Efficacy and safety of intrathecal pemetrexed for TKI-failed leptomeningeal metastases from EGFR+ NSCLC: an expanded, single-arm, phase II clinical trial

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intrathecal pemetrexed (IP) for treating patients with leptomeningeal metastases (LM) from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who progressed from epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment in an expanded, prospective, single-arm, phase II clinical study (ChiCTR1800016615).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with confirmed NSCLC-LM who progressed from TKI received IP (50 mg, day 1/day 5 for 1 week, then every 3 weeks for four cycles, and then once monthly) until disease progression or intolerance. Objectives were to assess overall survival (OS), response rate, and safety. Measurable lesions were assessed by investigator according to RECIST version 1.1. LM were assessed according to the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria.

RESULTS

The study included 132 patients; 68% were female and median age was 52 years (31-74 years). The median OS was 12 months (95% confidence interval 10.4-13.6 months), RANO-assessed response rate was 80.3% (106/132), and the most common adverse event was myelosuppression (n = 42; 31.8%), which reversed after symptomatic treatment. The results of subgroup analysis showed that absence of brain parenchymal metastasis, good Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, good response to IP treatment, negative cytology after treatment, and patients without neck/back pain/difficult defecation had longer survival. Gender, age, previous intrathecal methotrexate/cytarabine, and whole-brain radiotherapy had no significant influence on OS.

CONCLUSIONS

This study further showed that IP is an effective and safe treatment method for the EGFR-TKI-failed NSCLC-LM, and should be recommended for these patients in clinical practice and guidelines.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air of Guangzhou city: Exposure levels, health effects and cytotoxicity

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 pose potentially serious threats to human health. In this study, the distribution characteristics of 16 priority controlled, fine PM (PM2.5)-bound PAHs in the ambient air of Guangzhou city were analysed from 2016 to 2019. Four high-molecular-weight PAHs with the highest annual average concentrations were benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP; 0.757 ng/m3), indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (IcdP; 0.627 ng/m3), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF, 0.519 ng/m3) and 3,4-benzopyrene (BaP; 0.426 ng/m3). Increasing concentrations of BghiP, IcdP, BbF and BaP were associated with increasing numbers of outpatient visits for respiratory diseases, indicating that exposure to these PAHs potentially causes acute respiratory injury in residents. Acute exposure of the human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B cells to BghiP, IcdP, BbF and BaP in vitro resulted in acute inflammation, DNA damage and apoptosis. Further bioinformatic analysis indicated that nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group D member 1 (NR1D1) may be a key target gene involved in mediating the toxic effects of BghiP. Collectively, our results suggest that BghiP and the other PAHs represented by it can damage the respiratory system and induce lung cancer. This study provides valuable evidence regarding the potential health risks posed by local ambient PAHs pollution.

Association between PM2.5-bound metals and pediatric respiratory health in Guangzhou: An ecological study investigating source, health risk, and effect

Background

The adverse effects of 2.5-μm particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on public health have become an increasing concern worldwide. However, epidemiological findings on the effects of PM2.5-bound metals on children's respiratory health are limited and inconsistent because PM2.5 is a complicated mixture.

Objectives

Given the vulnerability of children's respiratory system, aim to pediatric respiratory health, this study evaluated the potential sources, health risks, and acute health effects of ambient PM2.5-bound metals among children in Guangzhou, China from January 2017 to December 2019.

Methods

Potential sources of PM2.5-bound metals were detected using positive matrix factorization (PMF). A health risk assessment was conducted to investigate the inhalation risk of PM2.5-bound metals in children. The associations between PM2.5-bound metals and pediatric respiratory outpatient visits were examined with a quasi-Poisson generalized additive model (GAM).

Results

During 2017–2019, the daily mean concentrations of PM2.5 was 53.39 μg/m3, and the daily mean concentrations of PM2.5-bound metals range 0.03 ng/m3 [thorium (Th) and beryllium (Be)] from to 396.40 ng/m3 [iron (Fe)]. PM2.5-bound metals were mainly contributed by motor vehicles and street dust. PM2.5-bound arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr)(VI), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) were found to pose a carcinogenic risk (CR). A quasi-Poisson GAM was constructed that showed there were significant associations between PM2.5 concentrations and pediatric outpatient visits for respiratory diseases. PM2.5 was significantly associated with pediatric outpatient visits for respiratory diseases. Moreover, with a 10 μg/m3 increase in Ni, Cr(VI), Ni, and As concentrations, the corresponding pediatric outpatient visits for respiratory diseases increased by 2.89% (95% CI: 2.28–3.50%), acute upper respiratory infections (AURIs) increased by 2.74% (2.13–3.35%), influenza and pneumonia (FLU&PN) increased by 23.36% (20.09–26.72%), and acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) increased by 16.86% (15.16–18.60%), respectively.

Conclusions

Our findings showed that PM2.5 and PM2.5-bound As, Cd, Co, Cr(VI), Ni, and Pb had adverse effects on pediatric respiratory health during the study period. New strategies are required to decrease the production of PM2.5 and PM2.5-bound metals by motor vehicles and to reduce levels of street dust to reduce children's exposure to these pollutants and thereby increase child health.

Associations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and their alternatives with bone mineral density levels and osteoporosis prevalence: A community-based population study in Guangzhou, Southern China

BACKGROUND

Evidence concerning associations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) exposure with bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis is scarce. Additionally, no study has examined the effects of PFAS isomers and alternatives on bone health.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the associations of PFASs and PFAS alternatives with BMD levels and osteoporosis prevalence.

METHODS

A total of 1260 healthy adults from southern China were enrolled. Serum concentrations of 32 legacy PFASs, PFAS isomers, and alternatives were measured using modified liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Logistic and linear regression models were applied to evaluate the associations of PFASs with osteoporosis prevalence and BMD levels, respectively, adjusting for confounding factors. We performed stratified analyses to assess potential effect modifications of age and sex. We further used sensitivity analyses to testify the robustness of the main findings.

RESULTS

There were 204 (16.2 %) participants diagnosed with osteoporosis. Eleven of the studied PFASs (i.e., PFHpA, PFOA, PFBS, PFHpS, total-PFHxS, n-PFHxS, br-PFHxS, br-PFOS, 1m-PFOS, Σ3 + 4 + 5m-PFOS, and 6:2 Cl-PFESA) showed significant and inverse associations with BMD levels (mean differences ranged from -6.47 to -26.07 per one ln-unit increase in the PFASs). Additionally, we observed that each one ln-unit increase in PFHpA was significantly associated a 23 % (OR = 1.23, 95 % CI = 1.04, 1.45) greater odds of osteoporosis. The above associations were consistent in several sensitivity analyses we performed. Stratified analyses showed stronger associations among women and younger compared to their counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested that greater PFAS exposure is associated with poorer bone health, especially in women and younger people.

Short-term effect of ambient air pollution on outpatient visits for children in Guangzhou, China

This study examined the short-term relationship between ambient air pollutants and children's outpatient visits, and identified the effect of modifications by season. Daily recordings of air pollutants (CO, NO₂, O₃, SO₂, PM₁₀, and PM_2.5) and children's outpatient visit data were collected in Guangzhou from 2015 to 2019. A generalized additive model adjusted for potential confounding was introduced to verify the association between ambient air pollution and outpatient visits for children. Subgroup analysis by season was performed to evaluate the potential effects. A total of 5,483,014 children's outpatient visits were recorded. The results showed that a 10 μg/m³ increase in CO, NO₂, O₃, SO₂, PM₁₀, and PM_2.5 corresponded with a 0.19% (95% CI: 0.15-0.24%), 2.46% (2.00-2.92%), 0.27% (0.07-0.46%), 7.16% (4.80-9.57%), 1.16% (0.83-1.49%), and 1.35% (0.88-1.82%) increase in children's outpatient visits on the lag0 of exposure, respectively. The relationships were stronger for O₃, PM₁₀, and PM_2.5 in the warm seasons, and for CO, NO₂, and SO₂ in the cool seasons. When adjusting for the co-pollutants, the effects of CO, NO₂, and PM₁₀ were robust. The results of this study indicate that six air pollutants might increase the risk of children's outpatient visits in Guangzhou, China, especially in the cool season.

[Clinical and endoscopic characteristics of adult celiac disease]

Objective: The study aimed to analyze the clinical and endoscopic characteristics of adult celiac disease (CD) to provide a scientific basis for more effective CD diagnosis and treatment. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the clinical and endoscopic data of 96 adult CD patients treated in the Department of Gastroenterology of the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from March 2016 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 96 CD patients were diagnosed, including 33 men and 63 women. The average age was 47±14 years (range, 18-81 years). The disease occurred mainly in the age group of 31-60 years. The median course of the disease was 2.0 (0.2-40.0) years. There were 41 (42.7%) classical and 55 (57.3%) non-classical CD patients. All patients with classical CD showed chronic diarrhea, often accompanied by abdominal pain (46.3%, 19/41), abdominal distension (17.1%, 7/41), anemia (65.9%, 27/41), and chronic fatigue (48.8%, 20/41). The main manifestations of non-classical CD were chronic abdominal pain (58.2%, 32/55), abdominal distension (32.7%, 18/55), anemia (40.0%, 22/55), and osteopenia/osteoporosis (38.2%, 21/55). Compared with non-classical CD, anemia developed more frequently in classical CD, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.012). The incidence of complications in CD patients was 36.5% (35/96), and the main complications were thyroid disease (19.8%, 19/96), connective tissue disease (6.2%, 6/96), and kidney disease (6.2%, 6/96). There was no significant difference between classical and non-classical CD (P>0.05). The frequency of endoscopic manifestations in CD patients was 84.4% (81/96). Duodenal bulb endoscopy showed nodular changes (72.9%, 70/96), grooved changes (10.4%, 10/96), and focal villous atrophy (9.4%, 9/96). The main manifestations of descending endoscopy were the decrease, flattening, or disappearance of duodenal folds (43.8%, 42/96), scallop-like changes (38.5%, 37/96), and nodular changes (34.4%, 33/96). Conclusions: Adult CD patients are mostly female. CD occurred mainly in the age group of 31-60 years. The clinical manifestations were mainly those of non-classical CD. Some patients often had other autoimmune diseases. Patients with characteristic endoscopic manifestations should be warned about the possibility of developing CD. Clinicians should strengthen the understanding of CD and reduce the related rates of missed diagnosis.

AB0390 COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF IGURATIMOD IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) BY USING A CLAIMS-BASED ALGORITHM: RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF REAL‑WORLD DATA

Background

Iguratimod (IGU), as one of the conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs), has been approved by National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to treat Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Objectives

This study aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of well-established RA therapies using a claims-based algorithm in RA patients.

Methods

An electronic medical record (EMR) database from Zhujiang Hospital was utilized to estimate the cost-effectiveness of medication for RA patients, including IGU with MTX, biological DMARDs (bDMARDs) with MTX, and MTX alone for more than 6 months from 2014 to 2020. Patients who were deemed effective must meet all the following criteria according to the algorithm, high adherence; no bDMARDs or IGU switch or addition; no prescription of new csDMARDs; no increase in dose or frequency of index drug; no new use of chronic glucocorticoids or increase in glucocorticoid dose; and no more than one glucocorticoid injection. Average cost was calculated by summing total cost of effective treatment and dividing by number of patients achieving efficacy in each group.

Results

A total of 263 patients were included in the analysis. Based on a claims-based algorithm, the effective rate was 27.1 % (26/96) for IGU with MTX group, 11.2% (7/62) for bDMARDs with MTX group, and 13.3% (14/105) for MTX alone group, respectively. Average cost of effective treatment was $833.46 for IGU with MTX therapy, $2554.57 for bDMARDs with MTX therapy, and $171.48 for MTX alone (Table 1).

Table 1.

Effectiveness and Cost per Effectively Treated Patient with RA

CriteriaAll patients (n=263)IGU with MTX group(n=96)bDMARDs with MTX group (n=62)MTX (n=105)Effectiveness:no. of patients (%)a47(17.87%)26 (27.1%)7 (11.2/%)14 (13.3%)Cost of all RA-related medication per effectively treated patient(SD)$892.75(911.57)$833.46 (252.67)$2554.5 (1273.13)$171.4 (110.33)Average cost of all RA medications postindex (excluding biologic DMARDs) per patient (SD)b$146.38(114.60)$148.81 (123.12)$86.90 (74.53)$171.4 (110.33)Average cost of only biologicDMARDs postindex per patient (SD)b$746.38(926.35)$684.27(188.67)$2468.67(1285.91)/

a χ2showed significant difference in percentage effectiveness for the original algorithm (p<0.05).

bMedication cost was 2020 U.S. dollars.

Conclusion

IGU with MTX therapy was revealed to be both effective and modestly priced, which seemed to be a cost-effective strategy for RA therapy and warranted further cost-effectiveness investigation.

References

[1](2018) [2018 Chinese guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis]. Zhonghua Nei Ke Za Zhi 57 (4), 242-251. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.0578-1426.2018.04.004

[2]Hitchon, C. A., & El-Gabalawy, H. S. (2011). The synovium in rheumatoid arthritis. The open rheumatology journal, 5, 107–114. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874312901105010107

[3]Smolen, J. S., Landewé, R., Bijlsma, J., Burmester, G. R., Dougados, M., Kerschbaumer, A., McInnes, I. B., Sepriano, A., van Vollenhoven, R. F., de Wit, M., Aletaha, D., Aringer, M., Askling, J., Balsa, A., Boers, M., den Broeder, A. A., Buch, M. H., Buttgereit, F., Caporali, R., Cardiel, M. H., … van der Heijde, D. (2020). EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: 2019 update. Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 79(6), 685–699. https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-216655

[4]Fraenkel, L., Bathon, J. M., England, B. R., St Clair, E. W., Arayssi, T., Carandang, K., Deane, K. D., Genovese, M., Huston, K. K., Kerr, G., Kremer, J., Nakamura, M. C., Russell, L. A., Singh, J. A., Smith, B. J., Sparks, J. A., Venkatachalam, S., Weinblatt, M. E., Al-Gibbawi, M., Baker, J. F., … Akl, E. A. (2021). 2021 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis care & research, 73(7), 924–939. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.24596

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Spin-Holstein Models in Trapped-Ion Systems

In this work, we highlight how trapped-ion quantum systems can be used to study generalized Holstein models, and benchmark expensive numerical calculations. We study a particular spin-Holstein model that can be implemented with arrays of ions confined by individual microtraps, and that is closely related to the Holstein model of condensed matter physics, used to describe electron-phonon interactions. In contrast to earlier proposals, we focus on simulating many-electron systems and inspect the competition between charge-density wave order, fermion pairing, and phase separation. In our numerical study, we employ a combination of complementary approaches, based on non-Gaussian variational ansatz states and matrix product states, respectively. We demonstrate that this hybrid approach outperforms standard density-matrix renormalization group calculations.

Investigating the association between COVID-19 vaccination and care home outbreak frequency and duration

OBJECTIVES

At the end of 2020, many countries commenced a vaccination programme against SARS-CoV-2. Public health authorities aim to prevent and interrupt outbreaks of infectious disease in social care settings. We aimed to investigate the association between the introduction of the vaccination programme and the frequency and duration of COVID-19 outbreaks in Northern Ireland (NI).

STUDY DESIGN

We undertook an ecological study using routinely available national data.

METHODS

We used Poisson regression to measure the relationship between the number of RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks in care homes, and as a measure of community COVID-19 prevalence, the Office for National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey estimated the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in NI. We estimated the change in this relationship and estimated the expected number of care home outbreaks in the absence of the vaccination programme. A Cox proportional hazards model estimated the hazard ratio of a confirmed COVID-19 care home outbreak closure.

RESULTS

Care home outbreaks reduced by two-thirds compared to expected following the introduction of the vaccination programme, from a projected 1625 COVID-19 outbreaks (95% prediction interval 1553-1694) between 7 December 2020 and 28 October 2021 to an observed 501. We estimated an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.53 of the outbreak closure assuming a 21-day lag for immunity.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings describe the association of the vaccination with a reduction in outbreak frequency and duration across NI care homes. This indicates probable reduced harm and disruption from COVID-19 in social care settings following vaccination. Future research using individual level data from care home residents will be needed to investigate the effectiveness of the vaccines and the duration of their effects.

Pharmacokinetics of HupA-PLGA-NPs of different sizes in the mouse blood and brain determined by LC-MS/MS

OBJECTIVE

Huperzine A, which was extracted from a Chinese herb, is a reversible and selective inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which is used as an anti-Alzheimer's drug that exerts evident pretreatment effects against exposure to organophosphate chemical warfare agents or pesticides. The aims of this study were to establish an LC-MS/MS method for the detection of HupA in biological samples and to investigate the pharmacokinetics of HupA polylactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles (HupA-PLGA-NPs) with different diameters in mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The proposed LC-MS/MS method was established by optimizing the MS conditions and validating the specificity, linear range, lower limit, precision, accuracy, matrix effects, absolute recovery, and sample stability of the method. ICR mice were divided into three treatment groups: the HupA control group, the 46.4-nm HupA-PLGA-NP group and the 208.5-nm HupA-PLGA-NP group. All the mice in the three groups were administered 0.5 mg/kg HupA via the tail vein. The pharmacokinetic parameters in plasma and the brain were detected by LC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed using PKS pharmacokinetic software, and the relative bioavailability and brain-targeted drug targeting efficiency (DTE) were also calculated.

RESULTS

The distributions of HupA-PLGA-NP groups showed marked changes compared with that of HupA in mice in vivo, and the particle size of nanodrugs exerted a significant effect on the pharmacokinetic parameters in mice. The half-life (T1/2) values in plasma of the 46.4- and 208.5-nm HupA-PLGA-NPs were 1.53- and 1.96-fold longer than that of the HupA at the same dose. The bioavailabilities of the two nanoparticles were 1.93- and 2.19-fold higher than that of HupA, respectively. In the brain, the Tmax values of the two HupA-PLGA-NPs of different sizes was 1.25 h, which was clearly longer than that of HupA (0.5 h), and the corresponding T1/2 values were 12.53 h and 8.47 h, which were 1.82- and 1.23-fold higher than that of HupA (6.89 h). In addition, the brain targeting index of the 46.40-nm HupA-PLGA-NPs was 1.48, which revealed an evident brain-targeting effect.

CONCLUSIONS

The LC-MS/MS method has the advantages of good specificity, high sensitivity and needing a low sample amount and is economical and particularly suitable for determining the drug content in plasma and brain samples. The NP size is associated with the distribution patterns of nanodrugs. Therefore, a particular NP size can be selected to maximize the pharmacodynamics effects and control the toxicity of nanodrugs.

[Clinical characteristics and related factors of human respiratory syncytial viruses infection in premature infants within 2 years after birth in Shenzhen Children's Hospital]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and factors associated with human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) infection in preterm infants within the first 2 years of life. Methods: Children with respiratory tract infections admitted to Shenzhen Children's Hospital during the 3-year period from January 2016 to December 2018 who were <2 years old and whose gestational age at birth was <37 weeks were selected, and those who met the diagnostic criteria for RSV infection were categorized as the positive case group, and those who had no detectable influenza virus, parainfluenza virus and adenovirus antigens were categorized as the negative group. The clinical characteristics of the case group were retrospectively analyzed. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the associated factors. Results: A total of 1, 483 children were included, of whom 149 (10.1%) were HRSV positive (case group) and 447 (30.1%) were in the negative group (control group). In the case group, there were 88 (59.1%) male and 61 (40.1%) female children; 127 children (85.2%) in the mild-to-moderate disease group and 22 children (14.8%) in the severe disease group. The number of cases in the severe disease group was greater than that in the mild-to-moderate disease group [(17 cases, 77.3%) than (59 cases, 46.5%)], with statistical significance (P=0.010). A total of 117 cases (78.5%) had onset from February to July. Multivariable analysis showed that males [OR (95%CI) of 0.105 (0.013-0.112)], age at month [0.045 (0.036-0.112)], congenital heart disease [0.388 (0.206-0.940)] and bronchopulmonary dysplasia [0.622 (0.484-0.927)] were positively associated with HRSV infection in preterm infants. Conclusion: The high prevalence of HRSV infection in preterm infants in Shenzhen is from February to July each year, and male children are more common. Young age, congenital heart disease and bronchopulmonary dysplasia are all independent risk factors for HRSV infection in preterm infants.

Optimization of the electron beam dump for a GeV-class laser electron accelerator

The advances of laser-driven electron acceleration offer the promise of great reductions in the size of high-energy electron accelerator facilities. Accordingly, it is desirable to design compact radiation shielding for such facilities. A key component of radiation shielding is the high-energy electron beam dump. In an effort to optimize the electron beam dump design, different material combinations have been simulated with the FLUKA Monte Carlo code in the range of 1-40 GeV. The studied beam dump configurations consist of alternating layers of high-Z material (lead or iron) and low-Z material (high-density concrete or borated polyethylene) in either three-layer or five-layer structures. The designs of various beam dump configuration have been compared and it has been found that the iron and concrete stacking in a three-layer structure with a thick iron layer results in the lowest dose at 1, 10, and 40 GeV. The performance of the beam dump exhibits a strong dependence on the selected materials, the stacking method, the beam dump thickness, as well as the electron energy. This parametric study provides general insights that can be used for compact shielding design of future electron accelerator facilities.

A distinctive release profile of vancomycin and tobramycin from a new and injectable polymeric dicalcium phosphate dehydrate cement (P-DCPD)

A novel injectable polymeric dicalcium phosphate dehydrate (P-DCPD) cement was developed with superior mechanical strength and excellent cohesion. The purpose of this study was to assess the in vitro performance of P-DCPD loaded with vancomycin (VAN-P), tobramycin (TOB-P) and combination of both (VAN/TOB-P) (10%, w/w). There is a distinctive release profile between VAN and TOB. VAN-P showed decreased initial burst (<30% within 3 d) and sustained VAN release (76% in 28 d). In the presence of TOB (VAN/TOB-P), >90% of VAN was released within 3 d (p < 0.05). Slow and limited TOB release was observed both in TOB-P (<5%) and in TOB/VAN-P (<1%) over 28 d. Zone of inhibition (ZOI) of Staphylococcus aureus growth showed that eluents collected from VAN-P had stronger and longer ZOI (28 d) than that from TOB-P (14 d, p < 0.05). Direct contact of VAN-P, TOB-P and VAN/TOB-P cements displayed persistent and strong ZOI for >3 weeks. Interestingly, the cement residues (28 d after drug release) still maintained strong ZOI ability. P-DCPD with or without antibiotics loading were nontoxic and had no inferior impacts on the growth of osteoblastic MC3T3 cells. VAN-P and TOB-P were injectable. No significant influence on setting time was observed in both VAN-P (11.7 ± 1.9 min) and VAN/TOB-P (10.8 ± 1.5 min) as compared to control (12.2 ± 2.6 min). We propose that a distinctive release profile of VAN and TOB observed is mainly due to different distribution pattern of VAN and TOB within P-DCPD matrix. A limited release of TOB might be due to the incorporation of TOB inside the crystalline lattice of P-DCPD crystals. Our data supported that the bactericidal efficacy of antibiotics-loaded P-DCPD is not only depend on the amount and velocity of antibiotics released, but also probably more on the direct contact of attached bacteria on the degrading cement surface.

First-dose ChAdOx1 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines and thrombocytopenic, thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events in Scotland

Reports of ChAdOx1 vaccine-associated thrombocytopenia and vascular adverse events have led to some countries restricting its use. Using a national prospective cohort, we estimated associations between exposure to first-dose ChAdOx1 or BNT162b2 vaccination and hematological and vascular adverse events using a nested incident-matched case-control study and a confirmatory self-controlled case series (SCCS) analysis. An association was found between ChAdOx1 vaccination and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) (0-27 d after vaccination; adjusted rate ratio (aRR) = 5.77, 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.41-13.83), with an estimated incidence of 1.13 (0.62-1.63) cases per 100,000 doses. An SCCS analysis confirmed that this was unlikely due to bias (RR = 1.98 (1.29-3.02)). There was also an increased risk for arterial thromboembolic events (aRR = 1.22, 1.12-1.34) 0-27 d after vaccination, with an SCCS RR of 0.97 (0.93-1.02). For hemorrhagic events 0-27 d after vaccination, the aRR was 1.48 (1.12-1.96), with an SCCS RR of 0.95 (0.82-1.11). A first dose of ChAdOx1 was found to be associated with small increased risks of ITP, with suggestive evidence of an increased risk of arterial thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events. The attenuation of effect found in the SCCS analysis means that there is the potential for overestimation of the reported results, which might indicate the presence of some residual confounding or confounding by indication. Public health authorities should inform their jurisdictions of these relatively small increased risks associated with ChAdOx1. No positive associations were seen between BNT162b2 and thrombocytopenic, thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events.

Probable Evidence of Fecal Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a High-Rise Building

BACKGROUND

The role of fecal aerosols in the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been suspected.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the temporal and spatial distributions of 3 infected families in a high-rise apartment building and examine the associated environmental variables to verify the role of fecal aerosols.

DESIGN

Epidemiologic survey and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses on throat swabs from the participants; 237 surface and air samples from 11 of the 83 flats in the building, public areas, and building drainage systems; and tracer gas released into bathrooms as a surrogate for virus-laden aerosols in the drainage system.

SETTING

A high-rise apartment building in Guangzhou, China.

PARTICIPANTS

9 infected patients, 193 other residents of the building, and 24 members of the building's management staff.

MEASUREMENTS

Locations of infected flats and positive environmental samples, and spread of virus-laden aerosols.

RESULTS

9 infected patients in 3 families were identified. The first family had a history of travel to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epicenter Wuhan, whereas the other 2 families had no travel history and a later onset of symptoms. No evidence was found for transmission via the elevator or elsewhere. The families lived in 3 vertically aligned flats connected by drainage pipes in the master bathrooms. Both the observed infections and the locations of positive environmental samples are consistent with the vertical spread of virus-laden aerosols via these stacks and vents.

LIMITATION

Inability to determine whether the water seals were dried out in the flats of the infected families.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of circumstantial evidence, fecal aerosol transmission may have caused the community outbreak of COVID-19 in this high-rise building.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province and the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong.

Can elevated concentrations of ALT and AST predict the risk of 'recurrence' of COVID-19?

'Recurrence' of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has triggered numerous discussions of scholars at home and abroad. A total of 44 recurrent cases of COVID-19 and 32 control cases admitted from 11 February to 29 March 2020 to Guanggu Campus of Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology were enrolled in this study. All the 44 recurrent cases were classified as mild to moderate when the patients were admitted for the second time. The gender and mean age in both cases (recurrent and control) were similar. At least one concomitant disease was observed in 52.27% recurrent cases and 34.38% control cases. The most prevalent comorbidity among them was hypertension. Fever and cough being the most prevalent clinical symptoms in both cases. On comparing both the cases, recurrent cases had markedly elevated concentrations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (P = 0.020) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P = 0.007). Moreover, subgroup analysis showed mild to moderate abnormal concentrations of ALT and AST in recurrent cases. The elevated concentrations of ALT and AST may be recognised as predictive markers for the risk of 'recurrence' of COVID-19, which may provide insights into the prevention and control of COVID-19 in the future.

LINC00707 promotes cell proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer via miR-206/FMNL2 axis

OBJECTIVE

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been verified to participate in the regulation of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the role of LINC00707 in CRC still remains unknown. Here, we aim to study the role of LINC00707 in CRC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

LINC00707 expression in 97 pairs of CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues was determined by the quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). LINC00707 overexpression or knockdown in SW620 or HCT116 cells was achieved by lentivirus transfection. The proliferation and cell circle progression of established cells were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Cell invasion and migration abilities were studied by transwell assay. Dual-luciferase assay and Western blot was used to verify the underlying mechanism of LINC00707 in CRC. Nude mice were obtained to identify the in vivo function of LINC00707 in CRC.

RESULTS

LINC00707 was significantly over-expressed in CRC tissues and cell lines. Up-regulation of LINC00707 promoted cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, invasion, and migration of SW620 cells. Conversely, down-regulation of LINC00707 reduced cell growth and metastasis of HCT116 cells. MiR-206 was verified as a direct target of LINC00707, and its function was inhibited by LINC00707. FMNL2 was a target for miR-206 in CRC cells. Meanwhile, LINC00707 promoted tumor growth of CRC in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

LINC00707 was up-regulated in CRC tissues and cells, which promoted cell proliferation and metastasis via sponging miR-206 to increase FMNL2 expression. This might provide a novel target for the biological treatment of CRC.

P2769Racial differences in outcomes among acute pulmonary embolism patients: a nationwide analysis

Background

Limited data is available regarding racial disparities in patients admitted for acute pulmonary embolism.

Purpose

We aimed to examine the impact of racial differences on outcomes in patients admitted for acute pulmonary embolism.

Methods

We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which represents 20% of community hospital discharges in the US, to identify adult patients who were discharged with the primary diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism in 2016 with ICD-10 codes. Logistic regression analysis and linear regression analysis were used to compare patients with different races. Outcomes were focused on in-hospital mortality, total cost, length of stay and disposition, adjusting gender, age, Charlson comorbid index and socioeconomic variables.

Results

In 2016, 35,526 patients were admitted with a primary diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism. White patients were more likely to be older and with higher income. After adjusting for the above variables, white patients had lower total cost of hospitalization (p<0.0001), shorter length of stay (p<0.0001), lower in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio = 0.79, p=0.001), and more likely to be discharged to rehabilitation facilities compared to being discharged home.

Outcomes in white vs non-white patients

Conclusion

Among acute pulmonary embolism hospitalizations, white patients generally had better outcomes despite being older in age, and were more likely to be transferred to rehabilitation facilities after discharge.

Interactions between ambient air pollutants and temperature on emergency department visits: Analysis of varying-coefficient model in Guangzhou, China

BACKGROUND

At present, there are few studies on the effect of short-term interactions between ambient air pollutants and temperature on cause-specific emergency department visits in China. This study aimed to explore their short-term interactions on cause-specific emergency department visits using data collected from a total of 65 public hospitals in Guangzhou city, south China.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We included a total of 226,443 emergency department visits which were diagnosed as neurological, respiratory and circulatory disease in Guangzhou from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2017. Average daily concentrations of air pollutants including carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter having a median diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM_2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃) were collected from the Guangzhou Environmental Protection Bureau. We employed quasi-Poisson varying coefficient regression models to assess the interaction effects between air pollutants and daily temperature levels (DTLs) on emergency department visits for neurological, respiratory and circulatory diseases, respectively.

RESULTS

Average number of emergency department visits for neurological, respiratory and circulatory diseases were 92, 26 and 38, respectively. After controlling for other pollutants, meteorological factors and other time-varying confounders, we found the interactions between NO₂ and the 1st DTL (3.4-17.1 °C), NO₂ and the 2nd DTL (17.1-23.5 °C) for neurological emergency department visits were statistically significant, displaying a nonlinear relationship. Additionally, we found that the interactions between SO₂ and the 4th DTL (27.4-31.1 °C) also had a significantly adverse effect on respiratory emergency department visits.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide novel evidence on SO₂-by-temperature interactions, and NO₂-by-temperature interactions for emergency department visits of cause-specific diseases.

[Effects of Personality and Psychological Acceptance on Medical Workers' Occupational Stress]

Objective: To assess psychological acceptance and occupational stress of medical staff, analyze the relationship among personality, psychological acceptance and occupational stress and discuss the direct or indirect effects of personality to occupational stress. Methods: Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-RSC) , Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-Ⅱ) and Revised Occupational Stress Inventory (OSI-R) were administered to 749 medical staff. Results: The level of occupational stress of medical staff was high, the score of PSY was 26.8±7.13 and the score of PHS was 24.3±6.50. Personality and psychological acceptance can predict occupational stress. Psychological acceptance was a protective factor of occupational stress. Medical staff with personality of introversion, neuroticism and psychoticism suffered higher occupational stress. Personality have both direct and indirect effects on occupational stress. Neuroticism have the strongest effect on occupational stress with effect size of 0.496 (psychological stress) and 0.431 (physical strain) . Conclusion: Medical staff have heavier occupational stress. There is a significant correlation between personality and occupational stress. Measures depending on personality should be taken to deal with this situation.

Short-term associations of ambient air pollution and cause-specific emergency department visits in Guangzhou, China

BACKGROUND

Evidence of association of ambient air pollution with cause-specific emergency department visits in China is still limited. This study aimed to investigate short-term associations between exposures to air pollutants and daily cause-specific emergency department visits using a large-scale multicenter database involving a total of 65 sentinel hospitals in Guangzhou, the most densely-populated city in south China, during 2013-2015.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We obtained data on 162,771 emergency department visits from 65 hospitals from the Emergency Medical Command Center in Guangzhou between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015. Daily air pollution data on particulate matter (PM) of aerodynamic diameter<10 and 2.5μm (PM₁₀, and PM_2.5, respectively), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃) were collected from the Daily Quality Report of the Guangzhou Environmental Protection Bureau during the study period. Visits for neurologic, respiratory and circulatory diseases were assessed in relation to air pollutants using Poisson generalized additive models.

RESULTS

Mean daily number of emergency department visits for neurologic, respiratory and circulatory diseases was 89, 24 and 35, respectively. After adjustment for other pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂ and O₃), meteorological factors and time-varying confounders, a 7.98-μg/m³ (interquartile range) increment in 2-day moving average of same-day and previous-day SO₂ concentrations was associated with the statistically significant increase of 4.89% (95% confidence interval: 2.86, 6.95) in neurologic emergency department visits; elevation in SO₂ level (per 7.98μg/m³) was linked to a 5.19% (95% confidence interval: 2.03, 8.44) increase in circulatory emergency department visits. Most positive links were seen during the cold season.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study contribute to the evidence of the significant associations between SO₂ and specific neurologic and circulatory conditions, and also provide insight into the planning of clinical services and emergency contingency response for air pollution exposures in Guangzhou.

The signaling axis of microRNA-31/interleukin-25 regulates Th1/Th17-mediated inflammation response in colitis

Interleukin-25 (IL-25) is an important regulatory cytokine that has a key role on mucosal immune tolerance during inflammation response. However, the molecular mechanism that regulates the colonic IL-25 expression in Crohn's disease (CD) remains unclear. In this study, IL-25 level was proved to decrease in 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis mice and IL-10 knockout (KO) spontaneous colitis mice. An inverse correlation between IL-25 and miR-31 was discovered in the colons from model mice and CD patients. Furthermore, target validation analysis demonstrated that miR-31 directly regulated IL-25 expression by binding to its messenger RNA 3'-untranslated region. Changing colonic miR-31 level in the colitis mice could affect the mucosal IL-12/23-mediated Th1/Th17 pathway and lead to either amelioration or aggravation of colonic inflammation. In addition, the therapeutic effects of anti-miR-31 in TNBS-induced colitis were abolished by colonic treatment with IL-25 antibody or colonic down-expression of IL-25. Our findings demonstrated that IL-25 could be a crucial anti-inflammatory cytokine in TNBS-induced colitis and the signaling of miR-31 targeting IL-25 might be a possible mechanism that regulates IL-12/23-mediated Th1/Th17 inflammatory responses during colonic inflammation process. Restoring colonic IL-25 expression and blocking Th1/Th17 responses via intracolonic administration of miR-31 inhibitor may represent a promising approach for CD treatment.

[Mediating effect of mental elasticity on occupational stress and depression in female nurses]

Objective: To investigate the interaction between mental elasticityand occupational stress and depressionin female nurses and the mediating effect of mental elasticity, as well as the functioning way of mental elasticity in occupational stress-depression. Methods: From August to October, 2015, cluster sampling was used to select 122 female nurses in a county-level medical institution as study subjects. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) , Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised Edition (OSI-R) , and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were used to collect the data on mental elasticity, occupational stress, and depression and analyze their correlation and mediating effect. Results: The 122 female nurses had a mean mental elasticity score of 62.4±15.1, which was significantly lower than the Chinese norm (65.4±13.9) (P<0.05) ; the mean depression score was 41.0±7.7, which was significantly higher than the Chinese norm (33.5±8.6) (P<0.01) , and the incidence rate of depression of 52.5%. Mental elasticity was negatively correlated with occupational stress and depression (r=-0.559 and -0.559, both P<0.01) . Occupational stress and the two subscales mental stress reaction and physical stress reaction were positively correlated with depression (r=0.774, 0.734, and 0.725, all P<0.01) . After adjustment for confounding factors, occupational stress had a positive predictive effect on depression (β=0.744, P<0.01) , and mental elasticity had a negative predictive effect on depression (β=-0.221, P<0.01) . The analysis of mediating effect showed a significant direct effect of occupational stress on depression and a significant mediating effect of mental elasticity (a=-0.527, b=-0.227, c=0.744, c'=0.627; all P<0.01) , and the mediating effect of mental elasticity accounted for 16.08% of the total effect. Conclusion: As a partial mediating variable, mental elasticity has an indirect effect on the relationship between occupational stress and depression and can alleviate the adverse effect of occupational stress and reduce the development of depression.

Nonlinear Transition from Mitigation to Suppression of the Edge Localized Mode with Resonant Magnetic Perturbations in the EAST Tokamak

Evidence of a nonlinear transition from mitigation to suppression of the edge localized mode (ELM) by using resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) in the EAST tokamak is presented. This is the first demonstration of ELM suppression with RMPs in slowly rotating plasmas with dominant radio-frequency wave heating. Changes of edge magnetic topology after the transition are indicated by a gradual phase shift in the plasma response field from a linear magneto hydro dynamics modeling result to a vacuum one and a sudden increase of three-dimensional particle flux to the divertor. The transition threshold depends on the spectrum of RMPs and plasma rotation as well as perturbation amplitude. This means that edge topological changes resulting from nonlinear plasma response plays a key role in the suppression of ELM with RMPs.

Active fiber-based retroreflector providing phase-retracing anti-parallel laser beams for precision spectroscopy

We present an active fiber-based retroreflector providing high quality phase-retracing anti-parallel Gaussian laser beams for precision spectroscopy of Doppler sensitive transitions. Our design is well-suited for a number of applications where implementing optical cavities is technically challenging and corner cubes fail to match the demanded requirements, most importantly retracing wavefronts and preservation of the laser polarization. To illustrate the performance of the system, we use it for spectroscopy of the 2S-4P transition in atomic hydrogen and demonstrate an average suppression of the first order Doppler shift to 4 parts in 10⁶ of the full collinear shift. This high degree of cancellation combined with our cryogenic source of hydrogen atoms in the metastable 2S state is sufficient to enable determinations of the Rydberg constant and the proton charge radius with competitive uncertainties. Advantages over the usual Doppler cancellation based on corner cube type retroreflectors are discussed as well as an alternative method using a high finesse cavity.

Study on JNK/AP-1 signaling pathway of airway mucus hypersecretion of severe pneumonia under RSV infection

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the JNK/AP-1 signaling pathway of airway mucus hypersecretion of severe pneumonia under respiratory virus (RSV) infection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Total of 56 severe pneumonia children under RSV infection were selected. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to measure the expression quantity of MUC5B mRNA and MUC5AC mRNA, and ELISA was used to measure the expression quantity of MUC5AC and MUC5B proteins. Following that, the children were divided into airway mucus hypersecretion group (n = 37) and non-hypersecretion group (n = 19). Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of JNK1/2, p-JNK1/2 and AP-1 proteins.

RESULTS

Expression of MUC5AC and MUC5B proteins, and MUC5AC mRNA and MUC5B mRNA in the airway mucus hypersecretion group were significantly higher than those in the non-hypersecretion group (p < 0.05). The expression levels of JNK1/2, p-JNK1/2 and AP-1 proteins in airway mucus hypersecretion group were higher than those in the non-hypersecretion group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

MUC5AC and MUC5B can be used as marker molecules of airway mucus hypersecretion. Airway mucus hypersecretion of severe pneumonia induced by RSV might be related to the activation of JNK/AP-1 signaling pathway.

Clinical significance of group B streptococcus testing in late pregnancy

PURPOSE

This study aimed to detect the maternal group B streptococcus (GBS) by real-time PCR method, aiming to understand its germ-carrying situations and clinical significance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The secretions of one-third inferior segment of maternal vagina of 1,540 pregnant and postnatal women were collected for GBS detection by real-time PCR method, and the impacts of positive results on the fetus were observed.

RESULTS

The detection rate of GBS was 5.6% (86/1540); the premature birth rate of GBS-positive pregnant women was 29.1% (25/86), the miscarriage rate was 19.8% (17/86), the premature rupture rate was 26.7% (23/86), and the fetal distress rate was 24.4% (21/86).

CONCLUSIONS

The GBS germ-carriers showed increased rates of premature birth, miscarriage, premature rupture, and fetal distress, thus forming adverse effects towards the maternal and infant outcomes.

Efficacy and safety of extended dosing schedules of CC-486 (oral azacitidine) in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes

CC-486, the oral formulation of azacitidine (AZA), is an epigenetic modifier and DNA methyltransferase inhibitor in clinical development for treatment of hematologic malignancies. CC-486 administered for 7 days per 28-day treatment cycle was evaluated in a phase 1 dose-finding study. AZA has a short plasma half-life and DNA incorporation is S-phase-restricted; extending CC-486 exposure may increase the number of AZA-affected diseased target cells and maximize therapeutic effects. Patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) received 300 mg CC-486 once daily for 14 days (n=28) or 21 days (n=27) of repeated 28-day cycles. Median patient age was 72 years (range 31–87) and 75% of patients had International Prognostic Scoring System Intermediate-1 risk MDS. Median number of CC-486 treatment cycles was 7 (range 2–24) for the 14-day dosing schedule and 6 (1–24) for the 21-day schedule. Overall response (complete or partial remission, red blood cell (RBC) or platelet transfusion independence (TI), or hematologic improvement) (International Working Group 2006) was attained by 36% of patients receiving 14-day dosing and 41% receiving 21-day dosing. RBC TI rates were similar with both dosing schedules (31% and 38%, respectively). CC-486 was generally well-tolerated. Extended dosing schedules of oral CC-486 may provide effective long-term treatment for patients with lower-risk MDS.

First Report of Rubber Tree Stem Rot Caused by Fusarium oxysporum in China

Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is an important crop in tropical regions of China. In October 2013, a new stem rot disease was found on cv. Yunyan77-4 at a rubber tree plantation in Hekou, Yunnan Province. There were about 100 plants, and diseased rubber trees accounted for 30% or less. Initially, brown-punctuate secretion appeared on the stem, which was 5 to 6 cm above the ground. Eventually, the secretion became black and no latex produced from the rubber tree bark. After removing the secretion, the diseased bark was brown putrescence, but the circumambient bark was normal. Upon peeling the surface bark, the inner bark and xylem had brown rot and was musty. The junction between health and disease was undulate. On the two most serious plants, parts of leaves on the crown were yellow, and the root near the diseased stem was dry and puce. The pathogen was isolated and designated HbFO01; the pathogenicity was established by following Koch's postulates. The pathogen was cultivated on a potato dextrose agar (PDA) plate at 28°C for 4 days. Ten plants of rubber tree cv. Yunyan77-4 were selected from a disease-free plantation in Haikou, Hainan Province, and the stem diameter was about 7 cm. The bark of five plants was peeled, and one mycelium disk with a diameter of 1 cm was inserted into the cut and covered again with the bark. The other five plants were treated with agar disks as controls. The inoculation site was kept moist for 2 days, and then the mycelium and agar disk were removed. On eighth day, symptoms similar to the original stem lesions were observed on stems of inoculated plants, while only scars formed on stems of control plants. The pathogen was re-isolated from the lesions of inoculated plants. On PDA plates, the pathogen colony was circular and white with tidy edges and rich aerial hyphae. Microscopic examination showed microconidia and chlamydospores were produced abundantly on PDA medium. The falciform macroconidia were only produced on lesions and were slightly curved, with a curved apical cell and foot shaped to pointed basal cell, usually 3-septate, 16.2 to 24.2 × 3.2 to 4.0 μm. Microconidia were produced in false heads, oval, 0-septate, 6.2 to 8.2 × 3.3 to 3.8 μm, and the phialide was cylindrical. Chlamydospores were oval, 6.4 to 7.2 × 3.1 to 3.8 μm, alone produced in hypha. Morphological characteristics of the specimen were similar to the descriptions for Fusarium oxysporum (2). Genomic DNA of this isolate was extracted with a CTAB protocol (4) from mycelium and used as a template for amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA with primer pair ITS1/ITS4 (1). The full length of this sequence is 503 nt (GenBank Accession No. KJ009335), which exactly matched several sequences (e.g., JF807394.1, JX897002.1, and HQ451888.1) of F. oxysporum. Williams and Liu had listed F. oxysporum as the economically important pathogen of Hevea in Asia (3), while this is, to our knowledge, the first report of stem rot caused by F. oxysporum on rubber tree in China. References: (1) D. E. L. Cooke et al. Fungal Genet. Biol. 30:17, 2000. (2) J. F. Leslie and B. A. Summerell. The Fusarium Laboratory Manual, 2006. (3) T. H. Williams and P. S. W. Liu. A host list of plant diseases in Sabah, Malaysia, 1976. (4) J. R. Xu et al. Genetics 143:175, 1996.

Similar blood-borne DNA methylation alterations in cancer and inflammatory diseases determined by subpopulation shifts in peripheral leukocytes

BACKGROUND

Although many DNA methylation (DNAm) alterations observed in peripheral whole blood/leukocytes and serum have been considered as potential diagnostic markers for cancer, their origin and their specificity for cancer (e.g., vs inflammatory diseases) remain unclear.

METHODS

From publicly available datasets, we identified changes in the methylation of blood-borne DNA for multiple cancers and inflammatory diseases. We compared the identified changes with DNAm difference between myeloid and lymphoid cells extracted from two datasets.

RESULTS

At least 94.7% of the differentially methylated DNA loci (DM loci) observed in peripheral whole blood/leukocytes and serum of cancer patients overlapped with DM loci that distinguish between myeloid and lymphoid cells and >99.9% of the overlapped DM loci had consistent alteration states (hyper- or hypomethylation) in cancer samples compared to normal controls with those in myeloid cells compared to lymphoid cells (binomial test, P-value <2.2 × 10(-16)). Similar results were observed for DM loci in peripheral whole blood/leukocytes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel diseases. The direct comparison between DM loci observed in the peripheral whole blood/leukocytes of patients with inflammatory diseases and DM loci observed in the peripheral whole blood of patients with cancer showed that DM loci detected from cancer and inflammatory diseases also had significantly consistent alteration states (binomial test, P-value <2.2 × 10(-16)).

CONCLUSIONS

DNAm changes observed in the peripheral whole blood/leukocytes and serum of cancer patients and in the peripheral whole blood/leukocytes of inflammatory disease patients are predominantly determined by the increase of myeloid cells and the decrease of lymphoid cells under the disease conditions, in the sense that their alteration states in disease samples compared to normal controls mainly reflect the DNAm difference between myeloid and lymphoid cells. These analyses highlight the importance of comparing cancer and inflammatory disease directly for the identification of cancer-specific diagnostic biomarkers.

Transvaginal sonographic features of perineal masses in the female lower urogenital tract: a retrospective study of 71 patients

OBJECTIVES

To assess the transvaginal ultrasonographic features of perineal masses in the lower urogenital tract in a cohort of 71 women.

METHODS

Seventy-one women with perineal masses were referred consecutively for transvaginal ultrasonography. Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound was used to scan the pelvic floor, including the urethra, vagina and rectum, and identify any possible areas of interest. A static three-dimensional (3D) sonographic reconstruction of the pelvic anatomy was created to further delineate the relation of the lesions with their neighboring structures. Ultrasound results were compared retrospectively with surgical pathology outcome when possible.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine cystic, cystic-solid or solid masses were detected on transvaginal 2D ultrasonography in the 71 women: in 44 patients, 47 anechoic cystic masses were identified and diagnosed as vaginal wall cysts; in 19 patients, 23 hyperechoic cystic masses were diagnosed as vaginal epidermoid cysts; in each of two patients, a hypoechoic cystic-solid mass showing blood-flow signals on color Doppler imaging was diagnosed as urogenital angiomyofibroblastoma; in each of three patients, a hypoechoic cyst was diagnosed as urethral diverticulum; and in three patients with a known history of gynecological malignancy, solid heterogeneous masses with blood flow signals on color Doppler imaging were diagnosed as metastatic cancer. In all patients, 3D ultrasonography delineated the anatomical relationship of these masses to the vagina, urethra and rectum.

CONCLUSIONS

Transvaginal 2D and 3D ultrasonography is an accurate, non-invasive, cost-effective diagnostic modality for the delineation of congenital, septic and neoplastic lower urogenital tract perineal masses in women.

Distribution and pathogen identification of cassava brown leaf spot in China

Cassava brown leaf spot surveys were conducted in the main cassava plantation areas of China between 2007 and 2012 in order to understand the distribution of the disease. Cassava plants were damaged by the disease to different degrees in most of the survey sites. Samples were collected and seven strains were isolated from lesions. The mycelium-breaking plus black light induction method was applied for sporulation. Microconidia were formed by means of fragmentation on artificial medium plates. When the leaf was stabbed and inoculated with conidia solution, similar symptoms were formed 14 days later. Morphological characteristics of the specimens and conidia were similar to descriptions of Passalora henningsii infection. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA were obtained with primer pair ITS1/ITS4 and deposited in GenBank, which differed by three base pairs from that of the P. henningsii isolate (AF284389). The ITS sequences of related species were downloaded from the NCBI database, and phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequences originating from our strains clustered in the same clade as the AF284389 isolate. Biological characteristics were evaluated in two strains from different sites, which indicated that the optimum conditions for mycelia growth were a temperature of 26° to 28°C, carrot agar medium, pH 6, and continuous dark; cassava leaf juice added to malt extract and cassava leaf juice added to potato dextrose agar were the best media for conidia production. The optimal and lethal temperatures for macroconidia germination were 26° to 28°C, and 60°C for 10 min, respectively.

Relapse of hyperthyroidism after hemithyroidectomy in concurrent medullary thyroid cancer and Graves' disease

We present a rare case of concurrent medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and relapse of Graves' disease (GD). A 26-year-old Chinese female suffered from GD for 1 year. Physical examination demonstrated mildly diffuse goiter with a palpable 1.0 cm nodule in the right thyroid lobe and exophthalmos. Before hemithyroidectomy, calcitonin was elevated and thyroglobulin was normal. After surgery, histopathological findings proved coexistence of MTC and GD. 16 months later, GD relapsed and radioactive iodine 131 therapy was given. Meanwhile, postoperative monitoring showed well controlled calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen. Our lesson demonstrates although concomitant of MTC and GD is very rare, yet after hemithyroidectomy for the single nodular MTC lesion, remnant thyroid lobe could be the source of GD relapse very soon. More importantly, the relapse of GD and the following radioiodine therapy and radiation exposure could have been prevented if a better therapy plan of total thyroidectomy was adopted in the first place, instead of hemithyroidectomy (Tab. 1, Fig. 2, Ref. 11).

Ultracold fermi gases with resonant dipole-dipole interaction

The superfluid phases in resonant dipolar Fermi gases are investigated by the standard mean-field theory. In contrast to the crossover from Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) to Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superfluid in Fermi gases with isotropic interactions, resonant dipolar interaction leads to two completely different BEC phases of the tight-binding Fermi molecules on both sides of the resonance, which are characterized by two order parameters with distinct internal symmetries. We point out that, near the resonances, the two competitive phases can coexist, and an emergent relative phase between the two order parameters spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry, which could be observed in momentum resolved rf spectroscopy.

Differential expression of proteins associated with seasonal bud dormancy at four critical stages in Japanese apricot

Dormancy is of great significance in the growth and development of deciduous fruit trees. We used a combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time of flight/time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS) to identify the differentially expressed proteome of Japanese apricot flower buds at four critical stages, from paradormancy before leaf fall to dormancy release. More than 400 highly reproducible protein spots (P < 0.05) were detected: 34 protein spots showed a greater than twofold difference in expression values, of which 32 protein spots were confidently identified from databases. Identified proteins were classified into six functional categories: stress response and defence (11), energy metabolism (ten), protein metabolism (five), cell structure (three), transcription (one) and unclassified (two). The glyoxalase I homologue could help Japanese apricot survival under various abiotic and biotic stresses, greatly contributing to its dormancy. Enolase, thioredoxin family proteins and triose phosphate isomerase provide adequate energy to complete consecutive dormancy release and bud break in Japanese apricot. Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase 9 and arginase enhance the resilience of plants, enabling them to complete dormancy safely. Analysis of functions of identified proteins and related metabolic pathways will increase our knowledge of dormancy in woody plants.