Antidamping-Torque-Induced Switching in Biaxial Antiferromagnetic Insulators

We investigate the current-induced switching of the Néel order in NiO(001)/Pt heterostructures, which is manifested electrically via the spin Hall magnetoresistance. Significant reversible changes in the longitudinal and transverse resistances are found at room temperature for a current threshold lying in the range of 10^{7}  A/cm^{2}. The order-parameter switching is ascribed to the antiferromagnetic dynamics triggered by the (current-induced) antidamping torque, which orients the Néel order towards the direction of the writing current. This is in stark contrast to the case of antiferromagnets such as Mn_{2}Au and CuMnAs, where fieldlike torques induced by the Edelstein effect drive the Néel switching, therefore resulting in an orthogonal alignment between the Néel order and the writing current. Our findings can be readily generalized to other biaxial antiferromagnets, providing broad opportunities for all-electrical writing and readout in antiferromagnetic spintronics.

Long-term risk of diabetes in women at varying durations after gestational diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis with more than 2 million women

This study aims to investigate the impact of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on the long-term risks of diabetes in women with prior GDM, including the effect at different time periods after GDM. We searched PubMed and other databases to retrieve articles which were published prior to February 28, 2017. Cohort studies which evaluated the risk and time of onset of diabetes postpartum in women with and without GDM were included. Meta-analysis with random effects models was used to obtain pooled relative risks and 95% confidence intervals for the risk of diabetes. Subgroup analyses were performed to check for different effect sizes as well as consistency across groups. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders. Thirty cohort studies with 2,626,905 pregnant women were included. Women with prior GDM had 7.76-fold (95% confidence intervals: 5.10-11.81) unadjusted pooled risk of diabetes as compared with women without GDM, whilst the adjusted risk was 17.92-fold (16.96-18.94). The adjusted ORs of GDM for diabetes among women at <3, ≥3 - <6 and ≥6 - <10 years after GDM were 5.37 (3.51-9.34), 16.55 (16.08-17.04) and 8.20 (4.53-14.86), respectively. Women with prior GDM had substantially increased risk of diabetes, with the risk highest during the 3-6 years after GDM.

Multiscale dynamical network mechanisms underlying aging of an online organism from birth to death

We present the continuous-time evolution of an online organism network from birth to death which crosses all organizational and temporal scales, from individual components through to the mesoscopic and entire system scale. These continuous-time data reveal a lifespan driven by punctuated, real-time co-evolution of the structural and functional networks. Aging sees these structural and functional networks gradually diverge in terms of their small-worldness and eventually their connectivity. Dying emerges as an extended process associated with the formation of large but disjoint functional sub-networks together with an increasingly detached core. Our mathematical model quantifies the very different impacts that interventions will have on the overall lifetime, period of initial growth, peak of potency, and duration of old age, depending on when and how they are administered. In addition to their direct relevance to online extremism, our findings may offer insight into aging in other network systems of comparable complexity for which extensive in vivo data is not yet available.

Abstract P5-05-04: The APOBEC3B transgenic mouse

Background: Massively parallel DNA sequencing efforts have facilitated the production of catalogs of the somatic mutations present in cancer genomes. Examining the sequence context of the mutations it is possible to identify patterns that recur frequently. These mutational patterns or “signatures” enable inference into the mutational processes responsible for the patterns. Investigators at the Sanger Institute in the UK have produced a compendium of 30 “Signatures of Mutational Processes in Human Cancer”. Two of these signatures have been attributed to the actions of APOBEC cytidine deaminases. Data from other investigators suggest that APOBEC3B (A3B) is more likely to play a role than are other members of the APOBEC family. The evidence to support the hypothesis that APOBEC activation is responsible for the mutation patterns is limited at present. It is important to establish whether these enzymes play a role in oncogenesis as the APOBEC mutational signature had been noted to be present in 1 of every 6 cancer specimens and second only to aging in prevalence.

Methods: In order to determine if overexpression of APOBEC3B in the mammary gland of mice is tumorigenic and produces the mutational signatures attributed to its activity, we contracted with a commercial vendor for the production of an APOBEC3B transgenic mouse on a 129:C57BL/6 background. Of note, in the course of the production of the transgenic, the intron between exons 5 and 6 was retained in the construct to prevent the expression of the highly mutatgenic protein in E. coli. The transgene was placed 3' of a stop sequence flanked by LoxP sites within the ROSA26 locus. Mating with MMTV-Cre mice restricts the excision of the stop cassette and expression of APOBEC3B to the mammary tissue. A3B heterozygotes from the F1 generation were bred to produce A3B homozygotes. Homozygotes have been allowed to undergo multiple pregnancies and have been observed for up to 12 months as of June 2017.

Results: 3 mice have developed malignancies. Two mice appear to have developed lymphomas and the epithelial cells of a mammary gland of a third mouse (homozygote) at 11 months of age are diffusely hyperplastic. The cells are arranged in rows ranging from 2-4 cells in thickness. Periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) staining confirms that the basement membrane is intact around the hyperplasic cells. There is no anisocytosis, anisokaryosis, desmoplasia, necrosis or mitotic figures noted in the gland.

Conclusions: At 11 month of age, the mammary glands of APOBEC3B transgenic mice are beginning to display histologic abnormalities associated with breast oncogenesis. Observation will continue. With the passage of time we expect to observe more advanced and larger mammary lesions. DNA will be extracted from any invasive mammary tumors, sequenced and the mutation signature determined using the EMu: Expectation-Maximisation inference of mutational signatures software available from Sanger.

Citation Format: Choi M, Lyle LT, Song C, Clare SE. The APOBEC3B transgenic mouse [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-05-04.

Modeling plant composition as community continua in a forest landscape with LiDAR and hyperspectral remote sensing

In light of the need to operationalize the mapping of forest composition at landscape scales, this study uses multi-scale nested vegetation sampling in conjunction with LiDAR-hyperspectral remotely sensed data from the G-LiHT airborne sensor to map vascular plant compositional turnover in a compositionally and structurally complex North Carolina Piedmont forest. Reflecting a shift in emphasis from remotely sensing individual crowns to detecting aggregate optical-structural properties of forest stands, predictive maps reflect the composition of entire vascular plant communities, inclusive of those species smaller than the resolution of the remotely sensed imagery, intertwined with proximate taxa, or otherwise obscured from optical sensors by dense upper canopies. Stand-scale vascular plant composition is modeled as community continua: where discrete community-unit classes at different compositional resolutions provide interpretable context for continuous gradient maps that depict n-dimensional compositional complexity as a single, consistent RGB color combination. In total, derived remotely sensed predictors explain 71%, 54%, and 48% of the variation in the first three components of vascular plant composition, respectively. Among all remotely sensed environmental gradients, topography derived from LiDAR ground returns, forest structure estimated from LiDAR all returns, and morphological-biochemical traits determined from hyperspectral imagery each significantly correspond to the three primary axes of floristic composition in the study site. Results confirm the complementarity of LiDAR and hyperspectral sensors for modeling the environmental gradients constraining landscape turnover in vascular plant composition and hold promise for predictive mapping applications spanning local land management to global ecosystem modeling.

Angiosome based time series analysis of deep tissue perfusion using diffuse speckle contrast analysis

An angiosome is a three dimensional volume of biological tissue which a specific artery governs. Although proven useful for vascular surgery, the direct relationship between arterial flow and microcirculation in specific angiosome remains controversial. Here, we present new optical approach, a four-channel diffuse speckle contrast analysis (DSCA) which can simultaneously measure blood perfusion at different foot area. Based on the hypothesis that same angiosome will support similar low frequency oscillation, we investigated cross-correlation among different DSCA channels. Our preliminary results show that the LFO signal from the channel closest to posterior tibial artery is leading the signal from the other channels.

Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance driven by magnetic phase transition

The independent control of two magnetic electrodes and spin-coherent transport in magnetic tunnel junctions are strictly required for tunneling magnetoresistance, while junctions with only one ferromagnetic electrode exhibit tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance dependent on the anisotropic density of states with no room temperature performance so far. Here, we report an alternative approach to obtaining tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance in α′-FeRh-based junctions driven by the magnetic phase transition of α′-FeRh and resultantly large variation of the density of states in the vicinity of MgO tunneling barrier, referred to as phase transition tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance. The junctions with only one α′-FeRh magnetic electrode show a magnetoresistance ratio up to 20% at room temperature. Both the polarity and magnitude of the phase transition tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance can be modulated by interfacial engineering at the α′-FeRh/MgO interface. Besides the fundamental significance, our finding might add a different dimension to magnetic random access memory and antiferromagnet spintronics.

Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance is promising for next generation memory devices but limited by the low efficiency and functioning temperature. Here the authors achieved 20% tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance at room temperature in magnetic tunnel junctions with one α′-FeRh magnetic electrode.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and risk of arthralgia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The US Food and Drug Administration has warned that treatment with dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors may promote serious arthralgia. However, the clinical evidence for this is relatively lacking.

OBJECTIVE

For this reason, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were carried out to determine the relationship between DPP-4 inhibitors and risk of arthralgia, and also to investigate any potential risk factors.

METHODS

An extensive electronic search for RCTs comparing DPP-4 inhibitors with any comparators was performed up to July 2016. Outcomes of interest were overall and serious arthralgia. Summary risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 67 RCTs (involving 79,110 patients) was ultimately included. Pooled results showed that DPP-4 inhibitors were associated with a slightly but significantly increased risk of overall arthralgia (RR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04-1.22; P=0.003) and a non-significant increased risk of serious arthralgia (RR: 1.44, 95% CI: 0.83-2.51; P=0.20). Also, subgroup analyses showed that add-on/combination therapy and longer diabetes duration (>5years) were possible factors associated with the increased risk of overall arthralgia.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that DPP-4 inhibitors can increase the risk of arthralgia. Thus, the benefits of glycaemic control must be weighed against the risk of arthralgia when prescribing DPP-4 inhibitors. Further studies are now needed to identify and confirm these risk factors.

[Epidemiological characteristics of HBeAg reversion in chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg seroconversion in Jiangsu province, 2012-2014]

Objective: To understand characteristics and influencing factors of reversion of HBeAg in chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg sero-conversion, and provide epidemiological evidence for the regular management of chronic hepatitis B patients. Methods: From 2012 to 2014, a cohort study was conducted among the chronic hepatitis B patients with sero-conversion of HBeAg in Jiangsu province. Association between participants' demographics, ALT, HBV DNA and incidence of HBeAg reversion was analyzed by Cox regression model. HBV DNA changing trend between patients with HBeAg reversion and patients with persistent HBeAg sero-conversion was compared by repeated measure data variance analysis. Results: In 2012, there were 5 068 HBeAg seroconverted chronic hepatitis B patients aged (51.9 ± 12.8) years enrolled. By 2014, HBeAg had reversed in 121 cases with the rate of 1.3/100 person-years. The probability of HBeAg reversion decreased with the age of the patients. By Cox regression analysis, HBV DNA level was an important influencing factor for the progress of HBeAg reversion. The patients with HBV DNA≥200 000 IU/ml had a higher HBeAg reversion rate DNA (3.8/100 person-years) than those with HBV DNA <2 000 IU/ml (1.1 person-years) (HR=3.44, 95% CI: 1.91-6.20, P=0.000). Compared with the persistent HBeAg sero-conversion group, HBV DNA and ALT showed a more dramatic increase in the HBeAg reversion group (P=0.000). Conclusions: There was a certain HBeAg reversion rate in chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg sero-conversion. Younger chronic CHB patients with HBeAg sero-conversion and those with higher HBV DNA lever had higher HBeAg reversion rate. Following up and management of chronic CHB patients with HBeAg sero-conversion is important and helpful for the control of hepatitis B.

[A cohort study on the epidemiological characteristics of HBeAg sero-clearance in HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B patients in Jiangsu province from 2012 to 2014]

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors related to HBeAg sero-clearance in chronic hepatitis B patients so as to provide evidence for regular management on chronic HBV patients. Methods: From 2012 to 2014, a cohort study was conducted among HBeAg positive chronic HBV patients in Jiangsu province. Association between the characteristics and incidence of HBeAg sero-clearance was analyzed by Cox regression method. The changing trend on HBV DNA between patients with HBeAg sero-clearance and those with persistent HBeAg positive status was compared by repeated measure data variance analysis method. Results: In 2012, there were 721 HBeAg positive hepatitis B patients aged (45.2 ± 14.2) years enrolled in this study. By 2014, the follow-up observation period was 1 058 person-years, and 393 cases had lost their HBeAg status, with the rate as 37.2/100 person-years. The HBeAg sero-clearance rate was 32.4/100 person-years in hepatitis B patients who received antiviral treatment. The probability of HBeAg clearance in HBeAg positive hepatitis B patients aged ≥60 year (62.0/100 person-years) was higher than those of aged <20 year (7.0/100 person-years). The rate of HBeAg sero-clearance in HBeAg positive patients with HBV DNA <20 000 IU/ml (75.8/100 person-years) was higher than those whose HBV DNA were ≥200 000 IU/ml (16.1/100 person-years). By Cox regression analysis, the HBV DNA level was an important influencing factor on the progress of HBeAg sero-clearance. Patients with HBV DNA levle as ≥200 000 IU/ml, had a lower HBeAg clearance rate (HR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.13-0.23, P<0.001). Compared to the persistent HBeAg positive group, HBV DNA showed a more dramatic fall in the HBeAg-lost group (P<0.001). Conclusion: The rate of HBeAg sero-clearance among HBeAg positive hepatitis B patients was correlated with age and HBV DNA status of the patients that called for comprehensive management and intervention programs to develop for the HBeAg positive hepatitis B patients with different characteristics.

Time Resolved Measurements of the Switching Trajectory of Pt/Co Elements Induced by Spin-Orbit Torques

We report the experimental observation of spin-orbit torque induced switching of perpendicularly magnetized Pt/Co elements in a time resolved stroboscopic experiment based on high resolution Kerr microscopy. Magnetization dynamics is induced by injecting subnanosecond current pulses into the bilayer while simultaneously applying static in-plane magnetic bias fields. Highly reproducible homogeneous switching on time scales of several tens of nanoseconds is observed. Our findings can be corroborated using micromagnetic modeling only when including a fieldlike torque term as well as the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction mediated by finite temperature.

Genetic susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and risk of dementia

Several studies have shown cardiovascular disease (CVD) to be associated with dementia, but it is not clear whether CVD per se increases the risk of dementia or whether the association is due to shared risk factors. We tested how a genetic risk score (GRS) for coronary artery disease (CAD) affects dementia risk after CVD in 13 231 Swedish twins. We also utilized summarized genome-wide association data to study genetic overlap between CAD and Alzheimer´s disease (AD), and additionally between shared risk factors and each disease. There was no direct effect of a CAD GRS on dementia (hazard ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.98-1.01). However, the GRS for CAD modified the association between CVD and dementia within 3 years of CVD diagnosis, ranging from a hazard ratio of 1.59 (95% CI: 1.05-2.41) in the first GRS quartile to 1.91 (95% CI: 1.28-2.86) in the fourth GRS quartile. Using summary statistics, we found no genetic overlap between CAD and AD. We did, however, find that both AD and CAD share a significant genetic overlap with lipids, but that the overlap arose from clearly distinct gene clusters. In conclusion, genetic susceptibility to CAD was found to modify the association between CVD and dementia, most likely through associations with shared risk factors.

Two novel polymorphisms in PLCE1 are associated with the susceptibility to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese population

Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide. Phospholipase C epsilon 1 (PLCE1) gene was found to be associated with the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by three large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in Chinese populations. To evaluate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PLCE1 gene and ESCC risk, a case-control study including 550 patients with ESCC and 550 age, gender-matched controls was carried out to investigate the genetic susceptibility of three SNPs (rs3765524 C/T and two unreported potentially functional SNPs rs10882379 G/A and rs829232 G/A) as well as the interactions of gene-gene and gene-environment in the development of ESCC. And the results showed that GA genotype of rs10882379 was significantly associated with reduced ESCC risk compared with GG genotype (adjusted OR [95% CI]: 0.66 [0.51, 0.86]), while AA genotype of rs829232 was significantly associated with increased ESCC risk compared with GG genotype (adjusted OR [95% CI]: 1.37 [1.12, 1.67]). The haplotype analysis showed increased ESCC risk in Grs10882379Crs3765524Ars829232 and Grs10882379Trs3765524Ars829232 haplotypes with OR (95% CI) of 1.40 (1.13, 1.73) and 1.66 (1.18, 2.34), respectively and inversely reduced ESCC risk in Ars10882379Crs3765524Grs829232 haplotype with OR (95% CI) of 0.74 (0.61, 0.91). The gene-environment interaction analysis emerged a best model consisted of four factors (rs10882379, rs3765524, rs829232 and family history of ESCC) that could increase the ESCC risk in the 'high risk group' with 4.45-fold (OR [95% CI]: 5.45 [4.13, 7.19]), compared to the 'low risk group.' Our results further validate that the SNPs in PLCE1 gene may contribute to the ESCC susceptibility in Chinese Han population. Also the gene-gene and gene-environment interactions play a certain crucial role in the ESCC progression.

Development of the dual SMART micro-surgical system using common-path swept source optical coherence tomography

Manual micro-surgical tasks are fundamentally divided into grasping, cutting and injecting maneuvers performed on biological tissues. Efficient dissection of fibrous tissue from the surface of the retina often requires grasping and cutting maneuvers carried out simultaneously. True bimanual surgery requires that the surgeon contend with the innate hand tremor of two hands at once as well as unpredicted patient's movement. In this study, we develop and test a dual SMART micro-surgical system to suppress bimanual hand tremor during micro-surgical dissection.

Lifestyle intervention can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

This study aimed to examine the effect of lifestyle intervention on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We searched PubMed, Springer and other databases to retrieve articles published in English and Chinese up to 30 September 2015. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of lifestyle intervention on risk of GDM. Exclusion criteria were studies with prepregnancy diabetes mellitus or interventions with nutrient supplements. Random-effect and fixed-effect model analyses were used to obtain pooled relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of diet and physical activity on the risk of GDM. Subgroup analyses were performed to check the consistency of effect sizes across groups where appropriate. We identified 29 randomized controlled trials with 11,487 pregnant women, addressing the effect of lifestyle intervention on the risk of GDM. In the pooled analysis, either diet or physical activity resulted in an 18% (95%CI 5-30%) reduction in the risk of GDM (P = 0.0091). Subgroup analysis showed that such intervention was effective among women with intervention before the 15th gestational week (relative risk: 0.80, 95%CI 0.66-0.97), but not among women receiving the intervention afterwards. We conclude that lifestyle modification during pregnancy, especially before the 15th gestational week, can reduce the risk of GDM. © 2016 World Obesity.

Emulating Anyonic Fractional Statistical Behavior in a Superconducting Quantum Circuit

Anyons are exotic quasiparticles obeying fractional statistics, whose behavior can be emulated in artificially designed spin systems. Here we present an experimental emulation of creating anyonic excitations in a superconducting circuit that consists of four qubits, achieved by dynamically generating the ground and excited states of the toric code model, i.e., four-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states. The anyonic braiding is implemented via single-qubit rotations: a phase shift of π related to braiding, the hallmark of Abelian 1/2 anyons, has been observed through a Ramsey-type interference measurement.

Effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on osmoregulatory response and apoptosis in GIFT tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

In the present study, GIFT tilapia Oreochromis niloticus were exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for 7, 14, and 21 days. Over the duration of the exposure, genotoxicity and the activity of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase (NKA) and Ca⁺/Mg⁺-ATPase (CMA) were measured in the gill, kidney, and intestine, to evaluate changes in osmoregulatory response in O. niloticus. Our results showed significant decreases in organic NKA (except in gill tissues after 0.5 mg/L PCB-exposure) and CMA activity. The results of the genotoxicity assay showed significant increases in atp1a1a, nkcc2 (only in gill tissue), and fxyd7 (except after 21 days of 5 mg/L PCB exposure). We found significant increases in caspase proteins in the liver in the 5-mg/L PCB exposure group, and the transcripts showed dose-dependent increases between treatment groups over the exposure duration. This study presents evidence that chronic exposure to PCB could result in organic osmoregulatory response and hepatic apoptosis in GIFT tilapia.

Effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on oxidation stress in the liver of juvenile GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus

The present study clearly showed that chronic exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at environmentally relevant concentrations can damage juvenile tilapia livers by modulating antioxidant enzyme activities and gene transcription, which affects toxic bioaccumulation and histological congestion. The results suggest that PCBs caused a decrease in the activity of some hepatic antioxidative and biotransformation enzymes (SOD, CAT, GST, T-GSH, and MDA) in tilapia at 7 days, as well as transcriptional changes (sod, cat, and gst). Except for some antioxidant parameters (T-GSH, GSH/GSSG, T-AOC, and MDA), significant declines and increases occurred at 14 and 21 days, respectively. Most of the antioxidant enzymatic signatures and genotoxicity significantly increased at 14 and 21 days. This study presented evidence that PCBs could result in hepatic toxicity through oxidative stress in the early growth stages of tilapia, and we speculated that oxidative stress plays an important role in embryonic developmental toxicity induced by PCBs.

Seeding Homologous Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Bladder Smooth Muscle Cells Into Bladder Submucosa Matrix for Reconstructing the Ureter in a Rabbit Model

BACKGROUND

Congenital or acquired abnormalities may result in ureteral malformation, trauma, or defect. Traditional reconstructive methods are often associated with numerous complications. Tissue engineering technology may provide an alternate avenue for ureteral reconstruction. In this study, we constructed tissue-engineered tubularized grafts (TETGs) by seeding homologous adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and bladder smooth muscle cells (SMCs) into bladder submucosa matrix (BSM) for ureteral reconstruction in rabbit models.

METHODS

ADSCs and bladder SMCs were seeded onto 2 sides of the BSM, respectively. Then the grafts were used to construct TETGs of 4.0 cm length and 8.0 mm diameter and were transplanted into the omentum of rabbits for 2 weeks before ureteral reconstruction. The 4.0-cm segment of the ureter was replaced by the TETG. Evolutionary formation of tissue structures and degree of epithelization were evaluated with the use of histologic and immunohistochemical techniques at 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks after implantation.

RESULTS

All of the rabbits were alive until they were killed. Histologic and immunohistochemical analyses showed consistent regeneration of mature and functional urothelium. At 16 weeks after TETG implantation, multilayered urothelium covered the entire lumen, with visible neovascularization in the center and formation of organized smooth muscle bundles.

CONCLUSIONS

We successfully constructed a tissue-engineered transplanted graft by seeding ADSCs and SMCs onto the BSM for ureteral repair and reconstruction in a rabbit model.

Kinetic analysis of RNA editing of Newcastle disease virus P gene in the early period of infection

As a paramyxovirus, Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has the ability to edit its P (phosphoprotein) gene to synthesize three kinds of viral protein (P, V and W). It is technically very difficult to differentiate P, V and W mRNAs, and little was known about NDV regulation of RNA-editing frequency. To investigate the rules of NDV RNA editing, the ratio of the P gene-derived transcripts (P, V and W) was determined by sequencing at different time points post-infection. The results showed unstable ratio of V and W mRNA at different time points, and the frequency of NDV editing was significantly increased at the early period of infection (P 

KEYWORDS

Newcastle disease virus; phosphoprotein; RNA editing; G insertion.

Coherent population transfer between uncoupled or weakly coupled states in ladder-type superconducting qutrits

Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage offers significant advantages for coherent population transfer between uncoupled or weakly coupled states and has the potential of realizing efficient quantum gate, qubit entanglement and quantum information transfer. Here we report on the realization of the process in the superconducting Xmon and phase qutrits—two ladder-type three-level systems in which the ground state population is coherently transferred to the second excited state via the dark state subspace. We demonstrate that the population transfer efficiency is no less than 96% and 67% for the two devices, which agree well with the numerical simulation of the master equation. Population transfer via stimulated Raman adiabatic passage is significantly more robust against variations of the experimental parameters compared with that via the conventional resonant π pulse method. Our work opens up a new venue for exploring the process for quantum information processing using the superconducting artificial atoms.

Quantum state engineering necessitates transfer between quantum states. Here the authors demonstrate coherent population transfer between un- or weakly-coupled states of solid state systems, superconducting Xmon and phase qutrits, using stimulated Raman adiabatic passage and microwave driving.

A novel SLC12A3 gene homozygous mutation of Gitelman syndrome in an Asian pedigree and literature review

OBJECTIVES

Gitelman syndrome (GS) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis in combination with significant hypomagnesemia and hypocalciuria which is caused by mutations in the SLC12A3 gene. In this study, we reported a case of GS pedigree and reviewed pertinent literature so as to explore the relationship between clinical characteristics and genotype meanwhile provide recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of GS.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This is a pedigree-based genetic study of GS and 11 members from one family were included. We summarized their clinical features, analyzed laboratory parameters related to GS and SLC12A3 gene.

RESULTS

The proband experienced intermittent severe symptoms of weakness accompanied by significant hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia and hypocalciuria in laboratory test with poor treatments. His mother had more slight symptoms of weakness than him with mild hypokalemia and hypocalciuria. Mild hypomagnesemia was also observed in his sister with occasional weakness. All other pedigree members had normal laboratory test with no GS-related symptoms. A homozygous mutation of SLC12A3 gene (c.488C > T) was detected by genetic testing in three members, and six were carriers of this mutation.

CONCLUSIONS

Genotype and phenotype vary significantly among GS patients. Male patients tend to experience more severe symptoms and poor treatment effect. Further large-scale population, animal, and molecular biology experiments are required to investigate the complexity of GS and to find a better treatment regimen for this disease.

Abstract P6-05-08: Integrating whole exome sequencing data with RNAseq and quantitative proteomics to better inform clinical treatment decisions in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer

Background: The use of next-generation sequencing has significantly advanced personalized medicine for patients (pts) with breast cancer. Despite this technological advancement, there remains the challenge of understanding how and if tumor heterogeneity can confound molecular analysis and treatment decisions. It has been shown that the expression of ER, PR, and HER2 can vary widely within different areas of the same tumor and between matched primary and metastatic lesions. The "Intensive Trial of OMics in Cancer"-001 (ITOMIC-001; NCT01957514) enrolls pts with metastatic TNBC who are platinum-naive and scheduled to receive cisplatin. Multiple biopsies of up to 7 metastatic sites are performed prior to cisplatin and repeated upon completion of cisplatin and following subsequent therapies. A subset of specimens is chosen for DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing, and quantitative proteomics. We explored the discordance of genomic and proteomic alterations for intrapatient and temporal heterogeneity in pts with TNBC, and the potential benefit of panomic analysis to better inform treatment decisions.

Methods: Between 7 and 107 tumor samples/biopsy specimens were obtained from each pt from 1-23 different time points. Blood samples were collected for matched tumor-normal genomic analysis. DNA sequencing data were processed using Contraster; RNASeq data confirmed the presence of gene mutations and was used to identify mutational and transcript abundance. PARADIGM was used to determine associations between gene mutations and signaling pathways. Selected reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry (SRM-MS) was used for proteomics analysis.

Results: Almost all pts had loss of TP53 (common in TNBC), and 5 pts had germline BRCA1/2 events, some exhibiting a signature of mutations corresponding to a mismatch repair defect in ≥1 pt. FGFR1/2/3 mutations/amplifications occurred in 5 pts. Three of 12 pts (25%) achieved partial responses after receiving treatments (post cisplatin) based on the molecular profile of their tumor: 1 pt with two FGFR2 activating mutations treated with ponatinib, 1 with a germline BRCA2 mutation treated with veliparib, and 1 with highly expressed Gpnmb treated with an antibody drug conjugate against Gpnmb. Tumor samples showed increased mutational and rearrangement burdens over time but shared mutational characteristics that were unique to each pt. Through the shared alterations across time points for 3 pts, it was possible to reconstruct the clonal history and heterogeneity of the tumors as various therapeutic approaches were attempted.

Conclusions: Here we show in TNBC, intrapatient and temporal heterogeneity that may lead to a lack of response to identified targeted therapies. Tumor samples taken over time from the same pt become enriched for more complex genomic structures post therapy but share mutational characteristics, indicating the presence of recurrent tumor populations. This study enabled us to reconstruct the clonal history and heterogeneity of tumors across space (metastatic vs primary at t=0) and time, illustrating the need for comprehensive molecular analysis and combination/multi-targeted therapeutics for optimal treatment in TNBC.

Citation Format: Soon-Shiong P, Rabizadeh S, Benz S, Cecchi F, Hembrough T, Mahen E, Burton K, Song C, Senecal F, Schmechel S, Pritchard C, Dorschner M, Blau S, Blau A. Integrating whole exome sequencing data with RNAseq and quantitative proteomics to better inform clinical treatment decisions in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-05-08.

Vitamin D prevents articular cartilage erosion by regulating collagen II turnover through TGF-β1 in ovariectomized rats

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of vitamin D on turnover of articular cartilage with ovariectomy (OVX) induced OA, and to investigate transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) as a possible underlying mechanism mediated by 1α,25(OH)2D3.

DESIGN

Sixty-six rats were randomly allocated into seven groups: sham plus control diet (SHAM+CTL), OVX+CTL diet, sham plus vitamin D-deficient (VDD) diet, OVX+VDD diet, and three groups of ovariectomized rats treated with different doses of 1α,25(OH)2D3. The cartilage erosion and the levels of serum 17β-estradiol, 1α,25(OH)2D3 and C-telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II) were measured. TGF-β1, type II Collagen (CII), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9,-13 in articular cartilage were assessed by immunohistochemistry. TGF-β1 and CTX-II expression were measured in articular cartilage chondrocytes treated with/without tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), 1α,25(OH)2D3, and TGF-β receptor inhibitor (SB505124) in vitro.

RESULTS

Cartilage erosion due to OVX was significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner by 1α,25(OH)2D3 supplementation, and exacerbated by VDD. The expressions of TGF-β1 and CII in articular cartilage were suppressed by OVX and VDD, and rescued by 1α,25(OH)2D3 supplementation. The expression of MMP-9,-13 in articular cartilage increased with OVX and VDD, and decreased with 1α,25(OH)2D3 supplementation. In vitro experiments showed that 1α,25(OH)2D3 increased the TGF-β1 expression of TNF-α stimulated chondrocytes in a dose-dependent manner. 1α,25(OH)2D3 significantly counteracted the increased CTX-II release due to TNF-α stimulation, and this effect was significantly suppressed by SB505124.

CONCLUSION

VDD aggravated cartilage erosion, and 1α,25(OH)2D3 supplementation showed protective effects in OVX-induced OA partly through the TGF-β1 pathway.

Suppression of Dephasing by Qubit Motion in Superconducting Circuits

We suggest and demonstrate a protocol which suppresses the low-frequency dephasing by qubit motion, i.e., transfer of the logical qubit of information in a system of n≥2 physical qubits. The protocol requires only the nearest-neighbor coupling and is applicable to different qubit structures. Our analysis of its effectiveness against noises with arbitrary correlations, together with experiments using up to three superconducting qubits, shows that for the realistic uncorrelated noises, qubit motion increases the dephasing time of the logical qubit as √n. In general, the protocol provides a diagnostic tool for measurements of the noise correlations.

Polysaccharide-induced apoptosis in H22 cells through G2/M arrest and BCL2/BAX caspase-activated Fas pathway

The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect and the mechanism of growth inhibition on mouse H22 hepatocarcinoma cell of ascitic tumor induced by cartilage polysaccharides (PS). Our results showed that PS prolonged the survival time of the mice and increased the life span. In addition, PS induced the apoptosis of the H22 cells with the typical apoptotic morphological and biochemical changes confirmed by HE staining and TUNEL assay. The subsequent analysis of cell cycle distribution and relevant proteins revealed that decrease of cells in G0/G1phase and a G2/M arrest might due to the down-regulation of Cyclin D1 and AFP and up-regulation of P21 proteins. Moreover, BCL2/BAX caspase-activated Fas pathway was activated in PS-induced H22 apoptosis.

Tilt engineering of exchange coupling at G-type SrMnO3/(La,Sr)MnO3 interfaces

With the recent realization of hybrid improper ferroelectricity and room-temperature multiferroic by tilt engineering, "functional" octahedral tilting has become a novel concept in multifunctional perovskite oxides, showing great potential for property manipulation and device design. However, the control of magnetism by octahedral tilting has remained a challenging issue. Here a qualitative and quantitative tilt engineering of exchange coupling, one of the magnetic properties, is demonstrated at compensated G-type antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic (SrMnO3/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3) interfaces. According to interfacial Hamiltonian, exchange bias (EB) in this system originates from an in-plane antiphase rotation (a(-)) in G-type antiferromagnetic layer. Based on first-principles calculation, tilt patterns in SrMnO3 are artificially designed in experiment with different epitaxial strain and a much stronger EB is attained in the tensile heterostructure than the compressive counterpart. By controlling the magnitude of octahedral tilting, the manipulation of exchange coupling is even performed in a quantitative manner, as expected in the theoretical estimation. This work realized the combination of tilt engineering and exchange coupling, which might be significant for the development of multifunctional materials and antiferromagnetic spintronics.

Lentivirus-mediated RNA interference of myostatin gene affects MyoD and Myf5 gene expression in duck embryonic myoblasts

The aim of this study was to construct lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) vectors targeting the duck MSTN gene and investigate whether these vectors can affect the development of duck primary cultured embryonic myoblasts. MSTN mRNA levels in the myoblasts were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assays and cell differentiation was assayed by photography. MSTN mRNA levels in PLL3.7-MSTN-shRNA1, PLL3.7-MSTN-shRNA2 and PLL3.7-MSTN-shRNA3 lentivirus-mediated shRNA groups were reduced by 61.6%, 76.9% and 79.1%, respectively, compared to control cells. Down-regulation of MSTN in duck embryonic myoblasts stimulated cell proliferation and inhibited differentiation, accompanied by a greater than twofold down-regulation of MyoD expression and up-regulation of Myf5 expression. These results revealed that silencing of MSTN changes the development of duck embryonic myoblasts by regulating the expression level of MyoD and Myf5 genes.

Tissue- and breed-specific expression of the chicken fat mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO)

The fat mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO) is involved in energy metabolism, but little is known about the chicken FTO gene. The objective of the current study was to detect chicken FTO expression patterns in the hypothalamus, liver, and skeletal muscle during development, and analyze the effects of age and breed on FTO expression. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction results revealed that chicken FTO mRNA was expressed in all of the tissues tested. Chicken FTO exhibited tissue- and breed-specific patterns in the recessive White Plymouth Rock chicken and the Qingyuan partridge chicken. The highest FTO expression level was in the hypothalami of 1-week-old chicks. FTO mRNA was expressed more in the breast muscles and livers of recessive White Plymouth Rock chickens than those of Qingyuan partridge chickens at 1 and 8 weeks of age. These results indicate that FTO probably plays a significant role in energy metabolism at 1 week old, when chicks have undergone metabolic adaptations from yolk dependence to the utilization of exogenous feed.