[Analysis of adverse reactions of Xianling Gubao preparation based on real world SRS data]

From January 1, 2004 to July 21, 2016 a total of 2 796 cases of adverse drug reaction/adverse event(ADR/AE) after the use of Xianling Gubao Capsules/Tablets were reported by National Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Center. The following results were obtained by analyzing the reports of 2 796 cases of adverse drug reactions/adverse drug events after the use of Xianling Gubao Capsules/Tablets. A total of 75 patients, accounting for 2.68% of the total ADR/AE time, had severe ADR/AE events. Among them, 30 patients were aged 65 and above, accounting for 40.00% of the total number of severe ADR/AE patients. All the patients with ADR/AE were aged 45-64 years, which totaled 1 346 cases and took up 48.14% of the total patients with ADR/AE. All of ADR/AE cases and severe ADR/AE cases were orally given Xianling Gubao Capsules/Tablets. Females accounted for 52.50% and 76.00%, respectively, and the proportion of females was significantly higher than that of males. Among patients with a medical history of ADR/AE, severe ADR/AE was higher than the average, accounting for about 1.33%. The proportion of cases orally given 1-3 tablets of Xianling Gubao Capsules/Tablets in all ADR/AE cases and severe ADR/AE cases was 95.32% and 96.00%, which conformed to the usage in the package insert. All ADR/AE cases and severe ADR/AE cases orally given Xianling Gubao Capsules/Tablets twice daily occupied the highest proportions, or 77.00% and 61.00%, respectively. The proportion of severe ADR/AE cases orally given Xianling Gubao Capsules/Tablets was slightly higher than that of all ADR/AE cases in the medication frequency, which didn't conform to the usage in the package insert. All the symptoms of ADR/AE orally given Xianling Gubao Capsules showed many manifestations, and the top 10 symptoms were nausea, rash, itching, stomach dysfunction, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, anaphylaxis, and reflux heartburn. The symptoms of severe ADR/AE after oral administration of Xianling Gubao Capsules were varied, and the top 10 symptoms were abnormal liver function, rash, suffocation, itching, dizziness, vomiting, anaphylaxis, abdominal pain, weakness, and convulsions. Abnormal liver function accounted for 44.12%. All of ADR/AE cases occurred within 2 days after oral administration of Xianling Gubao Capsules/Tablets, accounting for 54.26%. Severe ADR/AE occurred within 2 days after the use of Xianling Gubao Capsules/Tablets, accounting for 25.34%. The proportion of ADR/AE cases occurring within 15 days after oral administration of Xianling Gubao Capsules/Tablets increased again(57.33%). The overall trend contained two peaks.

[Expert consensus statement on Xiyanping Injection for respiratory system infectious diseases in clinical practice(adults)]

Xiyanping Injection is widely used in the treatment of respiratory infectious diseases. However,its package insert is still less instructive for physicians in understanding the specific clinical application of Xiyanping Injection. To discover potential clinical advantages of Xiyanping Injection,the team invited clinical experts of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine from the field of respiratory diseases,pharmacists and methodologists of evidence-based medicine to compile the consensus. The consensus was based on a combination of clinical research evidence and expert experience,involving recommendations for clinical problems supported by clini-cal evidence as well as consensus suggestions for clinical problems with no clinical evidence. The consensus recommended the indication,timing of intervention,usage,dosage,course of treatment,combined medication of Xiyanping Injection used for adults,and introduced the safety and precautions of its clinical application. It is suitable for guiding clinical medical workers to rationally use Xiyanping Injection in the treatment of adult's respiratory infectious diseases.

[Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on effect of Tanreqing Injection combined with Western medicine on acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis]

To systematically review the effectiveness and safety of Tanreqing Injection in treating acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis( AECB). CNKI,Wan Fang,VIP,CBM,Medline,Cochrane Library,EMbase and Web of Science were retrieved,and randomized controlled trials for the effect of Tanreqing Injection in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis were screened. The quality of the included studies was evaluated according to the Cochrane Handbook's evaluation criteria. The data was analyzed by RevMan 5.3. Totally 23 RCTs involving 1 901 patients were included,including 952 in the experimental group and 949 in the control group. The Meta-analysis demonstrated that in terms of the disappearance time of fever,the group of Tanreqing Injection combined with the conventional therapy was superior to conventional therapy group( RR =-1. 03,95%CI[-1. 45,-0. 62],P<0. 000 01); compared with the conventional therapy group,the group of Tanreqing Injection combined with conventional therapy had a higher cure rate for AECB( RR = 1. 17,95% CI[1. 13,1. 23],P < 0. 000 01). The group of Tanreqing Injection combined with levofloxacin had a higher cure rate for AECB than the levofloxacin group( RR = 1. 23,95% CI[1. 08,1. 41],P = 0. 002). The group of Tanreqing Injection combined with cefuroxime had a higher cure rate for AECB than the cefuroxime group( RR = 1. 22,95%CI[1. 05,1. 42],P = 0. 01).The group of Tanreqing Injection combined with cefoperazone sodium and sulbactam sodium had a higher cure rate for AECB than the group of cefoperazone sodium and sulbactam sodium( RR = 1. 22,95% CI[1. 04,1. 44],P = 0. 02). The outcomes of disappearance time of cough and expectoration had a huge heterogeneity,so were used for descriptive analysis. The adverse reactions mainly included skin rash,dizziness,gastrointestinal reactions. Based on the available data and the results of the analysis,the group of Tanreqing Injection combined with Western medicine has a higher cure rate for acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis,and the effect in reducing symptoms disappearance time. In view of the limited number of included studies,small sample size and low methodological quality,the results of this study need to be confirmed with high-level clinical trials.

[Experts consensus statement on Qilong Capsules in clinical practice]

Qilong Capsules is the representative Chinese patent medicine of the theory of " invigorating Qi and activating blood circulation" in traditional Chinese medicine( TCM),with distinct characteristics of TCM in clinical application. Qilong Capsules indication on package insert is ischemic stroke( cerebral infarction),which is a complex disease and has many pathological links. The treatment principles and methods at various stages are different. Inappropriate time of intervention,dosage and course of treatment make it difficult to give full play to the efficacy,but also cause adverse reactions,such as bleeding. In order to promote the rational use of Qilong Capsules,the project team invited frontline clinical experts,pharmaceutical experts and methodologist of evidence-based medicine around China to develop the consensus. The consensus is based on a combination of clinical research evidence and expert experi-ence to give recommendations for clinical problems with evidence support and expert consensus suggestions for clinical problems without evidence support. The consensus recommends the indication,timing of intervention,dosage,course of treatment,combined medication and contraindications of Qilong Capsules in clinical application,and introduced its safety characteristics,in order to guide clinical medical workers( involving Chinese medicine,Western medicine,combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine) to use Qilong Capsules reasonably in the treatment of cerebral infarction.

Oroxylin A exerts anticancer effects on human ovarian cancer cells via the PPARγ‑dependent reversal of the progesterone receptor membrane component 1/2 expression profile

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer worldwide. To date, the therapeutic approaches available for the treatment of ovarian cancer are still very limited. The present study first demonstrated that the Chinese herb, Oroxylin A, exerts inhibitory effects on both the migratory ability and viability of ovarian cancer cells. Notably, the inhibitory effects of the drug occurred in a dose‑dependent manner. Oroxylin A only inhibited cell migration at the lower dose, whereas it induced early or late apoptosis at the middle or higher doses, respectively. Mechanistically, Oroxylin A increased peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) expression and altered the expression profile of progesterone receptor membrane component (PGRMC)1/2. Notably, PPARγ was revealed to play a central role in Oroxylin A‑mediated anticancer activity. The silencing of PPARγ significantly abrogated Oroxylin A‑induced apoptotic cell death and restored the expression profile of the PGRMC1/2 family in ovarian cancer cells. Collectively, the present study revealed that Oroxylin A exerted marked anticancer effects against ovarian cancer in vitro. Thus, Oroxylin A may have potential for use as a complementary therapy in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

[TCR immune repertoire characteristics of patients with drug-induced liver injury due to Polygonum multiflorum preparations]

To explore the immune status of patients with drug-induced liver injury caused by Polygonum multiflorum preparations,and analyze their immune characteristics. Case-control design was used to collect the cases of drug-induced liver injury caused by P. multiflorum preparations through key specialized surveillance. Five matching factors,namely type of P. multiflorum preparations,gender,age,basic diseases and concomitant medication were controlled. According to the ratio of 1 ∶ 1,cases of patients who took P. multiflorum preparations but with no liver injury were monitored at prospective hospitals. The demographic information,disease information,medication information and laboratory examination information of the two groups were recorded,and venous blood was collected. The gene sequence was detected by high-throughput sequencing technology,and the characteristics of TCR immune repertoire of the two groups were analyzed. A total of 46 pairs of patients were enrolled in the study. The results showed significant differences in the number of CDR3 and clone species,the length of amino acid sequence in CDR3 region,the abundance of V gene and J gene,the cross-linking of V-J gene and the diversity of immune repertoire between patients with drug-induced liver injury and patients without liver injury. The immunohistochemical diversity and high-frequency V-J cross-linking characteristics of patients with liver injury caused by P. multiflorum preparations were found,which provided a reference for screening out drug users to reduce the occurrence of liver injury caused by P. multiflorum preparations.

[Systematic evaluation and Meta-analysis on effictiveness and safety of Xiyanping Injection in treatment of acute bronchitis in children]

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Xiyanping Injection in the treatment of acute bronchitis in children. The research systematically retrieved four Chinese databases( namely CNKI,VIP,Wan Fang,Sino Med) and four English databases( namely EMbase,Cochrane Library,Medline,Clinical Trail.gov). The retrieval time ranged from the commencement of each database to April2019. According to pre-set inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria,randomized controlled trials( RCTs) of Xiyanping Injection in the treatment of acute bronchitis in children were screened out. The quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the " Cochrane Bias Risk Assessment" tool,and the Meta-quantitatively analysis on the included studies was performed using Rev Man 5.3 software. A total of 648 articles were retrieved,and 10 studies were finally included. Except for one multi-arm test,the total sample size was 1 260,including 630 cases in the test group and 630 cases in the control group. The overall quality of the included study was not high. The results of Meta-analysis showed that in terms of antipyretic time,Xiyanping Injection combined with routine therapy was superior to routine therapy in the shortening of fever time in children with acute bronchitis( MD =-0.94,95%CI[-1.18,-0.70],P<0.000 01); in the overall efficacy,Xiyanping Injection combined with routine therapy was superior to routine therapy( RR = 1. 34,95% CI[1.26,1.42],P<0.000 01) and Yanhuning Injection + routine therapy( RR = 1.28,95%CI[1.19,1.38],P<0.000 01); descriptive analysis showed that Xiyanping Injection was excellent in the overall efficacy in treating acute bronchitis in children. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant( P< 0.000 1). The adverse reactions included in the study were mild adverse reactions,with no impact on treatment. Based on the results of this study,Xiyanping Injection combined with routine therapy or other Western medicine had a certain effect on acute bronchitis in children,especially in improving the overall efficacy of acute bronchitis in children. No serious adverse reactions were observed. And in the time of fever,cough and cough disappearance time,lung voice loss time,Xiyanping Injection + routine therapy or Western medicine therapy was better than routine therapy or Western medicine therapy. However,the small size of included studies,the low quality of the included studies,and the existence of publication bias and the low quality of the evidence had impacts on the reliability of the conclusion. Therefore,more large-sample,multi-center,well-designed,rigorous randomized controlled trials with best case reports are required to further verify the efficacy and safety.

[Future development of evidence based traditional Chinese medicine:flat way to truth and kindness]

The three elements in evidence-based clinical decisions are " best clinical research evidence,physicians' personal experience,and patients' basic values and wishes". This concept coincides with the " bio-psycho-social" model of systematic medicine,and this is the key reason why evidence-based medicine has become the most important diagnostic and therapeutic system under the new medical model. However,there is no methodological support for the implementation of " respecting patients' basic values and wishes".As a result,this concept is difficult to be implemented in clinical practice,and has become the form of " patient or family member' s signature for consent". In narrative medicine,doctors are advocated to record details,psychological processes and even family members' feelings in non-technical language to form parallel medical records,and the key point is to achieve " empathy" between doctors and patients. This idea is consistent with traditional Chinese medicine( TCM),and also provides a practical operation method " to respect patients' basic values and wishes". Medicine is a discipline based on human science,with dual attributes of science and humanity. Humanistic care is the tradition of TCM,and also is one of the basic characteristics and core connotations in TCM. Therefore,in the development of evidence-based TCM,we should combine evidence-based medicine with narrative medicine,and inject humanistic care into evidence-based medicine with the concept and methodology of narrative medicine,so as to achieve the deep integration of science and humanity.

[Experts consensus statement on Xiyanping Injection in clinical practice(children)]

Xiyanping Injection is a commonly used medicine in clinical treatment,which is recommended by many pediatric disease guidelines/consensus. However,the instraction is relatively simple and lack of guidance for clinical application,which affects the efficacy and brings safety risks. Therefore,more detailed clinical guidance is urgently needed. This consensus is formulated by clinical experts of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in pediatrics. This consensus follows Manual for the clinical experts consensus of Chinese patent medicine which published by China Association of Chinese Medicine. The study identified clinical problems using clinical investigation,searched the literature based on PICO clinical problems,using GRADE system to carry out evidences evaluation,classification and recommendation,and adopted the nominal grouping method to reach expert consensus. The consensus combines evidence-based evidence with expert experience,sufficient evidence of clinical problems would lead to " recommendations",and clinical problems with insufficient evidence will lead to " consensus suggestions". This expert consensus recommends the indications,intervention time for treatment,route of drug administration,dose conversion,the indications of being used alone,suitability and taboos of medicine combination,and introduces the safety and clinical application,to provide reference for clinical using.

[Feasibility and safety of new "blind" axillary vein puncture technique in pacemaker implantation]

Objective: To explore the feasibility and safety of a newly developed simple and rapid axillary vein puncture technique based on the surface landmarks for pacemaker implantation. Methods: From January to November 2018, we enrolled 110 patients who underwent pacemaker implantation in Beijing Anzhen Hospital. Basic clinical characteristics, such as gender, age, major diagnosis, type of pacemaker, and His-purkinje system pacing, were collected. The success rate of this axillary vein puncture technique, complications, and technical parameters of present puncture method were analyzed. Results: There were 58 (52.7%) male patients in this cohort and the average aged was (70.26±10.45) years old. This "blind" axillary vein puncture method was successful in 105 out of 110 patients (95.5%). The relevant puncture-related parameters included: the distance between points "a and b" was (3.89±0.40) cm, the first angle α was (25.84±5.54)° and the second angle β was (66.18±10.26)°. There were no puncture-related complications, such as hematoma, pneumothorax and hemothorax. Conclusion: The new "blind" axillary vein puncture approach is a simple, effective and safe technique for pacemaker implantation, which is easy to learn and practice and suitable for promotion.

Hourglass Fermion in Two-Dimensional Material

The hourglass fermion, as an exotic quasiparticle protected by nonsymmorphic symmetry, has excited great research interest recently. However, its bulk counterpart in two-dimensional (2D) solid-state materials has seldom been studied. In this Letter, we propose a 2D rectangular lattice made of p_{x} and p_{y} orbitals with glide mirror symmetry but without inversion symmetry to realize the hourglass fermion. The glide mirror symmetry guarantees a Dirac nodal line, while the Rashba spin-orbital coupling splits it into two Weyl nodal lines and generates two pairs of hourglass fermion located at the glide mirror plane. Furthermore, based on first principles calculations, we predict a surface-supported 2D material Bi/Cl-SiC(111) to realize our proposal, making a huge-bandwidth hourglass cone. Moreover, the hourglass fermion exhibits a spin-momentum locking spin texture and also sustains a giant spin Hall conductivity. Our results demonstrate a general routine for designing an hourglass fermion in 2D materials, which will be easily extended to other surfaces with different adatoms and lattice symmetries.

Two-Dimensional Quadrupole Topological Insulator in γ-Graphyne

Two-dimensional quadrupole topological insulator (2D QTI), as a new class of second-order topological phases, has been experimentally confirmed in various artificial systems recently. However, its realization in electronic materials has seldom been reported. In this work, we predict that the experimentally synthesized γ-graphyne is a large-gap (∼0.2 eV) 2D QTI. Three characterized features for 2D QTI are simultaneously observed in γ-graphyne: quantized finite bulk quadrupole moment, gapped topological edge states, and in-gap topological corner states. Intriguingly, we found that gapped topological edge states exist on armchair edge with C≡C (but not C-C) termination, and in-gap topological corner states exist at corner with 120° (but not 60°) termination, which can be explained by different edge-hopping textures and corner chiral charges. Moreover, the robustness of in-gap topological corner states is further identified by varying edge-disorder and system-size calculations. Our results demonstrate a realistic electronic material for large-gap 2D QTI, which is expected to draw immediate experimental attention.

WITHDRAWN: Individualized and pancreatic duct diameter-based strategy for pancreaticoenteric anastomosis during pancreaticoduodenectomy

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Glioma stem cells-derived exosomal miR-26a promotes angiogenesis of microvessel endothelial cells in glioma

BACKGROUND

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are involved in cancer initiation and metastasis, could potentially release exosomes that mediate cellular communication by delivering microRNAs (miRNAs). Based on the role of miR-26a in angiogenesis of glioma, our study was performed to investigate whether glioma stem cells (GSCs)-derived exosomes containing miR-26a could exert effects on angiogenesis of microvessel endothelial cells in glioma, in order to provide a new therapeutic RNA vehicle for glioma therapies.

METHODS

The expression of miR-26a and PTEN in glioma was quantified and the interaction among miR-26a, PTEN and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was examined. Next, a series of gain- and loss-of function experiments were conducted to determine the role of miR-26a in angiogenesis of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). Subsequently, HBMECs were exposed to exosomes derived from GSCs with the gain-/loss-of-function of miR-26a. Finally, the effect of exosomal miR-26a on angiogenesis of HBMECs was assessed both in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

The results revealed that PTEN was down-regulated, while miR-26a was up-regulated in glioma. miR-26a activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by targeting PTEN. Restored miR-26a promoted proliferation, migration, tube formation, and angiogenesis of HBMECs in vitro. In addition, GSCs-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-26a contributed to enhanced proliferation and angiogenesis of HBMECs in vitro through inhibition of PTEN. The angiogenic effects of GSCs-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-26a in vivo were consistent with the above-mentioned in vitro findings.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our study demonstrates that GSCs-derived exosomal miR-26a promotes angiogenesis of HBMECs, highlighting an angiogenic role of miR-26a via exosomes.

[Real world study on characteristics of Maixuekang Capsules combined with traditional Chinese medicines in treating nephrotic syndrome]

To analyze the clinical characteristics of Maixuekang Capsules combined with traditional Chinese medicines in the treatment of patients with nephrotic syndrome,and provide references for improving rationality of clinical drug use. Based on the database of hospital information system(HIS) in 15 hospitals in China,the electrical medical records of the patients diagnosed as nephrotic syndrome and treated with Maixuekang Capsules were collected. Their diagnostic information and characteristics of combined traditional Chinese medicines were analyzed by using association rules. The results showed that 1 588 patients of nephrotic syndrome who used Maixuekang Capsules were often complicated with hypertension(863 cases,accounting for 7. 54%),anemia(551 cases,accounting for 4. 81%),and coronary heart disease(349 cases,accounting for 3. 05%). Maixuekang Capsules were mainly combined with Tabellae Rhei et Natrii Bicarbonatis,Baining Capsules,tanshinone,Ganmao Qingre Granule,Shuxuening Injection in treating nephrotic syndrome. The results indicated that in the real world,Maixuekang Capsules was mainly used in combination with traditional Chinese medicines such as blood-activating and stasis-removing agents,pathogens eliminating and supporting healthy Qi agents,digestants,anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory agents,wind-dispersing and antipyretic agents for patients with nephropathy. By the pharmacological effect,it was suitable for nephropathy patients based on combined diagnosis. The association rules of combination were specific,and can provide reference for subsequent studies and rational clinical medication of traditional Chinese medicines.

[Study on relationship between constitution and syndrome of MMP-9, IL-6 and MTHFR gene in patients with ischemic stroke]

By studying the relationship between syndromes, physique and MMP-9, IL-6 and MTHFR gene polymorphisms in patients with ischemic stroke,The relationship between MMP-9, IL-6 and MTHFR gene polymorphism was analyzed in patients with ischemic stroke.The data were collected by collecting the data of patients with ischemic stroke, and the statistical analysis was carried out. Syndrome：61 cases of ischemic stroke patients with stroke phlegm stasis syndrome in patients with the highest frequency, a total of 30 cases; Physical constitution： phlegm is ischemic stroke patients prone to physical, a total of 20 cases; The analysis of the relationship between constitution and syndrome shows that the patients with qi deficiency constitution tend to show qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome after onset, The analysis of the relationship between constitution and syndrome shows that the patients with qi deficiency constitution tend to show qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome after onset, Phlegm constitution and physical condition after the onset of symptoms tend to wind phlegm stasis syndrome; Syndrome and MMP-9, IL-6 relationship：The distribution of MMP-9 and IL-6 in patients with qi and phlegm stasis syndrome and qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome was significantly different from that in Z test (P<0.05). The level of MMP-9 in patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome was significantly higher than that in patients with wind phlegm and blood stasis syndrome;The level of IL-6 in patients with phlegm and blood stasis syndrome was significantly higher than that in patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. Syndrome, constitution and MTHFR gene polymorphism： among the 61 samples, 34 were heterozygous mutations, 15 were pure and mutated, 12 had no mutation, The mutation rate of this locus was 4.08 times that of patients without mutations.The genotype of MTHFR C677T in patients with phlegm dampness tends to be CT genotype. Wind phlegm stasis syndrome in patients with easy to appear after the TT genotype; Yin deficiency syndrome in patients prone to miscellaneous and mutations, the performance of CT genotype; Analysis of the relationship between syndromes and physique in patients with ischemic stroke,Phlegm and dampness, flat quality patients after the onset of easy to show the wind phlegm stasis syndrome; Qi deficiency after the onset of symptoms in patients with Qi and blood stasis. Suggesting that before the onset of such as for the partial physical conditioning, may be on the prevention of ischemic stroke have a certain effect; Analysis of the relationship between syndromes and MMP-9 and IL-6 in patients with ischemic stroke, Wind phlegm stasis syndrome and IL-6 levels are related, Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome and MMP-9 levels are related. Analysis of the relationship between syndromes and MTHFR gene polymorphism in patients with ischemic stroke, TT genotype after the onset of symptoms prone to wind phlegm stasis syndrome, CT genotype patients after the onset of easy manifestations of Yin deficiency wind syndrome; Analysis of the relationship between physique and MTHFR gene polymorphism in patients with ischemic stroke, CT genotype is easy to show phlegm.For more in-depth understanding of pathogenesis of ischemic stroke to provide the basis, For the clinical treatment and prevention to provide intervention strategies.

Cross-talk among AFAP1-AS1, ACVR1 and microRNA-384 regulates the stemness of pancreatic cancer cells and tumorigenicity in nude mice

Background

Pancreatic cancer (PC) represents one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. The role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been highlighted in various malignancies including PC. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects associated with actin filament-associated protein 1 antisense RNA 1 (AFAP1-AS1) on the progression of PC and the underlying mechanism.

Methods

Microarray-based gene expression profiling of PC was performed to identify PC-related lncRNAs, after which the expression of AFAP1-AS1 and cancer stem cell (CSC) markers in PC tissues and cells were determined accordingly. The potential microRNA-384 (miR-384) capable of binding to AFAP1-AS1, in addition to its ability to regulate activin receptor A type I (ACVR1) were analyzed. In order to investigate the effect of the AFAP1-AS1/miR-384/ACVR1 axis on self-renewal ability, tumorigenicity, invasion, migration and stemness of PC cells, shRNA-AFAP1-AS1, miR-384 mimic and inhibitor were cloned into cells.

Results

High expression of AFAP1-AS1 and ACVR1 with low expression of miR-384 were detected in PC tissues. ACVR1 was determined to be down-regulated when miR-384 was overexpressed, while the inhibition of AFAP1-AS1 decreased its ability to binding competitively to miR-384, resulting in the down-regulation of ACVR1 and enhancing miR-384 expression, ultimately inhibiting the progression of PC. The knockdown of AFAP1-AS1 or overexpression of miR-384 was confirmed to impair PC cell self-renewal ability, tumorigenicity, invasion, migration and stemness.

Conclusions

Taken together, AFAP1-AS1 functions as an endogenous RNA by competitively binding to miR-384 to regulate ACVR1, thus conferring inhibitory effects on PC cell stemness and tumorigenicity.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1051-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Methyl-CpG Binding Domain Protein 2 Inhibits the Malignant Characteristic of Lung Adenocarcinoma through the Epigenetic Modulation of 10 to 11 Translocation 1 and miR-200s

It has been reported that disorders of epigenetic modulation play a critical role in carcinogenesis. Methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) is known to act as an epigenetic modulator in various types of tumors; however, the role of MBD2 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrated the down-regulation of MBD2 in LUAD compared with adjacent nontumor tissues. The down-regulation of MBD2 in LUAD was correlated with metastasis and poor survival. In addition, MBD2 inhibited tumor metastasis by maintaining the expression of the miR-200s, which suppressed the invasive properties of tumors. Also, MBD2 positively correlated with 5-hydroxymethylcytosine content in the promoter of miR-200s. The conventional view is that MBD2 acts as a transcriptional suppressor. However, the data revealed that MBD2 may act as a transcriptional activator by recruiting 10 to 11 translocation 1 (TET1) and forming a chromatin-remodeling complex. The MBD2-TET1 complex locates to the TET1 promoter and removes the methyl residues in this region, thereby activating TET1 transcription. TET1 also acted as a tumor suppressor in LUAD. Taken together, the data demonstrate the correlation between MBD2, miR-200s, and TET1, and tumor suppressive effect of MBD2 through up-regulation of TET1 and the miR-200s.

Intrinsic Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect with In-Plane Magnetization: Searching Rule and Material Prediction

So far, most theoretically predicted and experimentally confirmed quantum anomalous Hall effects (QAHEs) are limited in two-dimensional (2D) materials with out-of-plane magnetization. In this Letter, starting from 2D nodal-line semimetal, a general rule for searching QAHE with in-plane magnetization is mapped out. Because of spin-orbital coupling, we found that the magnetization will prefer an in-plane orientation if the orbital of degenerate nodal-line states at the Fermi level have the same absolute value of magnetic quantum number. Moreover, depending on the broken or conserved mirror symmetry, either a QAHE or 2D semimetal can be realized. Based on first principles calculations, we further predict a real material of monolayer LaCl to be an intrinsic QAHE with in-plane magnetization. By tuning the directions of in-plane magnetization, the QAHE in LaCl demonstrates a threefold rotational symmetry with a Chern number of either +1 or -1, and the transition point is characterized by a 2D semimetal phase. All these features are quantitatively reproduced by tight-binding model calculations, revealing the underlying physics clearly. Our results greatly extend the scope for material classes of QAHE and hence stimulate immediate experimental interest.

[Analysis on ophthalmic human resource allocation and service delivery at county level in Mainland China in 2014]

Objective: To master the status of ophthalmic human resource allocation and service delivery at county level in Mainland China, and to provide the basis for strengthening the construction of grassroots ophthalmic personnel team and formulating feasible medium and long-term eye health plans. Methods: All the medical institutions that provided ophthalmic service at county level or above were investigated by online reporting. This study only included medical institutions at county level. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: Three thousand three hundred and fifty-nine medical institutions were included, of which 1 463 hospitals had independent departments of ophthalmology (43.55%). Each medical institution has 3.93 ophthalmologists, 4.59 ophthalmic nurses, 0.30 full-time optometrist and 0.21 full-time optician. Ophthalmologists are mainly undergraduate, and the ratio of senior, intermediate and junior titles is 1.0∶1.7∶1.9. The ophthalmic nurses are mainly graduated from junior colleges or secondary schools, and the ratio of senior, intermediate and junior titles is 1.0∶7.3∶22.3. There were statistically differences in the distribution of job titles of ophthalmologists (χ(2)=106.21, P<0.01) and nurses (χ(2)=128.54, P<0.01) in the eastern, central and western regions. Of each ophthalmologist, the annual number of outpatient, outpatient surgery, inpatient and inpatient operation was 2 377.62, 109.79, 124.03, and 85.97 respectively. Four thousand one hundred and sixty ophthalmologists were able to carry out cataract surgeries independently, accounting for 31.50% of all ophthalmologists. The quantity for annual per capita cataract operation among ophthalmologists who can perform cataract surgery independently was 181.81 per capita. The average beds rate of utilization was 68.91%, and that was less than 60% in 52.99% of medical institutions. Conclusions: Compared with 1998, ophthalmic health personnel at county level in Mainland China has expanded rapidly. But cataract ability of ophthalmologists and the number of cataract surgeries still need to be improved. The structure of ophthalmic nursing staff is irrational. The full-time optometrists and opticians are extremely scarce. It is necessary to cultivate high-quality ophthalmic health personnel and improve beds rate of utilization at county level. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2018, 54:929-934).

[The efficacy and safety of testa triticum tricum purif in treatment of functional constipation in the late middle-aged and elderly patients: a multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of testa triticum tricum purif for the treatment of functional constipation(FC) in the late middle-aged and elderly patients. Methods: This study was designed as a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Patients who met Rome Ⅲ diagnostic criteria of FC were enrolled, with age between 55-85 years old. Those with organic diseases were excluded. The patients were randomly allocated to receive testa triticum tricum purif (3.5 g bid) or polyethylene glycol 4000 powder (PEG4000, 10g bid) for 8 weeks, followed by single dose of maintenance therapy for 4 weeks. Follow-up visits were at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment discontinuation. The independent investigators in each center evaluated the constipation symptoms scores. The primary endpoints included rates of significant improvement, improvement and overall improvement at the end of 2, 4 and 8 weeks of therapy, which were calculated by the reduction of symptom scores ≥75%, 50%-74%, ≥25% respectively. Results: A total of 127 FC subjects were enrolled from 3 centers, and 122 cases valid for final analysis. The mean age was (69.4±6.9) years old, including 62 cases in testa triticum tricum purif group and 60 cases in PEG4000 group. The demographic data, constipated symptoms scores and proportion of FC subtypes at baseline were comparable. The rates of significant improvement, improvement and overall improvement in testa triticum tricum purif and PEG4000 groups at the end of 2, 4 and 8 weeks were 37.70% (23/61) vs 59.32% (35/59) (P=0.018), 57.38% (35/61) vs 74.14% (43/58) (P=0.054), and 64.41% (38/59) vs 79.31% (46/58) (P=0.073) respectively. Testa triticum tricum purif therapy significantly improved the proportion of spontaneous bowel movement(SBM) ≥3 times/week from 43.55% (27/62) to 80.33% (49/61), 83.61% (51/61) and 93.22% (55/59) at 2, 4, and 8 weeks respectively (all P<0.01), which were comparable with PEG4000 group (all P>0.05). The proportion of normalized stool forms in study group was significant higher than that of control group at the end of 8 weeks [86.44% (51/59) vs 67.24% (39/58), P=0.014]. Only one patient complained mild abdominal distension during testa triticum tricum purif therapy. Conclusions: The efficacy of testa triticum tricum purif for the treatment of FC in late middle-aged and older patients is comparable with osmotic laxatives PEG4000, which has significant effect on normalization of fecal forms and reliable safety.

miR-142-5p Improves Neural Differentiation and Proliferation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

BACKGROUND/AIMS

MiRNAs may regulate neurogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). In this study, we hypothesized that the miR-142-5p can repress the expression of RhoA/ROCK1 pathway on the neurogenesis of ADSCs.

METHODS

Deregulated miRNA during neurogenic differentiation of ADSCs were identified. The expression of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and β III tubulin (Neuron-specific class III beta-tubulin) were detected as the markers of neurogenic differentiation by immunostaining and western blot. The targeting of miR-142-5p on RhoA and ROCK1 was verified by dual luciferase assay, qRT-PCR and western blot. The roles of miR-142-5p and the RhoA/ROCK1 signaling pathway were explored by using functional experiments including cell viability and colony formation assays.

RESULTS

MiR-142-5p is significantly upregulated during neurogenic differentiation of ADSCs. Knockdown of endogenous miR-142-5p hampered neurogenic differentiation. MiR-142-5p could directly target RhoA and ROCK1 mRNA and repress their expressions, through which it increased the proportion of differentiated cells with positive NSE and β III tubulin. RhoA/ROCK1 signaling pathway is involved in miR-142-5p effect on the process of neurogenic differentiation of ADSCs.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that miR-142-5p functions as a growth promotive miRNA and plays an important role in neurogenic differentiation by targeting RhoA/ROCK1 in ADSCs.

[Effect of excimer laser coronary atherectomy in the interventional treatment of acute coronary syndrome]

Objective: To investigate the effect of excimer laser coronary atherectomy (ELCA) in the interventional treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: This prospective study enrolled 31 patients with ACS who underwent ELCA treatment in our hospital from November 8, 2016 to December 13, 2017. The efficacy and complications of ELCA were observed, and patients were followed up for postoperative observation of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (including target vessel revascularization, stroke, stent thrombosis, coronary artery bypass grafting, and death). Results: The patients were aged (65.0±10.8) years old and 25 were males (80.6%).There were 5 cases (16.1%) ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, 3 cases (9.7%) non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and 23 cases (74.2%) unstable angina in this cohort.There were 9 cases (29.0%) in-stent restenosis, 11 cases (35.5%) saphenous vein graft, 2 cases (6.5%) chronic total occlusive disease, and 4 cases (12.9%) calcification.Two patients with chronic complete occlusive disease and 1 patient with calcified lesion were examined by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). The other lesions were not examined with IVUS and optical correlation tomography (OCT).The ELCA success rate was 100% (31/31) and the PCI success rate was 100% (31/31).Intraoperative use of 0.9 mm diameter catheters accounted for 38.7% (12/31), 1.7 mm diameter catheters accounted for 32.3% (10/31), and 1.4 mm diameter catheters accounted for 29.0% (9/31).One patient with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction experienced no reflow of coronary artery during operation. The other 30 patients had no complications such as perforation, small dissection, large dissection, distal occlusion, slow blood flow and collateral occlusion. One cardiac death(3.2%) occurred during the postoperative follow-up of (6.4±1.9) months. Conclusion: Our preliminary study results indicate that the use of ELCA in the interventional therapy of ACS is safe and effective.

Penta-Pt2N4: an ideal two-dimensional material for nanoelectronics

Since the discovery of graphene, two-dimensional (2D) materials have paved new ways to design high-performance nanoelectronic devices. To facilitate applications of such devices, there are three key requirements that a material needs to fulfill: sizeable band gap, high carrier mobility, and robust environmental stability. However, among the most popular 2D materials studied in recent years, graphene is gapless, hexagonal boron nitride has a very large band gap, transition metal dichalcogenides have low carrier mobility, and black phosphorene is ambience-sensitive. Thus far, these three characteristics could seldom be satisfied by only a single material. Therefore, it is a great challenge to find an ideal 2D material that can overcome these limitations. In this study, we theoretically predicted a novel planar 2D material penta-Pt2N4, which was designed using the Cairo pentagonal tiling as well as the rare nitrogen double bonds. Most significantly, 2D penta-Pt2N4 exhibits excellent intrinsic properties, including large direct band gap (up to 1.51 eV), high carrier mobility (up to 105 cm2·V-1·s-1), very high Young's modulus (up to 0.70 TPa), and robust dynamic, thermal, and ambient stabilities. Moreover, penta-Pt2N4 is the global minimum structure among 2D materials with PtN2 stoichiometry. We also propose a CVD/MBE scheme to enable its experimental synthesis. We envision that 2D penta-Pt2N4 may find wide applications in the field of nanoelectronics.

Light-Induced Type-II Band Inversion and Quantum Anomalous Hall State in Monolayer FeSe

Coupling a quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) state with a superconducting state offers an attractive approach to detect the signature alluding to a topological superconducting state [Q. L. He et al., Science 357, 294 (2017)SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.aag2792], but its explanation could be clouded by disorder effects in magnetic doped QAH materials. On the other hand, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) quantum spin Hall (QSH) state is identified in the well-known high-temperature 2D superconductor of monolayer FeSe [Z. F. Wang et al., Nat. Mater. 15, 968 (2016)NMAACR1476-112210.1038/nmat4686]. Here, we report a light-induced type-II band inversion (BI) and a QSH-to-QAH phase transition in the monolayer FeSe. Depending on the handedness of light, a spin-tunable QAH state with a high Chern number of ±2 is realized. In contrast to the conventional type-I BI resulting from intrinsic spin-orbital coupling (SOC), which inverts the band an odd number of times and respects time reversal symmetry, the type-II BI results from a light-induced handedness-dependent effective SOC, which inverts the band an even number of times and does not respect time reversal symmetry. The interplay between these two SOC terms makes the spin-up and -down bands of an AFM QSH state respond oppositely to a circularly polarized light, leading to the type-II BI and an exotic topological phase transition. Our finding affords an exciting opportunity to detect Majorana fermions in one single material without magnetic doping.

[Application of plasma sprayed zirconia coating in dental implant: study in implant]

Objective: To investigate the osseointegration of a novel coating-plasma-sprayed zirconia in dental implant. Methods: Zirconia coating on non-thread titanium implant was prepared using plasma spraying, the implant surface morphology, surface roughness and wettability were measured. In vivo, zirconia coated implants were inserted in rabbit tibia and animals were respectively sacrificed at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after implantation. The bond strength between implant and bone was measured by push-out test. The osseointegration was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micro CT and histological analyses. Quantified parameters including removal torque, and bone-implant contact (BIC) percentage were calculated. Results: The surface roughness (1.6 µm) and wettability (54.6°) of zirconia coated implant was more suitable than those of titanium implant (0.6 µm and 74.4°) for osseointegration. At 12 weeks, the push-out value of zirconia coated implant and titanium implant were (64.9±3.0) and (50.4±2.9) N, and BIC value of these two groups were (54.7±3.6)% and (41.5±3.6)%. All these differences had statistical significance. Conclusions: The surface characters of zirconia coated implant were more suitable for osseointegration and present better osseointegration than smooth titanium implant in vivo, especially at early stage.

[Clinical application of supraclavicular flap for oncologic reconstruction of hypopharynx and upper esophagus]

Objective: To assess the efficacy of supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) for the reconstruction of hypopharynx and upper esophagus. Methods: The SCAIF procedure on was used in 10 patients, including 8 with hypopharygeal carcinomas, 1 with esophageal carcinoma and neck skin invasion and 1 with hypopharyngeal leiomyosarcoma, at the Otorhinolaryngology Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yatsen University between December 2015 and June 2017. The sizes of the flaps were measured in (4-8) cm×(5-12) cm. Clinical indexes such as harvesting time and survival were recorded. Results: Harvesting time for SCAIF ranged from 20 to 30 minutes, averaging 26 minutes. Nine flaps survived, one flap had partially necrosis. Functional outcomes were excellent and the donor sites were direct closed without complications. Conclusions: SCAIF is a versatile, reliable, and easily harvested flap, with good cosmetic and functional outcomes for reconstructing the defects of hypopharynx and upper esophagus.

[Expression of serum IgG4 in patients with different diseases]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate serum IgG4 levels in different diseases and the changes of serum IgG4 levels in post treatment of IgG4 related disease.

METHODS

Clinical data of 620 patients who received investigation of serum IgG4 in Peking University People's Hospital from January 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 were collected retrospectively. According to the difference of the diseases, they were divided into common group of diseases, autoimmune diseases and IgG4 related diseases; pancreatic disease patients were divided into autoimmune pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer group; According to different treatment stages of the disease, the patients with IgG4 related diseases were divided into pretreatment group and post treatment group. And the expressions of the patients'serum IgG4 levels in different groups were analyzed.

RESULTS

The median serum IgG4 level in the group of the patients with common diseases was 0.480(0.005, 50.400) g/L, in the group of autoimmune disease was 0.406 (0.003, 18.700) g/L , in the group of IgG4 related diseases was 5.200(0.046, 46.000)g/L, which was signi-ficantly higher in the group of IgG4 related diseases than the other two groups, and there was obvious statistical significance in serum IgG4 levels between the group of IgG4 related diseases and the other two groups (P<0.01); There was no obvious difference in serum IgG4 levels between the common disease group and the autoimmune disease group, and there was no obvious statistical difference in serum IgG4 levels between the two groups (P>0.05). In the patients with IgG4 related diseases, the median serum IgG4 level in the group of pretreatment patients was 6.540 (1.330, 34.100) g/L, and 3.735 (0.063, 46.000) g/L in the post treatment patients. Serum IgG4 levels decreased in post treatment group, signi-ficantly lower than in pretreatment, there was obvious statistical difference in serum IgG4 levels between the two groups (P<0.01). The median serum IgG4 level in the group of patients with autoimmune pancreatitis was 3.735 (0.063, 46.000) g/L ,and 0.438 (0.056, 1.130) g/L in the group of patients with pancreatic cancer,which was significantly higher in the group of patients with autoimmune pancreatitis than the others, and there was obvious statistical difference in serum IgG4 levels between the two groups (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Serum IgG4 levels in patients with different diseases were different, and were significantly higher in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis and IgG4 related diseases, so serum IgG4 levels can provide the basis for the differential diagnosis of different diseases; Serum IgG4 levels in patients with IgG4 related diseases decrease significantly after treatment, so it can be used as an important index to evaluate the curative effect of IgG4 related diseases.

[Clinical safety imtensive hospital monitoring on Shenfu injection with 30 106 cases]

This paper is to report the implementation and results of safety monitoring of Shenfu injection. Prospective, multicenter, large sample, registry-type centralized hospital monitoring mode was used, and the three-level quality control and anti-omissive mechanisms were used strictly. In the monitoring was carried out in 28 hospitals and lasted for 4 years. 30 106 patients were registered; ADE occurred in 114 patients, and ADR was identified in 23 patients with an incidence rate of 0.076% for ADR [95% confidence interval (0.045%,0.108%), which was in a rare level. The main ADRs included rash, pruritus, discomfort at the site of the infusion, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, chest tightness, heart palpitations, chills, fever and dyspnea. No severe ADRs were found in the monitoring. This paper also fund that history of allergy, methods of administration, dosage, solvent, concentration, and combined medication may affect the incidence of ADR in the use of Shenfu injection.

[Clinical application features of Fufang Kushen injection in treating malignant esophageal tumor： real world study based on hospital information system]

To analyze the clinical application features of Fufang Kushen injection in treating malignant esophageal tumors in the real world by using hospital information system database, and provide reference for clinical application of Fufang Kushen injection. The electronic medical data from 2 550 patients with malignant esophageal tumors using Fufang Kushen injection from 22 large-scale hospitals nationwide were extracted based on the hospital information system (HIS) established by Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Then the descriptive analysis based on frequency and rate was conducted for general characteristics, diagnostic characteristics, characteristics of dosage and medication information, characteristics of drug combination, and discharge outcome characteristics. The results showed that the average age of patients treated with Fufang Kushen injection for malignant esophageal tumors was 62.3 years old; more males than females; admitted to hospital mainly in department of cardiology, oncology and digestology first. The total efficiency was 47.15% based on the discharge outcome characteristics; the most common dosage was 10-20 mL for single use; the course of treatment was mainly 4-7 d; and the common drugs in drug combinations included dexamethasone, tropisetron injection, thymosin injection, compound amino acid injection, pantoprazole sodium injection, fluorouracil, et al. The characteristics of the crowd using Fufang Kushen injection to treat the malignant esophageal tumors were clear and in line with the general rule of malignant esophageal tumors; its clinical dosage and scope of treatment for malignant esophageal tumors in the real world were basically consistent with the specification; and the types of clinical drug use combinations were more extensive.

[Correlation between TNM staging of primary cholangiocarcinoma and the maximum standard uptake value of (18)F-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography with computerized tomography]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between TNM staging of primary cholangiocarcinoma and the maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of (18)F-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography with computerized tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT). Methods: A retrospective analysis of 36 patients with confirmed primary cholangiocarcinoma from October 2014 to July 2016 was carried out. All the patients underwent preoperative PET/CT in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from November 2014 to July 2016, the SUVmax was calculated by drawing region of interest around the primitive tumor area.According to the American Cancer Joint Committee (AJCC) guidelines for the clinical staging of intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, the differences of SUVmax were compared in the patients with different age, gender and staging, and the correlation between TNM staging and SUVmax was determined.Data were compared with independent sample t test between groups. Results: The mean SUVmax of 36 patients with primary cholangiocarcinoma was 7.87±3.17 (2.1-14.6). The SUVmax values of patients with lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis were significantly higher than those without lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis (t=0.364, 0.343, both P<0.05), respectively. There was significant difference in SUVmax between patients with different TNM staging (F=1.352, P=0.021). There was no significant differences in SUVmax between patient with different gender, age (>70 years or<70 years) and T staging (t=1.058, 1.980, F=1.252, all P>0.05). Spearman correlation analyses showed that the TNB stage of primary cholangiocarcinoma was positively correlated with its SUVmax (r=0.658, P=0.007). Conclusion: The SUVmax is positively correlated with the TNM staging of primary cholangiocarcinoma, which is helpful for the clinical staging and prognosis of the patients.

A set of novel microsatellite markers developed for an economically important tree, Dracontomelon duperreanum, in China

Dracontomelon duperreanum, the most representative species of the family Anacardiaceae, is an important multipurpose tree in China and Vietnam. However, no genetic diversity studies have been reported on this species. In this study, we identified 11 microsatellite markers for D. duperreanum by using the restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) method and examined their polymorphisms in 22 samples obtained from the South China Botanical Garden, South China. We could detect only two or three alleles for each microsatellite marker. The mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.41 and 0.39, respectively, which were lower than those reported for the species with similar life history forms. These relatively low genetic diversities in this common plant species are unexpected and might have resulted from its extensive cultivation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of microsatellite markers in the genus Dracontomelon. These microsatellite markers will be valuable for studying the genetic diversities and structures in D. duperreanum and other Dracontomelon species.

Assembling gold nanoparticles into flower-like structures by complementary base pairing of DNA molecules with mediation by apoferritins

Apoferritin caged gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were assembled into flower-like structures by precise base pairing of the attached DNA molecules. The key step was to use the eight hydrophilic channels through the apoferritin to control the exact number and locations of the DNA molecules that grafted onto the caged AuNP.

BRIEF-REPORT New set of microsatellites for Chinese tallow tree, Triadica sebifera

Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) is an important crop and ornamental tree. After it was introduced into the USA, it gradually became a noxious invasive tree in south-eastern America since the middle of the 1900s. Because only six microsatellites were reported previously in T. sebifera, to better understand the genetic diversity and population dynamics of such species, we reported here 28 new microsatellite markers. For these 28 microsatellites, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2-16. The expected heterozygosity and the expected heterozygosity corrected for sample size varied from 0.0796 to 0.9081 and from 0.0805 to 0.9176, respectively. These microsatellites will provide additional choice to investigate the genetic diversity and structure in T. sebifera.

[Value of urinary liver fatty acid-binding protein in assessing severity of brain trauma and predicting acute kidney injury]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the value of urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) in early assessment of the severity of traumatic brain injury and in predicting the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) following the brain injury.

METHODS

Sixty-five patients with traumatic brain injury patients were divided into 4 groups according to their Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores. Blood and urine samples were collected at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after the injury to detect serum creatinine (SCr) level using biochemical analyzer and urinary L-FABP using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with samples from 15 healthy adults as controls. The correlations were analyzed among SCr, urinary L-FABP, GCS score upon admission and AKI occurrence.

RESULTS

The patients with moderate to severe brain injuries showed significantly higher SCr and urinary L-FABP levels than the control group (P<0.05). GCS score of the patients was inversely correlated with the levels of SCr and urinary L-FABP (P<0.05), and the changes were more prominent in urinary L-FABP than in SCr. The incidence of AKI was 21.54% in these patients. In patients with AKI, urinary L-FABP reached the peak level as soon as 6 h after the injury, as compared with 24 to 48 h when peak SCr level occurred.

CONCLUSION

Urinary L-FABP can be used as a marker for early assessment of the severity of traumatic brain injury and for predicting the occurrence of AKI following the injury.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a C-type lectin in yellow catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco

This study represents the first report of a C-type lectin (ctl) in yellow catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco. The complete sequence of ctl complementary (c)DNA consisted of 685 nucleotides. The open reading frame potentially encoded a protein of 177 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of c.y 20.204 kDa. The deduced amino-acid sequence contained a signal peptide and a single carbohydrate recognition domain with four cysteine residues and GlnProAsp (QPD) and TrpAsnAsp (WND) motifs. Ctl showed the highest identity (56.0%) to the predicted lactose binding lectin from channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Quantitative real-time (qrt)-PCR analysis showed that ctl messenger (m)RNA was constitutively expressed in all examined tissues in normal fish, with high expression in trunk kidney and head kidney, which was increased following Aeromonas hydrophila challenge in a duration-dependent manner. Purified recombinant Ctl (rCtl) from Escherichia coli BL21 was able to bind and agglutinate Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in a calcium-dependent manner. These results suggested that Ctl might be a C-type lectin of T. fulvidraco involved in innate immune responses as receptors (PRR).

Topological edge states in a high-temperature superconductor FeSe/SrTiO3(001) film

Superconducting and topological states are two most intriguing quantum phenomena in solid materials. The entanglement of these two states, the topological superconducting state, will give rise to even more exotic quantum phenomena. While many materials are found to be either a superconductor or a topological insulator, it is very rare that both states exist in one material. Here, we demonstrate by first-principles theory as well as scanning tunnelling spectroscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments that the recently discovered 'two-dimensional (2D) superconductor' of single-layer FeSe also exhibits 1D topological edge states within an energy gap of ∼40 meV at the M point below the Fermi level. It is the first 2D material that supports both superconducting and topological states, offering an exciting opportunity to study 2D topological superconductors through the proximity effect.

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers in the endangered species Bretschneidera sinensis Hemsl

Bretschneidera sinensis is an endangered species that is mainly distributed in South China. As a tertiary relict and the single species in the Bretschneideraceae family, it has a high conservation value. To investigate the influence of human disturbance on its mating system, 63 new microsatellites were developed using restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing and their polymorphisms were tested on 30 samples from one population. Among the 63 microsatellites, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 16. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.133 to 0.967 and from 0.127 to 0.912, respectively. These microsatellites may be used for studying the mating system of B. sinensis as well as the within-population hereditary structure.

[Association study between candidate genes involved in cell-cell adhesion and non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in Chinese population]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the association and gene-environment interaction between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in cell-cell adhesion and non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) among Chinese population.

METHODS

A total of 806 NSCL/P trios were drawn by an international consortium, which conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a case-parent trio design to investigate genes affecting risks to NSCL/P. The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) was used to explore the association between cell-cell adhesion genes, including CDH1, CTNNB1, PVRL1, PVRL2, PVRL3, ACTN1, VCL, LEF1, and NSCL/P. Conditional Logistic regression models were used to estimate effects on risk of exposed and unexposed children. Four common maternal exposures including maternal smoking, environmental tobacco smoke, alcohol consumption and multivitamin supplementation during pregnancy were included in this study.

RESULTS

A total of 226 SNP markers were tested after quality control in this study. Although 23 SNPs in three genes (CTNNB1, CDH1, ACTN1) showed nominal significant association with NSCL/P in the TDT (P<0.05).There were no significant evidence of linkage and association that remained in the transmission disequilibrium test after Bonferroni correction(P>0.000 2). Tests for gene-environment interaction yielded significant results between rs743127 in ACTN1 and environmental tobacco smoke (P=0.000 1) with an estimated OR (case|G and E)=2.00(95%CI: 1.23-3.26) and OR (case|G no E)=0.59 (95%CI: 0.38-0.90). Among the lower P value results in gene-environment tests, there were no significant results between rs1475034, rs370535, rs2273419 in ACTN1, rs106871 in CTNNB1 and environmental tobacco smoke interaction. There were also no significant results between rs7634000, rs2971366, rs2634553, rs1489032, rs7624812 in PVRL3 and multivitamin supplementation during pregnancy in gene-environment tests(P>0.000 2).

CONCLUSION

There is no association between cell-cell adhesion genes, including CDH1, CTNNB1, PVRL1, PVRL2, PVRL3, ACTN1, VCL, LEF1, and NSCL/P when the genes are considered alone. But our results suggest that SNPs in ACTN1 may influence the risk to NSCL/P through gene-environment interaction.

Intrinsic Two-Dimensional Organic Topological Insulators in Metal-Dicyanoanthracene Lattices

We predict theoretical existence of intrinsic two-dimensional organic topological insulator (OTI) states in Cu-dicyanoanthracene (DCA) lattice, a system that has also been grown experimentally on Cu substrate, based on first-principle density functional theory calculations. The pz-orbital Kagome bands having a Dirac point lying exactly at the Fermi level are found in the freestanding Cu-DCA lattice. The tight-binding model analysis, the calculated Chern numbers, and the semi-infinite Dirac edge states within the spin-orbit coupling gaps all confirm its intrinsic topological properties. The intrinsic TI states are found to originate from a proper number of electrons filling of the hybridized bands from Cu atomic and DCA molecular orbitals based on which similar lattices containing noble metal atoms (Au and Cu) and those molecules with two CN groups (DCA and cyanogens) are all predicted to be intrinsic OTIs.

PAQR3 controls autophagy by integrating AMPK signaling to enhance ATG14L-associated PI3K activity

The Beclin1–VPS34 complex is recognized as a central node in regulating autophagy via interacting with diverse molecules such as ATG14L for autophagy initiation and UVRAG for autophagosome maturation. However, the underlying molecular mechanism that coordinates the timely activation of VPS34 complex is poorly understood. Here, we identify that PAQR3 governs the preferential formation and activation of ATG14L‐linked VPS34 complex for autophagy initiation via two levels of regulation. Firstly, PAQR3 functions as a scaffold protein that facilitates the formation of ATG14L‐ but not UVRAG‐linked VPS34 complex, leading to elevated capacity of PI(3)P generation ahead of starvation signals. Secondly, AMPK phosphorylates PAQR3 at threonine 32 and switches on PI(3)P production to initiate autophagosome formation swiftly after glucose starvation. Deletion of PAQR3 leads to reduction of exercise‐induced autophagy in mice, accompanied by a certain degree of disaggregation of ATG14L‐associated VPS34 complex. Together, this study uncovers that PAQR3 can not only enhance the capacity of pro‐autophagy class III PI3K due to its scaffold function, but also integrate AMPK signal to activation of ATG14L‐linked VPS34 complex upon glucose starvation.

Formation of Ideal Rashba States on Layered Semiconductor Surfaces Steered by Strain Engineering

Spin splitting of Rashba states in two-dimensional electron system provides a promising mechanism of spin manipulation for spintronics applications. However, Rashba states realized experimentally to date are often outnumbered by spin-degenerated substrate states at the same energy range, hindering their practical applications. Here, by density functional theory calculation, we show that Au one monolayer film deposition on a layered semiconductor surface β-InSe(0001) can possess "ideal" Rashba states with large spin splitting, which are completely situated inside the large band gap of the substrate. The position of the Rashba bands can be tuned over a wide range with respect to the substrate band edges by experimentally accessible strain. Furthermore, our nonequilibrium Green's function transport calculation shows that this system may give rise to the long-sought strong current modulation when made into a device of Datta-Das transistor. Similar systems may be identified with other metal ultrathin films and layered semiconductor substrates to realize ideal Rashba states.

A pH responsive micelle combined with Au nanoparticles for multi-stimuli release of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drug

Spherical micelles self-assembled from PPMA-g-DNA interacted with ssDNA modified gold nanoparticles and the resulting hybrids may serve as nanocarriers for releasing both Nile red and DOX, which can be triggered by many stimuli.

Development of microsatellite markers for Suriana maritima (Surianaceae) using next-generation sequencing technology

Our objective was to develop microsatellite markers for use in assessing genetic variation in the small shrub or tree species Suriana maritima (Surianaceae). In China, this species is found only as a few fragmented populations and individuals on the Paracel Islands. Using next-generation genome sequencing methodology, we developed 17 novel microsatellite markers for S. maritima. Fifty-four individuals from six populations of S. maritima were examined for polymorphisms; only one allele was detected for each of the markers. Microsatellite loci developed indicate a complete absence of genetic diversity for S. maritima on the Paracel Islands in China. These markers will be useful for examining genetic variation among S. maritima populations in other areas of the world.