[The predictive value of dynamic changes of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) combined with the model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) score in patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure]

Objective: To determine the predictive value of dynamic changes of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) combined with the model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) score in patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure. Methods: Patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure who were hospitalized in the Department of Hepatology of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from January 2010 to July 2023 were retrospectively enrolled. According to the clinical outcomes of patients within 30 days of admission, they were divided into the survival group and the death group. The dynamic changes in NLR and initial values on day 3, 5, 8, and 12 in two groups were analyzed for the diagnostic value of 30-day prognosis in patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure. Logistic regression analysis and machine learning XGBoost algorithm were used to evaluate the risk factors influencing the prognosis of patients at 30 days. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of NLR and initial value change combined with MELD score on day 12 of admission in patients with chronic acute hepatitis B liver failure. Results: A total of 243 patients were enrolled in the study, including 145 patients in the survival group [115 males, 30 females, aged 25-74 (47±11)] and 98 patients in the death group [80 males, 18 females, aged 22-80 (49±13) ]. The median initial NLR of survival group and death group were 3.5 (2.1, 5.3) and 4.9 (2.9, 8.3), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.003). The variation of NLR from the initial value on day 3, 5, 8, and 12 in the survival group [1.6 (0, 4.3), 1.9 (-0.2, 4.1), 2.0 (-0.1, 4.3) and 2.9 (0.3, 7.0), respectively] were lower than that in the death group [3.2 (0.9, 7.5), 5.1 (1.8, 7.6), 5.8 (2.0, 10.6) and 9.6 (3.5, 16.4), respectively] (all P<0.001). Logistic regression multivariate analysis showed that the changes in NLR on the 12th day and initial value (OR=1.07,95%CI:1.01-1.14, P=0.014), the changes in NLR on the 3rd day and initial value (OR=2.71, 95%CI: 1.32-5.55, P=0.007), the initial value of NLR (OR=1.18,95%CI:1.01-1.37,P=0.035) and fibrinogen (OR=0.21,95%CI:0.05-0.96,P=0.044) were related factors for death within 30 days. Machine learning XGBoost algorithm showed that the weight of the change between the NLR on the 12th day and the initial value was the highest. The area under the ROC curve of the combined MELD score was 0.812 (95%CI: 0.728-0.895), the specificity was 67.78%, and the sensitivity was 82.35%. Conclusion: Dynamic change of NLR combined with MELD score has high predictive value for the short-term prognosis of patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure.

Indole alkaloids isolated from the Nicotiana tabacum-derived Aspergillus fumigatus 0338 as potential inhibitors for tobacco powdery mildew and their mode of actions

To explore active natural products against tobacco powdery mildew caused by Golovinomyces cichoracearum, an extract from the fermentation of endophytic Aspergillus fumigatus 0338 was investigated. The mechanisms of action for active compounds were also studied in detail. As a result, 14 indole alkaloid derivatives were isolated, with seven being newly discovered (1-7) and the remaining seven previously described (8-14). Notably, compounds 1-3 are rare linearly fused 6/6/5 tricyclic prenylated indole alkaloids, with asperversiamide J being the only known natural product of this kind. The isopentenyl substitutions at the 5-position in compounds 4 and 5 are also rare, with only compounds 1-(5-prenyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-propan-2-one (8) and 1-(6-methoxy-5-prenyl-1H-indol3-yl)-propan-2-one currently available. In addition, compounds 6 and 7 are new framework indole alkaloid derivatives bearing a 6-methyl-1,7-dihydro-2H-azepin-2-one ring. The purified compounds were evaluated for their activity against G. cichoracearum, and the results revealed that compounds 7 and 9 demonstrated obvious anti-G. cichoracearum activities with an inhibition rate of 82.6% and 85.2%, respectively, at a concentration of 250 μg/mL, these rates were better than that of the positive control agent, carbendazim (78.6%). The protective and curative effects of compounds 7 and 9 were also better than that of positive control, at the same concentration. Moreover, the mechanistic study showed that treatment with compound 9 significantly increased the structural tightness of tobacco leaves and directly affect the conidiospores of G. cichoracearum, thereby enhancing resistance. Compounds 7 and 9 could also induce systemic acquired resistance (SAR), directly regulating the expression of defense enzymes, defense genes, and plant semaphorins, which may further contribute to increased plant resistance. Based on the activity experiments and molecular dockings, the indole core structure may be the foundation of these compounds' anti-G. cichoracearum activity. Among them, the indole derivative parent structures of compounds 6, 7, and 9 exhibit strong effects. Moreover, the methoxy substitution in compound 7 can enhance their activity. By isolating and structurally identifying the above indole alkaloids, new candidates for anti-powdery mildew chemical screening were discovered, which could enhance the utilization of N. tabacum-derived fungi in pesticide development.

[The effect of Ba Duan Jin on the balance of community-dwelling older adults: a cluster randomized control trial]

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a 6-month Ba Duan Jin exercise program in improving the balance of community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A two arms, parallel-group, cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 1 028 community residents aged 60-80 years in 40 communities in 5 provinces of China. Participants in the intervention group (20 communities, 523 people) received Ba Duan Jin exercise 5 days/week, 1 hour/day for 6 months, and three times of falls prevention health education, and the control group (20 communities, 505 people) received falls prevention health education same as the intervention group. The Berg balance scale (BBS) score was the leading outcome indicator, and the secondary outcome indicators included the length of time of standing on one foot (with eyes open and closed), standing in a tandem stance (with eyes open and closed), the closed circle test, and the timed up to test. Results: A total of 1 028 participants were included in the final analysis, including 731 women (71.11%) and 297 men (28.89%), and the age was (69.87±5.67) years. After the 3-month intervention, compared with the baseline data, the BBS score of the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group by 3.05 (95%CI: 2.23-3.88) points (P<0.001). After the 6-month intervention, compared with the baseline data, the BBS score of the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group by 4.70 (95%CI: 4.03-5.37) points (P<0.001). Ba Duan Jin showed significant improvement (P<0.05) in all secondary outcomes after 6 months of exercise in the intervention group compared with the control group. Conclusions: This study showed that Ba Duan Jin exercise can improve balance in community-dwelling older adults aged 60-80. The longer the exercise time, the better the improvement.

Preoperative CT radiomics of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and lymph node to predict nodal disease with a high diagnostic capability

PURPOSE

To develop CT radiomics models of resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and lymph node (LN) to preoperatively identify LN+.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

299 consecutive patients with ESCC were enrolled in the study, 140 of whom were LN+ and 159 were LN-. Of the 299 patients, 249 (from the same hospital) were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 174) and a test cohort (n = 75). The remaining 50 patients, from a second hospital, were assigned to an external validation cohort. In the training cohort, preoperative contrast-enhanced CT radiomics features of ESCC and LN were extracted, then integrated with clinical features to develop three models: ESCC, LN and combined. The performance of these models was assessed using area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and F-1 score, which were validated in both the test cohort and external validation cohort.

RESULTS

An ESCC model was developed for the training cohort utilizing the 8 tumor radiomics features, and an LN model was constructed using 9 nodal radiomics features. A combined model was constructed using both ESCC and LN extracted features, in addition to cT stage and LN+ distribution. This combined model had the highest predictive ability among the three models in the training cohort (AUC = 0.948, F1-score = 0.878). The predictive ability was validated in both the test and external validation cohorts (AUC = 0.885 and 0.867, F1-score = 0.816 and 0.773, respectively).

CONCLUSION

To preoperatively determine LN+, the combined model is superior to models of ESCC and LN alone.

Extraction and characterization of anti-virus anthraquinones from Nicotiana tabacum-derived Aspergillus oryzae YNCA1220

In this study, seven novel anthraquinones (1-7) and four described anthraquinones (8-11) were purified from Nicotiana tabacum-derived Aspergillus oryzae YNCA1220. It is worth noting that only analogs of 4 and 5 have been reported as natural products to date, while the nuclei of compounds 1-3, 6 and 7 were isolated for the first time in nature. Among them, compounds 1-3 bear an unusual anthra[2,3-b]furan-9,10-dione nucleus, 4 and 5 possess a rare 3-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl substituent, and 6 and 7 are new framework anthraquinones bearing a 6-methyl-1,7-dihydro-2H-azepin-2-one ring. Interestingly, the in vivo assays indicated that 1, 4 and 5 had inactivation effects against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) with inhibition rates of 41.6%, 55.4% and 38.6%, respectively, at a concentration of 50 μg/mL, which were better than that of the positive control agent, ningnanmycin (33.8%). Compounds 1, 4 and 5 also had protective effects with inhibition rates of 48.7%, 60.2% and 43.5% at the same concentration, while 4 had a better curative effect than ningnanmycin at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. In addition, mechanistic studies also revealed that a potent direct effect on TMV, the induction of SAR in tobacco plants, and the effective regulation of defense enzymes, defense genes, and defense hormones may be the reasons for the significant effects of 4 against TMV. At the same time, downregulation of the expression of total NtHsp70 protein by inhibiting the related Hsp70 genes may also be involved in tobacco resistance to TMV. To evaluate whether compounds have broader antiviral activities, the antirotavirus activities of new isolates were also evaluated and found to be highly effective with a therapeutic index (TI) value ranging from 11.6 to 17.7. This study suggests that the above anthraquinone compounds, particularly 4, have broad spectrum antiviral activities. The successful isolation and structure identification of the above anthraquinones provide new materials for the screening of anti-TMV agents and contribute to the improved utilization of N. tabacum-derived fungi.

C-Alkylated flavonoids from the whole plants of Desmodium caudatum and their anti-TMV activity

BACKGROUND

Natural products are important sources of biopesticides to control plant virus, and flavonoids are identified as promising anti-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) agents. Since Desmodium caudatum is a rich source of flavonoids, this study focuses on the discovery of the new anti-TMV active flavonoids from D. caudatum and their possible mode of action.

RESULTS

Three new (compounds 1-3) and nine known (compounds 4-12) C-alkylated flavonoids were isolated from D. caudatum. To the best of our knowledge, the framework of 1-3 was reported in natural products for the first time. In addition, 1-3, 5, and 6 showed notable anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates in the range of 35.8-64.3% at a concentration of 50 μg/mL, and these rates are higher than that of positive control (with inhibition rates of 34.6% ± 2.8). In addition, the structure-activity relationship study revealed that the (pyrrol-2-yl)methyl moiety on flavone can significantly increases the activity. This result is helpful to find new anti-TMV inhibitors.

CONCLUSION

C-Alkylated flavonoids showed potent activities against TMV with multiple modes of actions. The increase of defense-related enzyme activities, up-regulate the expression of defense related genes, down-regulate the expression of Hsp70 protein by inhibiting the related Hsp genes that are involved in tobacco resistance to TMV. By the actions mentioned earlier, the infection of TMV was influenced, thereby achieving the effects of control of TMV. The successful isolation of the earlier-mentioned flavonoids provide the new source of biopesticides to TMV proliferation, and also contribute to the utilization of D. caudatum. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Perceived Stress Mediating the Association Between Mindfulness and Resilience Among Registered Nurses

Purpose

Resilience continues to be an important concept in the nursing profession due to its significant role in personal healthcare, patients' healthcare, and leadership. The present study examined the mediating role of perceived stress in the association between mindfulness and resilience among registered nurses in order to understand their importance among those in the Taiwanese nursing profession.

Materials and Methods

Between October and November 2021, a total of 816 registered nurses participated in a cross-sectional survey including psychometric measures assessing perceived stress (Chinese Perceived Stress Scale-10), mindfulness (Chinese Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), and resilience (Chinese Questionnaire of Resilience).

Results

Results indicated that perceived stress mediated the association between mindfulness and resilience (standardized coefficient = 0.251, p<0.001), although there was no significant association between mindfulness and resilience (standardized coefficient = 0.042, p=0.16). This suggests that perceived stress may function as both distress and eustress because mindfulness was not directly associated with resilience but indirectly via perceived stress.

Conclusion

Nurses and their administrators should focus on different ways of coping with stress so that they become more resilient in facing other stressors. Future studies may be conducted to examine the mediating role of perceived stress in the association between other coping strategies and resilience among registered nurses.

Molecular targets of metformin against ovarian cancer based on network pharmacology

The objective of this study was to analyze potential targets of metformin against ovarian cancer (OC) through network pharmacology. Pharmacodynamic targets of metformin were predicted using the Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for the molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine (BATMAN), Drugbank, PharmMapper, SwissTargetPrediction, and TargetNet databases. R was utilized to analyze the gene expression of OC tissues, normal/adjacent noncancerous tissues, and screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) + Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) datasets. STRING 11.0 was utilized to explore the protein-protein interaction (PPI) of metformin target genes differentially expressed in OC. Cytoscape 3.8.0 was used to construct the network and screen the core targets. Additionally, gene ontology (GO) annotation and enrichment and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed for the common targets of metformin and OC through the DAVID 6.8 database. A total of 95 potential common targets of metformin and OC were identified from the intersection of 255 potential pharmacodynamic targets of metformin and 10,463 genes associated with OC. Furthermore, 10 core targets were screened from the PPI network [e.g., interleukin (IL) 1B, KCNC1, ESR1, HTR2C, MAOB, GRIN2A, F2, GRIA2, APOE, PTPRC]. In addition, it was shown in GO enrichment analysis that the common targets were mainly associated with biological processes (i.e., response to stimuli or chemical, cellular processes, and transmembrane transport), cellular components (i.e., plasma membrane, cell junction, and cell projection), and molecular functions (i.e., binding, channel activities, transmembrane transporter activity, and signaling receptor activities). Furthermore, it was indicated by KEGG pathway analysis that the common targets were enriched in metabolic pathways. The critical molecular targets and molecular pathways of metformin against OC were preliminarily determined by bioinformatics-based network pharmacology analysis, providing a basis, and reference for further experimental studies.

In Situ Buildup of Zinc Anode Protection Films with Natural Protein Additives for High-Performance Zinc Battery Cycling

The uncontrolled growth of dendrites and serious side reactions, such as hydrogen evolution and corrosion, significantly hinder the industrial application and development of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). This article presents ovalbumin (OVA) as a multifunctional electrolyte additive for aqueous ZIBs. Experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that the OVA additive can replace the solvated sheath of recombinant hydrated Zn²⁺ through the coordination water, preferentially adsorb on the surface of the Zn anode, and construct a high-quality self-healing protective film. Notably, the OVA-based protective film with strong Zn²⁺ affinity will promote uniform Zn deposition and inhibit side reactions. As a result, Zn||Zn symmetrical batteries in ZnSO₄ electrolytes containing OVA achieve a cycle life exceeding 2200 h. Zn||Cu batteries and Zn||MnO₂ (2 A g^-1) full batteries show excellent cycling stability for 2500 cycles, demonstrating promising application prospects. This study provides insights into utilizing natural protein molecules to modulate the kinetics of Zn²⁺ diffusion and enhance the stability of the anode interface.

Aspergillus Niger Derived Wrinkle-Like Carbon as Superior Electrode for Advanced Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

The scarcity of high electrocatalysis composite electrode materials has long been suppressing the redox reaction of V(II)/V(III) and V(IV)/V(V) couples in high performance vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). Herein, through ingeniously regulating the growth of Aspergillus Niger, a wrinkle-like carbon (WLC) material that possesses edge-rich carbon, abundant heteroatoms, and nature wrinkle-like structure is obtained, which is subsequently successfully introduced and uniform dispersed on the surface of carbon fiber of graphite felt (GF). This composite electrode presents a lower overpotential and higher charge transfer ability, as the codoped multiheteroatoms increase the electrocatalysis activity and the wrinkled structure affords more abundant reaction area for vanadium ions in the electrolyte when compared with the pristine GF electrode, which is also supported by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Hence, the assembled battery using WLC electrodes achieves a high energy efficiency of 74.5% for 300 cycles at a high current density of 200 mA cm^-2 , as well as the highest current density of 450 mA cm^-2 . The WLC material not only uncovers huge potential in promoting the application of VRFBs, but also offers referential solution to synthesis microorganism-based high-performance electrode in other energy storage systems.

ADAM17 Confers Temozolomide Resistance in Human Glioblastoma Cells and miR-145 Regulates Its Expression

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant brain tumor, commonly treated with temozolomide (TMZ). Upregulation of A disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAMs) is correlated to malignancy; however, whether ADAMs modulate TMZ sensitivity in GBM cells remains unclear. To explore the role of ADAMs in TMZ resistance, we analyzed changes in ADAM expression following TMZ treatment using RNA sequencing and noted that ADAM17 was markedly upregulated. Hence, we established TMZ-resistant cell lines to elucidate the role of ADAM17. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of ADAM17 knockdown on TMZ sensitivity in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we predicted microRNAs upstream of ADAM17 and transfected miRNA mimics into cells to verify their effects on TMZ sensitivity. Additionally, the clinical significance of ADAM17 and miRNAs in GBM was analyzed. ADAM17 was upregulated in GBM cells under serum starvation and TMZ treatment and was overexpressed in TMZ-resistant cells. In in vitro and in vivo models, ADAM17 knockdown conferred greater TMZ sensitivity. miR-145 overexpression suppressed ADAM17 and sensitized cells to TMZ. ADAM17 upregulation and miR-145 downregulation in clinical specimens are associated with disease progression and poor prognosis. Thus, miR-145 enhances TMZ sensitivity by inhibiting ADAM17. These findings offer insights into the development of therapeutic approaches to overcome TMZ resistance.

Dielectrics and possible ferroelectricity in diol/glycerol covalently grafted kaolinites

Kaolinite possesses a structure with asymmetrically layered 1 : 1 dioctahedral aluminum silicate, and this structural property provides a useful platform for creating new cost-efficient functional materials that require noncentrosymmetric crystal packing. In this study, we prepared three covalently grafted kaolinites of propanediol (PD)/butanediol (BD)/glycerol (GL) by forming Al-O-C bonds between the OH groups of PD/BD/GL and the surface of kaolinite (K). Three covalently grafted kaolinites (K-PD, K-BD and K-GL) were characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis for C, H and N elements. The test of K-PD, K-BD and K-GL stirred with water at ambient conditions for 3 days demonstrated these hybrids showing extra high chemical stability to water. The dielectric spectra of three hybrids show two-step dielectric relaxation in the range of 1-10⁷ Hz, and the P-E measurements revealed the existence of ferroelectricity at room temperature with the spontaneous polarization, the remanent polarization and the coercive field of ∼0.014 μC cm^-2, ∼0.008 μC cm^-2 and ∼0.426 kV cm^-1 for K-PD, ∼0.017 μC cm^-2, ∼0.011 μC cm^-2 and ∼0.645 kV cm^-1 for K-BD, and ∼0.018 μC cm^-2, ∼0.011 μC cm^-2 and ∼0.141 kV cm^-1 for K-GL, respectively.

Combinations of liver lobe and spleen volumes obtained on magnetic resonance imaging to predict esophagogastric variceal bleeding in hepatitis B-related cirrhotic patients: A prospective cohort study

To evaluate whether combinations of liver lobe and spleen volumes obtained on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could predict esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EVB) in hepatitis B-related cirrhotic patients. Ninety-six consecutive patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis underwent upper abdominal contrast-enhanced MRI within 1 week after initial hospitalization, and grouped based on outcomes of EVB during the 2 years' follow-up after being discharged. Total liver volume (TLV), spleen volume (SV) and 4 liver lobe volumes including right lobe volume (RV), left medial lobe volume (LMV), left lateral lobe volume (LLV), and caudate lobe volume (CV) were measured on MRI. Percentages of individual liver lobe volumes in TLV (including RV/TLV, LMV/TLV, LLV/TLV, and CV/TLV), ratios of SV to individual liver lobe volumes (including SV/RV, SV/LMV, SV/LLV, and SV/CV), and SV/TLV were statistically analyzed to predict EVB. Patients with EVB had lower RV than without EVB (P value = .001), whereas no differences in LMV, LLV, CV, and TLV were found (P values >.05 for all). Among percentages of individual liver lobe volumes in TLV, RV/TLV was lower whereas LMV/TLV and LLV/TLV were greater in patients with EVB than without EVB (P values <.05 for all). SV, ratios of SV to individual liver lobe volumes, and SV/TLV in patients with EVB were larger than without EVB (P values <.05 for all). Among parameters with difference between patients with and without EVB, SV/RV could best predict EVB with an area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.84. SV/RV could best predict EVB in hepatitis B-related cirrhotic patients.

UPANets: Learning from the Universal Pixel Attention Neworks

With the successful development in computer vision, building a deep convolutional neural network (CNNs) has been mainstream, considering the character of shared parameters in a convolutional layer. Stacking convolutional layers into a deep structure improves performance, but over-stacking also ramps up the needed resources for GPUs. Seeing another surge of Transformers in computer vision, the issue has aroused severely. A resource-hungry model is hardly implemented for limited hardware or single-customers-based GPU. Therefore, this work focuses on these concerns and proposes an efficient but robust backbone, which equips with channel and spatial direction attentions, so the attentions help to expand receptive fields in shallow convolutional layers and pass the information to every layer. An attention-boosted network based on already efficient CNNs, Universal Pixel Attention Networks (UPANets), is proposed. Through a series of experiments, UPANets fulfil the purposes of learning global information with less needed resources and outshine many existing SOTAs in CIFAR-{10, 100}.

The role of demographic factors, mindfulness and perceived stress in resilience among nurses: A cross sectional study

AIM

To examine the role of demographic factors, mindfulness, and perceived stress on resilience among nurses.

BACKGROUND

Resilience is an important attribute in the nursing profession although factors affecting it are very diverse. Knowing these factors may help in enhancing nurses' resilience and their subsequent quality healthcare delivery.

METHOD

Utilizing a cross-sectional descriptive survey, a convenience sample was recruited to answer questions assessing resilience, perceived stress, and mindfulness in Taiwan between October and November 2021. Independent t-tests, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and hierarchical regression were used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

A total of 816 nurses participated in the study. Postgraduate degree nurses had lower perceived stress (p = .006) and higher resilience (p = .003) compared with their college and undergraduate counterparts. Nurses working in internal medicine had significantly higher levels of perceived stress (p = .006) and lower levels of mindfulness (p = .005) compared with those in other departments. Single nurses had significantly higher levels of mindfulness (p = .04) but lower levels of resilience (p = .049) than those who were married. Educational level, perceived stress, and mindfulness were all factors that influenced nurses' resilience.

CONCLUSION

Higher educational levels, perceived stress, and mindfulness appear to influence nurses' resilience. Nurses should therefore be encouraged to upgrade themselves academically, attend refresher courses, and learn adaptive coping strategies.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Hospital authorities should help nurses deal with stressful issues and offer career development opportunities to update, upgrade, and enhance their skillsets in the profession.

[Application of RUNX2 gene over expression vector modified exosomes from BMSC combined with calcium carbonate scaffold system in bone defect]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of RUNX2 gene overexpression vector modified exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) combined with calcium carbonate scaffold system in bone defect.

METHODS

Rabbit BMSCs were used as the research object, and BMSCs were identified by flow cytometry. Construct RUNX2 gene overexpression vector, transfect BMSCs with lentivirus, and collect exosomes by ultracentrifugation. The morphology of exosomes was observed by transmission electron microscope, the expression of exosome marker CD63 was detected by Western blot, and the calcium carbonate scaffold was constructed by three chamber parallel automatic temperature control reaction system. According to whether the RUNX2 gene overexpression vector was transfected or not, the complex of BMSCs and calcium carbonate scaffold was divided into three groups, namely BMSCs group, RUNX2 overexpression group and exosome group. The osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs was detected by oil red O staining and RT-PCR. There were 9 clean adult healthy male New Zealand white rabbits, aged (12.97±1.21) months, with a body weight of (19.3±3.6) kg, with 3 rabbits in each group. The animal model of skull defect was constructed by surgical method, and the repair of bone defect was evaluated by imaging, he staining and Masson staining.

RESULTS

The results of flow cytometry showed that the expression of CD29 protein, CD44 protein, CD11b protein and CD45 protein on the surface of BMSCs were 99.5%, 100%, 0.1% and 0.1%, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the exosomes were bilayer vesicles with a diameter of 50 to 150 nm. Western blot showed that the molecular marker CD63 of exosomes was positive. Oil red O staining showed that the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in exosome group was significantly higher than that in RUNX2 overexpression group and BMSCs group. The results of RT-PCR showed that the relative expressions of RUNX2, BMP-2 and ALP mRNA in BMSCs in exosome group were significantly higher than those in RUNX2 overexpression group and BMSCs group (P<0.05). The imaging results showed that the repair effect of skull defect in exosome group was better than that in RUNX2 overexpression group. HE staining and Masson staining showed that the repair effect of skull defect in exosome group was better than that in RUNX2 overexpression group (P<0.05). MSCs in exosome group was significantly higher than that in RUNX2 overexpression group and BMSCs group. The results of RT-PCR showed that the relative expressions of RUNX2, BMP-2 and ALP mRNA in BMSCs in exosome group were significantly higher than those in RUNX2 overexpression group and BMSCs group(P<0.05). The imaging results showed that the repair effect of skull defect in exosome group was better than that in RUNX2 overexpression group. HE staining and Masson staining showed that the repair effect of skull defect in exosome group was better than that in RUNX2 overexpression group(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Compared with RUNX2 gene overexpression vector transfection, extraction of exosomes directly can promote the differentiation of BMSCs into osteoblasts more efficiently, and the combination with calcium carbonate scaffold can better promote the healing of bone defects. So as to provide new ideas and methods for the clinical treatment of bone defects.

Propofol induces apoptosis and ameliorates 5‑fluorouracil resistance in OSCC cells by reducing the expression and secretion of amphiregulin

Among the different types of oral cancer, >90% of cases are oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a commonly used treatment for OSCC, but cells typically display resistance to the drug. Propofol, an intravenous anesthetic agent, exhibits certain anticancer effects, including the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Secreted proteins, such as growth factors and cytokines are involved in cancer development and progression, but the effect of propofol on secreted proteins in OSCC is not completely understood. An MTT assay, flow cytometry and western blotting were performed to determine the anticancer effects of propofol. The secretion profile of OSCC was determined using an antibody array, and clinical importance was assessed using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database. The results were verified by performing reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. 5-FU-resistant cells were established to determine the role of the gene of interest in drug resistance. The results demonstrated that propofol decreased cell viability and promoted cell apoptosis. The antibody array results showed that propofol attenuated the secretion of multiple growth factors. The bioinformatics results indicated that amphiregulin (AREG) was expressed at significantly higher levels in cancer tissues, which was also related to poor prognosis. The results of RT-qPCR and western blotting revealed that propofol decreased AREG expression. Pretreatment with exogenous recombinant AREG increased EGFR activation and conferred propofol resistance. Moreover, the results indicated that the expression and activation of AREG was also related to 5-FU resistance, but propofol ameliorated 5-FU drug resistance. Therefore, the present study suggested that propofol combination therapy may serve as an effective treatment strategy for OSCC.

Tumor Stage-Based Gross Tumor Volume of Resectable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Measured on CT: Association With Early Recurrence After Esophagectomy

Objective

To investigate relationship of tumor stage-based gross tumor volume (GTV) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) measured on computed tomography (CT) with early recurrence (ER) after esophagectomy.

Materials and Methods

Two hundred and four consecutive patients with resectable ESCC including 159 patients enrolled in the training cohort (TC) and 45 patients in validation cohort (VC) underwent contrast-enhanced CT less than 2 weeks before esophagectomy. GTV was retrospectively measured by multiplying sums of all tumor areas by section thickness. For the TC, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine factors associated with ER. Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to compare GTV in patients with and without ER. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine if tumor stage-based GTV could predict ER. For the VC, unweighted Cohen’s Kappa tests were used to evaluate the performances of the previous ROC predictive models.

Results

ER occurred in 63 of 159 patients (39.6%) in the TC. According to the univariate analysis, histologic differentiation, cT stage, cN stage, and GTV were associated with ER after esophagectomy (all P-values < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that cT stage and GTV were independent risk factors with hazard ratios of 3.382 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.533–7.459] and 1.222 (95% CI: 1.125–1.327), respectively (all P-values < 0.05). Mann-Whitney U tests showed that GTV could help differentiate between ESCC with and without ER in stages cT_1-4a, cT₂, and cT₃ (all P-values < 0.001), and the ROC analysis demonstrated the corresponding cutoffs of 13.31, 17.22, and 17.83 cm³ with areas under the curve of more than 0.8, respectively. In the VC, the Kappa tests validated that the ROC predictive models had good performances for differentiating between ESCC with and without ER in stages cT_1-4a, cT₂, and cT₃ with Cohen k of 0.696 (95% CI, 0.498–0.894), 0.733 (95% CI, 0.386–1.080), and 0.862 (95% CI, 0.603–1.121), respectively.

Conclusion

GTV and cT stage can be independent risk factors of ER in ESCC after esophagectomy, and tumor stage-based GTV measured on CT can help predict ER.

[Lentivirus mediated siRNA hsa-circ-0000885 transfection of BMSCs and osteoclast co-culture system on cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effects of siRNA hsa-circ-0000885 modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on osteogenic differentiation, cell proliferation and apoptosis in order to provide new ideas and methods for the clinical treatment of osteoporosis (OP).

METHODS

From September 2018 to February 2020, 13 patients with osteoporosis admitted to our hospital were selected as the research objects, including 11 females and 2 males, with an age of (65.45±10.77) years old. After obtaining the informed consent of patients, peripheral blood tissues were extracted. Then the expression level of cir-cRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) was detected by circ RNA chip. The expression of circ RNA was silenced by siRNA technology. The BMSCs were transfected with lentivirus. According to the siRNA interference plasmid hsa-circ-0000885, the cells were divided into the blank group, the empty vector group and the siRNA interference group. After 72 hours of treatment, the cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry, the apoptosis level was detected by AV-PI kit, and the osteogenic differentiation ability of BMSCs was detected by ALP staining.

RESULTS

The expression of hsa-circ-0000885 in PBMC of patients with osteoporosis was significantly higher than that of healthy controls (t=2.119, P<0.05). ALP staining showed that siR-NA hsa-circ-0000885 could promote the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, which was obviously too much in the blank group and blank plasmid group (F=9.132, q=2.995, 2.897;P=0.009, 0.012<0.05). The results of CCK-8 showed that siRNA hsa-circ-0000885 could promote the proliferation of BMSCs, which was significantly higher than that of the blank group and blank plasmid group (F=9.881, q=2.457, 2.904;P=0.032, 0.016<0.05). The results of AV-PI showed that the apoptosis rate of siRNA interference group was significantly lower than that of blank group and blank plasmid group(F=10.208;q=2.885, 3.001; P=0.019, 0.011<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The lentivirus mediated siRNA hsa-circ-0000885 plasmid transfected into BMSCs and osteoclast co culture system can promote cell proliferation, inhibit apoptosis and promote osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, which can be used as a potential therapeutic target for OP patients.

Contrast-enhanced CT radiomics features to predict recurrence of locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell cancer within 2 years after trimodal therapy: A case-control study

Radiomics transforms the medical images into high-dimensional quantitative features and provides potential information about tumor phenotypes and heterogeneity. We conducted a retrospective analysis to explore and validate radiomics model based on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) to predict recurrence of locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell cancer (SCC) within 2 years after trimodal therapy. This study collected CECT and clinical data of consecutive 220 patients with pathology-confirmed locally advanced oesophageal SCC (154 in the training cohort and 66 in the validation cohort). Univariate statistical test and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method were performed to select the optimal radiomics features. Logistic regression was conducted to build radiomics model, clinical model, and combined model of both the radiomics and clinical features. Predictive performance was judged by the area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), accuracy, and F1-score in the training and validation cohorts. Ten optimal radiomics features and/or 7 clinical features were selected to build radiomics model, clinical model, and the combined model. The integrated model of radiomics and clinical features was superior to radiomics model or clinical model in predicting recurrence of locally advanced oesophageal SCC within 2 years in the training (AUC: 0.879 vs 0.815 or 0.763; accuracy: 0.844 vs 0.773 or 0.740; and F1-score: 0.886 vs 0.839 or 0.815, respectively) and validation (AUC: 0.857 vs 0.720 or 0.750; accuracy: 0.788 vs 0.700 or 0.697; and F1-score: 0.851 vs 0.800 or 0.787, respectively) cohorts. The combined model of radiomics and clinical features shows better performance than the radiomics or clinical model to predict the recurrence of locally advanced oesophageal SCC within 2 years after trimodal therapy.

Elevated XRCC5 expression level can promote temozolomide resistance and predict poor prognosis in glioblastoma

Drug resistance and disease recurrence are important contributors for the poor prognosis of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Temozolomide (TMZ), the standard chemotherapy for GBM treatment, can methylate DNA and cause the formation of double-strand breaks (DSBs). X-ray repair cross complementing 5 (XRCC5), also known as Ku80 or Ku86, is required for the repair of DSBs. The present study identified novel determinants that sensitize cells to TMZ, using an array-based short hairpin (sh)RNA library. Then, cBioportal, Oncomine, and R2 databases were used to analyze the association between gene expression levels and clinical characteristics. Subsequently, lentiviral shRNA or pCMV was used to knockdown or overexpress the gene of interest, and the effects on TMZ sensitivity were determined using a MTT assay and western blot analysis. TMZ-resistant cells were also established and were used in in vitro and in vivo experiments to analyze the role of the gene of interest in TMZ resistance. The results indicated that XRCC5 was effective in enhancing TMZ cytotoxicity. The results from the bioinformatics analysis revealed that XRCC5 mRNA expression levels were associated with clinical deterioration and lower overall survival rates. In addition, XRCC5 knockdown could significantly increase TMZ sensitivity in GBM cells, while XRCC5 overexpression caused the cancer cells to be resistant to TMZ. Both the in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that TMZ treatment could induce expression of XRCC5 in TMZ-resistant cells. Taken together these findings suggested that XRCC5 could be a promising target for GBM treatment and could also be used as a diagnostic marker for refractory GBM.

CT radiomics features to predict lymph node metastasis in advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and to discriminate between regional and non-regional lymph node metastasis: a case control study

Background

Prediction of lymph node status in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is critical for clinical decision making. In clinical practice, computed tomography (CT) has been frequently used to assist in the preoperative staging of ESCC. Texture analysis can provide more information to reflect potential biological heterogeneity based on CT. A nomogram for the preoperative diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in patients with resectable ESCC has been previously developed. However, to the best of our knowledge, no reports focus on developing CT radiomics features to discriminate ESCC patients with regional lymph node metastasis (RLNM) and non-regional lymph node metastasis (NRLNM). We, therefore, aimed to develop CT radiomics models to predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) in advanced ESCC and to discriminate ESCC between RLNM and NRLNM.

Methods

This study enrolled 334 patients with pathologically confirmed advanced ESCC, including 152 patients without LNM and 182 patients with LNM, and 103 patients with RLNM and 79 patients NRLNM. Radiomics features were extracted from CT data for each patient. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) model and independent samples t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests were exploited for dimension reduction and selection of radiomics features. Optimal radiomics features were chosen using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The discriminating performance was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and accuracy.

Results

The radiomics features were developed based on multivariable logistic regression and were significantly associated with LNM status in both the training and validation cohorts (P<0.001). The radiomics models could differentiate between patients with and without LNM (AUC =0.79 and 0.75, and accuracy =0.75 and 0.71 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively). In patients with LNM, the radiomics features could effectively differentiate between RLNM and NRLNM (AUC =0.98 and 0.95, and accuracy =0.94 and 0.83 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively).

Conclusions

CT radiomics features could help predict the LNM status of advanced ESCC patients and effectively discriminate ESCC between RLNM and NRLNM.

Co3O4@NiCo2O4 double-shelled nanocages with hierarchical hollow structure and oxygen vacancies as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for rechargeable Zn-air batteries

Highly efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are crucially important for the rechargeable Zn-air battery, a potential power source for applications in electric vehicles and grid-scale stationary storage systems. Herein, Co3O4@NiCo2O4 double-shelled nanocages (Co3O4@NiCo2O4 DSNCs) with hierarchical hollow structure and oxygen vacancies were designed and synthesized via annealing metal-organic frameworks. Co3O4@NiCo2O4 DSNCs with large specific surface area and three-dimensional interconnected mesopores and cavity not only provide more reaction sites, but also offer an efficient transport environment for reactants. Moreover, oxygen vacancies on the surfaces improve the capture of oxygen species to enhance the reactivity of the catalyst. Consequently, Co3O4@NiCo2O4 DSNCs displayed excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic performance, with a positive half-wave potential of 0.81 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) for ORR (approaching the potential of commercial Pt/C catalyst) and a low potential of 1.65 V at 10 mA cm-2 for OER (exceeding Pt/C). In a practical demonstration, the Zn-air battery using Co3O4@NiCo2O4 DSNCs as the cathode delivered a satisfactory power density of 102.1 mW cm-2, comparable to the Zn-air battery with a Pt/C cathode, and exhibited much longer cycling stability.

Vertically stacked RGB LEDs with optimized distributed Bragg reflectors

The design and fabrication of a vertically stacked red-green-blue (RGB) light-emitting diode (LED) with novel, to the best of our knowledge, wavelength-selective distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) are demonstrated. The two DBRs are optimized to achieve selective reflectance in the RGB spectral region through theoretical calculations and simulation modeling. The insertion of optimal DBRs into the stack structure can effectively reflect downward emission from the upper chip without filtering the emission from the lower chips, thereby increasing the luminous efficiency for white emission with a color temperature range of 3000-8000 K by 1.6-7.4%. The optical performances of stacked devices with and without DBRs are thoroughly studied, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed wavelength-selective DBR structure.

Monolithic InGaN/GaN photonic chips for heart pulse monitoring

Photo-plethysmography (PPG) making use of a monochromic light source and a photoelectric sensor is a non-invasive detection method to record blood volume changes in vessels and can be used to extract cardiac-related heart pulse information. Here, we demonstrated the fabrication of a monolithic photonic chip by integrating light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with photodetectors (PDs) on the same GaN-on-sapphire wafer containing InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs). The MQWs simultaneously act as light emitters in the LEDs and detectors in the PDs, and their mechanism has been studied. The fabricated chip operating in reflection mode is flip-chip bonded on a flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) strip, enabling the sapphire surface in close contact with the skin. The optical and electrical properties of the LED and PD have been thoroughly characterized, confirming that the PDs using identical MQWs can detect the reflected light from the LEDs. By attaching the chip to the wrist, PPG heart pulse signals from the arterial blood flow can be obtained, thereby verifying the feasibility of the proposed monolithic chip.

Preparation of a porous graphite felt electrode for advance vanadium redox flow batteries

Rapid mass transfer and great electrochemical activity have become the critical points for designing electrodes in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). In this research, we show a porous graphite felt (GF@P) electrode to improve the electrochemical properties of VRFBs. The generation of pores on graphite felt electrodes is based on etching effects of iron to carbon. The voltage and energy efficiencies of VRFB based on the GF@P electrode can reach 72.6% and 70.7% at a current density of 200 mA cm^-2, respectively, which are 8.3% and 7.9% better than that of untreated GF@U (graphite felt). Further, the VRFBs based on GF@P electrodes possess supreme stability after over 500 charge-discharge cycles at 200 mA cm^-2. The high-efficiency approach reported in this study offers a new strategy for designing high-performance electrode materials applied in VRFBs.

Interlaced Pd-Ag nanowires rich in grain boundary defects for boosting oxygen reduction electrocatalysis

Given the high cost and poisoning issues of Pt, developing Pd-based catalysts as substitutes is highly essential. Although substantial progress has been made, the synthesis of Pd-based electrocatalysts with both high activity and stability in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) remains a challenge. In this work, we prepared Pd-Ag nanowires with up to micro-sized length and a diameter of ∼17 nm via a facile modified polyol method. The obtained Pd-Ag nanowires (NWs) exhibit interlaced features and are rich in grain boundary defects. Due to the continuous grain boundaries in the one-dimensional (1D) structure and the optimized composition, the synthesized Pd1Ag1 NWs show half-wave potential of 0.897 V and mass activity of 0.103 A mg-1 in alkaline media toward ORR, higher than those of both state-of-the-art Pt/C and other Pd-Ag counterparts. Significantly, after stability tests over 5000 cycles, Pd1Ag1 NWs shows a 2 mV positive shift, much better than that of Pt/C, exhibiting striking stability for ORR. This work may provide an avenue to construct advanced catalysts by surface defect engineering.

An efficient TILLING platform for cultivated tobacco

Targeting-induced local lesions in genomes (TILLING) is a powerful reverse-genetics tool that enables high-throughput screening of genomic variations in plants. Although TILLING has been developed for many diploid plants, the technology has been used in very few polyploid species due to their genomic complexity. Here, we established an efficient capillary electrophoresis-based TILLING platform for allotetraploid cultivated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) using an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-mutagenized population of 1,536 individuals. We optimized the procedures for endonuclease preparation, leaf tissue sampling, DNA extraction, normalization, pooling, PCR amplification, heteroduplex formation, and capillary electrophoresis. In a test screen using seven target genes with eight PCR fragments, we obtained 118 mutants. The mutation density was estimated to be approximately one mutation per 106 kb on average. Phenotypic analyses showed that mutations in two heavy metal transporter genes, HMA2S and HMA4T, led to reduced accumulation of cadmium and zinc, which was confirmed independently using CRISPR/Cas9 to generate knockout mutants. Our results demonstrate that this powerful TILLING platform (available at http://www.croptilling.org) can be used in tobacco to facilitate functional genomics applications.

Optimal acquisition time to discriminate between breast cancer subtypes with contrast-enhanced cone-beam CT

PURPOSE

To identify the optimal acquisition time to best discriminate between benign and malignant breast lesions on contrast-enhanced cone beam CT (CE-CBCT) and evaluate the potential of CE-CBCT to differentiate between breast cancer subtypes.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A total of 98 women with a mean age of 49±10 (SD) years (range: 29-77 years) with 100 BI-RADS 4 or 5 breast lesions were prospectively included. CE-CBCT images were obtained at 1- and 2-min after intravenous administration of iodinated contrast material. Contrast enhancement of breast lesions on CE-CBCT were evaluated and compared between different subtypes. Cut-off values for best discriminating between benign and malignant breast lesions with CE-CBCT were obtained from receiver operating characteristic curves.

RESULTS

Malignant breast lesions showed greater enhancement than benign ones at 1-min (67.28±39.79 [SD] HU vs. 42.27±40.31 [SD] HU, respectively; P=0.007) and 2-min (70.93±38.05 [SD] HU vs. 48.94±41.83 [SD] HU, respectively; P=0.016) after intravenous administration of contrast material. At 1-min after intravenous administration of contrast material, an optimal cut-off value of 54.43 HU was found to best discriminate between malignant and benign breast lesions (AUC=0.681; 95%CI: 0.558-0.805; P=0.006) yielding 69.0% sensitivity (95%CI: 56.9-79.5%) and 69.2% specificity (95% CI: 48.2-85.7%). At 2-min, an optimal cut-off value of 72.65 HU was found to best discriminate between malignant and benign breast lesions (AUC=0.654; 95%CI: 0.535-0.774; P=0.020) yielding 50.7% sensitivity (95%CI: 38.6-62.8%) and 80.8% specificity (95%CI: 60.6-93.4%). CE-CBCT helped differentiate between immunohistochemical subtypes of breast lesions with lowest enhancement for triple negative lesions. No differences in enhancement were found among histopathological subtypes lesions at 1-min (P=0.478) and 2-min (P=0.625).

CONCLUSION

CE-CBCT helps discriminate between malignant and benign breast lesions, with best capabilities obtained at 1-min after intravenous administration of contrast material. For malignant lesions, quantitative analysis of enhancement on CE-CBCT helps differentiate between immunohistochemical subtypes.

[Application of infrared thermal imaging technology in the design of free anterolateral thigh perforator flap transplantation]

OBJECTIVE

To explore clinical effect of infrared thermal imaging technology for the treatment of free anterolateral thigh perforator flap transplantation.

METHODS

From June 2014 to June 2018, 31 patients with skin defect at various degrees treated by free anterolateral thigh perforator flap transplantation, including 21 males and 10 females aged from 16 to 59 years old with an average age of(35.3±1.5) years old, the courses of disease ranged from 2 to 4 weeks with an average of (1.8±0.6) weeks. The number of perforating branch, the position of the perforating branch, the perforating branch vitality detected by Doppler blood stream detector and parameters of thermal imaging image in order to guide design of skin flap, and compared results with the data of perforator arteries observed during the operation.

RESULTS

Totally 52 branches of perforating arteries were detected by Doppler blood stream detector during operation, and 38 perforator branches were confirmed in operation, the accuracy rate was 73.1%. Thirty-eight branches of perforating arteries were detected by infrared thermography during operation, and 35 branches of perforating branches were confirmed in operation, the accuracy rate was 92.1%; there were statistical difference. The most dynamic perforating pivot found by Doppler blood stream detector was confirmed by intraoperative diagnosis, with an accuracy rate of 80.6%. The most dynamic perforating pivot found by infrared thermography is confirmed by intraoperative diagnosis, with an accuracy rate of 100%; there were statistical difference. Thirty-one flaps were survived without vascular crisis occurred. All patients were followed up from 6 to 18 months with an average of(10.7±1.2) months. The flaps survived with soft texture and good blood circulation, the defect was not bloated, the color of skin flap was basically the same as that of the normal skin, and the limbs appearance and function recovered well.

CONCLUSIONS

Infrared infrared thermal imaging technology could be used as a new technology in localization of perforator artery in free anterolateral thigh perforator flap transplantation.

Valproic acid-induced amphiregulin secretion confers resistance to temozolomide treatment in human glioma cells

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most severe type of primary brain tumor with a high mortality rate. Although extensive treatments for GBM, including resection, irradiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, have been tried, the prognosis is still poor. Temozolomide (TMZ), an alkylating agent, is a front-line chemotherapeutic drug for the clinical treatment of GBM; however, its effects are very limited because of the chemoresistance. Valproic acid (VPA), an antiepileptic agent with histone deacetylase inhibitor activity, has been shown to have synergistic effects with TMZ against GBM. The mechanism of action of VPA on TMZ combination therapy is still unclear. Accumulating evidence has shown that secreted proteins are responsible for the cross talking among cells in the tumor microenvironment, which may play a critical role in the regulation of drug responses.

METHODS

To understand the effect of VPA on secreted proteins in GBM cells, we first used the antibody array to analyze the cell culture supernatant from VPA-treated and untreated GBM cells. The results were further confirmed by lentivirus-mediated knockdown and exogenous recombinant administration.

RESULTS

Our results showed that amphiregulin (AR) was highly secreted in VPA-treated cells. Knockdown of AR can sensitize GBM cells to TMZ. Furthermore, pretreatment of exogenous recombinant AR significantly increased EGFR activation and conferred resistance to TMZ. To further verify the effect of AR on TMZ resistance, cells pre-treated with AR neutralizing antibody markedly increased sensitivity to TMZ. In addition, we also observed that the expression of AR was positively correlated with the resistance of TMZ in different GBM cell lines.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study aimed to identify the secreted proteins that contribute to the modulation of drug response. Understanding the full set of secreted proteins present in glial cells might help reveal potential therapeutic opportunities. The results indicated that AR may potentially serve as biomarker and therapeutic approach for chemotherapy regimens in GBM.

Phase Space Dynamics of a Plasma Wakefield Dechirper for Energy Spread Reduction

Plasma-based accelerators have made impressive progress in recent years. However, the beam energy spread obtained in these accelerators is still at the ∼1% level, nearly one order of magnitude larger than what is needed for challenging applications like coherent light sources or colliders. In plasma accelerators, the beam energy spread is mainly dominated by its energy chirp (longitudinally correlated energy spread). Here we demonstrate that when an initially chirped electron beam from a linac with a proper current profile is sent through a low-density plasma structure, the self-wake of the beam can significantly reduce its energy chirp and the overall energy spread. The resolution-limited energy spectrum measurements show at least a threefold reduction of the beam energy spread from 1.28% to 0.41% FWHM with a dechirping strength of ∼1  (MV/m)/(mm pC). Refined time-resolved phase space measurements, combined with high-fidelity three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, further indicate the real energy spread after the dechirper is only about 0.13% (FWHM), a factor of 10 reduction of the initial energy spread.

Diagnostic value of TRACP5b expression in patients with bone tumors

In order to investigate the diagnostic value of serum levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP5b) in patients with bone tumors, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to com¬pare serum levels of TRACP5b and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in bone tumor patients (experimental group, 80 cases) and healthy controls (control group, 36 cases). It was found that the serum level of TRACP5b in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group. In addition, the sensitivity and specificity of serum TRACP5b were higher than those of serum ALP in the diagnosis of bone tumors. Fur¬thermore, the serum level of TRACP5b was positively correlated with that of ALP. Therefore, it was conclud¬ed that the serum level of TRACP5b may be used as a sensitive indicator of bone tumors, and the sensitivity and specificity of TRACP5b are even higher than those of ALP in the diagnosis of bone tumors.

[Impact of diverse shapes of prostatic apex on positive apical margin rate and biochemical recurrence following laparoscopic radical prostatectomy]

Objective: To explore the effects of various forms of prostatic apex on positive apical margin rate (PAM) and biochemical recurrence (BCR) after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 309 patients (aging (65±6) years) who were experienced laparoscopic radical prostatectomy from January 2010 to December 2016 at the Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. According to the relationship between prostate apex and membrane urethra at the mid-sagittal plane of preoperative MRI, all patients were classified into 4 categories. There were 31 patients for type 1, apex covering both anterior and posterior aspects of membranous urethra, 139 patients for type 2, apex covering anterior side of membranous urethra, 63 patients for type 3, apex covering posterior aspect of membranous urethra, 76 patients for type 4, apex not covering membranous urethra. PAM and BCR after operation were compared between this four groups respectively. The χ(2) test was used to compare PAM among the 4 types. Logistic regression analysis were undertaken to analyze the factors affecting PAM. Cox's proportional hazards regression model was undertaken to identify the variables influencing BCR. Results: There was no significant difference in the 4 groups concerning age, body mass index, prostate volume, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value, postoperative Gleason score and pathological stage (P>0.05).The median follow-up time was 32 months (ranged from 12 to 60 months).The data showed that the apical type 3 patients has the highest PAM. There was statistical difference among the 4 groups in PAM (χ(2)=15.592, P=0.001). Preoperative level of PSA (OR=20.356, 95% CI: 2.440 to 169.810, P=0.005), postoperative Gleason score (OR=4.113, 95% CI: 1.911 to 8.849, P=0.001), pathological stage (OR=3.422, 95% CI: 1.600 to 7.319, P=0.002) and apical type 3 (OR=6.134, 95% CI: 2.196 to 17.132, P=0.001) were independent relactive factors of PAM. Preoperative level of PSA (HR=1.362, 95% CI: 1.006 to 1.843, P=0.045), postoperative Gleason score (HR=1.920, 95% CI: 1.384 to 2.665, P=0.001), pathological stage (HR=1.476, 95% CI: 1.098 to 1.983, P=0.010), PAM (HR=3.497, 95% CI: 2.407 to 5.081, P=0.001)and apical type 3 (HR=1.828, 95% CI: 1.266 to 2.639, P=0.001) were independent prognosis factors of BCR. Conclusion: Prostate apical type 3 could be a significant independent predictor of PAM, and an independent prognosis factor for BCR.

[Regulation mechanism of E2F1 transcription factor on M2 macrophages in full-thickness skin defect wounds of mice]

Objective: To explore the regulatory mechanism of E2F1 transcription factor on M2 macrophages in full-thickness skin defect wounds of mice. Methods: E2F1 gene knockout heterozygotes C57BL/6 mice and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were introduced and self-reproduced. Two weeks after birth, E2F1 gene knockout homozygotes mice and wild-type mice were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Twelve identified 6-8 weeks old male E2F1 gene knockout homozygotes C57BL/6 mice and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were selected respectively according to the random number table and set as E2F1 gene knockout group and wild-type group. A full-thickness skin defect wound was made on the back of each mouse. On post injury day (PID) 2 and 7, 6 mice in each group were selected according to the random number table and sacrificed, and the wound tissue was excised. The expression of CD68 and CD206 double positive M2 macrophages was observed by immunofluorescence method, and the percentage of CD206 positive cells was calculated. The protein expression of CD206 was detected by Western blotting. The mRNA expression of arginase 1 was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Wound tissue specimens of the two groups on PID 7 were obtained, and the protein and mRNA expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) were detected by Western blotting and real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR respectively. The above-mentioned experiments were repeated four times. Three specimens of wound tissue of mice in wild-type group on PID 7 were obtained to detect the relationship between E2F1 and PPAR-γ by co-immunoprecipitation and Western blotting, and this experiment was repeated two times. Data were processed with unpaired t test. Results: The size of PCR products of E2F1 gene knockout homozygotes C57BL/6 mice and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were 227 and 172 bp respectively, which were the same as those of the designed DNA fragments. On PID 2 and 7, the number of CD68 and CD206 double positive M2 macrophages in the wound tissue of mice in E2F1 gene knockout group was more than that of wild-type group, and the percentages of CD206 positive cells in the wound tissue of mice in E2F1 gene knockout group were (0.234±0.032)% and (0.584±0.023)% respectively, which were significantly higher than (0.129±0.017)% and (0.282±0.071)% of wild-type group (t=3.29, 3.54, P<0.05). On PID 2 and 7, the protein expression of CD206 in the wound tissue of mice in E2F1 gene knockout group were 1.00±0.23 and 1.63±0.26 respectively, which were significantly higher than 0.43±0.06 and 0.97±0.08 of wild-type group (t=2.41, 2.45, P<0.05). On PID 2 and 7, the mRNA expressions of arginase 1 in the wound tissue of mice in E2F1 gene knockout group were 0.482±0.105 and 0.195±0.031 respectively, which were significantly higher than 0.163±0.026 and 0.108±0.017 of wild-type group (t=3.04, 2.86, P<0.05). On PID 7, the protein and mRNA expressions of PPAR-γ in the wound tissue of mice in E2F1 gene knockout group were 0.61±0.12 and 0.51±0.13 respectively, which were significantly higher than 0.20±0.04 and 0.20±0.04 of wild-type group (t=3.36, 2.86, P<0.05). On PID 7, detection of the wound tissue of mice in wild-type group showed that PPAR-γ had unidirectional effect on E2F1. Conclusions: E2F1 transcription factor affects the polarization of M2 macrophages by inhibiting the expression of PPAR-γ, thereby inhibiting the healing process of full-thickness skin defect wounds in mice.

30 W, sub-kHz frequency-locked laser at 532 nm

We report on the realization of a high-power, ultranarrow-linewidth, and frequency-locked 532 nm laser system. The laser system consists of single-pass and intra-cavity second harmonic generation of a continuous-wave Ytterbium doped fiber laser at 1064 nm in the nonlinear crystal of periodically poled lithium niobate and lithium triborate, respectively. With 47 W infrared input, 30 W green laser is generated through the type I critical phase matching in the intracavity lithium triborate crystal. The laser linewidth is measured to be on the order of sub-kHz, which is achieved by simultaneously locking the single-pass frequency doubling output onto the iodine absorption line R69 (36-1) at 532 nm. Furthermore, the phase locking between the laser system and another slave 1064 nm laser is demonstrated with relative frequency tunability being up to 10 GHz. Our results completely satisfy the requirements of 532 nm laser for quantum simulation with ultracold atoms.

Rapid and sensitive detection of Yersinia pestis by lateral-flow assay in simulated clinical samples

Background

Yersinia pestis is a contributing agent to the epidemic disease, plague, which killed an estimated 200 million people during historical times. In this study, a rapid, cheap, sensitive, and specific technique, the lateral flow assay (F1 strips), has been successfully developed to detect this pathogen, by using paired monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against Y. pestis capsule like fraction 1 (F1) protein. Compared with the polyclonal antibody (PAb) based F1 strips, the Mab-based F1 strips have a remarkable increased detection limitation (10 to 100 folds). Furthermore, besides the limitation and specificity evaluation, the application of this F1 strip on simulated clinical samples indicate the LFA can be a good candidate to detect plague.

Methods

Recombinant F1 antigen was expressed and purified from a series of works. The various anti-F1 monoclonal antibodies generated from hybridoma cells were screened with the ELISA technique. To evaluate the feasibility of this Y. pestis F1 test strip, the F1 protein/Y. pestis was spiked into simulated clinical samples such as human serum, mouse bronchoalveolar lavage fluids, and mouse blood to mimic natural infection status. Additionally, this technique was applied to detect the Y. pestis in the environment-captured rats, to evaluate the practical usefulness of the strips.

Results

By using this MAb-based-LFA technique, 4 ng/ml of recombinant F1-protein and 10³ CFU/ml of Y. pestis could be detected in less than 10 mins, which is at least 10-folds than that of the PAb format. On the other hand, although various Yersinia strains were applied to the strips, only Y. pestis strain showed a positive result; all other Yersinia species did not produce a positive signal, indicating the high efficiency and specificity of the MAb-based F1-strips.

Conclusion

Based on our findings, we suggest that the MAb-format-LFA will be valuable as a diagnostic tool for the detection of Y. pestis. This report shows that the F1 strip is sufficient to support not only the detection of plague in simulated clinical samples, but also it may be a good candidate to meet the epidemiological surveillance during an outbreak of the biological warfare.

Physical mechanism of the electron-ion coupled transverse instability in laser pressure ion acceleration for different regimes

In radiation pressure ion acceleration (RPA) research, the transverse stability within laser plasma interaction has been a long-standing, crucial problem over the past decades. In this paper, we present a one-dimensional two-fluid theory extended from a recent work Wan et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 234801 (2016)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.117.234801 to clearly clarify the origin of the intrinsic transverse instability in the RPA process. It is demonstrated that the purely growing density fluctuations are more likely induced due to the strong coupling between the fast oscillating electrons and quasistatic ions via the ponderomotive force with spatial variations. The theory contains a full analysis of both electrostatic (ES) and electromagnetic modes and confirms that the ES mode actually dominates the whole RPA process at the early linear stage. By using this theory one can predict the mode structure and growth rate of the transverse instability in terms of a wide range of laser plasma parameters. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are systematically carried out to verify the theory and formulas in different regimes, and good agreements have been obtained, indicating that the electron-ion coupled instability is the major factor that contributes the transverse breakup of the target in RPA process.

[Effects of urethral fibrosis on urinary control after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy]

Objective: To determine the influence of urethral fibrosis on the recovery of urinary continence after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Method: A retrospective study of 203 patients from January 2010 to January 2014 who were underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer in the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to preoperative T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of fibrosis status of the urethral wall and periurethral tissue. One hundred and forty-four(≤2 grade) and 59 (≥3 grade) were classified into the no/mild and severe urethral fibrosis groups respectively. Urinary continence at 1, 3, 6, 12 months after operation were compared between this two groups respectively. Result: There was no significant difference in the two groups with respect to age, body mass index (BMI), Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), international prostate symptom score (IPSS), prostate volume, preoperative prostate-specific antigen value, nerve-sparing procedure, postoperative Gleason score and pathological stage. The operation was completed successfully in all cases. With a median follow-up time of 15 months (ranged from 12 to 24 months), there was no statistical difference between the two groups in urinary continence at 1 month after operation (P>0.05). The incidences of continence in patients with no/mild fibrosis were significantly higher at 3, 6, 12 months after operation than those with severe fibrosis. (In the no/mild fibrosis group and severe fibrosis group, the continue rate at 3 mouths was 50.0% vs 28.8% P=0.005; at 6 mouths was 91.0% vs 59.3% P<0.001; at 12 mouths was 98.6% vs 88.1% P=0.003). Conclusion: Preoperative urethral fibrosis could be a significant predictor of recovery of the long-term urinary continence status after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Compared with no/mild fibrosis, severe fibrosis had worse long-term continence status.

Effect of expiratory muscle strength training intervention on the maximum expiratory pressure and quality of life of patients with Parkinson disease

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 4-weeks expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) on the maximum expiratory pressure (PEmax) and quality of life (QoL) in patients with Parkinson disease (PD).

METHODS

Thirteen outpatients diagnosed with PD participated in this study, and were assigned into either a 5DE training group (5DE group; n = 4; 75% PEmax for 5-d/wk), 3DE training group (3DE group; n = 5; 75% PEmax for 3-d/wk) and control group (3DC group; n = 4; 0% PEmax for 3-d/wk) by matching their Hoehn and Yahr scale, genders, and age. The PEmax and Parkinson disease questionnaire-39 item (PDQ-39) were evaluated pre- and post-intervention.

RESULTS

The posttest PEmax of the 5DE was significantly higher than that of the 3DC (P < 0.05). Moreover, 5DE and 3DE but not 3DC significantly increased PEmax after training. There were no differences in the overall quality of life in PD patients measured by PDQ-39 among three groups, but the 5DE group significantly improved the mobility constructs of PDQ-39 compared with 3DC (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Both 5 d/wk and 3 d/wk of EMST effectively enhance respiratory muscle strength and improve mobility construct measured by PDQ-39 in patients with PD.