for 60.2%. The HBeAg positive rate was 43.3%. Over time, the median age of new patients each year increased from 39 to 47 years, while the HBeAg positive rate decreased from 51.3% to 32.8%. The initial diagnosis of patients was mainly CHB (71.4%), followed by hepatitis B cirrhosis (11.8%), inactive HBsAg carrier status (10.6%), and chronic HBV carrier status (6.2%). Among the newly registered patients every year from 2012 to 2022, the proportion of hepatitis B cirrhosis remained stable, but after 2019, the proportion of CHB increased and the proportion of other diagnoses decreased. The proportion of patients with cirrhosis increased with age in different age groups, with 3.5%, 19.3%, and 30.4% in the < 40, 40-69, and≥70 age groups, respectively. The proportion of women in patients with cirrhosis also increased with age, from 16.1% in those < 30 years old to 44.3% in those≥80 years old. From 2012 to 2022, the proportion of patients receiving first-line nucleos(t)ide analog antiviral treatment increased year by year, from 51.0% in 2012-2013 to 99.8% in 2022. Conclusion: The CR-HepB registration data reflect the changes in clinical characteristics and antiviral treatment patterns in patients with chronic HBV infection in China over the past ten years and can thus provide a reference to promote hepatitis B diagnosis and treatment practice, as well as scientific research.

Comparison of higher-order aberrations between implantable collamer lens V4c implantation and simulated spectacle correction in patients with high myopia

PURPOSE

To investigate the differences in higher-order aberrations between non-toric or toric implantable collamer lens (ICL or TICL) V4c implantation and simulated spectacle correction.

METHODS

Patients with high myopia who underwent ICL/TICL V4c implantation were enrolled. The "total no defocus" pattern of iTrace aberrometry to simulate the condition of spectacle correction was measured before ICL/TICL implantation, and higher-order aberrations in this condition were compared to those 3 months after surgery. Related factors with changes in coma were comprehensively analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 89 right eyes of 89 patients were included. Compared to simulated spectacle correction, total-eye coma (P<0.0001 ICL, P<0.0001 TICL) and internal coma (P<0.0001 ICL, P<0.001 TICL) decreased in the ICL- and TICL-treated groups after surgery. Total-eye secondary astigmatism (P<0.0001 ICL, P=0.007 TICL) and internal secondary astigmatism (P<0.0001 ICL, P=0.009 TICL) were also decreased in both groups postoperatively. Spherical error showed positive correlations with variation in total-eye coma (r=0.37, P=0.004 ICL; r=0.56, P=0.001 TICL) and internal coma (r=0.30, P=0.02 ICL and r=0.45, P=0.01 TICL). Axial length revealed negative correlations with changes in total-eye coma (r=-0.45, P<0.001 ICL; r=-0.39, P=0.03 TICL) and internal coma (r=-0.28, P=0.03 ICL and r=-0.42, P=0.02 TICL).

CONCLUSIONS

Both ICL- and TICL-treated groups demonstrated a decrease in coma and secondary astigmatism after 3 months, postoperatively. ICL/TICL may confer a compensatory effect on coma aberration and secondary astigmatism. Patients with a higher myopia achieved a greater improvement in coma and may benefit more from ICL/TICL implantation than from spectacle correction implantation than from spectacle correction.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a patulin degradation candidate both in vitro and in vivo

Patulin is one of the mycotoxins that exists in abundance in fruits and derivative products and is easily exposed in daily life, leading to various toxicities such as genotoxicity, teratogenicity, immunotoxicity, and carcinogenicity in the human body, while the efficient removal or degradation measures are still in urgent demand. In this work, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a natural yeast with both patulin degradation and intestine damage protection abilities, was first applied to prevent and decrease the hazard after patulin intake. In vitro, Saccharomyces cerevisiae KD (S. cerevisiae KD) could efficiently degrade patulin at high concentrations. In a Canenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model fed on S. cerevisiae KD, locomotion, oxidative stress, patulin residual, intestine damage, and gene expression were investigated after exposure to 50 μg mL^-1 patulin. The results demonstrated that S. cerevisiae KD could efficiently degrade patulin, as well as weaken the oxidative stress and intestinal damage caused by patulin. Moreover, S. cerevisiae KD could regulate the gene expression levels of daf-2 and daf-16 through the IGF-1 signaling pathway to control the ROS level and glutathione (GSH) content, thus decreasing intestinal damage. In summary, this work uncovers the outstanding characteristic of an edible probiotic S. cerevisiae KD in patulin degradation and biotoxicity alleviation and provides enlightenment toward solving the hazards caused by the accumulation of patulin.

The flavors of edible mushrooms: A comprehensive review of volatile organic compounds and their analytical methods

Due to their distinctive flavors, edible mushrooms have gained attention in flavor-related research, and the quality of their flavors determines their consumption. The odor is a vital element of food flavor that significantly impacts consumers' perceptions and purchase decisions. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the odorant ingredient is the primary factors affecting scent characteristics. VOCs analysis and identification require technical assistance. The production and use of edible mushrooms can be aided by a broader examination of their volatile constituents. This review discusses the composition of VOCs in edible mushrooms and how they affect flavors. The principles, advantages, and disadvantages of various methods for extraction, isolation, and characterization of the VOCs of edible mushrooms are also highlighted. The numerous VOCs found in edible mushrooms such as primarily C-8 compounds, organic sulfur compounds, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and esters are summarized along with their effects on the various characteristics of scent. Combining multiple extraction, isolation, identification, and quantification technologies will facilitate rapid and accurate analysis of VOCs in edible mushrooms as proof of sensory attributes and quality.

Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside promotes stress tolerance and lifespan extension of Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to polystyrene via DAF-16 pathway

Microplastic pollution has attracted growing attention due to its prevalent and persistent exposure to general population through the food chain, but few reports have focused on the toxicological prevention of polystyrene (PS). Using the wild-type and mutant strains, this study explored the impacts of PS and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) on stress tolerance and lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). In N2 nematodes, PS exposure initiated the oxidative stress and subsequent lifespan reduction, while these adverse impacts could be positively improved by C3G treatment. Considering the pivotal role of DAF-16 pathway in stress tolerance and lifespan regulation, the expression of the daf-16 gene and its downstream antioxidant genes (clt-2, hsp-16.1, sod-3, sod-5) were examined, and found to be significantly enhanced by C3G. Since the sod-3 gene was up-regulated the most fold by C3G, the activity of SOD enzyme that encoded by the sod-3 was examined, and could be obviously enhanced upon C3G treatment. This explained the improved oxidative stress and delayed oxidation-associated aging after C3G intervention. Nevertheless, these positive effects of C3G were weakened in daf-16(-) mutant strain (with deleted DAF-16 gene), for which the beneficial effects of C3G in promoting stress resistance and lifespan extension were inhibited. These findings suggested that the DAF-16 gene and its downstream antioxidant genes, have participated in C3G's regulations on redox balance and lifespan that impacted by nano-polystyrene particles. This study highlighted the link between dietary components and environmentally driven disturbance.

AB0649 Myositis Specific Antibodies - Who orders them and what are the results? A retrospective audit of two large referral centers

Background

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are a group of disorders associated with myositis-specific antibodies (MSA) and myositis-associated antibodies (MAA) (1). MSA and MAA are helpful in classifying clinical syndromes with both treatment and prognostic implications (2). Ordering of MSA and MAA has increased in recent years. We report the hospital services that ordered MSA and MAA and follow-up investigations performed in two large referral centers in Melbourne, Australia.

Objectives

To explore and investigate the testing patterns of MSA and subsequent follow up.

Methods

We identified all patients who underwent MSA and MAA testing between January 1 2019 and December 31 2020. Relevant demographic and clinical data were obtained by chart review.

Results

Over the 2-year study period, 294 MSA tests were ordered, alongside 275 ANA and 266 ENA. Of these, 60 (20.4%) were positive and 9 (3.1%) tested positive to more than one MSA. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) was the most common extra-muscular manifestation, 42 (14.2%) had muscle disease manifestations. Respiratory (41%), rheumatology (24%) and neurology (15%) were the top three specialties ordering the most MSA, with the highest proportion of positive MSA originating from rheumatology (38.5%). The rheumatology service was involved in 131 (41.0%) of the MSA ordered as the primary treating unit or as a consultation service. Anti-Scl100 was the most common MSA (n=10, 15.6%). Among the 60 patients with positive MSA, 39 (65%) was given a definitive diagnosis, 13 (21.7%) underwent MRI of muscles, 10 (16.7%) open muscle biopsy, and 5 (8.3%) a skin biopsy. Thirty-two (53.3%) of MSA positive patients underwent high-resolution CT chest; 26 (81.3) % had findings suggestive of a fibrotic process and 12 (20.0%) had a formal diagnosis of ILD. A cancer screen was performed in 23 (38.3%) of the MSA positive patients and no malignancy was identified within the cohort.

Conclusion

Among MSA studies performed in two large centers, 20.4% of results were positive. Respiratory ordered the most numerous tests predominantly to evaluate ILD, a higher proportion of tests recommended by the rheumatology service was positive.

References

[1]Targoff IN. Update on myositis-specific and myositis-associated autoantibodies. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2000;12(6):475-81.

[2]Betteridge Z, McHugh N. Myositis-specific autoantibodies: an important tool to support diagnosis of myositis. J Intern Med. 2016;280(1):8-23.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

[The relationship between adenovirus infection and severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology]

Adenovirus infection can occur in all regions or countries of the world, with no obvious seasonality, but pandemics mostly occur in winter or early spring. Adenovirus infection is self-limited among immunocompetent host with supportive care, however fatal infection can occur among immunocompromised patients, mainly affecting respiratory, gastrointestinal tract and adjunctiva and very rarely causing hepatitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, hemorrhagic cystitis, myocarditis, meningitis or encephalitis. Adenovirus hepatitis mainly occur in malignant tumors or organ transplantation patients, but acute severe hepatitis can occur even in immunocompetent children or adults. On 5 April 2022, WHO was notified of 10 cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in children. As of 21 April 2022, at least 169 cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin have been reported from 12 countries (including 11 WHO European Region countries and the United States). Adenovirus has been detected in at least 74 cases; SARS-CoV-2 was identified in 20 cases of those that were tested. Furthermore, 19 were detected with a SARS-CoV-2 and adenovirus co-infection. At present, the etiology has not been fully elucidated. The leading hypotheses center around adenovirus, and the relationship with SARS-CoV-2 needs to be further ruled out.

[Hepatic manifestations of hematological diseases]

Liver involvement is often observed in hematological disorders, resulting in liver abnormality, including unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia, monoclonal hyperglobulinemia, portal vein, or hepatic vein thrombosis or portal hypertension, hepatosplenomegaly, or iron accumulation in the liver. Here we summarize the major hematological diseases that often affect the liver: hemolytic anemia, defect in coagulation or anti-coagulation factors, myeloproliferative neoplasm, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, multiple myeloma, leukemia, and lymphoma. We hope this review will help clinicians diagnose and manage the patients with liver involvement by hematological disorders.

Proteomic profiling of Arachis hypogaea in response to drought stress and overexpression of AhLEA2 improves drought tolerance

Drought is the main factor restricting peanut growth, but the molecular mechanism underlying peanut drought tolerance remains unclear. Herein, the seedling stage of drought-resistant peanut cultivar J11 was subjected to drought stress, and its proteomic profile was systematically analysed by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ), the results of which were further complemented with our previous transcriptome results. A total of 4,018 proteins were identified by proteomic analysis, which revealed that the expression levels of 69 proteins were altered under drought stress. Among the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), 50 were upregulated, and 19 were downregulated. The most enriched metabolic pathways for these DEPs were those involving phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and plant hormone signal transduction. The proteomic data and previous transcriptome results revealed 44 groups of genes/proteins with the same expression trend, including a LEA (Late embryogenesis abundant) gene, AhLEA2. Our present study showed that overexpression of the AhLEA2 gene enhanced the drought resistance of transgenic Arabidopsis plants, and the activities of related antioxidant enzymes in the transgenic plants significantly changed. The AhLEA2 gene was found to be located in the cytoplasm and cell membrane by subcellular localization experiments. This work systematically analysed the differentially expressed proteins in peanut in response to drought stress, providing important candidates for further functional analysis of the stress response of peanut. Our results also indicated that AhLEA2 plays an important role in the peanut response to drought stress.

A meta-analysis of the local application of vancomycin powder to prevent surgical site infection after spinal surgeries

Objective

This study aimed to systematically analyze the effectiveness and safety of the local application of vancomycin powder to prevent surgical site infection (SSI) after spinal surgeries and provide guidance for clinical practice.

Methods

Two researchers independently searched PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure using the MeSH terms “spinal surgery,” “vancomycin,” “local,” “topical,” “prophylactic,” “surgical site infection,” and “SSI” to identify studies published between January 2010 and January 2020 on the local application of vancomycin powder for preventing SSI after spinal surgeries. The outcome assessment indicators were analyzed using RevMan 5.3 software.

Results

Three randomized controlled trials, two prospective studies, and 26 retrospective studies were included in the current research. The results of the meta-analysis revealed significant differences between the vancomycin and control groups (non-vancomycin group) concerning the incidence of SSI (risk ratio = 0.39, 95% confidence interval = 0.28–0.55, Z = 5.46), indicating that local application of vancomycin powder can significantly reduce the incidence of SSI.

Conclusion

Local application of vancomycin powder is an effective and safe method to prevent SSI after spinal surgeries.

The cross-talk of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and necroptotic hepatocyte death in acetaminophen-induced mice acute liver injury

Overdose acetaminophen (APAP) can result in severe liver injury, which is responsible for nearly half of drug-induced liver injury in western countries. Previous studies have found that there existed massive hepatocellular necrosis and severe inflammatory response in APAP-induced liver injury. However, the mechanistic linkage between necroptosis and NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity remains poorly understood. In order to investigate the relationship between inflammation and hepatocytes death in APAP hepatotoxicity, a time-course model for APAP hepatotoxicity in C57/BL6 mice was established by intraperitoneal (i.p) injection of 300 mg/kg APAP in this study. The activity of serum enzymes and pathological changes of APAP-treated mice were evaluated, and the critical molecules in necroptosis and NF-κB-NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway were determined by immunoblot and immunofluorescence analysis. The results demonstrated that APAP overdose resulted in a severe liver injury. Furthermore, the expression of critical molecules in NLRP3 inflammasome and necroptosis pathways peaked at 12-24 h, and then was decreased gradually, which is consistent with the pattern of pathological injury induced by APAP. Our further investigation found that the level of IL-1β in mouse liver was closely correlated with the level of phosphorylated MLKL following exposure to APAP. Furthermore, inhibition of necroptosis with necrostatin-1 significantly suppressed the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome signaling. Taken together, our results highlighted that the cross-talk between necroptosis and NLRP3 inflammasome played a critical role for promoting APAP-induced liver injury. Inhibition of the interaction of inflammation and necroptosis by pharmaceutical methods may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for APAP-induced liver injury.

[Research progress of pyroptosis in respiratory diseases]

Pyroptosis is a programmed death mode dependent on Caspase-1/4/5/11, which is caused by activation of inflammasome, accompanied by cell membrane rupture, pore formation and cell content release. As a new type of cell death, it is widely involved in respiratory diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis, acute lung injury, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. This article reviews the mechanism of pyroptosis and its role in different respiratory diseases, in order to provide new ideas for the treatment of respiratory diseases.

[Systematic evaluation of clinical trial protocols of new drugs as a cure of chronic hepatitis B]

Objective: To describe the current status of registration and design characteristics of clinical trials of new drugs for curing hepatitis B through domestic and foreign websites, so as to provide references for the follow-up clinical trials of new hepatitis B drugs. Methods: A search was conducted on the US Clinical Trials Database and the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center. The search date was from the establishment of the database to May 26, 2020, and the registration trials of new drugs for curing hepatitis B at home and abroad were included. Two researchers independently searched and screened the literature and extracted the data. Results: A total of 106 registered clinical trials of new drugs for curing hepatitis B were included (94 English registration websites and 12 Chinese registration websites), and the number of registrations had increased year by year. Among them, the proportion of therapeutic vaccines and core protein inhibitors were the highest, accounting for 27.4% (n = 29) and 22.6% (n = 24), respectively. The vast majority of clinical trials (n = 96, 90.6%) were in the early stages (Phase I and II). The subjects in phase I clinical trial were mainly healthy people and treated CHB patients, while the subjects in phase II clinical trial were mainly CHB patients who had achieved viral suppression after initial or post-treatment. The main evaluation indicators of Phase I clinical trials were the safety and tolerability of new drugs. The main evaluation indicators in about half of Phase II clinical trials were HBsAg negative conversion/quantitative decline. Overall, the number of clinical trials with the new design was small, accounting for 3.8% (4 / 106). There were relatively few trials of new drugs for curing hepatitis B on domestic registration websites, and the information provided was incomplete. Conclusion: The number of clinical trials of new hepatitis B drugs at home and abroad is increasing year by year, but most of them are in phase I and II, with few adopting new designs. In addition, the information integrity of the domestic website registration center needs to be improved.

Distributions of time, place, and population of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from January 20 to February 10, 2020, in China

Background and objective

Since December 2019, increasing cases of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are being detected worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to provide a scientific reference for the global prevention and control of COVID-19.

Methods

General demographic characteristics, epidemiological history, and clinical symptoms of COVID-19 were collected that had been reported on the websites of multiple Municipal Health Commissions in China. We herein describe distributions in time, place, and population of COVID-19.

Results

As of midnight on February 10, 2020, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in China was 42,638, and the province with the largest number of confirmed cases was Hubei (31,728), followed by Guangdong (1177), Zhejiang (1117), and Henan (1105) province. The number of cases and the speed of confirmed cases in provinces other than Hubei were more moderate than those of the Hubei province. The median (interquartile range) age of 1740 patients with COVID-19 was 44 (33, 54) years, with a range of 10 months to 89 years.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 epidemic should be considered a global threat and the steps for control include early diagnosis and treatment, as well as isolation.

[Distributions of time, place, and population of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from January 20 to February 10, 2020, in China]

Background and objective

Since December 2019, increasing cases of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are being detected worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to provide a scientific reference for the global prevention and control of COVID-19.

Methods

General demographic characteristics, epidemiological history, and clinical symptoms of COVID-19 were collected that had been reported on the websites of multiple Municipal Health Commissions in China. We herein describe distributions in time, place, and population of COVID-19.

Results

As of midnight on February 10, 2020, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in China was 42,638, and the province with the largest number of confirmed cases was Hubei (31728), followed by Guangdong (1177), Zhejiang (1117), and Henan (1105) province. The number of cases and the speed of confirmed cases in provinces other than Hubei were more moderate than those of the Hubei province. The median (interquartile range) age of patients with COVID-19 was 44 (33, 54) years, with a range of 10 months to 89 years.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 epidemic should be considered a global threat and the steps for control include early diagnosis and treatment, as well as isolation.

A light-facilitated drug delivery system from a pseudo-protein/hyaluronic acid nanocomplex with improved anti-tumor effects

Reduction-sensitive nanomedicine is a promising strategy to achieve controlled release of payloads in response to intracellular reductive milieu. However, endolysosomal sequestration of internalized carriers and insufficient redox potential in endolysosomes may delay the release of payloads and impact their therapeutic efficacy. Photochemical internalization (PCI), which takes advantage of light-induced endolysosomal rupture, is an effective technique for endosomal escape and cytosolic release of cargos. In this study, a biodegradable and reduction-sensitive nanocomplex was developed from arginine based poly(ester amide)s and hyaluronic acid (HA), and the PCI-photosensitizer AlPcS2a was conjugated to the surface of the nanocomplex (ArgPEA-ss-HA(AP)). This nanocomplex was used for the co-delivery of both PCI-photosensitizers and therapeutic agents to eliminate the biodistribution discrepancy resulting from the separated administration of free therapeutics. The PCI effect of the ArgPEA-ss-HA(AP) nanocomplex was validated in both monolayers and 3D spheroid models of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Synergism was detected between the PCI effect and doxorubicin-loaded nanocomplex in the inhibition of MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, the ArgPEA-ss-HA(AP) nanocomplex also provided enhanced intratumoral penetration in 3D spheroids compared to free AlPcS2a. The in vivo results suggested that the conjugation of AlPCs2a in the nanocomplex enabled the consistent and preferential accumulation of both doxorubicin and AlPcS2a in tumor sites. A light-enhanced anti-tumor effect was observed for the doxorubicin-loaded nanocomplex at well-tolerable dosage. The ArgPEA-ss-HA(AP) nanocomplex, as a reduction-responsive delivery vehicle, can hold great potential to achieve spatio-temporally controllable anti-tumor effects.

Higher lncRNA CASC15 expression predicts poor prognosis and associates with tumor growth in cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of long non-coding RNA Cancer Susceptibility Candidate 15 (CASC15) in cervical cancer and its potential molecular mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The CASC15 expression was measured in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines by using quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8), flow cytometry analysis and transwell cell invasion assays were employed to detect the capacities of cell proliferation and cell invasion. Furthermore, Western blot analysis was applied to detected the E-cadherin and N-cadherin expression in EMT pathway.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that lncRNA CASC15 expression was higher in cervical cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Higher lncRNA CASC15 expression associated with lymph node metastasis and FIGO stage. Moreover, our results showed that higher lncRNA CASC15 expression predicted poor prognosis of cervical cancer. Functional assays showed that knockdown of lncRNA CASC15 suppressed cell proliferation and cell cycle progression in cervical cancer. Moreover, we also found that knockdown of lncRNA CASC15 inhibited cell invasion ability and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) signaling pathway by upregulating E-cadherin and downregulating N-cadherin expression in cervical cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that lncRNA CASC15 expression may be a prognostic biomarker and contributed to cell proliferation and invasion in cervical cancer.

Effect of intrawound vancomycin application in spinal surgery on the incidence of surgical site infection: a meta-analysis

Background

Despite great advances in aseptic surgical techniques, surgical site infection (SSI) is still one of the main complications after spine surgery. SSI can bring tremendous physical, psychological, and economic challenges to patients. Intrawound vancomycin application is a much disputed method for the prevention of SSI after spine surgery.

Objective

The aim of this study is to review the current literature for studies on the intra-wound application of vancomycin powder and to analyze its effectiveness in the prevention of postoperative SSI.

Methods

PubMed, Medline, Elsevier, and CNKI were searched for the key words “vancomycin”, “local/intraoperative/topical/intra-wound”, “spine/spinal/lumbar/cervical/thoracolumbar surgery”, “infection”, and “SSI” in published studies on the effectiveness of intrawound vancomycin application to prevent postoperative SSI. RevMan 5.3 was used to compare the data extracted from the studies included.

Results

A total of 27 studies involving 17,321 patients were included in the final analysis. Among those patients, 7,423 patients were treated with vancomycin to prevent SSI, with 9,898 in control groups. SSI incidence after surgery in experimental groups was 0.39 times as high as control groups, and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Among patients who underwent internal fixation, vancomycin application significantly reduced the incidence of postoperative SSI (OR 0.31 95% CI 0.19–0.50; P<0.01). Meanwhile, vancomycin did not affect SSI incidence in patients who did not receive internal fixation (P=0.17) or received deformity correction (P=0.25).

Conclusion

SSI incidence after spinal surgery can be significantly reduced by intrawound application of vancomycin in most circumstances. This method can be applied in various spinal procedures involving instrumentation to prevent postoperative SSI.

[The study of life quality in children with obstructive sleep apnea]

AbstractObjective:To study the effect of obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) on the life quality of children. Method: Forty-four OSA children diagnosed with overnight polysomnography were selected as the research object, 35 cases of pediatric no snoring healthy children were as control. The inventory of subjective life quality and children's self-rating anxiety scale were used to assess children' s life quality. Result: Depending on the data of the inventory of subjective life quality questionnaire, each level and dimension of children' s life quality satisfaction scores in OSA group were significantly lower than that in healthy controls(P<0.05), especially in the cognitive component of school life(3.78±1.73) and the affective component of depression experience(3.70±2.18). The score of anxiety disorder in OSA group (21.39±10.49) was higher than that in healthy control group(14.21±9.69)( P<0.05). The rate of anxiety disorder in OSA group was higher than that in healthy control group(P<0.05). Conclusion:Children in OSA group had higher incidence of unsatisfactory life quality in all levels and dimensions. OSA group children dissatisfied with the life quality in each level, each dimensions have significant statistical difference, especially in the cognitive component of school life and affective components of depression experience. The OSA group had higher anxiety disorders than healthy ones.

Cell Migration in Microfabricated 3D Collagen Microtracks is Mediated through the Prometastatic Protein Girdin

Introduction

In vivo, cancer cells can utilize tube-like microtracks formed within the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the stroma as 'highways' to escape the primary tumor, however very little is known about the molecular mechanisms that govern cell migration through these microtracks. Cell polarization and actin organization are both essential for efficient cell migration and cells are known to migrate very unidirectionally in confined spaces. In this study, we focused on understanding the role of Girdin during unidirectional migration. Girdin is a prometastatic protein known to be involved in cell polarity by directly interacting with the cell polarity protein Par-3 (Partitioning defective-3) and also known as an actin binding protein.

Methods

We utilized a microfabricated platform to recreate these microtracks in vitro using collagen and used siRNA to knockdown Girdin in MDA-MB-231 cells.

Results

Our data indicate that knockdown of Girdin results in decreased cell speed during 3D collagen microtrack migration. Loss of Girdin also results in altered cell morphology and cell orientation. Moreover, Girdin-depletion impairs actin organization and stress fiber formation, which can be restored by upregulating the GTPase RhoA. Activation of RhoA induces actin stress fiber formation, restores elongated migratory cell shape and partial cell migration in 3D collagen microtracks in the absence of Girdin.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that Girdin helps directional migration in collagen microtracks by promoting actin cytoskeletal organization and maintaining morphological cell polarity.

Inclusion complex from cyclodextrin-grafted hyaluronic acid and pseudo protein as biodegradable nano-delivery vehicle for gambogic acid

β-Cyclodextrin can form inclusion complex with a series of guest molecules including phenyl moieties, and has gained considerable popularity in the study of supramolecular nanostructure. In this study, a biodegradable nanocomplex (HA(CD)-4Phe4 nanocomplex) was developed from β-cyclodextrin grafted hyaluronic acid (HA) and phenylalanine based poly(ester amide). The phenylalanine based poly(ester amide) is a biodegradable pseudo protein which provides the encapsulation capacity for gambogic acid (GA), a naturally-derived chemotherapeutic which has been effectively employed to treat multidrug resistant tumor. The therapeutic potency of free GA is limited due to its poor solubility in water and the lack of tumor-selective toxicity. The nanocomplex carrier enhanced the solubility and availability of GA in aqueous media, and the HA component enabled the targeted delivery to tumor cells with overexpression of CD44 receptors. In the presence of hyaluronidase, the release of GA from the nanocomplex was significantly accelerated, due to the enzymatic biodegradation of the carrier. Compared to free GA, GA-loaded nanocomplex exhibited improved cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-435/MDR multidrug resistant melanoma cells, and induced enhanced level of apoptosis and mitochondrial depolarization, at low concentration of GA (1-2µM). The nanocomplex enhanced the therapeutic potency of GA, especially when diluted in physiological environment. In addition, suppressed matrix metalloproteinase activity was also detected in MDA-MB-435/MDR cells treated by GA-loaded nanocomplex, which demonstrated its potency in the inhibition of tumor metastasis. The in vitro data suggested that HA(CD)-4Phe4 nanocomplex could provide a promising alternative in the treatment of multidrug resistant tumor cells.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Gambogic acid (GA), naturally derived from genus Garcinia trees, exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against multiple types of tumors with resistance to traditional chemotherapeutics. Unfortunately, the poor solubility of GA in conventional pharmaceutical solvents and non-targeted distribution in normal tissues greatly limited its therapeutic potency. To overcome the challenges, we develop a nanoplatform from the supramolecular assembly of β-cyclodextrin grafted hyaluronic acid (HA) and phenylalanine based pseudo protein. The pseudo protein in the nanocomplex provided the hydrophobic interaction and loading capacity for GA, while the HA component targeted the overexpressed CD44 receptor and improved the selective endocytosis in multidrug resistant melanoma cells. The supramolecular nanocomplex provide a promising platform for the delivery of hydrophobic chemotherapeutics to improve the bioavailability and efficiency.

Gene structure and expression characteristic of a novel odorant receptor gene cluster in the parasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Odorant receptors (ORs) expressed in the antennae of parasitoid wasps are responsible for detection of various lipophilic airborne molecules. In the present study, 107 novel OR genes were identified from Microplitis mediator antennal transcriptome data. Phylogenetic analysis of the set of OR genes from M. mediator and Microplitis demolitor revealed that M. mediator OR (MmedOR) genes can be classified into different subfamilies, and the majority of MmedORs in each subfamily shared high sequence identities and clear orthologous relationships to M. demolitor ORs. Within a subfamily, six MmedOR genes, MmedOR98, 124, 125, 126, 131 and 155, shared a similar gene structure and were tightly linked in the genome. To evaluate whether the clustered MmedOR genes share common regulatory features, the transcription profile and expression characteristics of the six closely related OR genes were investigated in M. mediator. Rapid amplification of cDNA ends-PCR experiments revealed that the OR genes within the cluster were transcribed as single mRNAs, and a bicistronic mRNA for two adjacent genes (MmedOR124 and MmedOR98) was also detected in female antennae by reverse transcription PCR. In situ hybridization experiments indicated that each OR gene within the cluster was expressed in a different number of cells. Moreover, there was no co-expression of the two highly related OR genes, MmedOR124 and MmedOR98, which appeared to be individually expressed in a distinct population of neurons. Overall, there were distinct expression profiles of closely related MmedOR genes from the same cluster in M. mediator. These data provide a basic understanding of the olfactory coding in parasitoid wasps.

[Metformin's effect on 5-fluorouracil,cisplatin,paclitaxel in laryngocarcinoma Hep-2 cells]

Objective:To investigate metformin's effect on chemosensitivity of chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil in laryngocarcinoma Hep-2 cells. Investigate the variation trend of protein expression of AMPK pathway in the combined effect.Method:Laryngocarcinoma Hep-2 cells were treated with different concentrations of 5-fluorouracil in vitro together with or without metformin for 72 h. Use MTT assay to investigate the influence on the inhibition rate to Hep-2 cells. Hep-2 cells were treated with cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil or paclitaxel with or without metformin. Use Western blot assay to investigate the expression level of AMPKα, P21 or Cyclin D1 protein. Result:5-fluorouracil and metformin could inhibit the proliferation of Hep-2 cells. 5-fluorouracil in low concentration combined with metformin could increase the proliferation inhibition rate of Hep-2 cells. In the circumstances of using 5-fluorouracil in high concentration with metformin , the cell proliferation inhibition rate of combining group makes no differences with the single-drug group. The combination of metformin and 5-fluorouracil produced an antagonism action in Hep-2 cells.Western blot assay showed that metformin, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil could have caused the increase of expression level of AMPK-α, P21 and Cyclin D1 in Hep-2 cells while Paclitaxel could have cause the decrease of expression level of Cyclin D1. Using combined drug could cause the change of protein expression. Conclusion:5-fluorouracil has been found to inhibit the proliferation of Hep-2 cells. Metformin has an antagonism on the anticancer effect to 5-fluorouracil in Hep-2 cells, and this antagonistic effect occurred partially through molecular signal pathways of AMPK-α, P21 and Cyclin D1 and it's significantly related to the cell cycle arrest.

A Novel Pseudo-Protein-Based Biodegradable Nanomicellar Platform for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs

Amino acid-based poly(ester amide)s are a new family of biodegradable polymers that exhibit "pseudo-protein" characteristics and the structural varieties of poly(ester amide)s make them hold great potential in multiple biomedical applications. In this study, a lysine-phenylalanine-based pseudo-protein is developed as the self-assembled nanomicellar carrier for efficient delivery of doxorubicin. The lysine moieties from the pseudo-protein provide available sites for further functionalization, and methylcoumarin is introduced for easy and photocontrollable crosslinking, to effectively improve the micellar stability in serum containing environment and against dilution. However, photocrosslinks do not bring in any barrier for the intracellular release of doxoubicin. Doxorubicin release is significantly accelerated by proteolytic enzyme, due to the biodegradability of pseudo-protein micelles. In addition, pseudo-protein delivery system exhibits unique interactions with HCT116 human colon cancer cells. Doxorubicin loaded in pseudo-protein micelles colocalizes with mitochondria and endolysosomes, while free doxorubicin is distributed only in the nuclei. Doxorubicin-loaded pseudo-protein micelles stimulate increased level of intracellular reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial damage. Free doxorubicin induces conditional apoptosis in HCT116 cells between 0.5× 10^-6 and 2 × 10^-6 m, while DOX loaded in pseudo-protein micelles induces apoptosis over a higher/broader concentration range (2 × 10^-6 -10 × 10^-6 m).

[LB100 reverses the acquired resistance to gefitinib in lung adenocarcinoma cells with EGFR mutation]

Objective: To investigate the possibility of the Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibitor, LB100, in reversing acquired resistance to gefitinib in lung adenocarcinoma with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation. Methods: Cell line NCI-H1975 and established primary culture cell line 44-1 with gefitinib resistance were sequenced to determine the mutation type of EGFR gene. Cells were treated with gefitinib alone or combined with LB100 to determine the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), and sensitivity of 44-1 and NCI-1975 to gefitinib alone or combined with LB100 was compared. The volume of NCI-H1975 xenografts with different drug treatments was observed to determine the efficiency of gefitinib with or without LB100 in tumor growth inhibition. Results: Both 44-1 and NCI-1975 cells had double EGFR mutation (sensitive L858R mutation and resistant T790M mutation). Both cells showed significant gefitinib resistance (IC50: 23.0 μmol/L in 44-1, 16.7 μmol/L in NCI-1975). When combined with LB100, IC50 of gefitinib decreased to 6.9 μmol/L in 44-1 cell and decreased to 3.4 μmol/L in NCI-H1975 cells. In NCI-1975 xenografts experiments, LB100 enhanced the ability of gefitinib in tumor growth inhibition (P<0.05). Conclusion: LB100 reverses acquired resistance to gefitinib in lung adenocarcinoma cell lines.

[Impact of auditory deprivation on rats and plasticity expressionof growth associated protein-43 in auditory cortex]

Objective:To explore the molecular mechanism of neural plasticity in the reconstitution following impairment of auditory system,we studied the changing levels of GAP-43 expression in the auditory cortex(AC) in the developing rats and in ototoxicity deafened rats before and after electrical intracochlear stimulation.Method:Auditory brain stem response(ABR) measurements were performed to rats of OAD,NC1,CAD and NC2 group to evaluate hearing function.We studied the changing levels of GAP-43-positive neurons expression in the auditory cortex of the OAD,NC1,EIS1 and EIS2 group and RT-PCR was performed to do semiquantitative analysis.Result:The early electrical intracochlear stimulation elevated GAP-43 level(EIS1,120.00±5.59/HP) in ipsilateral AC instead of in the contralateral AC compared with the non-stimulation group (OAD4W,93.25±4.30/HP),and the two groups had statistical difference(EIS1/OAD4W,129.17%±3.33%,P<0.05).After the late electrical intracochlear stimulation,similar to the early group,the staining level of GAP-43(EIS2,102.50±4.02/HP) in the AC was also higher than the unaffected group(OAD8W,81.67±3.76/HP),and the two groups also had statistical difference(EIS2/OAD8W,123.74%±2.70%,P<0.05).Similarly,the expression of GAP-43 mRNA had the synchronous change with the GAP-43 in the AC.Conclusion:GAP-43 has close correlation with the growth and plasticity of the AC,which can be a significant marker for auditory plasticity.

Comparison of clinical and cone beam computed tomography measurements to diagnose furcation involvement

AIM

This study aimed to determine the degree of discrepancy between clinical measurement of furcation involvement (FI) and cone beam computed tomography image analysis of multirooted teeth.

METHODS

FI measurements obtained from clinical records were compared to CBCT images of the same teeth to determine the degree of discrepancy between CBCT FI grading and clinical FI grading.

RESULTS

Of the hundred and fifty-four sites analysed, 22% of FI measurements from probing and CBCT were in agreement. Fifty-eight percent of clinical FI recordings were overestimated, and 20% were underestimated when compared to CBCT analysis.

CONCLUSION

Clinical recording of FI is both over and underestimated compared to CBCT analysis. This was highest for probing recording grade I furcation involvement where it was highly overestimated. The occurrence of over and under estimation of FI will affect the assignment of prognosis to multirooted teeth, which can influence treatment planning for periodontal therapy and may result in inappropriate treatment.

Gene-gene interactions of IRF5, STAT4, IKZF1 and ETS1 in systemic lupus erythematosus

Interferon (IFN) activation signaling and T helper 17 (Th17)-cell/B-cell regulation play a critical role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Several studies have provided convincing evidence that polymorphisms in IRF5, STAT4, IKZF1 and ETS1 from these pathways may be involved in SLE by affecting gene expression or epistasis. We analyzed the genetic interaction in known SLE susceptibility loci from the four genes in northern Han Chinese. A total of 946 northern Han Chinese participated in this study (370 unrelated SLE patients and 576 healthy controls). Subjects underwent genotyping for the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2004640 in IRF5, rs7574865 in STAT4, rs4917014 in IKZF1 and rs1128334 in ETS1 by use of a TaqMan SNP genotyping assay and direct sequencing. Gene-gene interaction analysis involved direct counting, multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) and linear regression analysis. SLE patients and controls differed in allele frequencies of rs7574865, rs1128334 (P < 0.001) and rs4917014 (P < 0.01). Direct counting revealed that the frequency of risk homozygote combinations was higher for SLE patients than controls (P < 0.01). Furthermore, 2-, 3- and 4-way gene-gene epistasis in SLE was confirmed by parametric methods and MDR analysis. Gene expression analysis partially supported the findings. Our study confirmed the association of the IFN pathway or Th17/B-cells and the pathogenesis of SLE, and gene-gene interaction in this pathway may increase the risk of SLE.

Effects of tetra-arsenic tetra-sulfide on BXSB lupus-prone mice: a pilot study

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease of uncertain etiology that affects multiple tissues and organs. Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been used in lupus-prone mice with a regulatory effect on immune abnormality. Tetra-arsenic tetra-sulfide (As4S4), a traditional Chinese medicine, is effective on acute promyelocytic leukemia with mild side effects than ATO. In this study, a pilot study was performed to investigate the effects and the mechanism of As4S4 on the lupus-prone BXSB mice. Improvement of monocytosis (p<0.05) in spleen and decreased serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p=0.0277) were observed with As4S4 treatment. As4S4-treated mice exhibited amelioration of skin, liver and renal disease with mild side effects. Histological analysis revealed that As4S4 suppressed immune complex deposition, mesangial proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltration in kidney and liver. Our study support that As4S4 selectively suppresses cutaneous lupus and nephritis in BXSB mice and might be a potential treatment for SLE.

Reactive gas environment induced structural modification of noble-transition metal alloy nanoparticles

Noble-transition metal (noble=Pt,Au; transition=Co,Ni,Cu) alloy particles with sizes of about 5 nm have been studied by in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction while subjected to oxidizing (O(2)) and reducing (H(2)) gas atmospheres at elevated temperatures. The different gas atmospheres do not affect substantially the random alloy, face-centered-cubic structure type of the particles but do affect the way the metal atoms pack together. In an O(2) atmosphere, atoms get extra separated from each other, whereas, in an H(2) atmosphere, they come closer together. The effect is substantial, amounting to 0.1 Å difference in the first neighbor atomic distances, and concurs with a dramatic change of the particle catalytic properties. It is argued that such reactive gas induced "expansion shrinking" is a common phenomenon that may be employed for the engineering of "smart" nanoparticles responding advantageously to envisaged gas environments.

An intronic variant associated with systemic lupus erythematosus changes the binding affinity of Yinyang1 to downregulate WDFY4

Two recent genome-wide association studies of East Asian populations revealed three genetic variants in WDFY4/LRRC18 associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To identify the gene contributing to this disease susceptibility, we examined the mRNA expression of WDFY4 and LRRC18 in patients with SLE and healthy controls. WDFY4 was significantly downregulated in SLE patients as compared with controls. We used allelic expression and dual-luciferase assays to identify the functional variant. Transcriptional activity was lower for the rs877819A than -G allele. Electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift assays revealed that the transcription factor Yinyang1 (YY1) binds to rs877819, with lower affinity to the A allele, which explained the reduced transcriptional activity. This effect was further confirmed by YY1 small interfering RNA knockdown, overexpression and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments. rs877819 in WDFY4 might be the functional site associated with SLE by reduced binding of YY1 and downregulating WDFY4 expression.

Effects of islet neogenesis-associated protein pentadecapeptide on cell mass and insulin secretion of pancreatic β-cells

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effects of islet neogenesis- associated protein pentadecapeptide (INGAP-PP) on proliferation and secretion function of β-cells.

METHODS

Islets of adult Sprague Dawley rats were isolated by collagenase digestion and treated with 10 μg/ml INGAP-PP, after 12, 24, 48 h, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and acridine orange/pro pidium iodide (AO/PI) staining were used to detect the secretion function and cell viability. The INS-1 cells were treated with 0, 1, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500 μg/ml INGAP-PP for 24 or 48 h, MTT cell proliferation assay was adopted to survey the dose-response relationship between INGAP-PP and cell proliferation. The mRNA expression of roliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Cyclin D1, Cdk4, P27, p38MAPK, and JNK in INS-1 cells were examined by RT-PCR, and the protein expression of PCNA was examined by Western blot. The statistical significance was determined by Student's t-test or one-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS

The insulin secreted by islets and the cell viability were increased by INGAP-PP. MTT indicated a dose-response relationship between INGAP-PP and quantity of INS-1 cells, and treatment for 48 h had a stronger effect on cell proliferation than the 24 h. INGAP-PP up-regulated the mRNA expression of PCNA, Cyclin D1, Cdk4 and downregulated P27, p38MAPK, and JNK. Moreover, the protein expression of PCNA was up-regulated by 45% after INGAPPP exposure for 48 h.

CONCLUSIONS

INGAP-PP increased the insulin secretion, enhanced the proliferation and might reduce apop tosis of β-cells. The mechanism may contribute to the changed expression of some genes related to cell cycle.

Compaction through buckling in 2D periodic, soft and porous structures: effect of pore shape

Soft cellular structures that comprise a solid matrix with a square array of holes open avenues for the design of novel soft and foldable structures. Our results demonstrate that by simply changing the shape of the holes the response of porous structure can be easily tuned and soft structures with optimal compaction can be designed.

Characteristics of moisture and salinity of soil in Taklimakan Desert, China

The Taklimakan desert is known as the largest dunefield in China and also as the world's second largest shifting sand desert. The Tarim Desert Highway, which is the first highway to cross the Taklimakan desert, was built for the purpose of oil and gas resources extraction in the Tarim area, as well as for the development of the southern area of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Shelterbelts have been planted along the highway to prevent shifting sand from burying the road. This paper analyzes the variations of moisture and salinity of the unirrigated desert soil under natural conditions in the center of Taklimakan Desert. A number of important findings indicating the moisture and salinity of the soil at capillary saturation zone were determined by the groundwater and related to the evaporation on the top. Salinity could be affected by vegetation, which was different from moisture in the soil. Meanwhile, clay layer played an important role in water preservation in the soil, which was also beneficial to the accumulation of salinity in soil. Compared with clay layer, vegetation was a decisive factor for the gathering of salinity. The findings were significant for reasonable adjustment of irrigation in the shelterbelts for the further development of the Tarim Desert Highway.

Down-regulation of prostate specific antigen in LNCaP cells by flavonoids from the pollen of Brassica napus L

The pollen of Brassica napus L. has been used in China to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) for over decades. In this study, the pollen of Brassica napus L. was extracted successively with chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethanol. The ethyl acetate extract showed strong activity in decreasing the secretion of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in LNCaP cells as compared to two other extracts, measured by ELISA with finasteride as positive control in the assay. Five flavonoids were subsequently isolated from the active extract using bioassay-guided fractionation. They were Naringenin (1); Luteolin (2); Kaempferol (3); Kaempferol 3-(3-E-p-coumaroyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside) (4); and Kaempferol 3-(2,3-di-E-p-coumaroyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside) (5). All these compounds inhibited PSA secretion significantly, with IC50 values in the range of 5-50 microM. Compounds 2, 4 and 5 showed moderate cytotoxicity to LNCaP cells within the active concentration range, while compounds 1 and 3 showed no cytotoxicity. Further studies on the mechanism action of these compounds were performed by evaluating their activation of estrogen receptor (ER) and antagonistic activities on androgen receptor (AR) in cell-based reporter gene assays. All compounds described here were first isolated from the pollen of Brassica napus L.

Human recombinant erythropoietin (rEpo) has no effect on tumour growth or angiogenesis

Tumour hypoxia has been shown to increase mutation rate, angiogenesis, and metastatic potential, and decrease response to conventional therapeutics. Improved tumour oxygenation should translate into increased treatment response. Exogenous recombinant erythropoietin (rEpo) has been recently shown to increase tumour oxygenation in a mammary carcinoma model. The mechanism of this action is not yet understood completely. The presence of Epo and its receptor (EpoR) have been demonstrated on several normal and neoplastic tissues, including blood vessels and various solid tumours. In addition, rEpo has been shown in two recent prospective, randomized clinical trials to negatively impact treatment outcome. In this study, we attempt to characterize the direct effects of rEpo on tumour growth and angiogenesis in two separate rodent carcinomas. The effect of rEpo on R3230 rat mammary adenocarcinomas, CT-26 mouse colon carcinomas, HCT-116 human colon carcinomas, and FaDu human head and neck tumours, all of which express EpoR, was examined. There were no differences in tumour growth or proliferation (measured by Ki-67) between placebo-treated and rEpo-treated tumours. In the mammary window chamber, vascular length density (VLD) measurements in serial images of both placebo-treated and Epo-treated rats revealed no difference in angiogenesis between the Epo-treated tumours and placebo-treated tumours at any time point. These experiments are important because they suggest that the recent clinical detriment seen with the use of Epo is not due to its tumour growth effects or angiogenesis. These studies also suggest that further preclinical studies need to examine rEpo's direct tumour effects in efforts to improve the therapeutic benefits of Epo in solid tumour patients.