Phage defence system CBASS is regulated by a prokaryotic E2 enzyme that imitates the ubiquitin pathway

The cyclic-oligonucleotide-based anti-phage signalling system (CBASS) is a type of innate prokaryotic immune system. Composed of a cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and CBASS-associated proteins, CBASS uses cyclic oligonucleotides to activate antiviral immunity. One major class of CBASS contains a homologue of eukaryotic ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, which is either an E1-E2 fusion or a single E2. However, the functions of single E2s in CBASS remain elusive. Here, using biochemical, genetic, cryo-electron microscopy and mass spectrometry investigations, we discover that the E2 enzyme from Serratia marcescens regulates cGAS by imitating the ubiquitination cascade. This includes the processing of the cGAS C terminus, conjugation of cGAS to a cysteine residue, ligation of cGAS to a lysine residue, cleavage of the isopeptide bond and poly-cGASylation. The poly-cGASylation activates cGAS to produce cGAMP, which acts as an antiviral signal and leads to cell death. Thus, our findings reveal a unique regulatory role of E2 in CBASS.

Molecular mechanisms of selenite reduction by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BSe: An integrated genomic and transcriptomic analysis

The reduction of selenite [Se(Ⅳ)] by microorganisms is a green and efficient detoxification strategy. We found that Se(Ⅳ) inhibited exopolysaccharide and protein secretion by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BSe and compromised cell integrity. In this study, L. plantarum BSe reduced Se(Ⅳ) by increasing related enzyme activity and electron transfer. Genomic analysis demonstrated that L. plantarum BSe should be able to reduce Se(Ⅳ). Further transcriptome analysis showed that L. plantarum BSe enhanced its tolerance to Se(Ⅳ) by upregulating the expression of surface proteins and transporters, thus reducing the extracellular Se(Ⅳ) concentration through related enzymatic reactions and siderophore-mediated pathways. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BSe was able to regulate the expression of related genes involved in quorum sensing and a two-component system and then select appropriate strategies for Se(Ⅳ) transformation in response to varying environmental Se(Ⅳ) concentrations. In addition, azo reductase was linked to the reduction of Se(Ⅳ) for the first time. The present study established a multipath model for the reduction of Se(Ⅳ) by L. plantarum, providing new insights into the biological reduction of Se(Ⅳ) and the biogeochemical cycle of selenium.

AcousticRobots: Smart acoustically powered micro-/nanoswimmers for precise biomedical applications

Although nanotechnology has evolutionarily progressed in biomedical field over the past decades, achieving satisfactory therapeutic effects remains difficult with limited delivery efficiency. Ultrasound could provide a deep penetration and maneuverable actuation to efficiently power micro-/nanoswimmers with little harm, offering an emerging and fascinating alternative to the active delivery platform. Recent advances in novel fabrication, controllable concepts like intelligent swarm and the integration of hybrid propulsions have promoted its function and potential for medical applications. In this review, we will summarize the mechanisms and types of ultrasonically propelled micro/nanorobots (termed here as "AcousticRobots"), including the interactions between AcousticRobots and acoustic field, practical design considerations (e.g., component, size, shape), the synthetic methods, surface modification, controllable behaviors, and the advantages when combined with other propulsion approaches. The representative biomedical applications of functional AcousticRobots are also highlighted, including drug delivery, invasive surgery, eradication on the surrounding bio-environment, cell manipulation, detection, and imaging, etc. We conclude by discussing the challenges and outlook of AcousticRobots in biomedical applications.

Molecular basis of threonine ADP-ribosylation of ubiquitin by bacterial ARTs

Ubiquitination plays essential roles in eukaryotic cellular processes. The effector protein CteC from Chromobacterium violaceum blocks host ubiquitination by mono-ADP-ribosylation of ubiquitin (Ub) at residue T66. However, the structural basis for this modification is unknown. Here we report three crystal structures of CteC in complexes with Ub, NAD+ or ADP-ribosylated Ub, which represent different catalytic states of CteC in the modification. CteC adopts a special 'D-E' catalytic motif for catalysis and binds NAD+ in a half-ligand binding mode. The specific recognition of Ub by CteC is determined by a relatively separate Ub-targeting domain and a long loop L6, not the classic ADP-ribosylating turn-turn loop. Structural analyses with biochemical results reveal that CteC represents a large family of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-like ADP-ribosyltransferases, which harbors chimeric features from the R-S-E and H-Y-E classes of ADP-ribosyltransferases. The family of CteC-like ADP-ribosyltransferases has a common 'D-E' catalytic consensus and exists extensively in bacteria and eukaryotic microorganisms.

Shigella induces stress granule formation by ADP-riboxanation of the eIF3 complex

Under stress conditions, translationally stalled mRNA and associated proteins undergo liquid-liquid phase separation and condense into cytoplasmic foci called stress granules (SGs). Many viruses hijack SGs for their pathogenesis; however, whether pathogenic bacteria also exploit this pathway remains unknown. Here, we report that members of the OspC family of Shigella flexneri induce SG formation in infected cells. Mechanistically, the OspC effectors target multiple subunits of the host translation initiation factor 3 complex by ADP-riboxanation. The modification of eIF3 leads to translational arrest and thus the formation of SGs. Furthermore, OspC-mediated SGs are beneficial for S. flexneri replication within infected host cells, and bacterial strains unable to induce SGs are attenuated for virulence in a murine model of infection. Our findings reveal a mechanism by which bacterial pathogens induce SG assembly by inactivating host translational machinery and promote bacterial proliferation in host cells.

Graves' disease and systemic lupus erythematosus: a Mendelian randomization study

Introduction

Previous observational studies have established a correlation between Graves' disease(GD) and systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). However, whether a causal relationship exists between these two diseases remains unknown.We utilized Mendelian randomization to infer the causal association between GD and SLE.

Methods

This study employed GWAS summary statistics of GD and SLE in individuals of Asian descent. The random effect inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was utilized to aggregate the causal effect estimates of all SNPs. Cochran's Q values were computed to evaluate the heterogeneity among instrumental variables. Sensitivity analyses such as MR-Egger method, median weighting method, leave-one-out method, and MR-PRESSO method were used to test whether there was horizontal pleiotropy of instrumental variables.

Results

Our study found genetically predicted GD may increase risk of SLE (OR=1.17, 95% CI 0.99-1.40, p=0.069). Additionally, genetically predicted SLE elevated the risk of developing GD by 15% (OR=1.15, 95% CI 1.05-1.27, p= 0.004). After correcting for possible horizontal pleiotropy by excluding outlier SNPs, the results suggested that GD increased the risk of SLE (OR=1.27, 95% CI 1.09-1.48, p =0.018), while SLE also increased the risk of developing GD (OR=1.13, 95% CI 1.05-1.22, p =0.003).

Conclusion

The findings of the study indicate that there may be a correlation between GD and SLE, with each potentially increasing the risk of the other. These results have important implications for the screening and treatment of patients with co-morbidities in clinical settings, as well as for further research into the molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between GD and SLE.

The Salmonella Typhimurium Effector SpvB Subverts Host Membrane Trafficking by Targeting Clathrin and AP-1

Salmonella enterica, the etiological agent of gastrointestinal and systemic diseases, translocates a plethora of virulence factors through its type III secretion systems to host cells during infection. Among them, SpvB has been reported to harbor an ADP-ribosyltransferase domain in its C terminus, which destabilizes host cytoskeleton by modifying actin. However, whether this effector targets other host factors as well as the function of its N terminus still remains to be determined. Here, we found that SpvB targets clathrin and its adaptor AP-1 (adaptor protein 1) via interactions with its N-terminal domain. Notably, our data suggest that SpvB-clathrin/AP-1 associations disrupt clathrin-mediated endocytosis and protein secretion pathway as well. In addition, knocking down of AP-1 promotes Salmonella intracellular survival and proliferation in host cells.

New insight into the causal relationship between Graves' disease liability and drug eruption: a Mendelian randomization study

Background

Graves' disease (GD) and drug eruption are closely associated and frequently observed in the clinical setting. However, it remains unclear whether a causal relationship exists between these two conditions. The aim of the study is to investigate whether GD is causal to drug eruptions using two-sample Mendelian randomization.

Methods

We launched a two-sample MR to investigate whether GD is causal to drug eruption using Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data from Biobank Japan and FinnGen. Genetic variants were used as instrumental variables to avoid confounding bias. Statistical methods including inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, MR-Egger, and MR-PRESSO were conducted to identify the robustness of the causal effect.

Results

Genetically predicted GD may increase the risk of drug eruption by 30.3% (OR=1.303, 95% CI 1.119-1.516, p<0.001) in the Asian population. In European populations, GD may increase the generalized drug eruption by 15.9% (OR=1.159, 95%CI 0.982-1.367, p=0.080).

Conclusions

We found GD is potentially causal to drug eruption. This finding expanded the view of the frequently observed co-existence of GD and adverse drug reactions involving the skin. The mechanism remains for further investigation.

The ever-increasing necessity of mass spectrometry in dissecting protein post-translational modifications catalyzed by bacterial effectors

Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as ADP-ribosylation and phosphorylation, regulate multiple fundamental biological processes in cells. During bacterial infection, effector proteins are delivered into host cells through dedicated bacterial secretion systems and can modulate important cellular pathways by covalently modifying their host targets. These strategies enable intruding bacteria to subvert various host processes, thereby promoting their own survival and proliferation. Despite rapid expansion of our understanding of effector-mediated PTMs in host cells, analytical measurements of these molecular events still pose significant challenges in the study of host-pathogen interactions. Nevertheless, with major technical breakthroughs in the last two decades, mass spectrometry (MS) has evolved to be a valuable tool for detecting protein PTMs and mapping modification sites. Additionally, large-scale PTM profiling, facilitated by different enrichment strategies prior to MS analysis, allows high-throughput screening of host enzymatic substrates of bacterial effectors. In this review, we summarize the advances in the studies of two representative PTMs (i.e., ADP-ribosylation and phosphorylation) catalyzed by bacterial effectors during infection. Importantly, we will discuss the ever-increasing role of MS in understanding these molecular events and how the latest MS-based tools can aid in future studies of this booming area of pathogenic bacteria-host interactions.

ALDH2 attenuates ischemia and reperfusion injury through regulation of mitochondrial fusion and fission by PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in diabetic cardiomyopathy

The function of mitochondrial fusion and fission is one of the important factors causing ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in diabetic myocardium. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is abundantly expressed in heart, which involved in the regulation of cellular energy metabolism and stress response. However, the mechanism of ALDH2 regulating mitochondrial fusion and fission in diabetic myocardial I/R injury has not been elucidated. In the present study, we found that the expression of ALDH2 was downregulated in rat diabetic myocardial I/R model. Functionally, the activation of ALDH2 resulted in the improvement of cardiac hemodynamic parameters and myocardial injury, which were abolished by the treatment of Daidzin, a specific inhibitor of ALDH2. In H9C2 cardiomyocyte hypoxia-reoxygenation model, ALDH2 regulated the dynamic balance of mitochondrial fusion and fission and maintained mitochondrial morphology stability. Meanwhile, ALDH2 reduced mitochondrial ROS levels, and apoptotic protein expression in cardiomyocytes, which was associated with the upregulation of phosphorylation (p-PI3K_Tyr458, p-AKT_Ser473, p-mTOR). Moreover, ALDH2 suppressed the mitoPTP opening through reducing 4-HNE. Therefore, our results demonstrated that ALDH2 alleviated the ischemia and reperfusion injury in diabetic cardiomyopathy through inhibition of mitoPTP opening and activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Study of the N=32 and N=34 Shell Gap for Ti and V by the First High-Precision Multireflection Time-of-Flight Mass Measurements at BigRIPS-SLOWRI

The atomic masses of ^{55}Sc, ^{56,58}Ti, and ^{56-59}V have been determined using the high-precision multireflection time-of-flight technique. The radioisotopes have been produced at RIKEN's Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) and delivered to the novel designed gas cell and multireflection system, which has been recently commissioned downstream of the ZeroDegree spectrometer following the BigRIPS separator. For ^{56,58}Ti and ^{56-59}V, the mass uncertainties have been reduced down to the order of 10 keV, shedding new light on the N=34 shell effect in Ti and V isotopes by the first high-precision mass measurements of the critical species ^{58}Ti and ^{59}V. With the new precision achieved, we reveal the nonexistence of the N=34 empirical two-neutron shell gaps for Ti and V, and the enhanced energy gap above the occupied νp_{3/2} orbit is identified as a feature unique to Ca. We perform new Monte Carlo shell model calculations including the νd_{5/2} and νg_{9/2} orbits and compare the results with conventional shell model calculations, which exclude the νg_{9/2} and the νd_{5/2} orbits. The comparison indicates that the shell gap reduction in Ti is related to a partial occupation of the higher orbitals for the outer two valence neutrons at N=34.

Graves' disease and inflammatory bowel disease: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization

CONTEXT

Both Graves' disease (GD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are common autoimmune diseases that severely damage patients' quality of life. Previous epidemiological studies have suggested associations between GD and IBD. However, whether a causal relationship exists between these two diseases remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To infer a causal relationship between GD and IBD using bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR).

METHODS

We performed bidirectional two-sample MR to infer a causal relationship between GD and IBD using GWAS summary data obtained from Biobank Japan (BBJ) and the International Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetic Consortium (IIBDGC). Several methods (random-effect inverse variance weighted, weighted median, MR‒Egger regression, and MR-PRESSO) were used to ensure the robustness of the causal effect. Heterogeneity was measured based on Cochran's Q value. Horizontal pleiotropy was evaluated by MR‒Egger regression and leave-one-out analysis.

RESULTS

Genetically predicted IBD may increase the risk of GD by 24% (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01-1.52, p = 0.041). Crohn's disease (CD) may increase the risk of GD, whereas ulcerative colitis (UC) may prevent patients from developing GD. Conversely, genetically predicted GD may slightly increase the risk of CD, although evidence indicating that the presence of GD increased the risk of UC or IBD was lacking. Outlier-corrected results were consistent with raw causal estimates.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed a potentially higher comorbidity rate for GD and CD. However, UC might represent a protective factor for GD. The underlying mechanism and potential common pathways await discovery.

Spatiotemporal Variation and Driving Forces Analysis of Eco-System Service Values: A Case Study of Sichuan Province, China

Sichuan Province is an important ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the temporal and spatial changes, as well as the driving factors, of ecosystem service values (ESVs) in Sichuan Province. This paper used land use data from 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 to quantify the spatiotemporal changes in the ESVs in Sichuan Province. Correlation coefficients and bivariate spatial autocorrelation methods were used to analyze the trade-offs and synergies of ESVs in the city (autonomous prefecture) and grid scales. At the same time, we used a Geographical Detector model (GDM) to explore the synergies between nine factors and ESVs. The results revealed that: (1) In Sichuan Province, the ESVs increased by 0.77% from 729.26 × 10⁹ CNY in 2000 to 741.69 × 10⁹ CNY in 2020 (unit: CNY = Chinese Yuan). Furthermore, ecosystem services had a dynamic degree of 0.13%. Among them, the ESVs of forestland were the highest, accounting for about 60.59% of the total value. Among the individual ecosystem services, only food production, environmental purification, and soil conservation decreased in value, while the values of other ecosystem services increased. (2) The ESVs increased with elevation, showing a spatial distribution pattern of first rising and then decreasing. The high-value areas of ESVs per unit area were primarily distributed in the forestland of the transition area between the basin and plateau; The low-value areas were distributed in the northwest, or the urban areas with frequent human activities in the Sichuan Basin. (3) The tradeoffs and synergies between multi-scale ecosystems showed that ecosystem services were synergies-dominated. As the scale of research increased, the tradeoffs between ecosystems gradually transformed into synergies. (4) The main driving factors for the spatial differentiation of ESVs in Sichuan Province were average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, and gross domestic product (GDP); the interaction between normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and GDP had the strongest driving effect on ESVs, generally up to 30%. As a result, the distribution of ESVs in Sichuan Province was influenced by both the natural environment and the social economy. The present study not only identified the temporal and spatial variation characteristics and driving factors of ESVs in Sichuan Province, but also provided a reference for the establishment of land use planning and ecological environmental protection mechanisms in this region.

The role of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic factors in gout: A Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

Several epidemiological studies have reported a possible correlation between risk of gout and metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. However, it is unclear if this association is causal.

METHODS

We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to evaluate the causal relation between metabolic conditions and gout or serum urate concentration by inverse-variance-weighted (conventional) and weighted median methods. Furthermore, MR-Egger regression and MR-pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (PRESSO) method were used to explore pleiotropy. Genetic instruments for metabolic disorders and outcome (gout and serum urate) were obtained from several genome-wide association studies on individuals of mainly European ancestry.

RESULTS

Conventional MR analysis showed a robust causal association of increasing obesity measured by body mass index (BMI), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) with risk of gout. A causal relationship between fasting insulin, BMI, HDL, triglycerides (TG), SBP, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and serum urate was also observed. These results were consistent in weighted median method and MR-PRESSO after removing outliers identified. Our analysis also indicated that HDL and serum urate as well as gout have a bidirectional causal effect on each other.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested causal effects between glycemic traits, obesity, dyslipidemia, blood pressure, liver function, and serum urate as well as gout, which implies that metabolic factors contribute to the development of gout via serum urate, as well as potential benefit of sound management of increased serum urate in patients with obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and liver dysfunction.

Construction of nano receptors for ubiquitin and ubiquitinated proteins based on the region-specific interactions between ubiquitin and polydopamine

Ubiquitination is a prevalent post-translational modification that controls a multitude of important biological processes. Due to the low abundance of ubiquitinated proteins, highly efficient separation and enrichment approaches are required...

Incidence and risk factors of second primary cancer after the initial primary human papillomavirus related neoplasms

Comprehensive studies in second primary cancer (SPC) after the initial primary human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer still remain warranted. We aimed to analyze the incidence and risk factors of SPC after HPV-related cancer. We identified 86 790 patients diagnosed with initial primary HPV-related cancer between 1973 and 2010 in the SEER database. Standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and cumulative incidence were calculated to assess the risk of SPC after HPV-related cancer. The SIR of SPC after HPV-related cancer was 1.60 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55-1.65) for male and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.22-1.28) for female. SIR of second primary HPV-related cancer (7.39 [95% CI, 6.26-8.68] male and 4.35 [95% CI, 4.04-4.67] female) was significantly higher than that of HPV-unrelated cancer (1.54 [95% CI, 1.49-1.60] male and 1.16 [95% CI, 1.13-1.19] female). The 5-year cumulative incidence of SPC was 7.22% (95% CI, 6.89-7.55%) for male and 3.72% (95% CI, 3.58-3.88%) for female. Risk factors for SPC included being married and having initial primary cancer (IPC) diagnosed at earlier stage for both genders, and IPC diagnosed at older age as well as surgery performed for female. Patients diagnosed with HPV-related cancer are more likely to develop another primary cancer, compared with the age-specific reference population.

[RIP1/RIP3-MLKL signaling pathway correlates with occurrence, progression and prognosis of chronic heart failure]

OBJECTIVE

To detect plasma levels of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIP1), RIP3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) in patients with chronic heart failure and explore the expression pattern of programmed necrosis signaling pathway RIP1/RIP3-MLKL in the progression of heart failure.

METHODS

The patients with chronic heart failure (NYHA class Ⅱ-Ⅳ) admitted in our hospital between February, 2020 and March, 2021 were prospectively enrolled in this study, with 21 healthy volunteers as the control group. The enrolled patients included 20 with grade Ⅱ, 33 with grade Ⅲ, and 43 with grade Ⅳ cardiac function. Fasting venous blood was collected from all the participants for detecting plasma levels of RIP1, RIP3, and MLKL and protein expressions of RIP1/RIP3-MLKL pathway using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting. The patients with grade Ⅳ cardiac function were followed up for 5 months to evaluate the clinical prognostic indicators.

RESULTS

Compared with the healthy volunteers, the patients with grade Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ cardiac function had significantly increased plasma levels of RIP1, RIP3, and MLKL (P < 0.01), and their levels were significantly higher in grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ patients than in those with grade Ⅱ cardiac function (P < 0.01); the plasma levels of RIP1 and MLKL were significantly higher in grade Ⅳ patients than in grade Ⅲ patients (P < 0.05). The results of Western blotting also showed increased expressions of the proteins in the RIP1/RIP3-MLKL pathway in patients with heart failure. Pearson correlation analysis suggested that in patients with heart failure, the expression levels of RIP1, RIP3, and MLKL were positively correlated with SCR, AST, LVEDD and NT-proBNP (P < 0.05). Follow-up study of the patients with grade Ⅳ cardiac function showed that higher expression levels of RIP1/RIP3-MLKL were associated with a poorer prognosis of the patients.

CONCLUSION

The expressions of RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL are significantly upregulated in patients with heart failure in positive correlation with the severity of the disease condition, and the activation of the RIP1/RIP3-MLKL signaling pathway may contribute to the occurrence, development and prognosis of chronic heart failure.

[Exploring the therapeutic mechanism of quercetin for heart failure based on network pharmacology and molecular docking]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the molecular mechanism of quercetin in the treatment of heart failure (HF) based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

METHODS

Quercetin and HF-related targets were obtained using TCMSP, PharmMapper, CTD and GeneCards databases, and quercetin-HF intersection targets were obtained through the online website Venn; the protein interaction network was constructed and imported into Cytoscape 3.7.2 to identify the core targets of quercetin in the treatment of HF.GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed using R package, and molecular docking was performed using Auto Dock Vina.The protein levels of AKT1, phospho-AKT(Ser473), eNOS, MMP9, and caspase-3 in quercetin-treated HF cell models were detected using protein immunoblotting.

RESULTS

We identified 80 quercetin-HF intersectional targets (AKT1, CASP3, MAPK1, MMP9, and MAPK8) and 5 core targets of quercetin for treatment of HF.GO analysis suggested that the therapeutic effect of quercetin for HF was mediated mainly by such biological processes as responses to peptide hormones, phosphatidylinositol-mediated signalling, responses to lipopolysaccharides, responses to molecules of bacterial origin and regulation of inflammatory responses.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis identified lipid and atherosclerosis pathway, proteoglycans in cancer, PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, diabetic cardiomyopathy and MAPK signaling pathway as the most significantly enriched signaling pathways.Molecular docking showed a good binding activity of quercetin to the 5 core targets.The results of protein immunoblotting showed that 100 μmol/L quercetin significantly reduced AKT1, phospho-AKT (Ser473), eNOS, MMP9 and caspase-3 levels in the cell models of HF (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Quercetin improves the pathological changes in HF possibly by regulating the AKT1-eNOS-MMP9 pathway to inhibit cell apoptosis.

Impact of prior cancer history on the overall survival of younger patients with lung cancer

Background

Patients with a history of prior cancer are frequently excluded from cancer trials. Previous studies indicated that prior cancer does not adversely impact clinical outcomes for patients with lung cancer older than 65 years. However, it remains unknown whether these results are applicable to patients with lung cancer aged younger than 65 years old. The study aimed to investigate the impact of prior cancer history on younger patients with lung cancer.

Methods

We identified younger patients with lung cancer (<65 years) diagnosed between 2004 and 2009 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Propensity score matching was performed to balance differences in baseline characteristics between groups. Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate the impact of prior cancer on overall survival (OS).

Results

Among 103 370 eligible patients with lung cancer, 15.18% had a history of prior cancer. Lung and bronchus (25.83%), breast (14.13%), prostate (8.85%) and cervix uteri (4.74%) were the most common prior cancer types. Of prior cancers, 61.56% are localised and regional stages. More than 67.98% of prior cancers were diagnosed within 5 years of the index lung cancer diagnosis. The median times of diagnosis for prior cancers were 38 months. Patients with prior cancer had the same/non-inferior OS as that of patients without a prior cancer diagnosis (propensity score-adjusted HR=1.01, 95% CI=0.99 to 1.04, p=0.324). Subgroup analyses stratified by timing of prior cancer displayed almost the same tendency (p>0.05). Interestingly, early-stage patients with a history of prior cancer had adverse survival curves (p<0.05). Advanced-stage patients with prior cancer had non-inferior survival (p>0.05).

Conclusions

A prior cancer diagnosis has a heterogeneous effect on the survival of patients with lung cancer aged <65 years across different stages, but further prospective studies are still warranted.

Effect of socio-demographic characteristics on social security in northeast China

Social security is the most important and even the only source of income for Chinese older people. It is an important guarantee for the medical care and living of older people. However, the backward economy may bring great hidden troubles to the social security of resource-exhausted cities in the future. Our aims were to explore effects of socio-demographic characteristics on social security in the resource-exhausted city. We set up panel data models for social security contributions, social security benefits, newly insured individuals and ex-insured individuals, respectively, to track changes in social security of different age, genders and workplaces from 2011 to 2015. There were 175,194 individuals who eventually entered our database. We found that individuals working in enterprises and individuals aged 55 to 60 had relatively less social security contributions and more social security benefits. Individuals under 25 years of age were more willing to participate in social security. Individuals working in enterprises and men were likely to withdraw from social security. We have concluded that there are some problems that cannot be ignored in the social security of resource-exhausted cities. Our research makes a certain contribution to better guaranteeing the life of older people and improving their qualities of life in resource-exhausted cities.

Graves' Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study

BACKGROUND

The frequent coexistence of Graves' disease (GD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been cited and discussed in observational studies, but it remains a question as to whether there is a causal effect between the two diseases.

METHODS

We retrieved genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data of GD and RA from BioBank Japan (BBJ). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with diseases of interest were selected as instrumental variables (IVs) at a genome-wide significance level (P < 5.0 × 10^-8). The random-effects inverse variance weighted method (IVW) was used to combine the causal effect of IVs. The horizontal pleiotropy effect was analyzed by MR-Egger and weighted median method sensitivity test. A leave-one-out analysis was conducted to avoid bias caused by a single SNP. The statistical power of our MR result was calculated according to Brion's method.

RESULTS

Our study discovered a bidirectional causal effect between GD and RA. The presence of RA may increase the risk of GD by 39% (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.10-1.75, P = 0.007). Similarly, the existence of GD may increase the risk of RA by 30% (OR 1.30, 95% CI 0.94-1.80, P = 0.112). Our study provides 100% power to detect the causal effect of RA on GD risk, and vice versa.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a bidirectional causal effect between GD and RA in an Asian population. Our study supported the clinical need for screening GD in RA patients, and vice versa. The potential benefit of sound management of RA in GD patients (or GD in RA patients) merits excellent attention. Moreover, novel satisfactory medicine for RA may be applicable to GD and such potential is worthy of further investigation.

Changes of Necroptosis in Irbesartan Medicated Cardioprotection in Diabetic Rats

BACKGROUND

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is strongly linked to microvascular disease, renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activation, cardiac inflammation and cell apoptosis. Irbesartan is an angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor antagonist in RAS system, which inhibited the conversion of Ang I into Ang II, while the specific mechanism is still obscure.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the expressions necroptosis RIP1-RIP3-MLKL pathway in myocardium of diabetic rats, and the protective action of irbesartan on myocardial damage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In our study, 30 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups: CON4W, high glucose and high caloric (HC4W), diabetes mellitus 4 weeks (DM4W group), diabetes mellitus 8 weeks (DM8W group), and irbesartan diabetes 8 weeks (Ir DM8W group).

RESULTS

We discovered that as diabetes progresses, the rats gradually lost weight, the HW/BW ratio were increased gradually, and the cardiac function became worse accompanied with the aggravation of inflammatory injury. Meanwhile, the myocardial fibers and cells were disordered, and the expression of positive substances, RIP1 and RIP3 increased significantly. The mRNA and protein levels of myocardial RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL were all increased with the progression of DM. After the intervention of irbesartan in diabetic rats, the cardiac function was improved, whereas inflammatory injury and HW/BW ratio were decreased. Also, the myocardial fibrosis injury was attenuated, and the PAS positive substances, RIP1 and RIP3 were significantly decreased. The curative effect of irbesartan was related to decreased myocardial RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL mRNA and protein levels.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, irbesartan has a cardioprotective effect on the diabetic rats, and its mechanism may be connected with inhibition of RIP1-RIP3-MLKL pathway.

Mendelian randomization study indicates lack of causal relationship between physical activity and lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Previous researches have indicated physical activity (PA) may be associated with lower risk of lung cancer. However, causal relationship between PA and risk of lung cancer is not clear. We aimed to inspect the causal effect of PA on lung cancer.

METHODS

We analyzed summary data of accelerator-measured PA and lung cancer from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method. We obtained summary data of accelerator-measured PA from UK Biobank, data of lung cancer patients from Consortium and International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO) to investigate possible causal effect of PA on lung cancer.

RESULTS

According to result of MR using inverse variance weighted method (IVW), we found that genetically predicted higher PA level did not causally decrease risk of lung cancer (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.88-1.03, p = 0.238). Results of MR-Egger and weighted median method were consistent with IVW method.

CONCLUSION

Our mendelian randomization study showed that genetically higher PA is not causally associated with risk of lung cancer. More researches are needed to investigate relationship between PA and lung cancer.

Education and lung cancer: a Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

We aimed to investigate whether more years spent in education are causally associated with a lower risk of lung cancer, through a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

METHODS

The main analysis used publicly available genetic summary data from two large consortia [International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO) and Social Science Genetic Association Consortium (SSGAC)]. Genetic variants used as instrumental variables for years of education were derived from SSGAC. Finally, genetic data from three additional consortia (TAG, GLGC, GIANT) were analysed to investigate whether education could causally alter common lung cancer risk factors. The exposure was the genetic predisposition to higher levels of education, measured by 73 single nucleotide polymorphisms from SSGAC. The primary outcome was the risk of lung cancer (11 348 events in ILCCO). Secondary outcomes based on different histological subtypes were also examined. Analyses were performed using the package TwoSampleMR in R.

RESULTS

Genetic predisposition towards 3.6  years of additional education was associated with a 52% lower risk of lung cancer (odds ratio 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.34 to 0.66; P = 1.02 × 10 - 5). Sensitivity analyses were consistent with a causal interpretation in which major bias from genetic pleiotropy was unlikely. The Mendelian randomization assumptions did not seem to be violated. Genetic predisposition towards longer education was additionally associated with less smoking, lower body mass index and a favourable blood lipid profile.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicated that low education is a causal risk factor in the development of lung cancer. Further work is needed to elucidate the potential mechanisms.

Suicide among cancer patients: adolescents and young adult (AYA) versus all-age patients

Background

Many researchers have studied suicide risk factors of patients with one specific cancer. But there is no comprehensive study to compare suicide issues between adolescents and young adult (AYA) group and all-age groups in a pan-cancer view.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with 20 solid malignancies were identified from SEER database. Multivariable logistic regression was operated to find out risk factors of suicide.

Results

Male sex has less impact on AYA than all-age patients (OR 2.72, 95% CI: 2.23-3.31, P<0.001 vs. OR 4.64, 95% CI: 4.37-4.94, P<0.001), while white race (OR 3.28, 95% CI: 2.02-5.77, P<0.001 vs. OR 3.40, 95% CI: 3.02-3.84, P<0.001) and unmarried status (OR 1.51, 95% CI: 1.24-1.83, P<0.001 vs. OR 1.39, 95% CI: 1.33-1.46, P<0.001) have similar impact on AYA and all-age groups. Localized cancer stage may have stronger impact on AYA than all-age (OR 2.90, 95% CI: 1.83-4.84; P<0.001 vs. OR 1.76, 95% CI: 1.61-1.92; P<0.001), while surgery only influence all-age (OR 1.14, P=0.451 vs. 1.24, P<0.001). Within 5 years from cancer diagnosis, longer survival time is associated with higher suicide risk of both all-age and AYA patients.

Conclusions

Male sex, white race and unmarried status, earlier cancer stage and longer survival time within 5 years are similar prevalent risk factors for both AYA group patients and all-age patients. It is not necessary to pick AYA cancer patients out when considering suicide risk of cancer patients.

Health care inequality under different medical insurance schemes in a socioeconomically underdeveloped region of China: a propensity score matching analysis

Background

Since economic inequality is often accompanied by health inequalities, health care inequalities are increasingly becoming a hot issue on a global scale. As a developing country, China is still facing the same problems as other countries in the world. Especially in underdeveloped regions, owing to the relatively backward economy, health care inequality may be more serious. The objective of this study was to explore health care inequality in a socioeconomically underdeveloped city, thus providing a certain theoretical basis for further development and reform of the medical insurance schemes.

Methods

We mainly extracted relevant insurance information of 628,952 insured enrollees, as well as consumption of outpatient visit and hospitalization. The propensity score matching had been used to estimate different urban medical insurance schemes effect on healthcare utilization, the choice of hospital types and healthcare cost.

Results

Insured enrollees spent most hospitalization expenses in tertiary-level hospitals, which had lowest hospitalization compensation ratios. Healthcare utilization and cost vary significantly by different insurance schemes. Urban employees had significantly higher outpatient visit rates in all hospital types than urban residents. Urban employees preferred to receive hospitalization treatment in tertiary-level hospitals, while those who receive hospitalization treatment in first-level hospitals are more likely to be enrolled in Urban Residents Basic Medical Insurance. Hospitalization expenses and hospitalization compensation ratios of urban employees were also significantly higher than urban residents in all hospital types.

Conclusions

Health care inequality is mainly reflected in the imbalance between hospitalization expenses and hospitalization compensation ratios, as well as inequalities under different medical insurance schemes in healthcare utilization, the choice of hospital types and healthcare cost in socioeconomically underdeveloped regions of China. We should conduct a targeted medical insurance reform for the socioeconomically underdeveloped regions, rather than applying templates of ordinary regions. Further efforts are needed in the future to provide equal health care for every patient.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiling of four antimicrobials against Acinetobacter baumannii infection

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate common antimicrobial regimens used in eradicating Acinetobacter baumannii in Shenyang, China.

METHODS

Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to estimate the probability target attainment (PTA) and cumulative fraction of response (CFR) for imipenem, cefoperazone/sulbactam (2:1), tigecycline and colistin methanesulfonate.

RESULTS

For the results of PTAs, imipenem following administration of 0.5 g q6 h, 1 g q8 h, and 1 g q6 h for both 0.5 h and 2 h infusion achieved＞90% PTAs when MIC was 8 μg/ml; cefoperazone/ sulbactam (2:1) following administration of 4.5 g q6 h and 6 g q6 h achieved＞90% PTAs when MIC was 64μg/ml; tigecycline following administration of 50 mg q12 h and 100 mg q12 h achieved＞90% PTAs when MIC was 1 μg/ml; colistin methanesulfonate with high dosages (3MU q8 h) could provide high PTA (95.13%) in patients with CL_Cr＜60 ml/min when MIC was 2 μg/ml. As for CFR values of four antibiotics, imipenem achieved the lowest CFR values. For cefoperazone/sulbactam (2:1) and tigecycline, with simulated regimens improvement, the CFR values were both increased, and there were obviously increasing CFR values against Acinetobacter baumannii. For colistin methanesulfonate, the most aggressive dosage of 3MU q8 h could provide satisfactory CFR values (≥86.94%) against Acinetobacter baumannii in patients at various CL_Cr.

CONCLUSION

This study suggested that measurement of MICs, individualized therapy and therapeutic drug-level monitoring should be considered together to achieve the optimal drug exposure. That will provide the best chance of achieving the highest probability of a successful clinical or microbiological response, and avoiding the induced resistance.

Risk of second primary malignancy after non-small cell lung cancer: a competing risk nomogram based on the SEER database

Background

With the improvement of survival for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), research focused on second primary malignancy (SPM) in NSCLC survivors is becoming urgent. This study aimed to estimate the risk of SPM in NSCLC patients.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed NSCLC patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2010 in SEER database. We firstly evaluated the crude and cumulative incidence of SPM. SPM incidence in NSCLC survivors compared to that in the reference population was calculated as standardized incidence ratio (SIR). A competing risk nomogram was also built, to predict the incidence of SPM.

Results

The crude and 10-year cumulative incidences of SPM were 4.04% and 5.05%, respectively, while the SIR was 1.62. The nomogram was well calibrated and had good discriminative ability, with c-index of 0.80. It showed a significantly wide interval of SPM cumulative incidence between the first and tenth-decile according to the risk model (1.04% vs. 16.70%, P<0.05). The decision curve analysis indicated that the clinical net benefit of risk model was larger than that in other scenarios (all-screening or no-screening) in a range of threshold probabilities (1% to 20%).

Conclusions

Our study firstly performed a systematic estimation of the incidence of SPM in NSCLC, which implied the necessity of a risk predicting model. We developed the first competing risk nomogram to predict the risk of SPM, which performed well in the evaluation and might be helpful for individualized SPM screening.

Impact of prior cancer on outcomes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

Prior cancer is a common exclusion criterion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) trials. However, whether a prior cancer diagnosis affects trial outcomes is still unknown. We aimed to determine the impact of prior cancer on survival in NPC patients.

Methods

We identified patients diagnosed with NPC between 2004 and 2009 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Variables were compared by chi-squared test and t-test as appropriate. Propensity score-adjusted Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the impact of prior cancer on overall survival (OS).

Results

Among 3,131 eligible NPC patients, 349 (11.15%) patients had a history of prior cancer. The Kaplan-Meier curves did not show a statistically significantly different OS (P=0.19). Subgroup analyses stratified by timing of prior cancer and AJCC TNM stage of index cancer displayed the same tendency: prior cancer did not adversely affect OS compared to patients without prior cancer (P>0.05). Furthermore, in propensity score-adjusted COX models analysis, patients with prior cancer had the same/non-inferior OS [hazard ratio (HR) =1.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.88 to 1.42].

Conclusions

Among patients with NPC, prior cancer does not convey an adverse effect on clinical outcomes, regardless of the timing of prior cancer and AJCC TNM stage of index cancer. Broader inclusion trial criteria could be adopted in NPC patients with a history of prior cancer. However, further studies are still needed to confirm this conclusion.

Cause-specific death assessment of patients with stage I small-cell lung cancer: a competing risk analysis

Aim: Stage I small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a potentially curable disease that needs timely and multidisciplinary management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the probability of cause-specific mortality for patients with stage I SCLC. Material & methods: We identified patients in the SEER database and constructed a proportional subdistribution hazard model to evaluate cancer-specific mortality. A nomogram was built based on Fine and Gray competing risk regression model. Results: A total of 864 stage I SCLC patients were identified. The 5-year cumulative incidence of SCLC-specific mortality was 56.2%, while that for other causes of death was 17.3%. The c-index for the prognostic prediction model was 0.66. Besides, the nomogram was well calibrated. Conclusion: Our nomogram might serve as a reference for clinicians when evaluating the prognosis of stage I SCLC.

[A study of bacterial distribution and drug resistance in skin and soft tissue infection]

Objective: To investigate pathogenic bacteria and drug resistance in the patients with skin and soft tissue infection in order to provide the scientific evidences for clinical reasonable use of antibiotics. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with skin and soft tissue infections in Department of Dermatology, Peking University Third Hospital from January 2012 to December 2017. Pus, secretions, skin lesions, urine, throat swabs, and alveolar lavage fluid were collected for bacterial culture, bacterial species were identified by VITEK2 Compact system and BD-Bruker MALDI Biotyper system. Drug resistance was detected by K-B agar diffusion method recommended by CLSI. Results: A total of 392 strains of bacteria were isolated from 327 patients distributed in 21 genus and 56 species, of which 225 were gram-positive cocci (57.40%), 114 were gram-negative rods (29.08%), 46 were gram-positive rods (11.73%), and 7 were gram-negative cocci (1.79%). The top 3 bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus 91(23.21%), Staphylococcus epidermidis 42 (10.71%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 24 (6.12%). Staphylococcus had a high rate of resistance to penicillin and erythromycin (>50%). Gram-negative rods were resistant to ampicillin (86.1%), and also had certain resistance to most second-generation and some third-generation cephalosporin (about 50%). There was no significant change in the drug resistance rate of MRSA compared to MSSA. Only the resistance rate to tetracycline was statistically different (P<0.05). Conclusion: The emergence of drug-resistant strains is an important factor leading to refractory infections. There are a wide range of pathogenic bacteria species among the skin and soft tissue infection patients, and antimicrobial drugs should be chosen wisely according to drug sensitivity.

Docosapentaenoic acid and lung cancer risk: A Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

Observational studies have shown that excessive dietary fat may be associated with lung carcinogenesis. However, findings from previous studies are inconsistent and it remains unclear whether docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), a kind of polyunsaturated fatty acid, is linked to the risk of lung cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the causal effect of DPA on lung cancer with Mendelian randomization (MR) method.

METHODS

With a two-sample MR approach, we analyzed the summary data from the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE, 8866 individuals of European ancestry) Consortium and International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO, 11 348 lung cancer cases and 15 861 controls; European ancestry) to assess the possible causal relationship of DPA on the risk of lung cancer.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that genetically predicted higher DPA level has a positive association with lung cancer, where 1% higher DPA was associated with a 2.01-fold risk of lung cancer (odds ratio [OR]: 2.01, 95% CI = 1.34-3.01; P = 7.40 × 10^-4 ). Additionally, lung cancer was not a causal factor for DPA. The results of MR-Egger regression analysis showed that there was no evidence for the presence of directional horizontal pleiotropy.

CONCLUSIONS

Genetically elevated DPA is positively associated with risk of lung cancer, and more work is needed to investigate the potential mechanisms.

Focusing on the premature death of redeployed miners in China: an analysis of cause-of-death information from non-communicable diseases

Background

Reducing premature deaths is an important step towards achieving the World Health Organization’s sustainable development goal. Redeployed miners are more prone to disease or premature death due to the special occupational characteristics. Our aims were to describe the deaths of redeployed miners, assess the losses due to premature death and identify their main health problems. All the records of individuals were obtained from Fuxin Mining Area Social Security Administration Center. Year of life lost (YLL) and average year of life lost were used to assess the loss due to premature death. YLL rates per 1000 individuals were considered to compare deaths from different populations.

Results

Circulatory system diseases contributed the most years of life lost in the causes of death, followed by neoplasms. But average year of life lost in neoplasms was 6.85, higher than circulatory system diseases, 5.63. Cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease were the main causes of death in circulatory system diseases. And average years of life lost in cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease were 5.85 and 5.62, higher than those in other circulatory system diseases. Lung cancer was the principal cause of death in neoplasms. Average year of life lost in liver cancer was 7.92, the highest in neoplasms.

Conclusions

For redeployed miners, YLL rates per 1000 individuals in cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease and lung cancer were higher than those in other populations, especially in men. It is important to attach importance to the health of redeployed miners, take appropriate measures to reduce premature death and achieve the sustainable development goal. Our findings also contribute to a certain theoretical reference for other countries that face or will face the same problem.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12992-019-0450-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Time trends and future prediction of coal worker's pneumoconiosis in opencast coal mine in China based on the APC model

BACKGROUND

The opencast coal mine is a specific mine differing from the underground mine. There are differences in the way into the ore body, the organization of production, transport technology and other aspects. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of CWP among ex-dust miners in opencast coal mines and estimate the incidence trend of CWP by APC model in the future.

METHODS

All opencast miners who had been exposed to dust for at least 1 year in opencast mines were enrolled in this study. The database included demographic details, occupational history records with the date of dust exposure, physical examination records and pneumoconiosis diagnosis records. An age-period-cohort (APC) model has been carried out in order to explore the effects of the age, period and cohort on the prevalence of CWP among ex-dust opencast miners.

RESULTS

8191 opencast miners were enrolled in the study, including 259 miners with CWP and 7932 miners without CWP. The incidence density of CWP would have an increasing trend in opencast mines from 2005 to 2024. The number of possible CWP patients predicted in this period was approximately 492. Of them, 275 miners could have suffered from CWP in 2005-2014 and 217 miners would suffer from CWP in 2015-2024 among the ex-dust opencast miners.

CONCLUSIONS

The APC model had a goodness of fit in predicting the incidence trend of CWP in opencast coal mines. By this model, we predicted that 492 opencast miners could be diagnosed as CWP from 2005 to 2024. Therefore ex-dust opencast miners cannot be ignored and they should have regular physical examinations and detection for CWP.

Trends in incidence and associated risk factors of suicide mortality in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer patients have an increased risk for committing suicide. But no comprehensive study about the suicide issues among non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has been published. We aimed to estimate the trend of suicide rate and identify the high-risk group of NSCLC patients. Patients diagnosed with primary NSCLC were identified from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1973-2013). Suicide mortality rate (SMR) were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to find out independent risk factors for suicide. Among 495 889 NSCLC patients, 694 (0.14%) of them died from suicide. The suicide mortality rates have significantly decreased (before 1993: 0.21%, 1994-2003: 0.16%, after 2004: 0.09%, P < .001). Male (OR 6.22, 95% CI: 4.96-7.98, P < .001), white (OR 3.89, 95% CI: 2.66-5.97, P < .001), being unmarried (OR 1.43, 95% CI: 1.22-1.67, P < .001), the elderly (60-74 vs <60: OR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.03-1.50, P = .024, >75 vs <60: OR 1.31, 95% CI: 1.05-1.63, P = .018) were independently associated with higher risk of suicide mortality. Surgery (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.19-1.73, P < .001) was also relative with higher risk of suicide. Our study observed significant decrease in suicide mortality among NSCLC patients in US over past decades. Older age, male sex, unmarried status, and surgery were risk factors of committing suicide. Clinicians should be aware of these high-risk groups.

CEACAM 6, a novel marker for the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a premalignant condition associated with the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Despite the low risk of progression to EAC, evidence highlights the notably poor survival rates of this malignancy. The mainstay form of diagnosis of BE is endoscopy and biopsy sampling. However, research emphasizes limitations with regards to the histological detection of BE and associated dysplasia. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical significance of CEACAM6 as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of BE and beyond. Retrospective tissue samples were obtained from columnar lined esophagus without goblet cells (n = 27), BE (n = 18), BE associated dysplasia (n = 16), and EAC (n = 24). Standardized immunohistochemistry for CEACAM6 was performed followed by quantitative staining analysis. Statistical analysis across the BE spectrum for CEACAM6 was undertaken and a P value <0.05 was considered significant. CEACAM6 expression increased from columnar lined epithelium (CLE) to BE with a subsequent decrease to dysplasia and adenocarcinoma. The expression of CEACAM6 was significant from CLE to BE at p 0.001, CLE to dysplasia at p 0.001, BE to dysplasia at p 0.006, CLE to adenocarcinoma at p 0.001 and BE to adenocarcinoma at p 0.001. There was no significant difference in expression between dysplasia and adenocarcinoma (P = 0.15). Our findings highlight the increasing expression of CEACAM6 from CLE to BE with a subsequent decrease to dysplasia and adenocarcinoma. In view of this, we advocate the utilization of this marker for the enhanced diagnosis of BE and for the distinction of BE and dysplasia.

Molecular mechanisms of apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells induced by ethanol extracts of Solanum lyratum Thumb through the mitochondrial pathway

AIM

To explore the induction effects and mechanism of Solanum lyratum Thumb (ST) on human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells through the mitochondrial pathway.

METHODS

The experiments were conducted on three groups: an experimental group (with ST ethanol extracts' concentration being 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/L), a negative control group (with only nutrient solution, 0 mg/L ST ethanol extracts), and a positive control group (2.5 mg/L DDP). The inhibition rate of cell proliferation was checked by using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium method, and cell apoptosis was tested by TUNEL method. Furthermore, RT-PCR was used to examine mRNA expression of Fas, FasL, caspase-8, caspase-3, p53 and Bcl-2 genes.

RESULTS

Compared with the negative control group, the inhibition and apoptosis rates of the experimental group with different concentrations of ST extracts on human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells significantly increased (P < 0.05). Besides, the mRNA expression of FasL and Bcl-2 significantly decreased (P < 0.05) while the mRNA expression of Fas, caspase-8, caspase-3 and p53 increased significantly. When compared with the positive control group, the experimental groups with 5 mg/L ST ethanol extracts showed effects similar to the positive control group.

CONCLUSION

ST ethanol extracts induced the apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells through up-regulated Fas, caspase-8, caspse-3 and p53, and down-regulated FasL and Bcl-2 in the mitochondrial pathway.

Role of Graphene Oxide Liquid Crystals in Hydrothermal Reduction and Supercapacitor Performance

The formation of liquid crystal (LC) phases in graphene oxide (GO) aqueous solution is utilized to develop high-performance supercapacitors. To investigate the effect of LC formation on the properties of subsequently reduced GO (rGO), we compare films prepared through blade-coating of viscous LC-GO solution and ultrasonic spray-coating of diluted GO aqueous dispersion. After hydrothermal reduction under identical conditions, the films show different morphology, oxygen content, and specific capacitance. Trapped water in the LC GO film plays a role in preventing restacking of sheets and facilitating the removal of oxygenated groups during the reduction process. In device architectures with either liquid or polymer electrolyte, the specific capacitance of the blade-coated film is twice as high as that of the spray-coated one. For a blade-coated film with mass loading of 0.115 mg/cm(2), the specific capacitance reaches 286 F/g in aqueous electrolyte and 263 F/g in gelled electrolyte, respectively. This study suggests a route to pilot-scale production of high-performance graphene supercapacitors through blade-coated LC-GO films.

Predictive value of vascular endothelial growth factor polymorphisms on the risk of renal cell carcinomas

We conducted a case-control study in a Chinese population to assess whether 5 common single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the vascular endothelial growth factor gene (VEGF) affect the risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The study population included 266 RCC patients who were newly diagnosed and histologically confirmed to have RCC as well as 532 cancer-free controls. Genotyping of VEGF -2578C/A, -1156G/A, +1612G/A, +936C/T, and -634G/C was conducted by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. RCC patients were more likely to have higher body mass index, and have a habit of tobacco smoking as well as suffer from diabetes. Conditional logistic regression analyses showed that individuals with the AA genotype and A allele of -2578C/A significantly increased the risk of RCC when compared with the CC genotype. Individuals carrying the CT and TT geno-types of +936C/T were correlated with an increased risk of RCC compared to the CC genotype. The T allele of +936C/T was associated with an increased risk of RCC. The -2578C/A and +936C/T polymorphisms in the VEGF gene may play a role in the etiology of RCC.

Photocatalytic mechanism of Bi2Fe4O9 nanoparticles in the degradation of methylene blue

We have investigated the effects of O2, ethanol, and KI on the photocatalytic efficiency of Bi2Fe4O9 nanoparticles towards the degradation of methylene blue (MB). It is observed that O2 has a negligible effect on the photocatalytic degradation rate of the dye, whereas ethanol and KI exhibit a strong suppression of the dye degradation, with a stronger effect observed for the latter. Hydroxyl radicals are shown, by the photoluminescence technique using coumarin as a probe molecule, to be produced on the irradiated Bi2Fe4O9, and are scavenged on addition of ethanol and KI. The mechanisms involved are discussed in detail. Based on the experimental results, hydroxyl radicals and photogenerated holes are suggested to be the two main active species in the photocatalytic degradation of MB by Bi2Fe4O9 nanoparticles.

Social calls of flying big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus)

Vocalizations serving a variety of social functions have been reported in many bat species (Order Chiroptera). While echolocation by big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) has been the subject of extensive study, calls used by this species for communication have received comparatively little research attention. Here, we report on a rich repertoire of vocalizations produced by big brown bats in a large flight room equipped with synchronized high speed stereo video and audio recording equipment. Bats were studied individually and in pairs, while sex, age, and experience with a novel foraging task were varied. We used discriminant function analysis (DFA) to classify six different vocalizations that were recorded when two bats were present. Contingency table analyses revealed a higher prevalence of social calls when males were present, and some call types varied in frequency of emission based on trial type or bat age. Bats flew closer together around the time some social calls were emitted, indicating that communicative calls may be selectively produced when conspecifics fly near one another. These findings are the first reports of social calls from flying big brown bats and provide insight into the function of communicative vocalizations emitted by this species.