[A dry-reagent assay to rapidly detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis using loop-mediated isothermal amplification]

A molecular diagnostic assay which could be stored at room temperature was developed to rapidly detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technology and dry-reagent process. LAMP uses 4 or 6 primers and Bst DNA polymerase to amplify DNA at a constant temperature. The results showed that the LAMP assay could detect the amplification of IS6110 target gene within 20 min using real-time fluorescence signal detection. The sensitive of LAMP assay was similar to the PCR technology while the precision of PCR was better than LAMP (coefficient of variation, LAMP 18.9%, PCR 3.4%), meaning LAMP was more suitable for qualitative detection. The LAMP assay did not amplify DNA of other 10 types of pathogens, including Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Rubivirus, mumps virus, adenovirus (type 3), adenovirus (type 7), respiratory syncytial virus B and parainfluenza virus type 2, indicating a good specificity. Furthermore, a dry-reagent assay was developed using air-drying and freeze-drying process. The performance of dried reagents did not change after 10 days storage at 50 ℃, meaning the dried reagents could be stored at room temperature (25 ℃) for more than six months. The dry-reagent LAMP assay also successfully amplified MTB DNA from several clinical samples within 20 min. In conclusion, the developed LAMP assay together with isothermal amplifier could rapidly detection MTB.

The therapeutic mechanism of transcranial iTBS on nerve regeneration and functional recovery in rats with complete spinal cord transection

Background

After spinal cord transection injury, the inflammatory microenvironment formed at the injury site, and the cascade of effects generated by secondary injury, results in limited regeneration of injured axons and the apoptosis of neurons in the sensorimotor cortex (SMC). It is crucial to reverse these adverse processes for the recovery of voluntary movement. The mechanism of transcranial intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) as a new non-invasive neural regulation paradigm in promoting axonal regeneration and motor function repair was explored by means of a severe spinal cord transection.

Methods

Rats underwent spinal cord transection and 2 mm resection of spinal cord at T10 level. Four groups were studied: Normal (no lesion), Control (lesion with no treatment), sham iTBS (lesion and no functional treatment) and experimental, exposed to transcranial iTBS, 72 h after spinal lesion. Each rat received treatment once a day for 5 days a week; behavioral tests were administered one a week. Inflammation, neuronal apoptosis, neuroprotective effects, regeneration and synaptic plasticity after spinal cord injury (SCI) were determined by immunofluorescence staining, western blotting and mRNA sequencing. For each rat, anterograde tracings were acquired from the SMC or the long descending propriospinal neurons and tested for cortical motor evoked potentials (CMEPs). Regeneration of the corticospinal tract (CST) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) nerve fibers were analyzed 10 weeks after SCI.

Results

When compared to the Control group, the iTBS group showed a reduced inflammatory response and reduced levels of neuronal apoptosis in the SMC when tested 2 weeks after treatment. Four weeks after SCI, the neuroimmune microenvironment at the injury site had improved in the iTBS group, and neuroprotective effects were evident, including the promotion of axonal regeneration and synaptic plasticity. After 8 weeks of iTBS treatment, there was a significant increase in CST regeneration in the region rostral to the site of injury. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the number of 5-HT nerve fibers at the center of the injury site and the long descending propriospinal tract (LDPT) fibers in the region caudal to the site of injury. Moreover, CMEPs and hindlimb motor function were significantly improved.

Conclusion

Neuronal activation and neural tracing further verified that iTBS had the potential to provide neuroprotective effects during the early stages of SCI and induce regeneration effects related to the descending motor pathways (CST, 5-HT and LDPT). Furthermore, our results revealed key relationships between neural pathway activation, neuroimmune regulation, neuroprotection and axonal regeneration, as well as the interaction network of key genes.

Q-Learning-Based Hyperheuristic Evolutionary Algorithm for Dynamic Task Allocation of Crowdsensing

Task allocation is a crucial issue of mobile crowdsensing. The existing crowdsensing systems normally select the optimal participants giving no consideration to the sudden departure of mobile users, which significantly affects the sensing quality of tasks with a long sensing period. Furthermore, the ability of a mobile user to collect high-precision data is commonly treated as the same for different types of tasks, causing the unqualified data for some tasks provided by a competitive user. To address the issue, a dynamic task allocation model of crowdsensing is constructed by considering mobile user availability and tasks changing over time. Moreover, a novel indicator for comprehensively evaluating the sensing ability of mobile users collecting high-quality data for different types of tasks at the target area is proposed. A new Q -learning-based hyperheuristic evolutionary algorithm is suggested to deal with the problem in a self-learning way. Specifically, a memory-based initialization strategy is developed to seed a promising population by reusing participants who are capable of completing a particular task with high quality in the historical optima. In addition, taking both sensing ability and cost of a mobile user into account, a novel comprehensive strength-based neighborhood search is introduced as a low-level heuristic (LLH) to select a substitute for a costly participant. Finally, based on a new definition of the state, a Q -learning-based high-level strategy is designed to find a suitable LLH for each state. Empirical results of 30 static and 20 dynamic experiments expose that this hyperheuristic achieves superior performance compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms.

[Analysis of the efficacy and safety of coblation and pulsed radiofrequency in the treatment of cervicogenic headache]

Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of coblation and pulsed radiofrequency on cervicogenic headache (CEH). Methods: A total of 118 patients with CEH who underwent coblation or pulsed radiofrequency in the Department of Pain Management at Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from August 2018 to June 2020 was retrospectively collected. Patients were divided into the coblation group (n=64) and the pulsed radiofrequency group (n=54) according to different surgical methods. In the coblation group, there were 14 males and 50 females, aged 29-65 (49.8±10.2) years, while in the pulse radiofrequency group, there were 24 males and 30 females, aged 18-65 (41.7±14.8) years. Visual analogue scale (VAS) score, postoperative numbness in the affected areas and other complications were recorded and compared between the two groups at preoperative 3 d, and 1 month, 3 months and 6 months postoperatively. Results: The VAS score of the coblation group was (7.16±0.91), (3.67±1.13), (1.59±0.91), (1.66±0.84) and (1.56±0.90) before operation, and 3 days, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after surgery. Likewise, the VAS score of the pulsed radiofrequency group was (7.01±0.78), (1.58±0.88), (1.57±0.94), (3.71±1.08) and (6.92±0.83) at the aforementioned time points. There were statistically significant differences of VAS scores between the coblation group and the pulsed radiofrequency group at 3 days, 3 months and 6 months postoperatively (all P<0.001). Intra-group comparison revealed that VAS scores in the coblation group were significantly lower than those before surgery at all time points after surgery (all P<0.001), while VAS scores in the pulsed radiofrequency group were significantly decreased at 3 days, 1 month and 3 months after surgery (P<0.001). The incidence of numbness was 72% (46/64), 61% (39/64), 6% (4/64) and 3% (2/62) in the coblation group and 7% (4/54), 7% (4/54), 2% (1/54) and 0 (0/54) in the pulsed radiofrequency group, respectively. At 3 days and 1 month after surgery, the incidence of numbness in the coblation group was higher than those in the pulsed radiofrequency group (both P<0.001). In the coblation group, one patient developed pharyngeal discomfort 3 days after surgery, which disappeared spontaneously 1 week after surgery without special treatment. One patient developed vertigo after getting up in the morning at 3 days postoperatively, and the possibility of transient cerebral ischemia was considered. In the pulsed radiofrequency group, one patient developed nausea and vomiting after operation, but spontaneous remission was observed after one hour without special treatment. Conclusions: Both coblation and pulsed radiofrequency are effective and safe in the treatment of CEH. But the VAS scores at 3 and 6 months after coblation is significantly lower than those of pulsed radiofrequency ablation group, and the efficacy is better in those undergoing coblation.

[Clinical analysis of 4 children with hereditary hypercholesterolemia]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of hereditary hypercholesterolemia in childhood. Methods: The clinical data including general conditions, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, and genetic testing results of 4 children with hereditary hypercholesterolemia who admitted to Henan Children's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: There were 4 female children aged 5.5,1.5,6.3,3.1 years, all presented with skin xanthoxoma as the chief complaint. Plasma total cholesterol (range 11.8 to 20.9 mmol/L) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (range 8.2 to 13.7 mmol/L) were significantly elevated. The serum β-glutamate levels in case 1 (241.2 μmol/L) and case 2 (164.2 μmol/L) increased significantly. Genetic analysis revealed compound heterozygous variants of ABCG8 gene in case 1 and ABCG5 gene in case 2 who were diagnosed with sitosterolemia. Case 3 and 4 who all had family history of hypercholesterolemia and compound heterozygous variants of LDLR gene were diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia. After diet treatment, the blood lipids returned normal and the skin xanoma subsided in case 1 and 2. In case 3 and 4, the blood lipids gradually decreased after diet and rosuvastatin treatment. Conclusions: Xanthomatosis is the common clinical manifestation of sitosterolemia and familial hypercholesterolemia. Family history, blood plant sterol profile, genetic variation, and changes in blood lipids after early dietary treatment are helpful for disease identification.

[Dynamic analysis of tuberculosis specific mononuclear cells in peripheral blood of HIV patients with tuberculosis]

Objective: To evaluate the response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) combined with active tuberculosis (TB) to TB-specific antigen stimulation. Methods: From January to December, 2018, individuals infected with both HIV and TB (HIV/TB group) were taken as the study subjects. Individuals infected with HIV alone (HIV group), individuals infected with TB alone (TB group) and healthy people (Health control group, HC group) were taken as the control groups. PBMCs were isolated and stimulated with purified protein derivative of bacillus calmette-guerin (BCG-PPD). The expression of surface molecules in T cells (CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺) and monocytes (CD14⁺) and the percentages of Interferon (IFN)-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were detected by cell surface molecular staining, direct intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometry (CD3^- lymphocytes were mainly B lymphocytes and NK cells). Analysis of non-parametric data was used to compare the data between the two groups, and paired t-test was used to compare the data before and after PPD stimulation in each group. Results: Before PPD stimulation, the percentage of IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺ cells in the peripheral blood of HIV/TB group(mean 0.52%) was significantly lower than that in TB group(mean 0.94%, P=0.010). The TNF-α⁺cell percentages in CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, or CD14⁺ cells in the HIV/TB group(mean 19.2%) were significantly lower than those in the HIV group(mean 31.9%, P=0.002). The percentage of TNF-α secreted by monocytes in the HIV group was significantly lower than that in the HC group. The percentages of IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺ and IFN-γ⁺ CD3^- cells in the peripheral blood of the TB group (mean 0.94%) were significantly higher than thoset in the HC group(mean 0.51%, P=0.020), while the percentages of TNF-α⁺ cells in each subsets of PBMCs were significantly lower than those in the HC group. After PPD stimulation, the percentage of IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺ cells in the HIV/TB group was significantly lower than that in the TB group(P=0.008), and the change was more marked than that before stimulation. The percentage of IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺ cells in the HIV group(mean 0.20%) was lower than that in the HC group (mean 0.52%, P=0.044). The percentage of IFN-γ⁺ CD3^- in the TB group was significantly higher than in the HC group. There were no significant differences in TNF-α⁺ cell percentages in the 3 groups compared with the control group after PPD stimulation. The percentages of IFN-γ⁺ CD4⁺ cells in the HC and the TB groups were significantly increased after PPD stimulation in each group (P=0.002, P=0.001, respectively). However, there were no significant differences of IFN-γ⁺ CD4⁺ cell percentages in the HIV/TB group and the HIV group. The percentages of TNF-α production by monocytes were significantly increased after PPD stimulation in all groups. Conclusions: Chronic Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection reduced the ability of PBMCs to produce TNF-α. For patients with TB infection, the production of TNF-α was reduced when combined with HIV infection. The capacity of CD8⁺ and CD3^- lymphocytes to produce IFN-γ was increased in TB patients, while the capacity of CD8⁺ T cells to produce IFN-γ was decreased with co-infection of HIV. Infection of HIV weakened the immune response to MTB infection, which made the clinical diagnosis and treatment of TB more difficult.

Chondrocyte apoptosis in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis promotes bone resorption by enhancing chemotaxis of osteoclast precursors

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the effect and mechanism of chondrocyte apoptosis on the chemotaxis of osteoclast precursors (OCPs) during bone destruction.

DESIGN

The relationship between cartilage and bone destruction was verified with a rat temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) model. The pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK (ZVAD) was applied to confirm the chemotactic effect of chondrocyte apoptosis on OCPs. Synthesis and release of the key chemokine CX3CL1 in apoptotic and non-apoptotic chondrocytes was assessed with IHC, IF, WB, and ELISA. The function of CX3CL1-CX3CR1 axis in the chemotaxis of OCPs was examined by CX3XR1 inhibitor AZD8797 (AZD) and si-CX3CL1. The regulatory effect of p38 MAPK on CX3CL1 release was verified by p38 inhibitor PH-797804.

RESULTS

A temporal and spatial association between cartilage degradation and bone resorption was found in the TMJOA model. The caspase-dependent chondrocyte apoptosis promoted chemotaxis of OCPs, which can be restrained by ZVAD. CX3CL1 was significantly upregulated when chondrocytes underwent apoptosis, and it played a critical role in the recruitment of OCPs, blockage of CX3CL1-CX3CR1 axis resulted in less bone resorption in TMJOA. P38 MAPK was activated in apoptotic chondrocytes, and had a regulatory effect on the synthesis and release of CX3CL1. After inhibition of p38 by PH-797804, the chemotactic effect of apoptotic chondrocytes on OCPs was limited.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that apoptosis of chondrocytes in TMJOA enhances chemotaxis of OCPs toward osteoclast precursors through upregulation of the p38-CX3CL1 axis, thereby promoting the activation of local osteoclasts.

Decoupling-based adaptive sliding-mode synchro-position control for a dual-cylinder driven hydraulic support with different pipelines

Dual-cylinder driving columns of a hydraulic support are required to be synchronous, with the purpose of guaranteeing the support balance and providing the roof an enough force. In addition, pipelines connecting cylinders with electro-hydraulic servo-valve have a significance influence on synchronization. Taking the length of pipelines into account, the mathematical model of a dual-cylinder driven hydraulic support is built, and the displacement-force coupling characteristic caused by the shared pump is tackled by a decoupling compensator. Following that, an adaptive sliding-mode synchro-position control strategy (ASSC) is designed based on an improved sliding mode reaching law and an adaptive law is developed to restrain the uncertainties resulted from the sub-system after decoupling. The experimental results obtained from the joint simulation platform and practical system show that the proposed controller can effectively reduce the synchronization error between two column positions and has better control performance than the PI and fuzzy PID controllers.

Upregulation of microRNA miR-141-3p and its prospective targets in endometrial carcinoma: a comprehensive study

The clinicopathological value of microRNA-141-3p (miR-141-3p) and its prospective target genes in endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains unclear. The present study determined the expression level of miR-141-3p in EC via quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). RT-qPCR showed a markedly higher expression level of miR-141-3p in EC tissues than in non-EC endometrium tissues (P < 0.0001). The microarray and miRNA-seq data revealed upregulation of miR-141-3p. Integrated analysis based on 675 cases of EC and 63 controls gave a standardized mean difference of 1.737, confirmed the upregulation of miR-141-3p. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that a higher expression of miR-141-3p positively corelated with a poorer prognosis. Combining the predicted targets and downregulated genes in EC, we obtained 271 target genes for miR-141-3p in EC. Two potential targets, PPP1R12A and PPP1R12B, were downregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels. This study indicates that the overexpression of miR-141-3p may play an important part in the carcinogenesis of EC. The overexpression of miR-141-3p may be a risk factor for the prognosis of patients with EC.

TNFSF14, a novel target of miR-326, facilitates airway remodeling in airway smooth muscle cells via inducing extracellular matrix protein deposition and proliferation

As a common chronic respiratory disease, the incidence of asthma is increasing in recent years worldwide. Airway remodeling is the primary pathological basis of refractory asthma, but the studies about the underlying mechanism of airway remodeling was a lack. In the study, we aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of miR-326 on airway remodeling in airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs). The results showed that transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) accelerated matrix protein deposition by increasing the expression levels of collagen I and fibronectin, and promoted proliferative ability of ASMCs. However, miR-326 was significantly downregulated in TGF-β1-treated ASMCs. MiR-326 mimics robustly decreased the collagen I and fibronectin levels and inhibited cell proliferation of TGF-β1-treated ASMCs. Luciferase assay investigated that tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 14 (TNFSF14) was a direct target of miR-326. The expression of TNFSF14 was negatively regulated by miR-326. Moreover, exogenous TNFSF14 effectively reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-326 overexpression on the expression levels of collagen I and fibronectin, and promoted cell proliferation of TGF-β1-treated ASMCs. In conclusion, miR-326 suppressed matrix protein deposition and cell proliferation of TGF-β1-treated ASMCs via inhibiting TNFSF14. MiR-326 might be a promising novel therapeutic target for asthma.

Overexpression of MiR-452-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and its prospective signaling pathways

BACKGROUND

The implication of miR-452-5p and its prospective machinery in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. For this reason, this study aimed to inspect the clinical implication of miR-452-5p expression in HCC tissues with multiple detection approaches, to analyze its potential function via in silico methods, and to validate this using a dual-luciferase reporter assay.

METHODS

The assessment of the expression level of miR-452-5p in HCC was conducted via four methods: 1) in-house real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), 2) miRNA-sequencing (miRNA-seq) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), 3) miRNA microarrays from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and 4) comprehensive meta-analyses calculating the standard mean difference (SMD) and summary of receiver operator characteristic (sROC). Following the target prediction, one of the potential targets of miR-452-5p was validated through a dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

MiR-452-5p was consistently elevated in HCC tissues via various detection methods, including in-house RT-qPCR, miRNA-seq, and miRNA microarrays. The final SMD was 0.842 for 820 cases of HCC samples. Simultaneously, the area under curve (AUC) of the sROC was 0.80 (0.76-0.83). The 1,135 predicted targets of miR-452-5p were enriched in the pathways of cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, carbon metabolism, and complement and coagulation cascades. Among these predicted targets, CDKN1B was verified to be a real target of miR-452-5p.

CONCLUSION

The overexpression of miR-452-5p may play a pivotal role in the carcinogenesis of HCC via targeting multiple signaling pathways and genes. The function and molecular machinery of miR-452-5p in HCC requires further in-depth exploration.

Clinical value of microRNA-198-5p downregulation in lung adenocarcinoma and its potential pathways

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), the main subtype of non-small cell lung cancer, is known to be regulated by various microRNAs (miRs/miRNAs); however, the role of miR-198-5p in LUAD has not been clarified. In the present study, the clinical value of miR-198-5p in LUAD and its potential molecular mechanism was evaluated. miR-198-5p expression was examined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in 101 paired LUAD and adjacent normal lung tissues. Subsequently, the miR-198-5p expression level was determined from microarray data from the Gene Expression Omnibus, ArrayExpress and by meta-analyses. Furthermore, the target mRNAs of miR-198-5p from 12 miRNA-mRNA predictive tools were intersected with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-based differentially expressed genes. In addition, Gene Ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were conducted to determine the possible mechanism of miR-198-5p in LUAD. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database was employed to construct a protein-protein interaction network among the potential target genes of miR-198-5p. The results showed that miR-198-5p expression was lower in LUAD tissues than in adjacent non-cancerous lung tissues (4.469±2.495 vs. 5.301±2.502; P=0.015). Meta-analyses, including the data from the present study and online microarray data, also verified the downregulation of miR-198-5p in 584 cases of LUAD. The expression of miR-198-5p was associated with the age, blood vessel invasion, Tumor-Node-Metastasis stage, and lymph node metastasis of patients with LUAD and served as an independent prognostic factor for survival. The hub genes of miR-198-5p were upregulated in LUAD, according to TCGA and The Human Protein Atlas. For the KEGG pathway analysis, the most enriched KEGG pathway was the p53 signaling pathway (P=1.42×10⁻⁶). These findings indicated that the downregulation of miR-198-5p may play a pivotal role in the development of LUAD by targeting various signaling pathways.

The expression, significance and function of cancer susceptibility candidate 9 in lung squamous cell carcinoma: A bioinformatics and in vitro investigation

The cancer susceptibility candidate 9 (CASC9) gene has been reported to exert an oncogenic effect in several types of cancer. However, its role in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is unknown. Therefore, the present study examined the expression of CASC9 in LUSC and non-cancer tissues by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays and by data mining of high-throughput public databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas, the Gene Expression Omnibus, ArrayExpress and the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia. In vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of CASC9 on the viability and the proliferation of LUSC cells. Furthermore, consulting the alteration status of CASC9 in LUSC from cBioPortal, functional enrichment analysis of co-expressed genes, prediction of potential transcription factors, and inspection of adjacent protein-coding genes were conducted to explore the potential molecular mechanism of CASC9 in LUSC. The results revealed that CASC9 was overexpressed in LUSC tissue, and significantly associated with the malignant progression of LUSC. In vitro experiments demonstrated that CASC9 knockdown by RNA interference attenuated the viability and proliferation of LUSC cells. Multiple copies of CASC9 gene were detected in 4 of 179 available sequenced LUSC cases. A functional enrichment analysis of 200 co-expressed genes indicated that these genes were significantly associated with terms, including 'cell-cell junction organization', 'desmosome organization', 'epidermis development', 'Hippo signaling pathway', 'pathogenic Escherichia coli infection' and 'PID HIF1 TF pathway'. Three genes, Fos-related antigen 2 (FOSL2), SWI/SNF complex subunit SMARCC2, and transcription factor COE1 (EBF1), were predicted by lncRNAMap to be associated with CASC9. Among these, the expression of FOSL2 and EBF1 was positively and negatively correlated with the expression of CASC9, respectively. Two adjacent protein-coding genes, cysteine-rich secretory protein LCCL domain-containing 1 and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-γ, were also positively correlated with CASC9 expression. In conclusion, the present data suggest that CASC9 serves as an oncogene in LUSC and may be a promising target for alternative therapeutic options for patients with this condition.

Down-regulation of microRNA-144-3p and its clinical value in non-small cell lung cancer: a comprehensive analysis based on microarray, miRNA-sequencing, and quantitative real-time PCR data

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that miR-144-3p might be a potential biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nevertheless, the comprehensive mechanism behind the effects of miR-144-3p on the origin, differentiation, and apoptosis of NSCLC, as well as the relationship between miR-144-3p and clinical parameters, has been rarely reported.

METHODS

We investigated the correlations between miR-144-3p expression and clinical characteristics through data collected from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) microarrays, the relevant literature, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and real-time quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses to determine the clinical role of miR-144-3p in NSCLC. Furthermore, we investigated the biological function of miR-144-3p by Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was created to identify the hub genes.

RESULTS

From the comprehensive meta-analysis, the combined SMD of miR-144-3p was - 0.95 with 95% CI of (- 1.37, - 0.52), indicating that less miR-144-3p was expressed in the NSCLC tissue than in the normal tissue. MiR-144-3p expression was significantly correlated with stage, lymph node metastasis and vascular invasion (all P <  0.05). As for the bioinformatics analyses, a total of 37 genes were chosen as the potential targets of miR-144-3p in NSCLC. These promising target genes were highly enriched in various key pathways such as the protein digestion and absorption and the thyroid hormone signaling pathways. Additionally, PPI revealed five genes-C12orf5, CEP55, E2F8, STIL, and TOP2A-as hub genes with the threshold value of 6.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study validated that miR-144-3p was lowly expressed in NSCLC. More importantly, miR-144-3p might function as a latent tumor biomarker in the prognosis prediction for NSCLC. The results of bioinformatics analyses may present a new method for investigating the pathogenesis of NSCLC.

Deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with improved performance via nanoporous AlGaN template

We report the performance enhancement of AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs) using AlGaN nanoporous template (NPT). The NPT was fabricated by the electrochemical etching method and served as the dislocation filtering layer and strain relieving layer. The n-AlGaN laterally regrown on NPT showed reduced dislocation density and mitigated compressive strain comparing with that on the as-grown template (AGT). A 23% improvement of internal quantum efficiency was achieved for the multiple quantum wells thereon. Moreover, the nanopores in the NPT transformed into elongated air voids during high temperature growth process, which could facilitate the escaping of photons by scattering and thus improve the light extraction efficiency. As a consequence, the DUV LED based on NPT demonstrated an increase of the light outpower by 50% at 20 mA than that on AGT.

Comprehensive clinical implications of homeobox A10 in 3,199 cases of non-small cell lung cancer tissue samples combining qRT-PCR, RNA sequencing and microarray data

In the current study, we proposed to explore the potential role and related signaling pathways of Homobox A10 (HOXA10) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). HOXA10 levels in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) were detected by qRT-PCR and the expression of HOXA10 was significantly up-regulated in the NSCLC tissue of all 55 pairs (P = 0.037). Overexpression of HOXA10 was closely correlated with the clinical stage of LUSC (P = 0.011). HOXA10 expression in RNA sequencing data based on 1, 077 cases exhibited concordant significant up-regulation in NSCLC, LUAD and LUSC (P < 0.001). In NSCLC, HOXA10 expression was closely correlated to patient T stage (P = 0.006). In LUAD, HOXA10 expression was compactly correlated to patient N stage (P = 0.02). Some of the microarrays from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and ArrayExpress showed consistent over-expression of HOXA10 levels in NSCLCs. More importantly, the combined SMD value was 0.052 (95% CI: 0.29-0.75, P < 0.001) generated by meta-analysis from 47 datasets based on 4, 616 cases of NSCLC. The area under the curve (AUC) of SROC supported the over-expression of HOXA10 in NSCLC as being 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81-0.93), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81-0.93) and 0.56 (95% CI: 0.44-0.66), respectively. In addition, 111 co-expressed genes were collected from cBioPortal and enriched in "cell cycle", "cell adhesion molecules", "p53 signaling", and "adherens junction". Interestingly, an up-regulation trend of HOXA10 protein expression was also observed in NSCLC through tissue chips and immunohistochemistry. In conclusion, the overexpression of HOXA10 may play a pivotal role in the tumorigenesis of NSCLC, and this effect is observed more obviously in LUSC than in LUAD.

The clinicopathological significance of decreased miR-125b-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma: evidence based on RT-qPCR, microRNA-microarray, and microRNA-sequencing

The aim of the study was to comprehensively evaluate the clinical value of miR-125b-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its potential molecular mechanisms. MiR-125b-5p expression was remarkably lower as examined by real-time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in 95 paired HCC and nonmalignant liver tissues in house (P<0.001), which was in accord with the results from miRNA-sequencing data with 371 cases of HCC. miRNA-chips from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and ArrayExpress were screened. Among the seven included miRNA-chips, the relative expression of miR-125b-5p expression levels showed decreasing trends in HCC tissue samples compared with non-cancerous liver tissue samples. Altogether, A total of 655 cases of HCC tissues and 334 non-HCC liver tissues were included in the final meta-analysis. We observed that the expression of miR-125b-5p indeed decreased markedly in HCC tissues compared with the non-HCC tissues (SMD: -1.414, 95% CI: -1.894 to -0.935, P<0.001). The area under the SROC curve of lower expression of miR-125b-5p was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.89 to 0.94). A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that the lower expression or the absence of miR-125b-5p may be a risk factor for the poor outcome of HCC patients. Furthermore, the potential target genes of miR-125b-5p from 11 miRNA target prediction databases were intersected with 1,486 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as calculated by RNA-sequencing data. Finally, a total of 330 GEGs were collected and enriched in the pathways of lysosome, focal adhesion, and pathways in cancer. In conclusion, this study utilizes a variety of research methods to confirm the lower level of miR-125b-5p in HCC tissues. This lower expression level of miR-125b-5p is closely related to increased disease progression in HCC patients.

Robust Dynamic Multi-Objective Vehicle Routing Optimization Method

For dynamic multi-objective vehicle routing problems, the waiting time of vehicle, the number of serving vehicles, and the total distance of routes were normally considered as the optimization objectives. Except for the above objectives, fuel consumption that leads to the environmental pollution and energy consumption was focused on in this paper. Considering the vehicles' load and the driving distance, a corresponding carbon emission model was built and set as an optimization objective. Dynamic multi-objective vehicle routing problems with hard time windows and randomly appeared dynamic customers, subsequently, were modeled. In existing planning methods, when the new service demand came up, global vehicle routing optimization method was triggered to find the optimal routes for non-served customers, which was time-consuming. Therefore, a robust dynamic multi-objective vehicle routing method with two-phase is proposed . Three highlights of the novel method are: (i) After finding optimal robust virtual routes for all customers by adopting multi-objective particle swarm optimization in the first phase, static vehicle routes for static customers are formed by removing all dynamic customers from robust virtual routes in next phase. (ii) The dynamically appeared customers append to be served according to their service time and the vehicles' statues. Global vehicle routing optimization is triggered only when no suitable locations can be found for dynamic customers. (iii) A metric measuring the algorithms robustness is given. The statistical results indicated that the routes obtained by the proposed method have better stability and robustness, but may be sub-optimum. Moreover, time-consuming global vehicle routing optimization is avoided as dynamic customers appear.

Implant dentistry in Australia: the present and future. A survey of Australian dentists and specialists

BACKGROUND

In recent years, implant dentistry has become a routine part of many general dental practices in Australia. However, there has been little information regarding its extent and scope. This investigation aimed to address this issue by surveying Australian general dental practitioners (GDP) and relevant specialists regarding their practice of implant dentistry.

METHODS

Anonymous electronic surveys were designed online using SurveyMonkey™ and delivered to the following professional bodies: all seven state/territory branches of the Australian Dental Association, the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Periodontists, the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and prosthodontist members of the Australian Prosthodontic Society. The surveys were completed online via SurveyMonkey in 2014.

RESULTS

The response rates were 7.61% (N = 801) for GDP, 41.76% (N = 38) for prosthodontists, 34.16% (N = 55) for periodontists and 34.07% (N = 46) for oral and maxillofacial (OMF) surgeons. Among the respondents, 66.37% (N = 521) of GDP, 86.11% (N = 31) of prosthodontists, 82.98% (N = 39) of periodontists and 97.67% (N = 42) of OMF surgeons indicated that they currently practise implant dentistry. A strong perceived need for further education in this field was also expressed by the respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

Implant dentistry presently appears to be practised by a significant proportion of GDP across Australia. This is likely to continue to grow in the future.

The Effects of Dinner-to-Bed Time and Post-Dinner Walk on Gastric Cancer Across Different Age Groups: A Multicenter Case-Control Study in Southeast China

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a major killer throughout the world. Despite the dramatic decrease in GC over the last century, its etiology has not yet been well characterized. This study investigated the possible independent and combined effects of the dinner-to-bed time and post-dinner walk on the risk for GC across different age groups. A population-based, case-control study was conducted in southeast China, including 452 patients with GC and 465 age-, race-, and gender-matched controls. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic characteristics, dinner-to-bed time, post-dinner walk, and other behavioral factors. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the effects of the dinner-to-bed time and post-dinner walk as well as their joint effect on the risk for GC across different age groups. Individuals with dinner-to-bed time <3 hours were more prone to have GC (P < 0.001), and the shorter the dinner-to-bed time was, the higher was the risk for GC (Ptrend < 0.001). Post-dinner nonwalk was associated with a 2.9-fold increased risk for GC compared with post-dinner walk (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.942, 95% confidence intervals [95% CIs] = 2.072-4.179). The interaction effect of dinner-to-bed time and post-dinner walk on GC risk was detected (AOR = 1.862, 95% CIs = 1.584-3.885, synergy index [SI] = 2.654, 95% CIs = 2.27-3.912). Participants with dinner-to-bed time <3 hours who did not walk after dinner were 7.4 times likely to suffer from GC (AOR = 7.401, 95% CIs = 4.523-13.16) than those with dinner-to-bed time ≥4 hours who took such walk. The risk of GC due to dinner-to-bed time <3 hours, post-dinner nonwalk and their interaction was positively correlated with age. The strongest risk was observed among people ≥70 years old, but the effects were not significant for people ≤55 years old. Dinner-to-bed time <3 hours and post-dinner nonwalk are independent risk factors for GC; the synergistic interaction between the 2 factors was positively related to age, which might significantly increase the risk for GC among people >55 years old.

WITHDRAWN: Early enteral nutrition versus late enteral nutrition for burns patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This article has been withdrawn at the request of the authors. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy.

Meta-analysis of the therapeutic effects of various methods for the treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation

The aim of this study was to analyze the therapeutic effects of various methods for the treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). Randomized controlled trials (RCT) concerning drug therapy and catheter ablation for the treatment of chronic AF were retrieved. The RevMan 5.1 software package was used for the meta-analysis. A total of 20 papers were assessed in this study. The results of the analysis indicated that the success rate was lower [odds ratio (OR), 8.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.70-17.02; P<0.0001] and the relapse rate was higher (OR, 0.07, 95% CI, 0.05-0.10; P<0.0001) for drug therapy compared with that for catheter ablation. With regard to different catheter ablation procedures, the success rate for pulmonary vein antrum isolation (PVAI) was lower compared with that for PVAI plus complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE; OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.37-0.78; P=0.0001). Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) plus left atrial ablation (LAA) had a higher success rate compared with PVI alone (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.59-4.88, P=0.0003). There was not identified to be a significant difference in the success rates between PVAI and CFAE (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 0.06-205.74; P=0.76) or between PVI and circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI; OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.29-3.00; P=0.91). All the funnel plots of publication bias were essentially symmetrical. In conclusion, the success rate was higher and the relapse rate was lower for catheter ablation compared with drug therapy. Among the different procedures of catheter ablation, there were no significant differences in success rate between two single procedures; however, the success rates were higher for the combined methods compared with those for the single methods.

Influence of eutrophication on the distribution of total mercury and methylmercury in hydroelectric reservoirs

The distribution of mercury (Hg) and the characteristics of its methylation were investigated in Wujiangdu (WJD) and Yinzidu (YZD) reservoirs in Guizhou province, China. The two reservoirs are characterized by high and low levels of primary productivity, respectively. Mercury species in water samples from depth profiles in both reservoirs and from interface water in the WJD were analyzed each season during 2007. The concentrations of total Hg (HgT(unf)) and methylmercury (MeHgT(unf)) in unfiltered water samples from the WJD varied from 3.0 to 18 pmol dm(-3) and from 0.17 to 15 pmol dm(-3), respectively; ranges were 2.0 to 9.5 pmol dm(-3) for HgT(unf) and 0.14 to 2.2 pmol dm(-3) for MeHgT(unf) in the YZD. Elevated methylmercury concentrations in water samples from the bottom water and water-sediment interface demonstrated an active net Hg methylation in the downstream reach of the WJD. There was no discernable Hg methylation occurring in the YZD, nor in the upstream and middle reaches of the WJD. The results suggest that high primary productivity resulting from cage aquaculture activities in the WJD is an important control on Hg methylation in the reservoir, increasing the concentrations of MeHg in water in the Wujiang River basin Southwestern China.

Evolution of Wurtzite Structured GaAs Shells Around InAs Nanowire Cores

GaAs was radially deposited on InAs nanowires by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and resultant nanowire heterostructures were characterized by detailed electron microscopy investigations. The GaAs shells have been grown in wurtzite structure, epitaxially on the wurtzite structured InAs nanowire cores. The fundamental reason of structural evolution in terms of material nucleation and interfacial structure is given.

Anomalous line shape of the cross section for e{+}e{-}--> hadrons in the center-of-mass energy region between 3.650 and 3.872 GeV

We observe an obvious anomalous line shape of the e;{+}e;{-}--> hadrons total cross sections in the energy region between 3.700 and 3.872 GeV. It is inconsistent with the explanation for only one simple psi(3770) resonance with a statistical significance of 7sigma. The anomalous line shape may be explained by two possible enhancements of the inclusive hadron production near the center-of-mass energies of 3.764 and 3.779 GeV, indicating that either there is likely a new structure in addition to the psi(3770) resonance around 3.773 GeV, or there are some physics effects reflecting the DD[over ] production dynamics.

Search for the invisible decay of J/psi in psi(2S) --> pi(+)pi(-) J/psi

Using psi(2S) --> pi(+)pi(-) J/psi events in a sample of 14.0 x 10(6) psi(2S) decays collected with the BES-II detector, a search for the decay of the J/psi to invisible final states is performed. No signal is found, and an upper limit at the 90% confidence level is determined to be 1.2 x 10(-2) for the ratio B(J/psi --> invisible)/B(J/psi-->mu(+)mu(-)). This is the first search for J/psi decays to invisible final states.

Observation of Y(2175) in J/psi --> etaphif0 (980)

The decays of J/psi --> etaphif(0)(980)[eta --> gammagamma, phi --> K(+) K(-), f(0)(980) --> pi(+)pi(-)] are analyzed using a sample of 5.8 x 10(7) J/psi events collected with the BESII detector at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider. A structure at around 2.18 GeV/c(2) with about 5 sigma significance is observed in the phif(0)(980) invariant mass spectrum. A fit with a Breit-Wigner function gives the peak mass and width of m = 2.186+/-0.010(stat)+/-0.006(syst) GeV/c(2) and Gamma = 0.065+/-0.023(stat)+/-0.017(syst) GeV/c(2), respectively, which are consistent with those of Y(2175), observed by the BABAR Collaboration in the initial-state radiation process e(+)e(-) --> gamma(ISR) phif(0)(980). The production branching ratio is determined to be Br(J/psi --> etaY(2175))Br(Y(2175)- -> phif(0)(980))Br(f(0)(980) --> pi(+)pi(-)) = [3.23+/-0.75(stat)+/-0.73(syst)] x 10(-4), assuming that the Y(2175) is a 1(--) state.

Measurement of psi2S radiative decays

Using 14 x 10(6) psi(2S) events accumulated at the BESII detector, we report first measurements of branching fractions or upper limits for psi(2S) decays into gammapp, gamma2(pi+pi-), gammaKS0K+pi-+c.c., gammaK+K-pi+pi-, gammaK*0K-pi++c.c., gammaK*0K*0, gammapi+pi-pp, gamma2(K+K-), gamma3(pi+pi-), and gamma2(pi+pi-)K+K- with the invariant mass of hadrons below 2.9 GeV/c2. We also report branching fractions of psi(2S) decays into 2(pi+pi-)pi0, omegapi+pi-, omegaf2(1270), b1+/-pi-/+, and pi02(pi+pi-)K+K-.

Measurements of the continuum R(uds) and R values in e(+)e(-) annihilation in the energy region between 3.650 and 3.872 GeV

We report measurements of the continuum R(uds) near the center-of-mass energy of 3.70 GeV, the R[uds(c)+psi(3770)](s) and the R(had)(s) values in e(+)e(-) annihilation at 68 energy points in the energy region between 3.650 and 3.872 GeV with the BES-II detector at the BEPC Collider. We obtain the R(uds) for the continuum light hadron (containing u, d, and s quarks) production near the DD threshold to be R(uds)=2.141+/-0.025+/-0.085.

Search for invisible decays of eta and eta' in J/psi --> phi eta and phi eta'

Using a data sample of 58 x 10(6) J/psi decays collected with the Beijing Spectrometer II detector at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider, searches for invisible decays of eta and eta' in J/psi to phi eta and phi eta' are performed. The phi signals, which are reconstructed in K+K- final states, are used to tag the eta and eta' decays. No signals are found for the invisible decays of either eta or eta', and upper limits at the 90% confidence level are determined to be 1.65 x 10(-3) for the ratio B(eta-->invisible)/B(eta --> gamma gamma) and 6.69 x 10(-2) for B(eta' --> invisible)/B(eta' --> gammagamma). These are the first searches for eta and eta' decays into invisible final states.

Observation of a broad 1-- resonant structure around 1.5 GeV/c2 in the K+K- mass spectrum in J/psi-->K+K-pi0

A broad peak is observed at low K+K- invariant mass in J/psi-->K+K-pi(0) decays found in a sample of 5.8x10(7) J/psi events collected with the BESII detector. The statistical significance of the broad resonance is much larger than 5sigma. A partial wave analysis shows that the J;{PC} of this structure is 1--. Its pole position is determined to be [1576(-55)(+49)(stat)-91+98(syst)] MeV/c(2)-i/2[818(-23)(+22)(stat)-133+64(syst)] MeV/c(2). These parameters are not compatible with any known meson resonances.

Measurements of the branching fractions for psi(3770)-->D(0)D[over ](0), D+D-, DD[over ], and the resonance parameters of psi(3770) and psi(2S)

We measure the branching fractions for psi(3770)-->D(0)D[over ](0), D+D-, DD[over ], and non-DD[over ] to be (46.7+/-4.7+/-2.3)%, (36.9+/-3.7+/-2.8)%, (83.6+/-7.3+/-4.2)%, and (16.4+/-7.3+/-4.2)%, respectively. The resonance parameters of psi(3770) and psi(2S) are measured to be M_(psi(3770))=3772.2+/-0.7+/-0.3 MeV, Gamma_(psi(3770))(tot)=26.9+/-2.4+/-0.3 MeV, and Gamma_(psi(3770))(ee)=251+/-26+/-11 eV; M_(psi(2S))=3685.5+/-0.0+/-0.3 MeV, Gamma_(psi(2S))(tot)=331+/-58+/-2 keV, and Gamma_(psi(2S))(ee)=2.330+/-0.036+/-0.110 keV. We also measure the light hadron R value to be R(uds)=2.262+/-0.054+/-0.109 in the energy region from 3.660 to 3.872 GeV.

Observation of two new N* peaks in J/psi-->ppi-n and ppi+n decays

The decay J/psi-->NNpi provides an effective isospin 1/2 filter for the piN system due to isospin conservation. Using 58x10(6) J/psi decays collected with the Beijing Electromagnetic Spectrometer at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider, more than 100 thousand J/psi-->ppi-n+c.c. events are obtained. Besides the two well-known N* peaks at around 1500 MeV/c2 and 1670 MeV/c2, there are two new, clear N* peaks in the ppi invariant mass spectrum around 1360 MeV/c2 and 2030 MeV/c2 with statistical significance of 11sigma and 13sigma, respectively. We identify these as the first direct observation of the N*(1440) peak and a long-sought missing N* peak above 2 GeV/c2 in the piN invariant mass spectrum.

Observation of a near-threshold enhancement in the omega(phi) mass spectrum from the doubly OZI-suppressed decay J/psi-->gamma(omega)phi

An enhancement near threshold is observed in the omega(phi) invariant mass spectrum from the doubly Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka-suppressed decays of J/psi-->gamma(omega)phi, based on a sample of 5.8 x 10(7) J/psi events collected with the BESII detector. A partial wave analysis shows that this enhancement favors JP=0+, and its mass and width are M=1812(+19)(-26)(stat)+/-18(syst) MeV/c2 and Gamma=105+/-20(stat)+/-28(syst) MeV/c2. The product branching fraction is determined to be B(J/psi-->gammaX)B(X-->omega(phi))=[2.61+/-0.27(stat)+/-0.65(syst)]x10(-4).

Observation of a resonance in Chi(1835) in J/psi --> gammapi+ pi- eta-

The decay channel J/psi --> gamma(pi)(+)pi(-)eta is analyzed using a sample of 5.8 x 10(7) J/psi events collected with the BESII detector. A resonance, the Chi(1835), is observed in the pi(+)pi(-)eta invariant-mass spectrum with a statistical significance of 7.7 sigma. A fit with a Breit-Wigner function yields a mass M = 1833.7 +/- 6.1(stat) +/- 2.7(syst) MeV/c(2), a width Tau = 67.7 +/- 20.3(stat) +/- 7.7(syst) MeV/c(2), and a product branching fraction B(J/psi --> gammaChi) . B(Chi --> pi(+)pi(-)eta) = [2.2 +/- 0.4(stat) +/- 0.4(syst)] x 10(-4). The mass and width of the Chi(1835) are not compatible with any known meson resonance. Its properties are consistent with expectations for the state that produces the strong pp mass threshold enhancement observed in the J/psi --> gammapp process at BESII.

Observation of a threshold enhancement in the plambda invariant-mass spectrum

An enhancement near the m(p)+M(Lambda) mass threshold is observed in the combined pLambda and pLambda invariant-mass spectrum from J/psi-->pK(-)Lambda;+c.c. decays. It can be fit with an S-wave Breit-Wigner resonance with a mass m=2075+/-12(stat)+/-5(syst) MeV and a width of Gamma=90+/-35(stat)+/-9(syst) MeV; it can also be fit with a P-wave Breit-Wigner resonance. Evidence for a similar enhancement is also observed in psi(')-->pK(-)Lambda;+c.c. decays. The analysis is based on samples of 5.8x10(7)J/psi and 1.4x10(7)psi(') decays accumulated in the BES II detector at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider.

Observation of the decay psi(2S)-->K0SK0L

The decay psi(2S)-->K(0)(S)K(0)(L) is observed using psi(2S) data collected with the Beijing Spectrometer at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider; the branching fraction is determined to be B(psi(2S)-->K(0)(S)K(0)(L))=(5.24+/-0.47+/-0.48)x10(-5). Compared with J/psi-->K(0)(S)K(0)(L), the psi(2S) branching fraction is enhanced relative to the prediction of the perturbative QCD "12%" rule. The result, together with the branching fractions of psi(2S) decays to other pseudoscalar meson pairs (pi(+)pi(-) and K+K-), is used to investigate the relative phase between the three-gluon and the one-photon annihilation amplitudes of psi(2S) decays.

Observation of a near-threshold enhancement in the pp mass spectrum from radiative J/psi-->gammapp decays

We observe a narrow enhancement near 2m(p) in the invariant mass spectrum of pp pairs from radiative J/psi-->gammapp decays. No similar structure is seen in J/psi-->pi(0)pp decays. The results are based on an analysis of a 58 x 10(6) event sample of J/psi decays accumulated with the BESII detector at the Beijing electron-positron collider. The enhancement can be fit with either an S- or P-wave Breit-Wigner resonance function. In the case of the S-wave fit, the peak mass is below 2m(p) at M=1859(+3)(-10) (stat)+5-25(syst) MeV/c(2) and the total width is Gamma<30 MeV/c(2) at the 90% confidence level. These mass and width values are not consistent with the properties of any known particle.

Measurements of the cross section for e(+)e(-) --> hadrons at center-of-mass energies from 2 to 5 GeV

We report values of R = sigma(e(+)e(-)-->hadrons)/sigma(e(+)e(-)-->mu(+)mu(-)) for 85 center-of-mass energies between 2 and 5 GeV measured with the upgraded Beijing Spectrometer at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider.

Electronmicroscopy studies on the opsonic role of antiserum and the subsequent destruction of Salmonellae within murine inflammatory leukocytes

Inbred female C3H mice were given, by intraperitoneal injection, 4 X 10(7) virulent Salmonella typhimurium organisms opsonised with specific antiserum. Peritoneal washings were obtained between 1.5 and 24 h after injection and examined by electronmicroscopy. Opsonised salmonellae were ingested rapidly by peritoneal exudate cells and were digested rapidly. The presence of antibody facilitated the phagocytic efficiency of the host cells. Destruction of ingested bacteria appeared to be an innate capacity of the host phagocytes independent of the presence of antibody.