Smartphone epifluorescence microscopy for cellular imaging of fresh tissue in low-resource settings

Disease diagnosis in low-resource settings can be challenging due to the lack of equipment and trained personnel required for histologic analysis. In this paper, we have developed a smartphone-based epifluorescence microscope (SeFM) for imaging fresh tissues at sub-cellular resolution. SeFM provides similar resolution and field of view (FOV) as those used during histologic analysis. The SeFM device achieved the lateral resolution of 0.57 µm and provided microscopy images over a sample area larger than 500 µm. The material cost was low, approximately $3,000. Preliminary images of human pancreatic tumor specimens clearly visualized cellular details. Quantitative analysis showed that using an excess dose of a chemotherapy drug significantly reduced the tumor-specific fluorescence signal, confirming the specificity of the drug and the detection potential of SeFM.

Hepatitis C Virus Treatment Status and Barriers among Patients in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Clinics in Guangdong Province, China: A Cross-Sectional, Observational Study

We aimed to evaluate the status and barriers related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment among Chinese methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clients, and the willingness and barriers of patients to accept directly observed treatment (DOT) service and oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). We conducted a cross-sectional survey from July to October 2017 in Guangdong Province, China, involving 678 HCV antibody-positive MMT patients. If they reported being infected with HCV, then their HCV treatment experience, willingness to use DOT and DAAs, along with any barriers, were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the correlates of initiating HCV treatment. Among those reporting HCV infection (54%, 366/678), 39% (144/366) initiated treatment; however, 38% (55/144) interrupted and 55% (79/135) delayed treatment for 15 months. Seventy-five percent (273/366) and 53% (195/366) were willing to use DOT and DAAs, respectively. Unaffordable medical costs and insignificant symptoms were the major barriers to HCV treatment and accepting DOT or DAAs. The lack of a stable residence, being a woman, and having ever injected drugs were all associated with a low probability of initiating treatment (p < 0.05). This study highlights a limited uptake of HCV treatment among MMT patients, and a need to strengthen the popularity of DOT and DAAs and integrate them into Chinese MMT clinics.

Estimating the nitrogen source apportionment of Sophora japonica in roadside green spaces using stable isotope

It is generally accepted that urban vegetation absorbs air pollutants resulting in improved air quality. However, limited work has provided experimental data that can be used to quantify this. In this study, Sophora japonica in the near-road environment was studied, and stable isotopes were used to estimate the proportional contributions of different nitrogen sources to the trees. δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O values were quantified for plant (n = 254) and soil samples (n = 86) collected from 12 sampling sites in Beijing. The elemental composition (total nitrogen (TN) and total carbon (TC)) of both samples types, and the ionic concentration (NO₃^- and NH₄⁺) of soil samples were also measured. δ¹⁵N in S. japonica sampled near the road was significantly lower than in samples collected far from the road. Variation of δ¹⁸O, TN, and TC in plant samples could not be explained by the road distance. Using the SIAR Bayesian isotope mixing model and the mixing polygon method, the average proportional contributions of three nitrogen sources for the tree samples among all experiment sites were estimated, with the proportion for each nitrogen source following the order: soil (69.2%) > traffic-related NO_x (19.3%) > dry deposition (11.5%). In addition, the results of the Bayesian model revealed that the nitrogen contribution of traffic-related NO_x at road-adjacent sites (23.0%) was higher than the contribution of traffic-related NO_x at sites far from the road (16.4%). These results indicated that the S. japonica in near-road green spaces was significantly influenced by traffic-related NO_x emissions that were characterized by lower δ¹⁵N values. We found that using the SIAR Bayesian isotope mixing model and mixing polygon method, the potential nitrogen sources of plants could be estimated and the proportional contributions estimated by the model can reflect the plant's ability to absorb air-borne NO_x.

Room-Temperature Giant Stark Effect of Single Photon Emitter in van der Waals Material

Single photon emitters (SPEs) are critical building blocks needed for quantum science and technology. For practical applications, room-temperature solid-state platforms are critically demanded. To scale up quantum information processing using, for example, wavelength division multiplexing quantum key distribution, a large tuning range beyond emission line width of single photon energy is required. Stark effect can tune the single photon energy by an electric field. However, it has been achieved only at cryogenic temperature to pursue a shift larger than emission line width. A large Stark tuning beyond emission line width at room temperature still remains elusive. Here we report the first room-temperature Stark effect of SPEs with a giant Stark shift of single photon energy up to 43 meV/(V/nm), largest among all previous color center emitters. Such a giant Stark shift is 4-fold larger than its line width at room temperature, demonstrated by exploiting hBN color centers. Moreover, the intrinsic broken symmetries are determined via angle-resolved Stark effect, for the first time, by the orientation of the electric permanent dipole moment in the solid-state SPE, which is unachievable in traditional optical polarization measurement. The remarkable Stark shift discovered here and the significant advance in understanding its atomic structure pave a way toward the scalable solid-state on-chip quantum communication and computation at room temperature.

TCQG-Software-Defined Transmission Control Scheme in 5G Networks from Queuing Game Perspective

The efficient processing and forwarding of big data is one of the key problems and challenges facing the next generation wireless communication network. Using a software definition method to virtualize the network can improve the efficiency of network operation and reduce the cost of network operation and maintenance. A software-defined transmission control scheme was presented to solve the excessive controller flow problem for 5G networks. Based on the queuing game theory, a system model was built due to the competition among the requests of the switch. The transmission control platform was in charge of resource allocation. It got maximum social welfare under a profit-maximizing fee. In this model, the optimal queue length was calculated and discussed in a first-come-first-served and last-come-first-served with preemption discipline. The optimal queue length was obtained and the optimal admission fee was calculated. Then, the single switch single controller transmission control model was extended to the multi-switches single controller model. As a result, the social welfare of the system containing the controller’s profit and switch surplus reaches the maximum.

Dose Tapering Strategy for Heroin Abstinence among Methadone Maintenance Treatment Participants: Evidence from A Retrospective Study in Guangdong, China

Around half of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) participants choose the tapering phase, however, the guidelines on tapering differ between countries and only include the tapering rate. Physicians need more evidence to guide clinical practice. We aimed to explore a specific tapering strategy to improve heroin abstinence among MMT participants. We conducted a retrospective study from 2006 to 2017 at nine MMT clinics in Guangdong, China, involving 853 participants with 961 treatment episodes. We performed two-level hierarchical logistic regression models to identify tapering phase characteristics associated with heroin abstinence. Among all treatment episodes, 419 (43.6%) were heroin abstinent. Participants who started tapering after 52 weeks, had a taper start dose of less than 60 mg and a taper ratio of less than 5%/week, while a dose reduction in 75%-89% of the tapering weeks provided the highest odds of heroin abstinence. This study highlights the need for a more gradual taper than current guidelines recommend and strongly suggests the inclusion of other tapering phase characteristics. Those who start the tapering phase later, have a lower dose of methadone, with a more gradual rate of taper, and a dose reduction in 75%-89% of the tapering phase increased the odds of heroin abstinence.

Effects of Metformin Treatment on Soluble Leptin Receptor Levels in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

The effects of metformin treatment on soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R) levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were investigated. This prospective and open-label study was conducted by the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. Fifty-five women with PCOS and insulin resistance (IR) were treated with metformin for 6 months. According to body mass index (BMI), the patients were divided into two groups: lean PCOS group (BMI <23 kg/m², n=34) and overweight or obese PCOS group (BMI ≥23 kg/m², n=21). Before and after treatment, serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), androstenedione (A), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), insulin and sOB-R levels were determined. Thirty-one BMI-matched ovulatory women served as controls. The results showed: (1) The Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), androgen levels and hirsutism scores were higher, and sOB-R levels were lower in PCOS groups than in control group. A subgroup analysis of lean and overweight or obese PCOS patients revealed there was significant difference in sOB-R level between lean PCOS group and overweight or obese PCOS group. There were no significant differences in anthropometric parameters between lean PCOS patients and BMI-matched controls. However, sOB-R level was significantly lower in lean PCOS women than in controls. (2) There was no correlation between sOB-R level and BMI, waist and hip circumference, total testosterone, androstendione, DHEAS, LH or hirsutism scores in PCOS patients, but there was a significant negative correlation between sOB-R and HOMA-IR. (3) After treatment with metformin for 6 months, serum insulin levels decreased, and sOB-R levels increased significantly (P<0.01). It was suggested that considering low sOB-R levels supposedly compensate diminished leptin action, PCOS per se might cause leptin resistance. It is likely that reduction of hyperinsulinemia produced by metformin effectively improves the sOB-R levels in PCOS.

Probiotics maintain intestinal secretory immunoglobulin A levels in healthy formula-fed infants: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Formula-fed infants are more susceptible to infectious diseases because they lack the maternal immune factors transferred from breast milk, while their own immune system is still immature. As timely probiotic administration was suggested to promote immune system development in formula-fed infants, this study aimed at assessing the safety and the effects of a probiotic supplement (Bifidobacterium infantis R0033, Bifidobacterium bifidum R0071, and Lactobacillus helveticus R0052) on mucosal immune competence and digestive function in formula-fed infants. Healthy infants (3.5-6 months old) were randomised to receive either probiotic- (n=66) or placebo-supplemented (n=66) formula once a day for four weeks. In the probiotics group, faecal secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) levels remained similar between visit 2 (baseline; V2) and visit 3 (end-of-treatment; V3), but decreased in the placebo group. Changes in SIgA levels following treatment (log₁₀ΔV3-V2 [95%CI]) between the probiotic and placebo groups were statistically significant (23 ng/dl [-57;102] and -137 ng/dl [-212;-62], respectively (P=0.0044; ANCOVA)). While log₁₀ΔV3-V2 [95%CI] for salivary SIgA levels increased in both groups, this trend was more pronounced in the probiotics than in the placebo group with an increase of 123 ng/dl [9;236] and 37 ng/dL [-72;147], respectively (P=0.2829; ANCOVA). The weekly average number of stools/day was significantly higher in the probiotics group compared to placebo during the last week of treatment for the per protocol population. There was no difference in microbiota composition or anthropometric parameters between groups. No serious adverse event was reported, and all adverse events were mild and unrelated to the product or study. Our results show that formula-fed infants receiving probiotics maintained higher faecal SIgA levels at the end of the four-week treatment period, suggesting a positive effect of probiotics on SIgA production. This study demonstrates the safety of this probiotic formulation in infants. Formula-fed infants may benefit from probiotics supplementation to sustain the development of mucosal immunity.

Human Enterovirus C105, China, 2017

We report a case of enterovirus C105 infection in an 11-year-old girl with lower respiratory tract symptoms that was identified through the Respiratory Virus Surveillance System, which covers 30 sentinel hospitals in all 16 districts of Beijing, China. The presence of this virus strain in China confirmed its geographically wide distribution.

Low-cost, high-speed near infrared reflectance confocal microscope

We have developed a low-cost, near-infrared (NIR) reflectance confocal microscope (RCM) to overcome challenges in the imaging depth and speed found in our previously-reported smartphone confocal microscope. In the new NIR RCM device, we have used 840 nm superluminescent LED (sLED) to increase the tissue imaging depth and speed. A new confocal detection optics has been developed to maintain high lateral resolution even when a relatively large slit width was used. The material cost of the NIR RCM device was still low, ~$5,200. The lateral resolution was 1.1 µm and 1.3 µm along the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively. Axial resolution was measured as 11.2 µm. In vivo confocal images of human forearm skin obtained at the imaging speed of 203 frames/sec clearly visualized characteristic epidermal and dermal cellular features of the human skin.

The role of tuberculosis control institutes in delivering tuberculosis information to domestic migrants in China: A multi-level analysis of a nationwide cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to understand how tuberculosis (TB) control institutes raise awareness of TB among domestic migrants in China, specifically whether migrants have received TB information and how they received it.

METHODS

This multi-level analysis included both county-level data and individual-level data covering 31 provinces in mainland China. Multi-level logistic models were used to explore the factors associated with receiving TB information.

RESULTS

This analysis included 205 990 migrants from 31 provinces and municipalities. Only 77 460 (37.60%) migrants reportedly received any TB information in mainland China. The center for disease control and prevention (CDC), the center for tuberculosis control (CTC), and the center for prevention and treatment of chronic diseases (CPTCD) were the most likely to provide TB information for migrants in comparison to other types of TB control institutes, such as general hospitals, specialized hospitals, and community healthcare centers. The odds ratios were calculated as: 1.563 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.246-1.959) for CDCs, 1.385 (95% CI 1.063-1.804) for CTCs, and 1.723 (95% CI 1.424-2.085) for CPTCDs.

CONCLUSIONS

China has not achieved universal coverage of TB awareness. TB awareness levels are higher in regions with CDC, CTC, and CPTCD institutes. Domestic migrants who have moved to western areas are more likely to have received TB information.

Correction: Targeting Leptin as a Therapeutic Strategy against Ovarian Cancer Peritoneal Metastasis

The authors would like to correct Fig. 1, Fig. 3 and Fig. 5G, as errors were introduced in the preparation of these figures for publication. The authors declare that these corrections do not change the results or conclusions of this paper. We sincerely apologize for having this error in the article, and apologize for any inconvenience caused. The authors have provided corrected version of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 and Fig. 5G here.

Multiferroicity in atomic van der Waals heterostructures

Materials that are simultaneously ferromagnetic and ferroelectric - multiferroics - promise the control of disparate ferroic orders, leading to technological advances in microwave magnetoelectric applications and next generation of spintronics. Single-phase multiferroics are challenged by the opposite d-orbital occupations imposed by the two ferroics, and heterogeneous nanocomposite multiferroics demand ingredients' structural compatibility with the resultant multiferroicity exclusively at inter-materials boundaries. Here we propose the two-dimensional heterostructure multiferroics by stacking up atomic layers of ferromagnetic Cr2Ge2Te6 and ferroelectric In2Se3, thereby leading to all-atomic multiferroicity. Through first-principles density functional theory calculations, we find as In2Se3 reverses its polarization, the magnetism of Cr2Ge2Te6 is switched, and correspondingly In2Se3 becomes a switchable magnetic semiconductor due to proximity effect. This unprecedented multiferroic duality (i.e., switchable ferromagnet and switchable magnetic semiconductor) enables both layers for logic applications. Van der Waals heterostructure multiferroics open the door for exploring the low-dimensional magnetoelectric physics and spintronic applications based on artificial superlattices.

Which Species Should We Focus On? Umbrella Species Assessment in Southwest China

In conservation biology, umbrella species are often used as agents for a broader set of species, or as representatives of an ecosystem, and their conservation is expected to benefit a large number of naturally co-occurring species. Southwest China is home to not only global biodiversity hotspots, but also rapid economic and population growth and extensive changes in land use. However, because of the large regional span, the diverse species distributions, and the difficulty of field investigations, traditional methods used to assess umbrella species are not suitable for implementation in Southwest China. In the current study, we assessed 810 key protected species from seven taxa by indicator value analysis, correlation analysis, and factor analysis. We selected 32 species as umbrella species, whose habitats overlapped the habitats of 97% of the total species. Furthermore, the selected species were significantly correlated with 70% of all species in the study area. A total of 16 out of 19 selected animal species have been previously mentioned as umbrella species, compared with only 3 out of 13 plants species; this is despite plants accounting for a large proportion of the total species in Southwest China. We discuss the roles of indicator species and co-occurring species, and provide suggestions for species protection in Southwest China based on the current results. Our research provides valuable scientific information for research on umbrella conservation species over large geographical scales, and related fields of biodiversity conservation.

Upsurge of Enterovirus D68 and Circulation of the New Subclade D3 and Subclade B3 in Beijing, China, 2016

We conducted a surveillance among acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) cases to define the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and genetic variations of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) in Beijing, China from 2015 to 2017. Nasopharyngeal swabs and sputum were collected from 30 sentinel hospitals in Beijing and subjected to EV and EV-D68 detection by real-time PCR. The VP1 gene region and complete genome sequences of EV-D68 positive cases were analyzed. Of 21816 ARTI cases, 619 (2.84%) were EV positive and 42 cases were EV-D68 positive. The detection rates of EV-D68 were 0 (0/6644) in 2015, 0.53% (40/7522) in 2016 and 0.03% (2/7650) in 2017, respectively. Two peaks of EV-D68 infections occurred in late summer and early-winter. Ten cases (23.81%) with upper respiratory tract infection and 32 cases (76.19%) presented with pneumonia, including 3 cases with severe pneumonia. The phylogenetic analysis suggested 15 subclade D3 strains and 27 subclade B3 strains of EV-D68 were circulated in China from 2016 to 2017. A total of 52 amino acid polymorphisms were identified between subclades D1 and D3. These data suggest an upsurge of EV-D68 occurred in Beijing in 2016, the new subclade D3 emerged in 2016 and co-circulated with subclade B3 between 2016 and 2017.

Highly Hydrophilic TiO₂ Nanotubes Network by Alkaline Hydrothermal Method for Photocatalysis Degradation of Methyl Orange

High-density and highly cross-coated anatase TiO₂ nanotubes networks have been successfully prepared on the surface of Ti foil by alkaline hydrothermal using NaOH and Ti foil as the precursors. The nanotubes networks were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical contact angle tester, and ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence spectrophotometer, respectively. The results showed that the nanotubes network with diameters of 30–50 nm were obtained on the Ti foil surface. The morphology of the nanotubes network possessed the three-dimensional network structure, The TiO₂ nanotubes network grew along the (101) direction of the tetragonal anatase crystal. The morphology and crystal phase of the TiO₂ nanotubes network were better at the conditions of NaOH concentration 7–10 mol/L and temperature 160–170 °C. The best contact angle of TiO₂ nanotubes network after UV-light irradition was only 5.1 ± 2.9°. Under the irradiation of mercury lamp, the nanotubes network exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance and the degradation ratio of methyl orange solution reached to 80.00 ± 2.33%. Thus, the anatase TiO₂ nanotubes network has great potential in applications for pollution photocatalytic degradation.

Abstract P6-09-07: Expression of miR-106b in circulating tumor cells is associated with EMT and prognosis in metastatic breast cancer patients

# Co-first author: W.T., G.L., X.X.

* Co-Correspondence: C.G. and W.G.J.

Abstract

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) display changes in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and miRNAs regulate EMT in breast cancer cells. The association between EMT characteristics and miRNA expression in CTCs of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients and their clinical implications remain unknown.

Methods: CTC-specific miRNAs were screened based on comparison of the miRNA profile between CTC and primary tumor. RT-PCR was used to quantity the expression levels of EMT makers and miRNA candidates. We enrolled 219 MBC patients with CTCs ≥ 5/7.5mL blood from 2 cohorts and CTCs were detected and enriched by CellSearch. Overall survival (OS) and radiological response were analyzed. CTCs were divided into epithelial- (E-CTCs) and mesenchymal-like CTC (M-CTCs) phenotypes based on a cut-off value derived from suspended breast cancer cells recovered from PBMCs.

Results: MiR-106b displayed upregulation in CTCs, with a higher level in M-CTCs than E-CTCs. Patients with E-CTCs showed better OS than those with M-CTCs (HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.14-2.78, P =0.012). CTCs from chemo-resistant MBC patients exhibited higher miR-106b. CTC-specific miR-106b was negatively associated with therapy response and OS (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.06-2.84, P = 0.029).

Conclusions: CTC-specific miR-106b was associated with EMT phenotypes of CTCs and may predict prognosis in MBC patients.

Citation Format: Tan W, Liang G, Xie X, Tan L, Sanders AJ, Liu Z, Ling Y, Zhong W, Jiang WG, Gong C. Expression of miR-106b in circulating tumor cells is associated with EMT and prognosis in metastatic breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-09-07.

Abstract P2-08-56: Effects of young age on prognosis in patients with node-negative tumors 2 cm or smaller breast cancer

Background It is still controversial to consider age as a prognostic factor into the treatment strategy of patients with T1N0M0 breast cancer.

Aim The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of age on recurrence risk in patients diagnosed with T1N0M0 breast cancer as well as compare the prognosis of young aged patients(YA,≤40 years old) to non-young aged patients(non-YA,&gt;40 years old) by using a propensity score matching(PSM) analysis.

Methods 365 patients with T1N0M0 breast cancer diagnosed between 2003 and 2016 who received surgery in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital Breast Cancer Center were included.The recurrence free survival (RFS) and risk factors for recurrence were identified by using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models. PSM was then used to reduce the confounding effect of known risk factors on prognosis and then to compare 5-year RFS rates in patients between two age groups.

Results After a median follow up of 79 months, 54 patients developed recurrences and 5-year RFS was 87.6%. YA patients had lower RFS estimates (80.6%), compared to patients diagnosed in a later age (89.1% if older than 40-years old; P = 0.049). YA patients tended to have Her-2 positive, TNBC tumors, higher rate of Ki-67 expression and nuclear grade tumor. At multivariate analysis, Her-2 positive (HR 2.115; 95% CI 1.103-4.055, p=0.024) and TNBC (HR 2.963; 95% CI 1.485-5.914, p=0.002) resulted independent prognostic factors of patient with T1N0M0 breast cancer. In the subgroup analysis, we found significant poor RFS for YA patients with Her-2 positive breast cancer compared to the older counterparts(p=0.006) and YA patients were associated with significantly higher rates of the locoregional recurrence rather than metastasis(p=0.004), especially in first 5 years after diagnosis. After PSM, the baseline level and treatment status including tumor size, grade, HR status, Her-2 status, Ki67 expression breast surgery type and systemic adjuvant treatment(AST) of patients in the two age groups tended to be equal. As result, we found significant difference in the 5-year RFS between two age groups(p=0.008).

Conclusion Based on equal treatment condition, young age at presentation conferred a worse prognosis in patients with T1N0M0 breast cancer is independent on other pathological features.

Citation Format: Zhong W, Tan L, You N, Wang Y, Liang G, Liu Z, Ling Y, Tian Z, Gong C. Effects of young age on prognosis in patients with node-negative tumors 2 cm or smaller breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-08-56.

Abstract P2-01-08: The potential role of CTNND1 (catenin (cadherin-associated protein), Delta 1) in breast cancer bone metastasis

Background:

The bone is a frequently visited site by breast cancer cells. Most women who die of metastatic breast cancer would already have bone metastases, whether they are micro- or macro-metastases. Metastatic bone metastasis from breast cancer is mostly osteolytic, with reasons unclear and little in vitro and in vivo studies exploring the osteolytic nature of bone metastasis. In the present study, we investigated the potential role of CTNND1, Catenin (Cadherin-Associated Protein) Delta 1, in the context of bone metastasis of breast cancer.

Materials and Methods:

In order to identify potential genes involved in bone metastasis, we established a novel in vitro model named Bone Matrix Extract (BME) which was extracted from human femur and used to mimic the bone environment. Full profile of gene expression in response to BME was conducted using Ampliseq technology. Potential genes associated with bone metastasis was examined in a clinical breast cohort containing both cancer and normal tissues (n = 103), collected immediately following surgery. Gene transcript levels were quantified using QPCR and analysed against patient's pathological information and clinical outcome. We generated a series of cell models by knocking down and over-expressing one of the most relevant genes, CTNND1, using siRNA, sh-RNA, ribozyme transgenes and insertion of full coding sequence containing plasmids. Function assays including Matrigel based-adhesion, cancer cell-osteobalstic cell contact, proliferation, transwell invasion and migration were used to investigate the changes of biological features after interfering with CTNND1 expression in relation to BME / co-culture models.

Results:

CTNND1 was down regulated in all breast epithelial cells following BME treatment at both mRNA and protein level. From the clinical cohort, we found that compared with benign tissue, breast cancer tissues had significantly decreased CTNND1 transcript expression. Reduced CTNND1 was associated with advanced TNM stage and poor distant metastasis, local recurrence and bone metastasis. We went on to knockdown CTNND1 by siRNA, ribozyme as well as lenti-shCTNND1 transfection in MCF-10A and MDA-231 cells and overexpressed CTNND1 in MCF-7 cells. In vitro study demonstrated that knockdown of CTNND1 expression led to decreased capacity of Matrigel-adhesion, migration and invasion but increased cancer cell-osteobalstic cell adhesion. No effects were observed on cell proliferation after altering CTNND1 expression, in the presence or absence of BME.

Conclusions:

In this initial study on CTNND1 in breast cancer, our current data suggests that lower transcript expression of CTNND1 associates with a poorer patient prognosis. CTNND1 reduction may play a role in the progression of breast cancer bone metastasis.

Citation Format: Gong C, Andrew A, Feng Y, Owen S, Liang G, Davies E, Song E, Jiang W. The potential role of CTNND1 (catenin (cadherin-associated protein), Delta 1) in breast cancer bone metastasis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-01-08.

Abstract P2-07-12: A prognostic prediction nomogram (PDIDC) for breast Paget's disease with infiltrating ductal carcinoma patients: A SEER cohort analysis

Purpose

The aim of the study was to develop a specific nomogram for prediction of prognosis for breast Paget's disease with infiltrating ductal carcinoma (PD-IDC) patients.

Patients and Methods

Patients data were obtained by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program (N=2502). Study outcome was Breast Cancer Specific Survival (BCSS). Cox proportional hazards model was applied to identify risk factors and develop predictive model. For internal validation, discrimination was calculated with the concordance index (C-index) using the bootstrap method and calibration assessed.

Results

NPI classification, skin symptom, tumor site and age showed significant association with BCSS(table.1)and were used to build the PDIDC nomogram and to calculate risk score. PDIDC nomogram's C-index (0.791, 95%CI 0.783-0.818) showed better discrimination power than NPI classification (0.691, 95%CI, 0.650-0.735, P= 0.000) and AJCC staging (0.718, 95%CI, 0.695-0.741, P=0.000). Patients were divided into high-risk (1882/2502, 75.21%) and low-risk (620/2502, 24.78%) subgroups with the optimal cut-off of risk scores (4.28). The total BCSS of low-risk subgroup was 77.8% (95%CI 74.4%-81.4%) vs. 31.1% (95%CI 19.4-49.8) of high-risk group (P=0.000). Bootstrap internal validation demonstrated an average C-index of 0.739 (95% CI, 0.692-0.746). The nomogram calibration was validated to be accurate in predicting 5-year and 10-year survival.

Variable finally selected for risk predicted model.PredictorHazard RatioP Value95% CINPI classification Good1 Moderate2.170.0001.51-3.14Poor7.260.0004.96-10.63Skin symptom Without1 With1.760.0001.34-2.32Tumor site Centrally located1 Non-centrally located1.250.0421.07-1.56Age*1.010.0001.01-1.03* Continuous variable.

Conclusion

Utilizing NPI classification, skin symptom, tumor site and age, we developed the PDIDC nomogram to predict the 5-year and 10-year BCSS of breast PD-IDC patients.

Citation Format: Tan L, Chen K, Jiang WG, You N, Wang Y, Sanders A, Liang G, Liu Z, Ling Y, Zhong W, Tian Z, Gong C. A prognostic prediction nomogram (PDIDC) for breast Paget's disease with infiltrating ductal carcinoma patients: A SEER cohort analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-07-12.

Two-dimensional magnetic crystals and emergent heterostructure devices

Magnetism, originating from the moving charges and spin of elementary particles, has revolutionized important technologies such as data storage and biomedical imaging, and continues to bring forth new phenomena in emergent materials and reduced dimensions. The recently discovered two-dimensional (2D) magnetic van der Waals crystals provide ideal platforms for understanding 2D magnetism, the control of which has been fueling opportunities for atomically thin, flexible magneto-optic and magnetoelectric devices (such as magnetoresistive memories and spin field-effect transistors). The seamless integration of 2D magnets with dissimilar electronic and photonic materials opens up exciting possibilities for unprecedented properties and functionalities. We review the progress in this area and identify the possible directions for device applications, which may lead to advances in spintronics, sensors, and computing.

Heterotypic CAF-tumor spheroids promote early peritoneal metastatis of ovarian cancer

The study provides insights in HGSOC by identifying that ascitic CAFs selectively recruit ITGA5^high ascitic tumor cells to form heterotypic spheroids named metastatic units (MUs), which actively engage in peritoneal metastasis, discriminates HGSOC from LGSOC, and act as therapeutic targets in hampering OC metastasis.

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is hallmarked by early onset of peritoneal dissemination, which distinguishes it from low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC). Here, we describe the aggressive nature of HGSOC ascitic tumor cells (ATCs) characterized by integrin α5^high (ITGA5^high) ATCs, which are prone to forming heterotypic spheroids with fibroblasts. We term these aggregates as metastatic units (MUs) in HGSOC for their advantageous metastatic capacity and active involvement in early peritoneal dissemination. Intriguingly, fibroblasts inside MUs support ATC survival and guide their peritoneal invasion before becoming essential components of the tumor stroma in newly formed metastases. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) recruit ITGA5^high ATCs to form MUs, which further sustain ATC ITGA5 expression by EGF secretion. Notably, LGSOC is largely devoid of CAFs and the resultant MUs, which might explain its metastatic delay. These findings identify a specialized MU architecture that amplifies the tumor–stroma interaction and promotes transcoelomic metastasis in HGSOC, providing the basis for stromal fibroblast-oriented interventions in hampering OC peritoneal propagation.

Fano-resonant silicon photonic crystal slab for efficient third-harmonic generation

Strong light-matter interactions in resonant photonic nanostructures open up opportunities for enhancing nonlinear responses. In this work, by applying Fano resonances, we experimentally demonstrate efficient third-harmonic generation (THG) obtained with 2D silicon photonic crystal slabs (PCSs) thanks to the field enhancement in the dielectric layer. A 160-fold enhancement of THG is observed in the silicon PCS compared to the unpatterned silicon film. Through slightly changing the radius of the PCS, tunable THG on a single chip is obtained, paving a way for the optical manipulation of harmonic generation.

Electrochemical synthesis of perovskite LaFeO3 nanoparticle-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

LaFeO₃/TiO₂ NTAs was synthesized by an electrochemical method and exhibited enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity and excellent photochemical stability.

BMP9-induced osteoblastic differentiation requires functional Notch signaling in mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent progenitors that can differentiate into multiple lineages including osteoblastic lineage. Osteogenic differentiation of MSCs is a cascade that recapitulates most, if not all, of the molecular events occurring during embryonic skeletal development, which is regulated by numerous signaling pathways including bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). Through a comprehensive analysis of the osteogenic activity, we previously demonstrated that BMP9 is the most potent BMP for inducing bone formation from MSCs both in vitro and in vivo. However, as one of the least studied BMPs, the essential mediators of BMP9-induced osteogenic signaling remain elusive. Here we show that BMP9-induced osteogenic signaling in MSCs requires intact Notch signaling. While the expression of Notch receptors and ligands are readily detectable in MSCs, Notch inhibitor and dominant-negative Notch1 effectively inhibit BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation in vitro and ectopic bone formation in vivo. Genetic disruption of Notch pathway severely impairs BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation and ectopic bone formation from MSCs. Furthermore, while BMP9-induced expression of early-responsive genes is not affected by defective Notch signaling, BMP9 upregulates the expression of Notch receptors and ligands at the intermediate stage of osteogenic differentiation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Notch signaling may play an essential role in coordinating BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs.

Monensin inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth of chemo-resistant pancreatic cancer cells by targeting the EGFR signaling pathway

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most deadly malignancies with <5% five-year survival rate due to late diagnosis, limited treatment options and chemoresistance. There is thus an urgent unmet clinical need to develop effective anticancer drugs to treat pancreatic cancer. Here, we study the potential of repurposing monensin as an anticancer drug for chemo-resistant pancreatic cancer. Using the two commonly-used chemo-resistant pancreatic cancer cell lines PANC-1 and MiaPaCa-2, we show that monensin suppresses cell proliferation and migration, and cell cycle progression, while solicits apoptosis in pancreatic cancer lines at a low micromole range. Moreover, monensin functions synergistically with gemcitabine or EGFR inhibitor erlotinib in suppressing cell growth and inducing cell death of pancreatic cancer cells. Mechanistically, monensin suppresses numerous cancer-associated pathways, such as E2F/DP1, STAT1/2, NFkB, AP-1, Elk-1/SRF, and represses EGFR expression in pancreatic cancer lines. Furthermore, the in vivo study shows that monensin blunts PDAC xenograft tumor growth by suppressing cell proliferation via targeting EGFR pathway. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that monensin can be repurposed as an effective anti-pancreatic cancer drug even though more investigations are needed to validate its safety and anticancer efficacy in pre-clinical and clinical models.

LncRNA UCA1 promotes cell proliferation, invasion and migration of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

In view of the poor prognosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and the functionality of long non-coding (lnc)RNA UCA1 in different types of cancer, the present study aimed to investigate the role of UCA1 in the development and progression of LSCC. A total of 90 patients with LSCC and 90 healthy subjects were enrolled in the present study. Expression levels of UCA1 in tumor tissues and adjacent healthy tissues, as well as serum of patients with LSCC and normal controls were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum UCA1 for LSCC. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and employed to evaluate the prognosic values of serum UCA1 for LSCC. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were detected using the cell proliferation assay, and Transwell migration and invasion assays, respectively. Expression levels of Wnt/β-catenin-associated proteins were detected by western blot analysis. Results indicated that the expression levels of UCA1 were significantly higher in tumor tissues compared with adjacent healthy tissues in the majority of patients with LSCC. In addition, serum levels of UCA1 were significantly higher in patients with LSCC coapred with healthy controls. UCA1 overexpression promoted, whereas UCA1 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of LSCC cells. UCA1 overexpression activated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in LSCC cells, whereas treatment with Wnt inhibitor reduced the enhancing effects of UCA1 overexpression on the proliferation, migration and invasion of LSCC cells. The present findings suggest that UCA1 can promote cell proliferation, invasion and migration of LSCC cells by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Predicting the Development of Normal-Appearing White Matter With Radiomics in the Aging Brain: A Longitudinal Clinical Study

Background: Normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) refers to the normal, yet diseased tissue around the white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on conventional MR images. Radiomics is an emerging quantitative imaging technique that provides more details than a traditional visual analysis. This study aims to explore whether WMH could be predicted during the early stages of NAWM, using a textural analysis in the general elderly population.

Methods: Imaging data were obtained from PACS between 2012 and 2017. The subjects (≥60 years) received two or more MRI exams on the same scanner with time intervals of more than 1 year. By comparing the baseline and follow-up images, patients with noted progression of WMH were included as the case group (n = 51), while age-matched subjects without WMH were included as the control group (n = 51). Segmentations of the regions of interest (ROIs) were done with the ITK software. Two ROIs of developing NAWM (dNAWM) and non-developing NAWM (non-dNAWM) were drawn separately on the FLAIR images of each patient. dNAWM appeared normal on the baseline images, yet evolved into WMH on the follow-up images. Non-dNAWM appeared normal on both the baseline and follow-up images. A third ROI of normal white matter (NWM) was extracted from the control group, which was normal on both baseline and follow-up images. Textural features were dimensionally reduced with ANOVA+MW, correlation analysis, and LASSO. Three models were built based on the optimal parameters of dimensional reduction, including Model 1 (NWM vs. dNAWM), Model 2 (non-dNAWM vs. dNAWM), and Model 3 (NWM vs. non-dNAWM). The ROC curve was adopted to evaluate the classification validity of these models.

Results: Basic characteristics of the patients and controls showed no significant differences. The AUC of Model 1 in training and test groups were 0.967 (95% CI: 0.831–0.999) and 0.954 (95% CI: 0.876–0.989), respectively. The AUC of Model 2 were 0.939 (95% CI: 0.856–0.982) and 0.846 (95% CI: 0.671–0.950). The AUC of Model 3 were 0.713 (95% CI: 0.593–0.814) and 0.667 (95% CI: 0.475–0.825).

Conclusion: Radiomics textural analysis can distinguish dNAWM from non-dNAWM on FLAIR images, which could be used for the early detection of NAWM lesions before they develop into visible WHM.

Distribution of the atypical pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia to disease severity

Background

To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of 11 atypical pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among Chinese, and to determine whether or not there is an association between these pathogens and the severity of illness.

Methods

We conducted a surveillance study for CAP in 30 hospitals of Beijing. Epidemiological data and clinical specimens were systematically collected from enrolled CAP patients. The detection for 11 atypical pathogens [9 respiratory viruses, Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and Chlamydophila pneumoniae (CP)] was performed. Risk factors of severe CAP and death in Hospital were evaluated.

Results

A total of 6,008 CAP patients [including 1,071 severe CAP (SCAP)] were enrolled. The overall detection rate of the 11 atypical pathogens was 42.4% among 1,925 child CAP (39.9% among 274 child SCAP), and 25.8% among 4,083 adult CAP (22.8% among 797 adult SCAP). The most frequent atypical pathogen among child SCAP was parainfluenza virus (10.2%) followed by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (8.4%). However, the most frequent atypical pathogen among adult SCAP was influenza virus (8.9%) followed by parainfluenza virus (3.8%). Multivariate analyses showed that the important predictors for SCAP were an age ≤9 years, an age ≥65 years and co-existing diseases. These factors, except an age ≤9 years, were also predictors of death in Hospital. None of these 11 atypical pathogens was included as the risk factors of SCAP or death in Hospital.

Conclusions

Although these 11 atypical pathogens were the common causes of CAP (including SCAP) among Chinese, they were not observed to increase risks for SCAP or death in Hospital.

[Effect of intranasal excision under open the nasal vestibular flap on nasal vestibular cyst under nasal endoscopy]

Objective:Objective:To observe the clinical Effect of intranasal excision under open the nasal vestibular flap on nasal vestibular cyst under nasal endoscopy.Method:Forty-five patients with nasal vestibular cyst were randomly divided into two groups: nasal vestibule flap group (n=25) and labial gingival crevicular approach group (n=20).Comparison of two groups of patients with operation time, intraoperative blood loss, wound healing time, postoperative local numbness or pain, 1 week after eating the inconvenience, the degree of postoperative wound pain, postoperative facial swelling degree were compared between the two groups.Result:①The operation of the two groups was successful, and all patients were not relapse followed-up for 1-3 years and averaged 1.5 years. ②Compared with labial gingival crevicular groove approach group,the amount of bleeding, wound healing time, postoperative upper lip numbness in local incidence, one week after operation of eating or the incidence rate of eating inconvenience pain aggravate in nasal vestibular double flap group with were all statistically significant (P<0.05).The operation time of the two groups were not statistically significant(P>0.05).③The degree of pain and swelling of the face in the nasal vestibule flap group were significantly lighter than that of the labial gingival crevicular approach group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Endoscopic resection of nasal vestibular cyst through nasal vestibule flap approach has advantages in less intraoperative bleeding,shorter wound healing time,much less postoperative local reaction, less pain and lower postoperative recurrence rate, and does not increase operative time.

Patterning-Induced Ferromagnetism of Fe3GeTe2 van der Waals Materials beyond Room Temperature

Magnetic van der Waals (vdW) materials have emerged as promising candidates for spintronics applications, especially after the recent discovery of intrinsic ferromagnetism in monolayer vdW materials. There has been a critical need for tunable ferromagnetic vdW materials beyond room temperature. Here, we report a real-space imaging study of itinerant ferromagnet Fe₃GeTe₂ and the enhancement of its Curie temperature well above ambient temperature. We find that the magnetic long-range order in Fe₃GeTe₂ is characterized by an unconventional out-of-plane stripe-domain phase. In Fe₃GeTe₂ microstructures patterned by a focused ion beam, the out-of-plane stripe domain phase undergoes a surprising transition at 230 K to an in-plane vortex phase that persists beyond room temperature. The discovery of tunable ferromagnetism in Fe₃GeTe₂ materials opens up vast opportunities for utilizing vdW magnets in room-temperature spintronics devices.

[Prospective association between childhood abuse experiences and depressive symptoms in adolescence]

Objective: To evaluate the prospective association between childhood abuse experiences and depressive symptoms in adolescence. Methods: Students in grade 3 and 4 from three primary schools were selected, with informed consent, through convenience cluster sampling in Bengbu, Anhui province in May 2013. The students' body height, weight were assessed. Childhood abuse experiences including emotional, physical or sexual abuses, as well as depressive symptoms were reported by children themselves. Data on parental educational background and household economic status were collected through parent questionnaire. A follow up was conducted 4 years later after baseline survey. Depressive symptoms were evaluated by using Children's Depression Inventory at baseline survey, and by using Mood and Feeling Questionnaire at follow-up. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between childhood abuse experiences and depressive symptoms in adolescence. Results: A total of 1 172 students were included in baseline survey, and a follow-up was conducted for 87.1% of them (n=1 021). Among 1 126 students with complete information on childhood abuse experiences at baseline survey, the reported rates of physical, emotional and sexual abuses were 12.8% (144/1 126), 11.1% (125/1 126) and 10.9% (123/1 126), respectively. The prevalence of depressive symptoms at baseline survey and follow-up was 7.0% (82/1 172) and 12.3% (126/1 021), respectively. After adjusted for baseline depressive symptoms, age at follow-up, sex, the only-child in family, household economic status, divorce of parents and BMI, childhood emotional and physical abuse experiences were significant risk factors for depressive symptoms in mid-adolescence, with the ORs were 1.86 (95%CI: 1.03-3.36, P=0.039) and 2.37 (95%CI: 1.39-4.03, P=0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Childhood physical and emotional abuse might increase the risk of depressive symptoms in adolescence.

One-Step Acidic Hydrothermal Preparation of Dendritic Rutile TiO₂ Nanorods for Photocatalytic Performance

Three-dimensional and dendritic rutile TiO₂ nanorods were successfully fabricated on a Ti foil surface using a one-step acidic hydrothermal method. The TiO₂ nanorods were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and optical contact angle testing. The results showed that the nanorods with diameters of 100⁻500 nm and lengths of 100 nm to 1 μm were obtained on the Ti foil surface. The length and density of the TiO₂ nanorods were perfect at the conditions of HCl concentration 0.5 mol/L, temperature 220 °C, and reaction time 12 h. The TiO₂ nanorods formed parallel to the consumption of Ti and grew along the (110) direction having a tetragonal rutile crystal. The morphology of the nanorods possessed a three-dimensional structure. The contact angle of the nanorods was only 13 ± 3.1°. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic activities of the TiO₂ nanorods were carried out using ultraviolet fluorescence spectrophotometry for the methyl orange detection, and the degradation was found to be about 71.00% ± 2.43%. Thus, TiO₂ nanorods can be developed by a one-step acidic hydrothermal method using Ti foil simultaneously as the substrate with a TiO₂ source; the TiO₂ nanorods exhibited photocatalytic performance while being environment-friendly.

[Developmental characteristics of circadian rhythms in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis during puberty]

Objective: To explore the developmental characteristics of circadian rhythms in hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during puberty. Methods: A total of 1 070 students from Grade 2-3 in 3 primary schools in Ma'anshan city, Anhui province, were selected for physical examination and circadian rhythm of HPA axis checked from 2015 to 2017. Saliva samples were collected at each of the following three time points: immediately upon wakening, 30 minutes after wakening and bedtime, with the index of circadian rhythm of HPA axis calculated, which including cortisol awake response (CAR), cortisol in puberty priming and diurnal cortisol slope (DCS). Testicular volume, palpation and visual inspection of breast development were used to assess the state of purbety development on boys and girls. Information on gender, date of birth, time to fall asleep, wake-up time and weekly physical activity were gathered through questionnaire survey. Non-parametric test was used to compare the differences of baseline, follow-up period and different adolescent developmental processes of each index on circadian rhythm of HPA axis. Results: During the period of follow-up program and comparing with the continuous undeveloped group, CAR and the changes of CAR showed significantly increase, both in the puberty priming group and continuous development group, with statistically significant differences (CAR: Z=8.551, 4.680, respectively; P<0.01; the changes of CAR: Z=4.079, 2.700, respectively, P<0.01). There were no significant differences noticed in CAR and the changes of CAR between puberty priming group or continuous development group. The area under the curve (AUC) of cortisol in puberty priming group was slightly higher than that in the persistent undeveloped group (Z=2.591, P=0.010). Both the changes of daily cortisol slope (DCS) in puberty priming group and continuing developed group decreased significantly, when comparing with those in continuous undeveloped group (Z=-2.450, Z=-2.151; all P<0.05). There was no significant difference noticed in the changes of cortisol in puberty priming and DCS between different puberty development stages (the changes of AUC: χ(2)=2.747, P=0.253; DCS: χ(2)=4.554, P=0.032). Conclusions: The indexes of circadian rhythm of HPA axis were associated with the development of puberty. Both the cortisol awakening response and the total amount of diurnal cortisol secretion showed an increase, along with the puberty development. The change of diurnal cortisol slope declined with the development of puberty.

ZnGaNO Photocatalyst Particles Prepared from Methane-Based Nitridation Using Zn/Ga/CO3 LDH as Precursor

Methane-based nitridation was employed to produce wurtzite zinc-gallium oxynitride (ZnGaNO) photocatalyst particles using Zn/Ga/CO₃ layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as precursor. Introduction of methane to nitridation would promote the formation of Zn-O bonding and suppress shallow acceptor complexes such as V_(Zn)-Ga_(Zn) and Ga-O_i in ZnGaNO particles. On the other hand, high flow rate of methane would induce breaking of Ga-N bonding and enhance surface deposition of metallic Ga atoms. After loading with Rh and RuO₂, ZnGaNO particles had free electron density in an order of S50 > S20 > S90 > S0, which correlated well with their photocatalytic performance upon visible-light irradiation. The best performance of the loaded S50 was ascribed to the relatively flat surface band bending of the particle. Methane-based nitridation of Zn/Ga/CO₃ LDHs would provide a new route to tune the surface chemistry of ZnGaNO and enhance the photocatalytic performance to its full potential.

Reversibly immortalized human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) are responsive to BMP9-induced osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a heterogeneous subset of nonhematopoietic multipotent stromal stem cells and can differentiate into mesodermal lineage, such as adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes, as well as ectodermal and endodermal lineages. Human umbilical cord (UC) is one of the most promising sources of MSCs. However, the molecular and cellular characteristics of UC-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) require extensive investigations, which are hampered by the limited lifespan and the diminished potency over passages. Here, we used the piggyBac transposon-based simian virus 40 T antigen (SV40T) immortalization system and effectively immortalized UC-MSCs, yielding the iUC-MSCs. A vast majority of the immortalized lines are positive for MSC markers but not for hematopoietic markers. The immortalization phenotype of the iUC-MSCs can be effectively reversed by flippase recombinase-induced the removal of SV40T antigen. While possessing long-term proliferation capability, the iUC-MSCs are not tumorigenic in vivo. Upon bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) stimulation, the iUC-MSC cells effectively differentiate into osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages both in vitro and in vivo, which is indistinguishable from that of primary UC-MSCs, indicating that the immortalized UC-MSCs possess the characteristics similar to that of their primary counterparts and retain trilineage differentiation potential upon BMP9 stimulation. Therefore, the engineered iUC-MSCs should be a valuable alternative cell source for studying UC-MSC biology and their potential utilities in immunotherapies and regenerative medicine.

Thermoresponsive Citrate-Based Graphene Oxide Scaffold Enhances Bone Regeneration from BMP9-Stimulated Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Effective bone tissue engineering is important to overcome the unmet clinical challenges as more than 1.6 million bone grafts are done annually in the United States. Successful bone tissue engineering needs minimally three critical constituents: osteoprogenitor cells, osteogenic factors, and osteoinductive/osteoconductive scaffolds. Osteogenic progenitors are derived from multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can be prepared from numerous tissue sources, including adipose tissue. We previously showed that BMP9 is the most osteogenic BMP and induces robust bone formation of immortalized mouse adipose-derived MSCs entrapped in a citrate-based thermoresponsive hydrogel referred to as PPCNg. As graphene and its derivatives emerge as promising biomaterials, here we develop a novel thermosensitive and injectable hybrid material by combining graphene oxide (GO) with PPCNg (designated as GO-P) and characterize its ability to promote bone formation. We demonstrate that the thermoresponsive behavior of the hybrid material is maintained while effectively supporting MSC survival and proliferation. Furthermore, GO-P induces early bone-forming marker alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and potentiates BMP9-induced expression of osteogenic regulators and bone markers as well as angiogenic factor VEGF in MSCs. In vivo studies show BMP9-transduced MSCs entrapped in the GO-P scaffold form well-mineralized and highly vascularized trabecular bone. Thus, these results indicate that GO-P hybrid material may function as a new biocompatible, injectable scaffold with osteoinductive and osteoconductive activities for bone regeneration.

Niclosamide Exhibits Potent Anticancer Activity and Synergizes with Sorafenib in Human Renal Cell Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND/AIMS

As the most lethal urological cancers, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) comprises a heterogeneous group of cancer with diverse genetic and molecular alterations. There is an unmet clinical need to develop efficacious therapeutics for advanced, metastatic and/or relapsed RCC. Here, we investigate whether anthelmintic drug Niclosamide exhibits anticancer activity and synergizes with targeted therapy Sorafenib in suppressing RCC cell proliferation.

METHODS

Cell proliferation and migration were assessed by Crystal violet staining, WST-1 assay, cell wounding and cell cycle analysis. Gene expression was assessed by qPCR. In vivo anticancer activity was assessed in xenograft tumor model.

RESULTS

We find that Niclosamide effectively inhibits cell proliferation, cell migration and cell cycle progression, and induces apoptosis in human renal cancer cells. Mechanistically, Niclosamide inhibits the expression of C-MYC and E2F1 while inducing the expression of PTEN in RCC cells. Niclosamide is further shown to synergize with Sorafenib in suppressing RCC cell proliferation and survival. In the xenograft tumor model, Niclosamide is shown to effectively inhibit tumor growth and suppress RCC cell proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS

Niclosamide may be repurposed as a potent anticancer agent, which can potentiate the anticancer activity of the other agents targeting different signaling pathways in the treatment of human RCC.

Characterization of the essential role of bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) in osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) through RNA interference

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells and capable of differentiating into multiple cell types including osteoblastic, chondrogenic and adipogenic lineages. We previously identified BMP9 as one of the most potent BMPs that induce osteoblastic differentiation of MSCs although exact molecular mechanism through which BMP9 regulates osteogenic differentiation remains to be fully understood. Here, we seek to develop a recombinant adenovirus system to optimally silence mouse BMP9 and then characterize the important role of BMP9 in osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. Using two different siRNA bioinformatic prediction programs, we design five siRNAs targeting mouse BMP9 (or simB9), which are expressed under the control of the converging H1 and U6 promoters in recombinant adenovirus vectors. We demonstrate that two of the five siRNAs, simB9-4 and simB9-7, exhibit the highest efficiency on silencing exogenous mouse BMP9 in MSCs. Furthermore, simB9-4 and simB9-7 act synergistically in inhibiting BMP9-induced expression of osteogenic markers, matrix mineralization and ectopic bone formation from MSCs. Thus, our findings demonstrate the important role of BMP9 in osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. The characterized simB9 siRNAs may be used as an important tool to investigate the molecular mechanism behind BMP9 osteogenic signaling. Our results also indicate that recombinant adenovirus-mediated expression of siRNAs is efficient and sustained, and thus may be used as an effective delivery vehicle of siRNA therapeutics.

Systematic review of preservation solutions for allografts for liver transplantation based on a network meta-analysis

AIMS

The aim of this work was to determine the best preservation solutions for allografts for liver transplantation by quantitative network meta-analysis.

METHODS

Global electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials. Seven pieces of parametric data were extracted from included studies for pooled estimation. A consistency model was used for direct and indirect comparisons. The cumulative probability P value was utilized to rank the solutions. A node-splitting model was utilized for testing the consistency of final data. Quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE (Grades of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system.

RESULTS

Eleven 2-arm trials including 1319 patients and 5 different solutions were finally included. HTK (Histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate) solution exhibited the best efficacy for decreasing the primary dysfunction rate, biliary complications and ICU-stay time (probability P = 0.43, 0.45 and 0.58, respectively). Celsior solution significantly decreased the rate of rejection and early retransplantation (probability P = 0.73 and 0.38, respectively), and enhanced patient and graft survival (probability P = 0.90 and 0.98, respectively) more than did other solutions. Overall, the quality of evidence was rated high or moderate.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggested that HTK solution may offer the best safety during the perioperative period. However, Celsior solution led to better graft tolerance and exhibited greater benefit for long-term outcomes. And our conclusions still need to be further validated.

BIO alleviated compressive mechanical force-mediated mandibular cartilage pathological changes through Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation

Osteoarthritis induced by compressive mechanical force is characterized by decreased chondrocyte proliferation and degradation of the ECM. To examine underlying mechanisms of the pathological changes of mandibular cartilage induced by compressive mechanical force, an established animal model was used to examine Wnt signaling activation by glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β) inhibitor 6-Bromoindirubin-3'-oxime (BIO) injection in vivo. Histological changes in mandibular cartilage were assessed via hematoxylin & eosin (HE), masson, and alcian blue staining. Immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR were performed to evaluate activation of the Wnt signaling pathway and chondrocytes proliferation markers. Chondrocytes apoptosis was examined by TUNEL staining. During the compressive mechanical force loading-mediated process, Wnt signaling was largely inhibited, which showed the inhibited expression of β-catenin and the increased expression of GSK-3β. The expression of chondrocytes proliferation markers Ki67, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) also decreased. With BIO injection, the Wnt signaling was restored and the proliferation of mandibular chondrocytes was also increased in the late stage (7 days) of compressive mechanical force loading. Finally, the decreasing mandibular cartilage thickness, the degradation of extracellular matrix, and the erosion of bone trabecula were subsequently restored. Also, the changes of extracellular matrix markers such as collagen II and collagen X, matrix metalloproteases, and inflammatory cytokines were reversed followed by the injection of BIO. In summary, compressive mechanical force decreased endogenously Wnt signaling, leading to impaired proliferation in chondrocytes and degradation in cartilage matrix. Restoration of Wnt signaling largely recovered the proliferation defects and alleviated the pathological changes of mandibular cartilage. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:1228-1237, 2018.

Symmorphic Intersecting Nodal Rings in Semiconducting Layers

The unique properties of topological semimetals have strongly driven efforts to seek for new topological phases and related materials. Here, we identify a critical condition for the existence of intersecting nodal rings (INRs) in symmorphic crystals, and further classify all possible kinds of INRs which can be obtained in the layered semiconductors with Amm2 and Cmmm space group symmetries. Several honeycomb structures are suggested to be topological INR semimetals, including layered and "hidden" layered structures. Transitions between the three types of INRs, named as α, β, and γ type, can be driven by external strains in these structures. The resulting surface states and Landau-level structures, more complicated than those resulting from a simple nodal loop, are also discussed.