Effects of returning paddy field to wetland on composition and stability of soil aggregates in the Yellow River Delta

The composition and stability of soil aggregates are important indicators for measuring soil quality, which would be affected by land use changes. Taking wetlands with different returning years (2 and 15 years) in the Yellow River Delta as the research object, paddy fields and natural wetlands as control, we analyzed the changes in soil physicochemical properties and soil aggregate composition. The results showed that soil water content, total organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon and total phosphorus of the returning soil (0-40 cm) showed an overall increasing trend with returning period, while soil pH and bulk density was in adverse. There was no significant change in clay content, electrical conductivity, and total nitrogen content. The contents of macro-aggregates and micro-aggregates showed overall increasing and decreasing trend with returning period, respectively. The stability of aggregates in the topsoil (0-10 cm) increased with returning years. Geometric mean diameter and mean weight diameter increased by 8.9% and 40.4% in the 15th year of returning, respectively, while the mass proportion of >2.5 mm fraction decreased by 10.5%. There was no effect of returning on aggregates in subsoil (10-40 cm). Our results indicated that returning paddy field to wetland in the Yellow River Delta would play a positive role in improving soil structure and aggregate stability.

Effect of electron acceptor addition on the temperature sensitivity of soil anaerobic carbon mineralization in the Yellow River Estuary wetland, China

The temperature sensitivity of soil carbon mineralization (Q10) is an important index to evaluate the responses of ecosystem carbon cycling to climate change. We examined the effects of three electron acceptors [SO42-, NO3- and Fe(Ⅲ)] addition on the Q10 value of anaerobic carbon mineralization of Phragmites australis community soil (0-10 cm) in the Yellow River Estuary wetland with the closed culture-gas chromatography method. The results showed that the three electron acceptors addition inhibited the production of CO2 and CH4 during the 48-day culture period, with a decrease of 17.3%-20.8% for CO2 and 29.2%-36.2% for CH4. Generally, the CO2 production differed with the concentrations of electron acceptors, while CH4 production differed with the type of electron acceptors. The CO2:CH4 ratios were significantly different with temperature, indicating an obvious temperature dependence for the anaerobic carbon mineralization pathway. The Q10 values of CO2 and CH4 production under three electron acceptor additions ranged from 1.08 to 1.11 and from 1.19 to 1.37, respectively, showing an increasing trend compared with the control. The type and concentration of electron acceptors affected the temperature dependence of CO2 production, while electron acceptors affected that of CH4 production. It is suggested that the input of reducing salts would retard the mineralization loss of organic carbon in estuary freshwater wetlands under the background of climate change, but enhance the sensitivity of carbon mineralization to increasing temperature.

[Effects of Water-salt Environment on Freshwater Wetland Soil C, N, and P Ecological Stoichiometric Characteristics in the Yellow River Estuary Wetland]

Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) are important nutrients, and their ecological stoichiometric characteristics can reflect the quality and fertility capacity of soil, which is critical to understanding the stable mechanisms of estuarine wetland ecosystems. Under global changes, the increase in salinity and flooding caused by sea level rise will lead to changes in biogeochemical processes in estuarine wetlands, which is expected to affect the ecological stoichiometric characteristics of soil C, N, and P and ultimately interfere with the stability of wetland ecosystems. However, it remains unclear how the C, N, and P ecological stoichiometric characteristics respond to the water-salt environment in estuarine wetlands. We differentiated changes in the C, N, and P ecological stoichiometric characteristics through an ex-situ culture experiment for 23 months in the Yellow River Estuary Wetland. The five sites with distinct tidal hydrology were selected to manipulate translocation of soil cores from the freshwater marsh to high-, middle-, and low-tidal flats in June 2019. The results showed that soil water content (SWC); electrical conductivity (EC); and C, N, and P ecological stoichiometric characteristics of freshwater marsh soil significantly changed after translocation for 23 months. SWC decreased on the high- and middle-tidal flats (P<0.05) and increased on the low-tidal flat (P<0.05). EC increased to different degrees on all three tidal flats (P<0.05). Soil total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) were significantly lower on the high-tidal flat (P<0.05), whereas total phosphorus (TP) was significantly lower on the middle- and high-tidal flats (P<0.05). C:N was decreased on the high- and middle-tidal flats (P<0.05); C:P and N:P were lower on the high-tidal flat; and all C, N, and P ecological stoichiometric characteristics showed no change on the low-tidal flat (P>0.05). Pearson's analysis showed that the ecological stoichiometric characteristics of C, N, and P were related to some properties of soil over the culture sites. The PLS-SEM model showed that the water-salt environment had different effects on soil C:N, C:P, and N:P through the main pathways of negative effects on soil TOC and TP. The results suggest that sea level rise may impact the C, N, and P ecological stoichiometric characteristics in freshwater marsh soil, resulting in some possible changes in the nutrient cycles of estuarine wetlands.

[Efficacy of high-dose dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection eradication in servicemen: a randomized controlled trial]

Objective: To assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of high-dose dual therapy compared with bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for treating Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection in servicemen patients. Methods: A total of 160 H. pylori-infected, treatment-naive servicemen, including 74 men and 86 women, aged from 20 years to 74 years, with a mean (SD) age of 43 (13) years, tested in the First Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from March 2022 to May 2022 were enrolled in this open-label, randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups: the 14-day high-dose dual therapy group and the bismuth-containing quadruple therapy group. Eradication rates, adverse events, patient compliance, and drug costs were compared between the two groups. The t-test was used for continuous variables, and the Chi-square test for categorical variables. Results: No significant difference in H. pylori eradication rates were found between high-dose dual therapy and bismuth-containing quadruple therapy by ITT, mITT and PP analysis[ITT:90.0% (95%CI 81.2%-95.6%) vs. 87.5% (95%CI 78.2%-93.8%), χ²=0.25, P=0.617;mITT:93.5% (95%CI 85.5%-97.9%) vs. 93.3% (95%CI 85.1%-97.8%), χ²<0.01, P=1.000; PP: 93.5% (95%CI 85.5%-97.9%) vs. 94.5% (95%CI 86.6%-98.5%), χ²<0.01, P=1.000 ]. The dual therapy group exhibited significantly less overall side effects compared with the quadruple therapy group [21.8% (17/78) vs. 38.5% (30/78), χ²=5.15,P=0.023]. There were no significant differences in the compliance rates between the two groups [98.7%(77/78) vs. 94.9%(74/78), χ²=0.83,P=0.363]. The cost of medications in the dual therapy was 32.0% lower compared with that in the quadruple therapy (472.10 RMB vs. 693.94 RMB). Conclusions: The dual regimen has a favorable effect on the eradication of H. pylori infection in servicemen patients. Based on the ITT analysis, the eradication rate of the dual regimen is grade B (90%, good). Additionally, it exhibited a lower incidence of adverse events, better compliance and significantly reduced cost. The dual regimen is expected to be a new choice for the first-line treatment of H. pylori infection in servicemen but needs further evaluation.

A Cut-to-Link Strategy for Cubane-Based Heterometallic Sulfide Clusters with Giant Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Response

Although the synthesis of low-dimensional metal sulfides by assembling cluster-based units is expected to promote the development of optical materials and models of enzyme active centers such as dinitrogenase, it is faced with limited assembly methodology. Herein we present a cut-to-link strategy to generate high-nuclearity assemblies, inspired by the formation of a Z-type dimer of the W-S-Cu analogues of P^N cluster through in situ release of active linkers. Four new compounds with structures based on the same {Tp*WS₃Cu₃} incomplete cubane-like units were obtained using varied combinations of mild reagents. Open-aperture Z-scan measurements demonstrated the highest-nuclearity complex has the largest nonlinear optical absorption coefficient among discrete cluster-based materials reported to date. This approach enables building high-nuclearity metal sulfide clusters through cluster-based building blocks and opens a way to the design and exploration of materials based on well-identified building blocks.

[Depression status and its influencing factors among the elderly aged 60 years and above in three provinces of China]

Objective: The survey learned about the current status of depression in community's elderly aged 60 years and older and explored its influencing factors. Methods: Respondents from the "Prevention and Intervention of Key Diseases in the Elderly" project used a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method to complete the depression screening of 14 335 ≥60-year-old elderly people in 16 counties and districts Liaoning, Henan, and Guangdong provinces in 2019. Through the questionnaire survey on the demographic characteristics of the subjects, whether they live with their families or interact with neighbors, daily exercise, cognitive function, and activity of daily living (ADL), the PHQ-9 depression screening scale was used to assess the depression status of the elderly in the last fortnight. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of depression in the elderly. Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms among the elderly in Liaoning province, Henan province, and Guangdong province was 15.45%, and those in the three provinces were 18.17%, 18.87% and 9.93%, respectively. There were differences between urban and rural areas in the detection rate of depressive symptoms among the elderly in different regions, among which Henan: 17.09% vs. 20.61%; Guangdong province: 7.99% vs. 11.03%, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the detection rate of depressive symptoms in older women was higher than that in men (OR=1.76, 95%CI: 1.58-1.96), in those divorced or separated (OR=2.08, 95%CI: 1.01-4.30), with cognitive dysfunction (OR=1.78, 95%CI: 1.59-1.98) or impaired essential ability of daily living (BADL) (OR=1.74, 95%CI: 1.23-2.46). The impaired instrumental ability of daily living (IADL) (OR=2.23, 95%CI: 1.97-2.54) was a risk factor for depression in the elderly (P<0.05), and the impact of IADL impairment on depression in the elderly was higher than that of BADL impairment (2.23 vs. 1.74). Results also showed that factors as: 80 years old and above (OR=0.82, 95%CI: 0.68-0.99), living with family members (OR=0.67, 95%CI: 0.57-0.80), interacting with neighbors (OR=0.86, 95%CI: 0.76-0.98), exercise multiple times per week (OR=0.82, 95%CI: 0.69-0.96), and exercise almost every day (OR=0.63, 95%CI: 0.56-0.70) were protective for depression in the elderly (P<0.05). Conclusions: The detection rate of depressive symptoms in the elderly aged 60 and above in the community is relatively high in China. Gender, marital status, social interaction, physical exercise, cognitive function, and ADL are all influencing factors of depression in the elderly. The elderly health care sector should carry out psychological prevention and intervention of critical populations.

[Dissolved Organic Matter Component and Source Characteristics of the Metropolitan Lakes and Reservoirs in a Typical Karst Region]

In order to explore dissolved organic matter (DOM) components and their origins in metropolitan lakes and reservoirs in the karst region, the typical Hongfeng Lake, Baihua Lake, Songbaishan Reservoir, and Aha Reservoir were investigated in Guiyang City. Surface water parameters, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chlorophyll a (Chla), and optical parameters (a₂₅₄, a₂₈₀, a₃₅₀, E2:E3, S_275-295, FI, β:α, BIX, and HIX) were analyzed. Fluorescence peaks (B, T, A, M, C, D, and N) and three-dimensional matrix fluorescence with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) were employed to explain distinct DOM abundances and proportions. Meanwhile, Spearman's correlation coefficients and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to decipher parameter types and primary environmental processes. The results showed that aquatic ρ(DOC) and ρ(Chla) ranged between 4.24-11.9 mg·L^-1 and 0.32-19.7 μg·L^-1, respectively. High humic-like (a₂₅₄) and protein DOM (a₂₈₀) were observed in the Songbaishan Reservoir, resulting in higher DOM molecular weight when compared to that in other lakes and reservoirs. Surface water DOM mainly contained visible-light humic-like (23.8%-46.9%) and terrestrial fulvic-like components (17.6%-28.4%). High FI, β:α, and BIX but low HIX values in this study suggested that endogenous inputs largely contributed to aquatic DOM. Aquatic DOM component and source characteristics were significantly correlated with each other. Furthermore, inputs of humic-like DOM and microbial metabolism, as well as coupled carbonate dissolution and photosynthesis, drove dynamic DOM behaviors in the karst lakes and reservoirs.

Construction of cluster-based supramolecular wire and rectangle

Reactions of [Et₄N][Tp*WS₃(CuCl)₃] (1) (Tp* = hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borate) with 2 equiv. of AgOTf (OTf^- = trifluoromethanesulfonate) and 1 equiv. of several bidentate pyridine ligands including 2,5-bis(pyridine-4-yl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole (L1), 2,7-di(pyridin-4-yl)-9H-fluorene (L2), 2,7-di(pyridin-4-yl)-9H-carbazole (L3), and 2,7-di(pyridin-4-yl)-9H-fluoren-9-one (L4) afforded four W/Cu/S cluster-based supramolecular compounds [(Tp*WS₃Cu₂Cl)₂(L1)] (2), {[(Tp*WS₃Cu₃)₂(μ-Cl)₂(μ₄-Cl)]₂(L2)₂}(OTf)₂ (3), {[(Tp*WS₃Cu₃)₂(μ-Cl)₂(μ₄-Cl)]₂(L3)₂}(OTf)₂ (4) and {[(Tp*WS₃Cu₃)₂(μ-Cl)₂(μ4-Cl)]₂(L4)₂}(OTf)₂ (5). Compounds 2-5 were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-vis, ¹H NMR, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The neutral cluster 2 behaves as a supramolecular wire constructed by L1 bridging two butterfly-shaped [Tp*WS₃Cu₂Cl] cores. The cluster cations of 3-5 contain two [(Tp*WS₃Cu₃)₂(μ-Cl)₂(μ₄-Cl)]⁺ cores linked by two L2, L3, or L4 ligands, which finally formed a cationic supramolecular rectangle. The third-order nonlinear-optical (NLO) properties of 3-5 in DMF were also investigated by Z-scan techniques and their NLO responses were enhanced compared to those of their precursor 1.

[Treatment and prognosis analysis of perineural invasion on sinonasal adenoid cystic carcinoma]

Objective: To analyze the efficacy of sinonasal adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) with perineural invasion (PNI), and explore the prognostic value of PNI on sinonasal adenoid cystic carcinoma. Methods: The clinical data of 105 patients with sinonasal ACC admitted to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2000 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were restaged according to American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition. Follow-up visits were conducted to obtain information of treatment failure and survival outcome. The Log rank test was used for univariate analysis of prognostic factors, and Cox regression model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis. Results: The maxillary sinus (n=59) was the most common primary site, followed by the nasal cavity (n=38). There were 93 patients with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ. The treatment modalities included surgery alone (n=14), radiotherapy alone (n=13), preoperative radiotherapy plus surgery (n=10), and surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy (n=68). The median follow-up time was 91.8 months, the 5-year local control (LC), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 72.6%, 73.0%, 52.9% and 78.0%, respectively. There were 33 patients (31.4%) with PNI-positive. The 5-year DMFS, PFS, and OS rates of PNI-positive group were 53.7%, 29.4% and 56.5%, respectively, which were significantly inferior to those of PNI-negative group (80.8%, 63.0% and 86.8%, respectively, P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the 5-year LC rate between both groups (64.5% vs 76.5%, P=0.273). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed PNI was one of the poor prognostic factors of DMFS (HR=3.514, 95%CI: 1.557-7.932), PFS (HR=2.562, 95%CI: 1.349-4.866) and OS (HR=2.605, 95%CI: 1.169-5.806). Among patients with PNI-positive, the 5-year LC, PFS and OS rates of patients received surgery combined with radiotherapy were 84.9%, 41.3% and 72.7%, respectively, which were significantly higher than 23.3%, 10.0% and 26.7% of patients receiving surgery or radiotherapy alone (P<0.05). Conclusion: The presence of PNI increases the risk of distant metastasis in patients with sinonasal ACC. Compared with patients with PNI-negative, the prognosis of patients with PNI-positive is relatively poor, and surgery combined with radiotherapy for PNI-positive sinonasal ACC results in good clinical outcomes.

[Analysis of maternal mortality trend and age-period-cohort model in China from 1992 to 2017]

Objective: To understand the trend of maternal mortality in China from 1992 to 2017, and to evaluate the effects of age, period and cohort of maternal mortality by using the age-period-cohort (APC) model. Methods: The data of maternal mortality in China from 1992 to 2017 were collected from the Global Burden of Disease project. The maternal mortality rate was adopted to describe the trend of death. The APC model and the estimable function algorithm were used to evaluate the impact of age, period and birth cohort factors on maternal mortality risk in China. Results: From1992 to 2017, the maternal mortality rate in China fluctuated slightly and then continued to decline and finally increased slightly. During this period, the net drift was -10.00% per year (95%CI:-10.92% to -9.08% per year), and all the local drifts were lower than zero in all age groups of 10-54 years old (P<0.05). The results of the APC model analysis showed that the maternal mortality risk of women in their life stage showed a trend of rapid decrease, then a slow climb and finally a rapid increase. The period relative risk and cohort relative risk of maternal mortality both showed a monotonous decreasing trend. Conclusion: From 1992 to 2017, the maternal mortality rate in China generally shows a downward trend, and the risk of maternal mortality has significant age, period and cohort effects.

The interplay of labile organic carbon, enzyme activities and microbial communities of two forest soils across seasons

Soil labile organic carbon (LOC) responds rapidly to environmental changes and plays an important role in carbon cycle. In this study, the seasonal fluctuations in LOC, the activities of carbon-cycle related enzymes, and the bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed for soils collected from two forests, namely Betula albosinensis (Ba) and Picea asperata Mast. (Pa), in the Qinling Mountains of China. Results revealed that the seasonal average contents of microbial biomass carbon (MBC), easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of Pa forest soil were 13.5%, 30.0% and 15.7% less than those in Ba soil. The seasonal average enzyme activities of β-1,4-glucosidase (βG), and β-1,4-xylosidase (βX) of Ba forest soils were 30.0% and 32.3% higher than those of Pa soil while the enzyme activity of cellobiohydrolase (CBH) was 19.7% lower. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Acidobacteria was significantly higher in summer than in winter, whereas the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was higher in winter. Regarding the fungal communities, the relative abundance of Basidiomycota was lowest in winter, whereas Ascomycota predominated in the same season. In addition, the soil LOC was significantly positively correlated with the CBH, βG and βX activities. Changes in LOC were significantly correlated with Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Basidiomycota. We conclude that the seasonal fluctuations in forest soil LOC fractions relied on carbon cycle-associated enzymatic activities and microorganisms, which in turn were affected by climatic conditions.

One-dimensional and two-dimensional coordination polymers from cluster modular construction

Cluster module construction of W/Cu/S cluster-based coordination polymers and their third-order NLO properties were investigated.

[Synergistic effects of organic fertilizer coupled with phosphate-solubilizing and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on nutrient characteristics of yellow-brown soil under carbon deficiency]

Understanding the dynamics of phosphate-solubilizing and N₂-fixing bacteria on soil nutrient and related enzyme activity under different organic fertilizer proportions (OFP) could provide references for screening appropriate inoculant type, OFP, and fertilization period. Here, we set four OFP levels (mass ratio: 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%) and inoculated two phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens) and two N₂-fixing bacteria (Azotobacter chroococcum, Azospirillum brasilence) in the subtropical yellow-brown barren soil. After a 60-day soil incubation under controlled conditions (28 ℃, darkness), we examined the impacts of single/mixed applications of beneficial bacteria on soil available nutrients and related enzyme activities at different OFP levels and different sampling times (3rd, 8th, 16th, 30th, 45th, 60th day). The results showed that soil available nutrient contents increased with the elevated OFP levels, and exhibited as 12%>8%>4%>0%. With the extension of culture time, soil nutrient contents in all treatments first increased and then decreased. Compared with the single application of organic fertilizer, combined application of organic fertilizer and bacterial inoculants resulted in higher and longer improvement of soil nutrient contents and enzyme activities. The effects of inoculants on soil nutrient properties varied across four OFP levels. When the OFP was low (0-4%), inoculation significantly increased soil available nutrient contents, with no the differences between inoculants at the initial stage. However, with the extension of the culture time and the elevation of OFP, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (especially for B. megaterium) significantly increased available phosphorus content while N₂-fixing bacteria (especially for A. brasilence) significantly increased available nitrogen content. The mixed inoculant with four strains showed phosphate-solubilizing effect on soil and performed better than the single application of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, but without prominent effect on nitrogen fixation. Soil nutrient contents were positively correlated with enzyme activity, which was affected by both cultural time and carbon-nitrogen ratio. Bacterial inoculations could significantly increase nutrient contents in the short term, but the specific functions of beneficial bacteria on soil were highly dependent on organic carbon input and carbon-nitrogen ratio. Coupled application of inoculants and organic fertilizer at an appropriate OFP level (8%-12%) could increase and extend the soil-remediating effects, while the inoculation should be conducted with an interval of 45-60 days to ensure the survival rate and the consecutive effect on soil.

Circulating Tumor Cells as a Screening and Diagnostic Marker for Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have become potential diagnostic biomarker for several types of cancer, including lung cancer. In this study, we aim to determine whether CTCs detected by CellCollector can be used for early-stage diagnosis of lung cancer.

Methods

In this study, we recruited 64 volunteers, among whom 44 were suspected lung cancer patients requiring surgical treatment and 20 were healthy volunteers. We simultaneously analyzed PD-L1 expression in CTCs isolated using the GILUPI CellCollector and copy number variation by next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Results

We enrolled a total of 44 patients with suspected lung cancer who required surgery and 20 healthy volunteers. The patients were classified into 4 groups based on their pathological results: benign disease, in situ cancer, microinvasive, and invasive. The CTCs detection rate for each group was 10.00% (1/10), 45% (5/11), 50% (7/14), and 67% (6/9), respectively. Among the patients with lung cancer, the CTCs detection rate increased with disease progression. The rate of CTCs positivity was 52.94% (18/34) in patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer by pathology and 10% (1/10) in patients with benign disease. CTCs were not detected in the control group. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, a measure for distinguishing patients with primary lung cancer, was 0.715 (95% CI 0.549-0.880, P=0.041). The sensitivity and specificity of the in vivo CTCs detection strategy for the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer were 52.94% and 90%, respectively. CTCs were associated with clinical pathology but not with the size and location of the nodules.

Conclusion

CTCs isolation using the CellCollector in vivo detection method might be effective for distinguishing between benign and malignant nodules and may be used for early-stage diagnosis of lung cancer.

[Development of a quantitative serum assay of Golgi protein 73 in hepatocellular carcinoma using xMAP technology]

Objective: To establish a quantitative assay of serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) using xMAP technology and evaluate its performance. Methods: Monoclonal antibodies against GP73 were prepared and purified, and antibody pair screening was performed by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The screened antibodies were used to construct a Luminex liquid chip detection system, and the analysis performance of the detection system was evaluated. The serum levels of GP73 were detected in 90 clinical samples from healthy controls and patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Results: Five anti-GP73 monoclonal antibodies were prepared and purified, and 5 antibody pairs were successfully screened. The Luminex liquid chip detection system of GP73 was successfully constructed using 8F10D1 and 10B9F11 antibody pairs. The analytical performance evaluation showed that the sensitivity of this system was 0.25 ng/ml and the dynamic range was 0.25-100 ng/ml. No cross reactivity was observed. The intra- and inter-assay variation for GP73 was <8% and <11%, respectively. The recovery was 83%-92%. The linear regression equation was y=1.141x+ 6.436 (r(2)=0.998 4, P<0.001). The GP73 concentrations in the serum samples of healthy control, CHB group, and HCC group were 42.8 (38.68, 55.90) ng/ml, 61.49 (43.59, 81) ng/ml, and 122.78 (49.36 liter, 264.55) ng/ml, respectively. The levels of GP73 in HCC group were significantly higher than those in CHB group and healthy controls (P<0.05). Moreover, the levels of GP73 in CHB group were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (P<0.05). Conclusions: A liquid chip detection system of GP73 was successfully constructed. It provides a powerful tool for the clinical application of GP73 in the future.

Toward N2O emission reduction in a single-stage CANON coupled with denitrification: Investigation on nitrite simultaneous production and consumption and nitrogen transformation

A dynamic analysis approach for determining nitrite production and consumption rates was established to systematically investigate the characteristics of nitrogen transformation and N₂O emission of the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process coupled with denitrification using a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR). The results indicate that anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria was not inhibited significantly by low C/N ratios. There were no obvious differences in the nitrite production rate, nitrite consumption rate or nitrogen removal among reactors operated with C/N ratios of 0, 0.67 and 1.00, which suggested that the certain carbon source did not significantly affect the nitrite conversion and nitrogen removal in the process. More than 60% of total N₂O emission is generated during the initial phase of each period in the SBBR. More than 94.5% of N₂O was generated by NO₂^--N consumption via denitrification in the process. Interestingly, total N₂O production drops by 16.7%, when the C/N ratio increases from 0 to 1. This phenomenon may be caused by the inhibition of N₂O production via AOB denitrification. Therefore, an appropriate carbon source (C/N = 1.00) has the beneficial effect of reducing N₂O emission by CANON coupled with denitrification. The results of this study provide an important empirical foundation for the mitigation of N₂O emission in the CANON process coupled with denitrification.

C-terminal Ser/Thr residues are vital for the regulatory role of Ste7 in the asexual cycle and virulence of Beauveria bassiana

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase Ste7 has a conserved Ser/Thr loop (S/T-X₄₍₆₎-S/T) that can activate the MAPK Fus3 or Kss1 for the regulation of pheromone response and filamentous growth in model yeast. Here, we show that not only the loop but also four C-terminal Ser/Thr residues are essential for Ste7 to function in the Fus3 cascade of Beauveria bassiana, a filamentous fungal insect pathogen. Mutagenesis of either looped S216/T220 or C-terminal S362 resulted in the same severe defects in conidial germination, hyphal growth, aerial conidiation, and submerged blastospore production as the ste7 deletion, followed by a complete loss of virulence and similarly increased cell sensitivities to osmotic salts, oxidants, heat shock and UV-B irradiation. Mutagenesis of three other Ser/Thr residues (S391, S440, and T485) also caused severe defects in most of the mentioned phenotypes. These defects correlated well with dramatically reduced transcript levels of some phenotype-related genes. These genes encode a transcription factor (CreA) essential for carbon/nitrogen assimilation, developmental activators (BrlA, AbaA, and WetA) and upstream transcription factor (FluG) required for conidiation, P-type N⁺/K⁺ ATPases (Ena1-5) required for intracellular N⁺/K⁺ homeostasis, and antioxidant enzymes involved in multiple stress responses. Our study unveils that the loop and four C-terminal Ser/Thr residues are all vital for the regulatory role of Ste7 in the growth, conidiation, virulence, and/or stress tolerance of B. bassiana and perhaps other filamentous fungi.

[Distribution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the Sediments of the Estuary of the Tributaries in the Three Gorges Reservoir, SW China]

To investigate the pollution status of sediments at the junction of the Three Gorges Reservoir area, sediment samples were collected over four seasons from the junction of the estuary located at a tributary of the Ruxi River and the Yangtze River. The content of eight heavy metals (HMs), including Cr, Zn, Mn, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, and Pb, in sediments was determined by ICP-MS. The results showed the average levels of investigated HMs (in mg·kg^-1) were Cr (45.24), Zn (46.46), Mn (406.14), Ni (20.885), Cu (12.49), As (7.02), Cd (0.253), and Pb (11.042). The distribution analysis indicated that the levels of HMs at the river mouth were higher than that of the tributaries of the middle reaches and the two sections nearby. The seasonal distribution shows that the heavy metal content in the spring sediment is higher than in summer, autumn and winter. In addition, the correlation analysis indicated that the eight HMs possessed similar homologous characteristics and had common exogenous inputs. The assessment of the Geo Accumulation Index showed slight Cd pollution in the estuary of Ruxi River, and the Potential Ecological Risk index showed that Cd presented moderate ecological risks. The toxic effect of benthonic organisms was possibly correlated to Ni contamination at the intersection of the tributary and main stream, which was supported by the evidence from the sediment quality criteria. In conclusion, the rating of ecological risk at the mouth of the Ruxi River tributary is slight.

Fiber in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on a pair of short sections of waveguide

A fiber in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on a pair of femtosecond laser inscribed short sections of waveguide is presented. One short waveguide directs part of the propagating light from the fiber core to the cladding-air interface, and experiences multiple total internal reflections before taking back to the fiber core by the other short waveguide. The device is robust in structure, can be fabricated in a fast way and with a flexible manner, and has the capability of ambient refractive index sensing, which makes it highly desirable for many "lab-in-fiber" applications.

Essential role of Rpd3-dependent lysine modification in the growth, development and virulence of Beauveria bassiana

Rpd3 is a class I histone deacetylase that reverses lysine acetylation thus influencing cellular processes and functions. However, its role in fungal insect pathogens has not been explored yet. Here we show that Rpd3-dependent lysine modification and gene expression orchestrate growth, conidiation and virulence in Beauveria bassiana. Deletion of Rpd3 resulted in severe growth defects on various carbon/nitrogen sources, 97% reduction in conidiation capacity and drastic attenuation in virulence. These phenotypes concurred with differential expression of 1479 proteins and hyperacetylation or hypoacetylation of 2227 lysine residues on 1134 proteins. Many of these proteins fell into carbon/nitrogen metabolism and cell rescue/defence/virulence, indicating vital roles of Rpd3-dependent protein expression and lysine modification in the fungal growth and virulence. Intriguingly, lysine residues of four core histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4) and many histone acetyltransferases were also hyper- or hypoacetylated in Δrpd3, suggesting direct and indirect roles for Rpd3 in genome-wide lysine modification. However, crucial development activators were transcriptionally repressed and not found in either proteome or acetylome. Single/double-site-directed H3K9/K14 mutations for hyper/hypoacetylation exerted significant impacts on conidiation and dimorphic transition crucial for fungal virulence. Altogether, Rpd3 mediates growth, asexual development and virulence through transcriptional/translational regulation and posttranslational lysine modification in B. bassiana.

DNA hydroxymethylation rate in the AChE and HoxC4 promoter associated with human sperm quality

The relationship of altered DNA 5'-hydroxymethylation in human spermatozoa with seminal parameters remains unclear. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the 5'-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) rate in the promoters of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and homeobox C4 (HoxC4) genes and human sperm concentration/motility. The study population consisted of three groups: asthenozoospermia (AZ), oligoasthenozoospermia (OAZ) and normozoospermia (NZ). The 5hmC rate in the promoter was measured by CCGG loci-dependent MspI/HpaII restriction mapping of glycosylation-modified sperm DNA combined with a hydroxymethylation-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. The 5hmC rate in the AChE promoter in group AZ and OAZ was higher than that in group NZ (p < .05). A weak inverse correlation between 5hmC rate of AChE and sperm motility was observed in all subjects (r = -.172, p < .05). The 5hmC rate in the HoxC4 promoter in group OAZ was lower than that in group NZ (p < .05). These results indicated that altered 5hmC rates of AChE and HoxC4 promoters are associated with low sperm motility and sperm concentration respectively.

Long non-coding RNA LINC00261 sensitizes human colon cancer cells to cisplatin therapy

Colon cancer is one of the most common digestive tumors. The present study aimed to explore the functional role, as well as the underlying mechanism of long non-coding RNA LINC00261 in colon cancer. Expression of LINC00261 was analyzed in colon cancer cell lines and human normal cell lines. Acquired resistance cell lines were then built and the acquired resistance efficiency was detected by evaluating cell viability. Thereafter, the effects of LINC00261 overexpression on cisplatin-resistant colon cancer cells were measured, as well as cell apoptosis, viability, migration, and invasion. Subsequently, we investigated the interaction of LINC00261 and β-catenin. The results showed that the LINC00261 gene was down-regulated in colon cancer cell lines and tissues, and in cisplatin-resistant cells. LINC00261 overexpression might relieve cisplatin resistance of colon cancer cells via promoting cell apoptosis, and inhibiting cell viability, migration, and invasion. Moreover, LINC00261 might down-regulate nuclear β-catenin through restraining β-catenin from cytoplasm into nuclei or it could also promote β-catenin degradation and inhibit activation of Wnt pathway. Finally, LINC00261 reduced cisplatin resistance of colon cancer in vivo and enhanced the anti-colon cancer effect of cisplatin through reducing tumor volume and weight.

Fiber inline Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on femtosecond laser inscribed waveguides

A new type of Mach-Zehnder interferometer device based on in-fiber optical waveguides, fabricated by direct femtosecond laser pulse inscription in a single-mode fiber has been demonstrated and successfully employed for temperature and strain measurement. The in-fiber waveguide can couple the light out from the fiber core and guide it along the cladding region before directing it back into the fiber core. Such an inner structured interferometer device is compact and robust, can be constructed in a flexible and precisely controlled manner, and hence is expected to have many potential applications.

Blood service in the Tibetan regions of Garzê and Aba, China: a longitudinal survey

BACKGROUND

Garzê and Aba form the second largest Tibetan-inhabited area of China. Blood services have never been reported for this region before.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the current situation and analyse whether a safe and adequate blood supply has been developed in both Garzê and Aba.

METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal survey covering the period 2011-2016. The subjects of interest were recruited from non-remunerated voluntary donation, blood testing, clinical transfusion practices and infrastructure of local blood service systems.

RESULTS

The donation rate and blood collection volume were below the average levels of both the Sichuan Province and mainland China. Component therapy was widely used, but inappropriate usage of whole blood existed. A lack of national specific standards for people on the plateaus led to local blood transfusions being conducted without full clinical assessment. Endemic and frequently occurring disease, such as hydatid disease and gastrointestinal disease, were inevitable risks for blood utilisation and safety. The potential influence of religious belief and traditions, like 'male-leaving marriages', of Tibetans on donor recruitment and blood safety requires further research.

CONCLUSIONS

A relatively safe and complete blood service system has been developed in this region. However, there is still an urgent need for comprehensive and effective support from the government in terms of policies and finance. As an epidemic area of hydatid disease and sexually transmitted disease, this region needs to emphasise public health measures, such as blood safety and inappropriate usage of blood products.

High dislocation density-induced large ductility in deformed and partitioned steels

A wide variety of industrial applications require materials with high strength and ductility. Unfortunately, the strategies for increasing material strength, such as processing to create line defects (dislocations), tend to decrease ductility. We developed a strategy to circumvent this in inexpensive, medium manganese steel. Cold rolling followed by low-temperature tempering developed steel with metastable austenite grains embedded in a highly dislocated martensite matrix. This deformed and partitioned (D and P) process produced dislocation hardening but retained high ductility, both through the glide of intensive mobile dislocations and by allowing us to control martensitic transformation. The D and P strategy should apply to any other alloy with deformation-induced martensitic transformation and provides a pathway for the development of high-strength, high-ductility materials.

Global Insight into Lysine Acetylation Events and Their Links to Biological Aspects in Beauveria bassiana, a Fungal Insect Pathogen

Lysine acetylation (Kac) events in filamentous fungi are poorly explored. Here we show a lysine acetylome generated by LC-MS/MS analysis of immunoaffinity-based Kac peptides from normal hyphal cells of Beauveria bassiana, a fungal entomopathogen. The acetylome comprised 283 Kac proteins and 464 Kac sites. These proteins were enriched to eight molecular functions, 20 cellular components, 27 biological processes, 20 KEGG pathways and 12 subcellular localizations. All Kac sites were characterized as six Kac motifs, including a novel motif (KacW) for 26 Kac sites of 17 unknown proteins. Many Kac sites were predicted to be multifunctional, largely expanding the fungal Kac events. Biological importance of identified Kac sites was confirmed through functional analysis of Kac sites on Pmt1 and Pmt4, two O-mannosyltransferases. Singular site mutations (K88R and K482R) of Pmt1 resulted in impaired conidiation, attenuated virulence and decreased tolerance to oxidation and cell wall perturbation. These defects were close to or more severe than those caused by the deletion of pmt1. The Pmt4 K360R mutation facilitated colony growth under normal and stressful conditions and enhanced the fungal virulence. Our findings provide the first insight into the Kac events of B. bassiana and their links to the fungal potential against insect pests.

Characterization of the Hog1 MAPK pathway in the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana

High-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway required for yeast osmoregulation relies upon the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Hog1 cascade that comprise the MAPKKKs Ssk2/Ssk22 and Ste11 converging on the MAPKK Pbs2. Here we show a Hog1 cascade with the unique MAPKKK Ssk2 acting in Beauveria bassiana. Hypersensitivity to high osmolarity and high resistance to fludioxonil fungicide appeared in Δssk2, Δpbs2 and Δhog1 mutants whereas the two hallmark phenotypes were reversed in Δste11. Increased sensitivity to heat shock and decreased sensitivity to cell wall perturbation also occurred in the three mutants but not in Δste11 although antioxidant phenotypes were different in all deletion mutants. Intriguingly, signals of Hog1 phosphorylation induced by osmotic, oxidative and thermal cues were present in Δste11 but absent in Δssk2 and Δpbs2. Moreover, vegetative growth on minimal media with different carbon/nitrogen sources was much more suppressed in Δste11 and Δssk2 than in Δpbs2 and Δhog1 although all mutants suffered similar, but severe, conidiation defects on a standard medium. Normal host infection was abolished in Δste11 while virulence was differentially attenuated in other mutants. Our findings exclude Ste11 from the Hog1 cascade that regulates multiple stress responses and environmental adaptation of B. bassiana and perhaps other filamentous fungi.

Diagnostic and prognostic significance of E-cadherin and Ki-67 expression in non-small cell lung cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the relationship between E-cadherin (E-cad) and Ki-67, and to determine their clinical significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 68 NSCLC paraffin embedded tissue specimens and tumor-adjacent normal tissue specimens were collected. The expression of E-cad and Ki-67 was examined by immunohistochemistry and the relationships between the expression of these two markers were evaluated. The clinicopathological features were correlated with the expression of E-cad and Ki-67 to check whether these proteins have any association and if exist an association whether E-cad and Ki-67 can be used in diagnosis and prognosis of NSCLSC.

RESULTS

E-cad was expressed in all the normal tissues but Ki-67 expressed in only 5.8% of normal tissues. Ki-67 and E-cad expression were observed in 61.8% and 25% of NSCLC tissues respectively. Correlation analysis revealed an inverse association between the expression of E-cad and Ki-67 (r = 0.524, p = 0.000). The clinicopathological features such as tumor differentiation, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and pleural invasion were all significantly associated with E-cad and Ki-67 expression (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

E-cad and Ki-67 together play a key role in the development, invasion and metastasis of NSCLC and combined detection of them serve as a potential marker for clinical diagnosis in addition to exploiting them as a therapeutic target.

Designing a stronger interface through graded structures in amorphous/nanocrystalline ZrCu/Cu multilayered films

Many multilayered nano-structures appear to fail due to brittle matter along the interfaces. In order to toughen them, in this study, the microstructure and interface strength of multilayered thin films consisting of amorphous ZrCu and nanocrystalline Cu (with sharp or graded interfaces) are examined and analyzed. The interface possesses a gradient nature in terms of composition, nanocrystalline phase size and volume fraction. The bending results extracted from the nano-scaled cantilever bending samples demonstrate that multilayered films with graded interfaces would have a much higher interface bending strength/strain/modulus, and an overall improvement upgrade of more than 50%. The simple graded interface design of multilayered thin films with improved mechanical properties can offer much more promising performance in structural and functional applications for MEMS or optical coating.

Ectopic expression of Arabidopsis thaliana Na+(K+)/H+ antiporter gene, AtNHX5, enhances soybean salt tolerance

Drought and salt stresses are the two major factors influencing the yield and quality of crops worldwide. Na(+)(K(+))/H(+) antiporters (NHXs) are ubiquitous membrane proteins that play important roles in maintaining the cellular pH and Na(+)(K(+)) homeostasis. The model plant Arabidopsis potentially encodes six NHX genes, namely AtNHX1 to 6. In the present study, AtNHX5, a comparatively less well-studied NHX, was cloned and transferred into a soybean variety, Dongnong-50, via Agrobacterium-mediated cotyledonary node transformation to assess its role in improving salt tolerance of the transgenic plants. The transgenic soybean plants were tolerant to the presence of 300 mM NaCl whereas the non-transgenic plants were not. Furthermore, after NaCl treatment, the transgenic plants had a higher content of free proline but lower content of malondialdehyde compared to the non-transgenic plants. Our results revealed that that AtNHX5 possibly functioned by efficiently transporting Na(+) and K(+) ions from the roots to the leaves. Overall, the results obtained in this study suggest that soybean salt tolerance could be improved through the over expression of Arabidopsis AtNHX5.

Proteomic and Phosphoproteomic Insights into a Signaling Hub Role for Cdc14 in Asexual Development and Multiple Stress Responses in Beauveria bassiana

Cdc14 is a dual-specificity phosphatase that regulates nuclear behavior by dephosphorylating phosphotyrosine and phosphoserine/phosphothreonine in fungi. Previously, Cdc14 was shown to act as a positive regulator of cytokinesis, asexual development and multiple stress responses in Beauveria bassiana, a fungal insect pathogen. This study seeks to gain deep insight into a pivotal role of Cdc14 in the signaling network of B. bassiana by analyzing the Cdc14-specific proteome and phosphoproteome generated by the 8-plex iTRAQ labeling and MS/MS analysis of peptides and phosphopeptides. Under normal conditions, 154 proteins and 86 phosphorylation sites in 67 phosphoproteins were upregulated in Δcdc14 versus wild-type, whereas 117 proteins and 85 phosphorylation sites in 58 phosphoproteins were significantly downregulated. Co-cultivation of Δcdc14 with NaCl (1 M), H₂O₂ (3 mM) and Congo red (0.15 mg/ml) resulted in the upregulation / downregulation of 23/63, 41/39 and 79/79 proteins and of 127/112, 52/47 and 105/226 phosphorylation sites in 85/92, 45/36 and 79/146 phosphoproteins, respectively. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that Cdc14 could participate in many biological and cellular processes, such as carbohydrate metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, the MAP Kinase signaling pathway, and DNA conformation, by regulating protein expression and key kinase phosphorylation in response to different environmental cues. These indicate that in B. bassiana, Cdc14 is a vital regulator of not only protein expression but also many phosphorylation events involved in developmental and stress-responsive pathways. Fourteen conserved and novel motifs were identified in the fungal phosphorylation events.

Prognostic role of platelet to lymphocyte ratio in non-small cell lung cancers: A meta-analysis including 3,720 patients

Platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was recently reported as a useful index in predicting the prognosis of lung cancer. However, the prognostic role of PLR in lung cancer remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between PLR and clinical outcome of lung cancer patients through a meta-analysis. Relevant literatures were retrieved from PubMed, Ovid, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases. Meta-analysis was performed using hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as effect measures. A total of 5,314 patients from 13 studies were finally enrolled in the meta-analysis. The summary results showed that elevated PLR predicted poorer overall survival (OS) (HR: 1.526, 95%CI: 1.268-1.836, p < 0.001) in patients with lung cancer and OS (HR: 1.631, 95%CI: 1.447-1.837, p < 0.001) in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Subgroup analysis revealed that increased PLR was also associated with poor OS in NSCLC treated by surgical resection (HR: 1.884, 95%CI: 1.308-2.714, P < 0.001) and non-surgery (HR: 1.570, 95%CI: 1.323-1.863, P < 0.001). In addition, PLR Cut-off value ≤ 160 (HR: 1.506, 95%CI: 1.292-1.756, P < 0.001) and PLR Cut-off value>160 (HR: 1.842, 95%CI: 1.523-2.228, P < 0.001). In contrast, elevated PLR was not associated with OS (HR: 1.117, 95%CI: 0.796-1.569, P > 0.05) in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).This meta-analysis result suggested that elevated PLR might be a predicative factor of poor prognosis for NSCLC patients.

Temporal and spatial expression profiles of Frizzled 3 in the ovary during the estrous cycle

Frizzled 3 is an important receptor in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, a conserved signaling pathway that regulates gene expression and controls diverse developmental processes. However, the role of this protein during follicular development in the adult ovary is not known. The present study was designed to investigate the expression and localization of Frizzled 3 mRNA and protein during the estrous cycle in the mouse ovary through in situ hybridization (ISH), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry and western blot. ISH results showed that in proestrus, high expression of Frizzled 3 was found in the granulosa and stroma with weak levels in the corpus luteum. In estrus and diestrus, the stroma had high Frizzled 3 expression, but levels were low in granulosa cells and corpus luteum. In the metestrus, moderate expression of Frizzled 3 was found in the stroma but low to no expression was found in luteal cells and follicles. The mRNA and protein levels of Frizzled 3 were found to be the highest in proestrus and diestrus compared to estrus and metestrus (P < 0.05), confirming the ISH results. During estrus and diestrus, high Frizzled 3 expression was observed in the stroma and moderate levels in granulosa cells, and during estrus and proestrus, low expression was seen in the oocyte cell membrane. The western blot results further confirmed this change during the estrous cycle. Together, these results indicate that Frizzled 3 is involved in regulating follicular development and oocyte maturation during the estrous cycle.

Diagnostic value of SHOX2 DNA methylation in lung cancer: a meta-analysis

The diagnostic value of SHOX2 DNA methylation in patients with lung cancer remains controversial. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess diagnostic accuracy of SHOX2 DNA methylation in the lymph node, bronchial aspirates, pleural effusion, plasma, and tumor tissue for lung cancer. We conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Ovid, the Cochrane library, and Web of Science databases in May 2015. The diagnostic sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve were pooled using STATA 12.0 software. A total of 2,296 subjects included 1,129 lung cancer patients in eight studies were recruited in this meta-analysis. The summary estimates for SHOX2 DNA methylation in the diagnosis of lung cancer in these studies were pooled SEN =0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.46–0.87), SPE =0.96 (95% CI: 0.91–0.99), PLR 20.01 (95% CI: 6.96–57.52), NLR 0.31 (95% CI: 0.15–0.64), and DOR 65.11 (95% CI: 13.10–323.61), and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.94–0.97). SHOX2 DNA methylation has greater diagnostic value in detecting lung cancer. In addition, considering the potential publication bias and high heterogeneity, further research studies with more well-designed and large sample sizes are needed in the future.

Prognostic role of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in lung cancers: a meta-analysis including 7,054 patients

Background

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has recently been reported to be a poor prognostic indicator in lung cancer. However, the prognostic value of the NLR in patients with lung cancer still remains controversial. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of NLR in patients with lung cancer.

Methods

We performed a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Ovid, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases in May 2015. Studies were assessed for quality using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale.

Results

Twenty-two studies with a total of 7,054 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was performed to generate combined hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Our analysis results indicated that high NLR predicted poorer OS (HR, 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33–1.71; P<0.001) and PFS (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.07–1.67; P=0.012) in patients with lung cancer. High NLR was also associated with poor OS in lung cancer treated by surgical resection (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.26–1.99; P<0.001) and chemotherapy (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.08–1.22; P<0.001). In addition, NLR cut-off value =5 (HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.16–2.12; P=0.003) and NLR cut-off value <5 (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.28–1.69; P<0.001).

Conclusion

This meta-analysis result suggested that NLR should have significant predictive ability for estimating OS and PFS in patients with lung cancer and may be as a significant biomarker in the prognosis of lung cancer.

ISOLATION AND FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF McMenA, A GENE ENCODING A 1,4-DIHYDROXY-2-NAPHTHOATE OCTAPRENYLTRANSFERASE IN Mylabris cichorii

Cantharidin is a biomolecule with a role in host defense that can also be used as an anticancer drug. The in vivo biosynthetic pathway for cantharidin has been the subject of debate for several decades and the mechanism is not yet completely understood. To study the biosynthetic pathway of cantharidin in blister beetles, Mylabris cichori, a full-length MenA (McMenA) cDNA was cloned based on the partial sequence of the MenA gene from a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) library of male and female adult M. cichorii. The cDNA was 1264 base pairs (bp) with an open reading frame of 1026 bp nucleotides encoding a 341 amino acid protein. Analysis of the McMenA amino acid sequence showed that the aspartate rich motif N/DDxxD represented binding sites for prenyl diphosphate via a Mg(2+) ion. Phylogenetic analysis showed that McMenA was most closely related to MenA of Tribolium castaneum, and the amino acid sequence similarity was 86%. The expression pattern of McMenA in adults was analyzed using RT-qPCR, and we found that the highest expression of McMenA occurred during 22-25 days in the sex-separate breeding males, while the lowest expression occurred in females at the same time. Injection with a specific double-strand RNA (dsRNA) of McMenA led to a significant reduction of McMenA mRNA levels after 24 h. Cantharidin and ATP concentrations dropped around the same time. Together, our data showed that the McMenA gene might be involved in cantharidin biosynthesis.

Cohn process influences the functional anticoagulant activity of human protein C

Cohn fraction IV (CFIV) is a byproduct of a plasma fractionation process known as the Cohn process. It is an inexpensive source of protein C, retaining about 90% of protein C (PC) in human plasma. We investigated whether PC is affected during the Cohn process and evaluated correlations among coagulant activity, amidolytic activity and PC antigen during the Cohn process. CFIV was redissolved with citrate-buffered saline for 5 h at 4°C, and then centrifuged at 3500 g for 40 min at 4°C. Functional anticoagulant activity was measured with a one-stage coagulation method based on activated partial thromboplastin time. The functional amidolytic activity of PC was determined using chromogenic substrate assay, and measurement of PC antigen was performed by ELISA. In CFIV, anticoagulant activity declined significantly, with a loss of >80%, while amidolytic activity was not significantly altered, compared to PC antigen. Prior to the Cohn process, high-rank correlations were observed in cryosupernatant, with rs = 0.921 for anticoagulant and amidolytic activities (P = 0.009), 0.896 for anticoagulant activity and antigen (P = 0.014) and 0.832 for amidolytic activity and antigen (P = 0.031). After the Cohn process in CFIV, there was also a high correlation between amidolytic activity and antigen (rs = 0.782, P = 0.038). There were no significant correlations between anticoagulant activity and antigen (rs = 0.223, P = 0.653), or anticoagulant and amidolytic activity (rs = 0.236, P = 0.675). We conclude that the Cohn process significantly influences the anticoagulant activity of PC. Compared to the antigen, PC lost greater than 80% of its anticoagulant activity, but retained its amidolytic activity, during the Cohn process.

Acupuncture modulates the neuro-endocrine-immune network

As a nonspecific physical stimulation, the effect of acupuncture on diseases is produced by motivating the inherent regulatory system in the body, having the characteristics of whole regulation, dual directional regulation, etc. Modern scientific researches show that body's inherent regulatory system is neuro-endocrine-immune (NEI) network. Hence, we speculate that the regulatory effect of acupuncture may be produced through its regulation of NEI network. In this article, we reviewed the recent researches about acupuncture's effect on the NEI network, to find out the evidence of acupuncture adjusting NEI network and provide some evidences for revealing the mechanism of acupuncture.

Review article: fungal microbiota and digestive diseases

BACKGROUND

The role of the fungal microbiota in digestive diseases is poorly defined, but is becoming better understood due to advances in metagenomics.

AIM

To review the gastrointestinal fungal microbiota and its relationship with digestive diseases.

METHODS

Search of the literature using PubMed and MEDLINE databases. Subject headings including 'fungal-bacterial interactions', 'mycotoxins', 'immunity to fungi', 'fungal infection', 'fungal microbiota', 'mycobiome' and 'digestive diseases' were used.

RESULTS

The fungal microbiota is an integral part of the gastrointestinal microecosystem with up to 10(6) microorganisms per gram of faeces. Next-generation sequencing of the fungal 18S rRNA gene has allowed better characterisation of the gastrointestinal mycobiome. Numerous interactions between fungi and bacteria and the complex immune response to gastrointestinal commensal or pathogenic fungi all impact on the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease and other gastrointestinal inflammatory entities such as peptic ulcers. Mycotoxins generated as fungal metabolites contribute to disturbances of gastrointestinal barrier and immune functions and are associated with chronic intestinal inflammatory conditions as well as hepatocellular and oesophagogastric cancer. Systemic and gastrointestinal disease can also lead to secondary fungal infections. Fungal genomic databases and methodologies need to be further developed and will allow a much better understanding of the diversity and function of the mycobiome in gastrointestinal inflammation, tumourigenesis, liver cirrhosis and transplantation, and its alteration as a consequence of antibiotic therapy and chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The fungal microbiota and its metabolites impact gastrointestinal function and contribute to the pathogenesis of digestive diseases. Further metagenomic analyses of the gastrointestinal mycobiome in health and disease is needed.

Investigation on CO(2) laser irradiation inducing glass strip peeling for microchannel formation

The study investigates the use of CO(2) laser to induce glass strip peeling off to form microchannels on soda lime gass substrate. The strip peeling exhibits a strong dependence on the energy deposition rate on the glass surface. In spite of the vast difference in the combination of laser power and scanning speed, when the ratio of the two makes the energy deposition rate in the range 3.0-6.0 J/(cm(2) s), the temperature rising inside glass will be above the strain point and reach the softening region of the glass. As a result, glass strip peeling is able to occur and form microchannels with dimensions of 20-40 μm in depth and 200-280 μm in width on the glass surface. Beyond this range, higher energy depsotion rate would lead to surface melting associated with solidification cracks and lower energy deposition rate causes the generation of fragment cracks.

Nanostructured magnonic crystal with magnetic-field tunable bandgap

Most experimental investigations into magnonic bandgaps are based on structures composed of single-constituent magnetic materials. Here we report Brillouin and numerical studies of the spin dynamics of a bi-component magnonic crystal, viz. a one-dimensional periodic array of alternating permalloy and cobalt 150 nm-wide nanostripes. Our measurements, together with those for a similar crystal composed of 250 nm-wide nanostripes, suggest that for a stripe width ratio of 1:1, the bandgap width of such magnonic arrays increases with crystal lattice constant. The bandgap parameters are strongly dependent on external magnetic field. This magnetic-field tunability of the bandgap is expected to be a crucial property of devices based on magnonic crystals. The agreement between numerical calculations, based on finite element analysis, and the experimental data is generally good.

Magnetic field dependence of the lowest-frequency edge-localized spin wave mode in a magnetic nanotriangle

An understanding of the spin dynamics of nanoscale magnetic elements is important for their applications in magnetic sensing and storage. Inhomogeneity of the demagnetizing field in a non-ellipsoidal magnetic element results in localization of spin waves near the edge of the element. However, relative little work has been carried out to investigate the effect of the applied magnetic fields on the nature of such localized modes. In this study, micromagnetic simulations are performed on an equilateral triangular nanomagnet to investigate the magnetic field dependence of the mode profiles of the lowest-frequency spin wave. Our findings reveal that the lowest-frequency mode is localized at the base edge of the equilateral triangle. The characteristics of its mode profile change with the ground state magnetization configuration of the nanotriangle, which, in turn, depends on the magnitude of the in-plane applied magnetic field.

Biochemical metabolic changes assessed by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy after radiation-induced hepatic injury in rabbits

AIM: To compare the features of biochemical metabolic changes detected by hepatic phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (³¹P MRS) with the liver damage score (LDS) and pathologic changes in rabbits and to investigate the diagnostic value of ³¹P MRS in acute hepatic radiation injury.

METHODS: A total of 30 rabbits received different radiation doses (ranging 5-20 Gy) to establish acute hepatic injury models. Blood biochemical tests, ³¹P MRS and pathological examinations were carried out 24 h after irradiation. The degree of injury was evaluated according to LDS and pathology. Ten healthy rabbits served as controls. The MR examination was performed on a 1.5 T imager using a ¹H/³¹P surface coil by the 2D chemical shift imaging technique. The relative quantities of phosphomonoesters (PME), phosphodiesters (PDE), inorganic phosphate (Pi) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were measured. The data were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: (1) Relative quantification of phosphorus metabolites: (a) ATP: there were significant differences (P < 0.05) (LDS-groups: control group vs mild group vs moderate group vs severe group, 1.83 ± 0.33 vs 1.55 ± 0.24 vs 1.27 ± 0.09 vs 0.98 ± 0.18; pathological groups: control group vs mild group vs moderate group vs severe group, 1.83 ± 0.33 vs 1.58 ± 0.25 vs 1.32 ± 0.07 vs 1.02 ± 0.18) of ATP relative quantification among control group, mild injured group, moderate injured group, and severe injured group according to both LDS grading and pathological grading, respectively, and it decreased progressively with the increased degree of injury (r = -0.723, P = 0.000). (b) PME and Pi; the relative quantification of PME and Pi decreased significantly in the severe injured group, and the difference between the control group and severe injured group was significant (P < 0.05) (PME: LDS-control group vs LDS-severe group, 0.86 ± 0.23 vs 0.58 ± 0.22, P = 0.031; pathological control group vs pathological severe group, 0.86 ± 0.23 vs 0.60 ± 0.21, P = 0.037; Pi: LDS-control group vs LDS-severe group, 0.74 ± 0.18 vs 0.43 ± 0.14, P = 0.013; pathological control group vs pathological severe group, 0.74 ± 0.18 vs 0.43 ± 0.14, P = 0.005) according to LDS grading and pathological grading, respectively. (c) PDE; there were no significant differences among groups according to LDS grading, and no significant differences between the control group and experimental groups according to pathological grading. (2) The ratio of relative quantification of phosphorus metabolites: significant differences (P < 0.05) (LDS-moderate group and LDS-severe group vs LDS-control group and LDS-mild group, 1.94 ± 0.50 and 1.96 ± 0.72 vs 1.43 ± 0.31 and 1.40 ± 0.38) were only found in PDE/ATP between the moderate injured group, the severe injured group and the control group, the mild injured group. No significant difference was found in other ratios of relative quantification of phosphorus metabolites.

CONCLUSION: ³¹P MRS is a useful method to evaluate early acute hepatic radiation injury. The relative quantification of hepatic ATP levels, which can reflect the pathological severity of acute hepatic radiation injury, is correlated with LDS.

Computed tomography of pancreatic implantation with malignant transformation of leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata in a man

Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata (LPD) is a rare condition in females. We report a case of pancreatic implantation with malignant transformation of LPD in a man. A 42-year-old man presented with a 16-month history of persistent pain in the right upper abdomen with dorsolumbar radiating pain and weight loss. Spiral computed tomography revealed diffuse enlargement of pancreas with multiple, miliary, micronodular, low-density lesions. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report of the pancreatic implantation of LPD and the third report of LPD in a male.

[Investigation of simple Wiener spectrum measurement in medical imaging systems]

This paper is to approach a simple method for Wiener spectrum measurement in different medial imaging systems. The program written in VC++6.0 can be used to obtain the density datum as discrete signals by scanning films on AGFA DUOSCAN T2000XL scanner, then WS values can be calculated by using fast Fourier transform. The method is applied to different x-ray photographs and the WS values are consistent with the known datum from MD-100 micro-densimeter. The method can make automatic data collection and procedural calculation, showing the characteristics of its simplicity and high speed.

Spin waves in nickel nanorings of large aspect ratio

The spin dynamics of high-aspect-ratio nickel nanorings in a longitudinal magnetic field have been investigated by Brillouin spectroscopy and the results are compared with a macroscopic theory and three-dimensional micromagnetic simulations. Good agreement is found between the measured and calculated magnetic field dependence of the spin wave frequency. Simulations show that as the field decreases from saturation, the rings switch from a "bamboo" to a novel "twisted bamboo" state at a certain critical field, and predict a corresponding dip in the dependence of the spin wave frequency on the magnetic field.

Brillouin study of the quantization of acoustic modes in nanospheres

The vibrational modes in three-dimensional ordered arrays of unembedded SiO2 nanospheres have been studied by Brillouin light scattering. Multiple distinct Brillouin peaks are observed whose frequencies are found to be inversely proportional to the diameter (approximately 200-340 nm) of the nanospheres, in agreement with Lamb's theory. This is the first Brillouin observation of acoustic mode quantization in a nanoparticle arising from spatial confinement. The distinct spectral peaks measured afford an unambiguous assignment of seven surface and inner acoustic modes. Interestingly, the relative intensities and polarization dependence of the Brillouin spectrum do not agree with the predictions made for Raman scattering.

Spin-wave quantization in ferromagnetic nickel nanowires

The dynamical properties of uniform two-dimensional arrays of nickel nanowires have been investigated by inelastic light scattering. Multiple spin waves are observed that are in accordance with dipole-exchange theory predictions for the quantization of bulk spin waves. This first study of the spin-wave dynamics in ferromagnetic nanowire arrays reveals strong mode quantization effects and indications of a subtle magnetic interplay between nanowires. The results show that it is important to take proper account of these effects for the fundamental physics and future technological developments of magnetic nanowires.

[Dual sieve-mesh collimator]

In this paper is advanced a new type of collimator-dual sieve-mesh collimator. Its principle is to use scanned electronic beam to attack 400 matrix-arranged wolfram targets of the square holes on the upper side of the main collimator and created 400 small X-ray fields sized by 10 mm x 10 mm. These X-ray fields will leave on its center 400 smaller X-ray fields sized by 5 mm x 5 mm after being further collimated by a sub-collimator. What's more, 16 different groups of such X-ray fields can be left on the center of the same field by controlling the all-round movement of the main collimator and sub-collimator in proper order and by scanning it round by round and mesh by mesh with electronic beams. It is these ting fields groups that make up various treatment fields with different energy (Dosage). This type of collimator can replace and simplify all other present collimators on accelerators and conformal-intensity modulation radiotherapy equipment. It has advantage of reducing the costs of radio-therapy equipment and making conformal and intensity modulation radiotherapy easier to perform.

[Relationship between differential expression patterns of multigene families and heterosis in a wheat diallel crosses]

In order to understand molecular basis of heterosis, the patterns of differential gene expression of multigene families between wheat hybrids and their parents in seedling leaves were analyzed by using mRNA differential display. Relationships between differential gene expression patterns, heterosis and F1 hybrid performance were determined. Four patterns of differential gene expression were observed, which include: (1) bands observed in both parents but not in the F1; (2) bands occurring in only one parent but not in the F1 or the other parent; (3) bands detected in only the F1 but neither of the parents; (4) bands present in one parent and F1 but absent in the other parent. The analysis showed that patterns of differential gene expression were not correlated with the F1 hybrid performance for all the eight agronomic traits. However, differentially expressed fragments that occurred only in the F1 but neither of the parents were found to be positively correlated with heterosis. On the contrary, fragments observed in both parents but not in the F1 were negatively correlated with heterosis. It is concluded that the differential expression of regulatory genes plays an important role in heterosis.