Apigenin Prevents Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury by Activating the SIRT1 Pathway

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the main cause of acute liver failure. Apigenin (API) is a natural dietary flavonol with high antioxidant capacity. Herein, we investigated protection by API against APAP-induced liver injury in mice, and explored the potential mechanism. Cell viability assays and mice were used to evaluate the effects of API against APAP-induced liver injury. Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, RT-PCR, and Transmission Electron Microscope were carried out to determine the signalling pathways affected by API. Analysis of mouse serum levels of alanine/aspartate aminotransferase (ALT/AST), malondialdehyde (MDA), liver myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, glutathione (GSH), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) revealed that API (80 mg/kg) owned protective effect on APAP-induced liver injury. Meanwhile, API ameliorated the decreased cell viability in L-02 cells incubated by APAP with a dose dependent. Furthermore, API promoted SIRT1 expression and deacetylated p53. Western blotting showed that API promoted APAP-induced autophagy, activated the NRF2 pathway, and inhibited the transcriptional activation of nuclear p65 in the presence of APAP. Furthermore, SIRT1 inhibitor EX-527 reduced protection by API against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. Molecular docking results indicate potential interaction between API and SIRT1. API prevents APAP-induced liver injury by regulating the SIRT1-p53 axis, thereby promoting APAP-induced autophagy and ameliorating APAP-induced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress injury.

Alterations of gut microbiome in autoimmune hepatitis

OBJECTIVE

The significance of the liver-microbiome axis has been increasingly recognised as a major modulator of autoimmunity. The aim of this study was to take advantage of a large well-defined corticosteroids treatment-naïve group of patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) to rigorously characterise gut dysbiosis compared with healthy controls.

DESIGN

We performed a cross-sectional study of individuals with AIH (n=91) and matched healthy controls (n=98) by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. An independent cohort of 28 patients and 34 controls was analysed to validate the results. All the patients were collected before corticosteroids therapy.

RESULTS

The gut microbiome of steroid treatment-naïve AIH was characterised with lower alpha-diversity (Shannon and observed operational taxonomic units, both p<0.01) and distinct overall microbial composition compared with healthy controls (p=0.002). Depletion of obligate anaerobes and expansion of potential pathobionts including Veillonella were associated with disease status. Of note, Veillonella dispar, the most strongly disease-associated taxa (p=8.85E-8), positively correlated with serum level of aspartate aminotransferase and liver inflammation. Furthermore, the combination of four patients with AIH-associated genera distinguished AIH from controls with an area under curves of approximately 0.8 in both exploration and validation cohorts. In addition, multiple predicted functional modules were altered in the AIH gut microbiome, including lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis as well as metabolism of amino acids that can be processed by bacteria to produce immunomodulatory metabolites.

CONCLUSION

Our study establishes compositional and functional alterations of gut microbiome in AIH and suggests the potential for using gut microbiota as non-invasive biomarkers to assess disease activity.

Fisetin Prevents Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury by Promoting Autophagy

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a leading cause of drug-induced acute liver failure in clinical and hospital settings. Fisetin (FST) is a phenolic compound derived from natural products such as fruit and vegetables. Our research investigated the protective mechanisms of FST in APAP-induced hepatic injury in vitro and vivo. Assessment of mouse serum levels of alanine/aspartate aminotransferases (ALT/AST), liver myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) demonstrated the protective effects of FST toward APAP-induced liver injury. FST also reversed an APAP-induced decrease in mouse L-02 cell line viability. Our results also showed that FST significantly promoted APAP-induced autophagy and inhibited inflammasome activation both in vivo and in vitro. We also found that silencing ATG5, using si-ATG5, reduced the protective effects of FST against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and reversed the effects on autophagy. Finally, we used the autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine (3-MA) to validate the involvement of autophagy in FST against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in vitro. We demonstrated that FST prevented APAP-induced hepatotoxicity by increasing ATG5 expression, thereby promoting autophagy and inhibiting inflammasome activation.

Quantitative Assessment of Weight-Bearing Fracture Biomechanics Using Extremity Cone-Beam CT

PURPOSE

We investigate an application of multisource extremity Cone-Beam CT (CBCT) with capability of weight-bearing tomographic imaging to obtain quantitative measurements of load-induced deformation of metal internal fixation hardware (e.g. tibial plate). Such measurements are desirable to improve the detection of delayed fusion or non-union of fractures, potentially facilitating earlier return to weight-bearing activities.

METHODS

To measure the deformation, we perform a deformable 3D-2D registration of a prior model of the implant to its CBCT projections under load-bearing. This Known-Component Registration (KC-Reg) framework avoids potential errors that emerge when the deformation is estimated directly from 3D reconstructions with metal artifacts. The 3D-2D registration involves a free-form deformable (FFD) point cloud model of the implant and a 3D cubic B-spline representation of the deformation. Gradient correlation is used as the optimization metric for the registration. The proposed approach was tested in experimental studies on the extremity CBCT system. A custom jig was designed to apply controlled axial loads to a fracture model, emulating weight-bearing imaging scenarios. Performance evaluation involved a Sawbone tibia phantom with an ~4 mm fracture gap. The model was fixed with a locking plate and imaged under five loading conditions. To investigate performance in the presence of confounding background gradients, additional experiments were performed with a pre-deformed femoral plate placed in a water bath with Ca bone mineral density inserts. Errors were measured using eight reference BBs for the tibial plate, and surface point distances for the femoral plate, where a prior model of deformed implant was available for comparison.

RESULTS

Both in the loaded tibial plate case and for the femoral plate with confounding background gradients, the proposed KC-Reg framework estimated implant deformations with errors of <0.2 mm for the majority of the investigated deformation magnitudes (error range 0.14 - 0.25 mm). The accuracy was comparable between 3D-2D registrations performed from 12 x-ray views and registrations obtained from as few as 3 views. This was likely enabled by the unique three-source x-ray unit on the extremity CBCT scanner, which implements two off-central-plane focal spots that provided oblique views of the field-of-view to aid implant pose estimation.

CONCLUSION

Accurate measurements of fracture hardware deformations under physiological weight-bearing are feasible using an extremity CBCT scanner and FFD 3D-2D registration. The resulting deformed implant models can be incorporated into tomographic reconstructions to reduce metal artifacts and improve quantification of the mineral content of fracture callus in CBCT volumes.

Application of a Novel Ultra-High Resolution Multi-Detector CT in Quantitative Imaging of Trabecular Microstructure

PURPOSE

To evaluate the performance of a novel ultra-high resolution multi-detector CT scanner (Canon Aquilion Precision UHR CT), capable of visualizing ~150 μm details, in quantitative assessment of bone microarchitecture. Compared to conventional CT, the spatial resolution of UHR CT begins to approach the size of the trabeculae. This might enable measurements of microstructural correlates of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and other bone disease.

METHODS

The UHR CT system features a 160-row x-ray detector with 250×250 μm pixels (measured at isocenter) and a custom-designed x-ray source with a 0.4×0.5 mm focal spot. Visualization of high contrast details down to ~150 μm has been achieved on this device, which is now commercially available for clinical use. To evaluate the performance of UHR CT in quantification of bone microstructure, we imaged a variety of human bone samples (including ulna, radius, and vertebrae) embedded in a ~16 cm diameter plastic cylinder and in an anthropomorphic thorax phantom (QRM-Thorax, QRM Gmbh). Helical UHR CT acquisitions (120 kVp tube voltage) were acquired at scan exposures of 375 mAs - 5 mAs. For comparison, the samples were also imaged using a Normal Resolution (NR) mode available on the scanner, involving 500 μm slice thickness, exposure of 50 mAs, and a focal spot of 0.6×1.3 mm. We obtained micro-CT (μCT) of the bone samples at ~28 μm voxel size as a gold-standard reference. Geometric measurements of bone microstructure were performed in 17 regions-of-interests (ROIs) distributed throughout the bones of the phantoms; image registration was used to place the ROIs at corresponding locations in the UHR CT and NR CT. Trabecular thickness Tb.Th, spacing Tb.Sp, and Bone Volume fraction BvTv were obtained. The UHR and NR imaging protocols were compared terms of correlations to μCT and error of trabecular measurements. The effect of dose on trabecular morphometry was also studied for the UHR CT. Furthermore, we evaluated the sensitivity of texture features of trabecular bone (recently proposed as an alternative to geometric indices of microstructure) to imaging protocol. Image texture evaluation was performed using ~150 regions of interest (ROIs) across all bone samples. Three-dimensional Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) and Gray Level Run Length Matrix (GLRM) features were extracted for each ROI. We analyzed correlation and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) of the mean ROI values of texture features obtained using the UHR and NR modes.

RESULTS

UHR CT reconstructions of bone samples clearly demonstrated improved visualization of the trabeculae compared to NR CT. UHR CT achieved substantially better correlations for all three metrics of bone microstructure, in particular for BvTv (correlation coefficient of 0.91 for UHR CT compared to 0.84 for NR CT) and TbSp (correlation of 0.74 for UHR CT and 0.047 for NR CT). The error obtained with UHR CT was generally smaller than that of NR CT. For TbSp, the mean deviation from μCT (averaged across all bone samples) was only ~0.07 for UHR CT, compared to 0.25 for NR CT. Analysis of reproducibility of texture features of trabecular bone between UHR CT and NR CT revealed fair correlations (>0.7) for the majority of GLCM features, but relatively poor CCC (e.g. 0.02 for Energy and 0.04 for Entropy). The magnitude of texture metrics is particularly affected by the enhanced spatial resolution of UHR CT.

CONCLUSION

The recently introduced UHR CT achieves improved correlation and reduced error in measurements of trabecular bone microstructure compared to conventional resolution CT. Future development of diagnostic strategies based on textural biomarkers derived from UHR CT will need to account for potential sensitivity of texture features to image resolution.

Potential role and mechanism for high mobility group box1 in childhood chronic immune thrombocytopenia

OBJECTIVE

High mobility group box1(HMGB1) can be used as PAMP or alarmins to stimulate the innate immune system; however, previous research on immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) mainly focused on its adaptive immunity. The study aimed to determine whether HMGB1 is associated with chronic ITP (cITP) during childhood and investigate its role in innate immunity in childhood cITP.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We recruited 80 patients to measure the expression of HMGB1, IL-17, and IL-10; 55 patients were recruited to measure the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in monocyte and CD1c+dendritic cells, and 30 volunteers were included as controls. We focused on the expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome during childhood cITP. Furthermore, the impact of HMGB1 on the NLRP3 inflammasome was explored.

RESULTS

The expressions of HMGB1 and IL-17 increased in children with cITP, while that of IL-10 decreased; HMGB1 was correlated with the expression of IL-17 and IL-10. The expression of TLR2 in CD14++CD16+, CD14+CD16++ monocytes increased significantly in comparison with the controls; the contrary was observed regarding TLR4. The expression of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18 was significantly higher in CD14 and CD1c, respectively. As the concentration of HMGB1 increased, the expression of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18 increased in different degrees.

CONCLUSIONS

HMGB1 could be used as an early warning alarm for childhood cITP and is involved in developing cITP. HMGB1 could affect the incidence and development of chronic childhood ITP via the NLRP3, TLR2/TLR4 pathways.

Quantitative Evaluation of Bone Microstructure using High-Resolution Extremity Cone-Beam CT with a CMOS Detector

Purpose

A high-resolution cone-beam CT (CBCT) system for extremity imaging has been developed using a custom complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) x-ray detector. The system has spatial resolution capability beyond that of recently introduced clinical orthopedic CBCT. We evaluate performance of this new scanner in quantifying trabecular microstructure in subchondral bone of the knee.

Methods

The high-resolution scanner uses the same mechanical platform as the commercially available Carestream OnSight 3D extremity CBCT, but replaces the conventional amorphous silicon flat-panel detector (a-Si:H FPD with 0.137 mm pixels and a ~0.7 mm thick scintillator) with a Dalsa Xineos3030 CMOS detector (0.1 mm pixels and a custom 0.4 mm scintillator). The CMOS system demonstrates ~40% improved spatial resolution (FWHM of a ~0.1 mm tungsten wire) and ~4× faster scan time than FPD-based extremity CBCT (FPD-CBCT). To investigate potential benefits of this enhanced spatial resolution in quantitative assessment of bone microstructure, 26 trabecular core samples were obtained from four cadaveric tibias and imaged using FPD-CBCT (75 μm voxels), CMOS-CBCT (75 μm voxels), and reference micro-CT (μCT, 15 μm voxels). CBCT bone segmentations were obtained using local Bernsen's thresholding combined with global histogram-based pre-thresholding; μCT segmentation involved Otsu's method. Measurements of trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), spacing (Tb.Sp), number (Tb.N) and bone volume (BV/TV) were performed in registered regions of interest in the segmented CBCT and μCT reconstructions.

Results

CMOS-CBCT achieved noticeably improved delineation of trabecular detail compared to FPD-CBCT. Correlations with reference μCT for metrics of bone microstructure were better for CMOS-CBCT than FPD-CBCT, in particular for Tb.Th (increase in Pearson correlation from 0.84 with FPD-CBCT to 0.96 with CMOS-CBCT) and Tb.Sp (increase from 0.80 to 0.85). This improved quantitative performance of CMOS-CBCT is accompanied by a reduction in scan time, from ~60 sec for a clinical high resolution protocol on FPD-CBCT to ~17 sec for CMOS-CBCT.

Conclusion

The CMOS-based extremity CBCT prototype achieves improved performance in quantification of bone microstructure, while retaining other diagnostic capabilities of its FPD-based precursor, including weight-bearing imaging. The new system offers a promising platform for quantitative imaging of skeletal health in osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

The prevalence and risk factors of psychological disorders, malnutrition and quality of life in IBD patients

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients show an increased risk for psychological disorders, malnutrition and impaired quality of life (QoL), which can result in adverse clinical outcomes. The aim of this study is to explore the prevalence and risk factors of psychological disorders, malnutrition and QoL in IBD patients.Methods: All participants were recruited to fill out the questionnaires including inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (IBDQ), perceived social support scale, HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), Cohen Perceived Stress Scale, NRS2002 (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002), Crohn's disease activity index, Modified Truelove and Witts Activity Index, dietary beliefs and behaviors. Demographic and clinical characteristics were extracted from electronic medical records. Multivariate regression model was performed to identify the risk factors for psychological disorders, malnutrition and QoL.Results: A total of 78 inpatients were enrolled in this study, 76 (97.4%) of IBD patients had anxiety, 71 (91%) had depressive. Forty six (59.0%) were screened at risk of malnutrition. The mean score of IBDQ was 131.51 ± 36.136. In the multivariate analysis, higher disease activity and history treated with steroids in the last year were associated with anxiety; higher disease activity was related to depressive. Higher disease activity and avoiding certain foods during disease flares were associated with high risk of malnutrition. Unemployment/no schooling status, higher disease activity and lower social support were associated with lower IBDQ score.Conclusions: The high prevalence of psychological disorders and malnutrition were found in IBD patients, and thereby negatively affect QoL. Disease activity was significantly associated with psychological disorders, risk of malnutrition and impaired QoL. And avoiding certain foods was related to risk of malnutrition.

[Relationship between liver controlled attenuation parameters and body fat mass and its distribution]

Objective: To explore the relationship between liver controlled attenuation parameters (CAP) and body fat mass and its distribution. Methods: From May to December 2018, 978 adult patients visited at the fatty liver center of the Third People's Hospital of Changzhou were treated. The patient's liver controlled attenuation parameters were measured by transient elastography and the body fat mass and its distribution were measured by bioelectrical impedance technology. Pearson's correlation coefficient was adopted to describe the correlation between liver CAP value and body mass index (BMI), body fat mass index (BFMI), trunk fat mass index (TFMI), limbs fat mass index (LFMI) and visceral fat area (VFA). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate BMI, BFMI, TFMI, LFMI and VFA to differentiate the cut-off points and efficacy of CAP for diagnosing grading of fatty liver changes in S0-1 and S2-3. Results: In 653 cases of male, S0 ~ S3 accounted for 4.90%, 3.37%, 22.36% and 69.37%, respectively, and in 325 cases of females, S0 ~ S3 accounted for 7.38%, 6.46%, 13.23% and 72.92%, respectively. Female patients had more visceral, trunk and limbs fat than male (P < 0.01). Body mass, body fat mass, body fat percentage, BMI, BFMI, TFMI, LFMI, and VFA were increased in male and female patients with increasing liver fat grade (P < 0.01). CAP values ​​of male and female patients were positively correlated with BMI, BFMI, TFMI, LFMI and VFA. Percentage of body fat mass increased with increasing liver fat grade (male: F = 13.42, P < 0.001; female: F = 3.22, P = 0.023); while limb fat mass percentage did not increase with liver fat grade (Male: F = 1.13, P = 0.34; female: F = 1.05, P = 0.37). Hepatic steatosis grading (S0 ~ 1 or S2 ~ 3) diagnosed with CAP were distinguished through BMI, BFMI, TFMI, LFMI and VFA. AUC was 0.80 ~ 0.82 in males (P < 0.01), and 0.75 ~ 0.78 in females (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The liver CAP value is positively correlated with the body's limbs, trunk and visceral fat, and has a strong correlation with trunk and visceral fat. BMI, BFMI, TFMI, LFMI and VFA up to some extent can identify the CAP diagnosis of grading of fatty liver changes in S0-1 and S2-3.

Antagonistic Effects of N-acetylcysteine on Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway Activation, Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Responses in Rats with PM2.5 Induced Lung Injuries

Objective To evaluate the antagonistic effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway activation, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in rats with lung injury induced by fine particulate matter (PM_2.5).Methods Forty eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: blank control group (C1), water drip control group (C2), PM_2.5 exposed group (P), low-dose NAC treated and PM_2.5 exposed group (L), middle-dose NAC treated and PM_2.5 exposed group (M), and high-dose NAC treated and PM_2.5 exposed group (H). PM_2.5 suspension (7.5 mg/kg) was administered tracheally once a week for four times. NAC of 125 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg was delivered intragastrically to L, M and H group respectively by gavage (10 ml/kg) for six days before PM_2.5 exposure. The histopathological changes and human mucin 5 subtype AC (MUC5AC) content in lung tissue of rats were evaluated. We investigated IL-6 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), MUC5AC in lung tissue homogenate by ELISA, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in serum and BALF by spectrophotometry, and the expression of p-ERK1/2, p-JNK1/2 and p-p38 proteins by Western blot. All the measurements were analyzed and compared statistically.Results Lung tissue of rats exposed to PM_2.5 showed histological destruction and increased mucus secretion of bronchial epithelial cells. Rats receiving NAC treatment showed less histological destruction and mucus secretion. Of P, L, M and H group, MUC5AC in lung tissue, IL-6 in serum and BALF were higher than controls (C1 and C2) (all P<0.05), with the highest levels found in the P group and a decreasing trend with increase of NAC dose. The activity of GSH-PX in serum and BALF of PM_2.5 exposed rats (P, L, M and H) was lower than that of controls (all P<0.05), with higher activities found in NAC treated rats (L, M, and H), and an increasing trend with increase of NAC dose. The expressions of p-ERK1/2, p-JNK1/2 and p-p38 proteins in PM_2.5 exposed lung tissue (P, L, M and H) was higher than controls (all P<0.05), with decreased levels and dose dependent downregulation found in NAC treated rats.Conclusion NAC can antagonize major MAPK pathway activation, lung oxidative stress and inflammatory injury induced by PM_2.5 in rats.

Amyloid β-protein oligomers promote the uptake of tau fibril seeds potentiating intracellular tau aggregation

Background

Repeated failure of drug candidates targeting Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in clinical trials likely stems from a lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying AD pathogenesis. Recent research has highlighted synergistic interactions between aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau proteins in AD, but the molecular details of how these interactions drive AD pathology remain elusive and speculative.

Methods

Here, we test the hypothesis that Aβ potentiates intracellular tau aggregation, and show that oligomeric Aβ specifically exacerbates proteopathic seeding by tau. Using tau-biosensor cells, we show that treatment with sub-toxic concentrations of Aβ oligomers, but not monomers or fibrils, “primes” cells, making them more susceptible to tau seeding. The treatment with Aβ oligomers enhances intracellular tau aggregation in a dose-dependent manner when the cells are seeded with either recombinant or brain-derived tau fibrils, whereas little or no aggregation is observed in the absence of Aβ-oligomer priming.

Results

Priming by Aβ oligomers appears to be specific to tau, as α-synuclein seeding is unaffected by this treatment. Aβ oligomer-enhanced tau seeding also occurs in primary mouse neurons and human neuroblastoma cells. Using fluorescently labeled tau seeds, we find that treatment with Aβ oligomers significantly enhances the cellular uptake of tau seeds, whereas a known tau-uptake inhibitor blocks the effect of Aβ on tau uptake.

Conclusion

The ability of Aβ to promote tau seeding suggests a specific and plausible mechanism by which extracellular Aβ initiates a deleterious cascade that is unique to AD. These data suggest that the Aβ-mediated potentiation of tau uptake into cells should also be taken into account when designing Aβ-targeted therapeutics.

MicroRNA 34b inhibits cell proliferation in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia via regulating LDHA

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the regulatory effect of microRNA-34b on the occurrence of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia and the underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression of microRNA-34b in the bone marrow of 72 children with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The relationship between microRNA-34b expression and pathological characteristics was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curve was introduced for evaluating the prognostic value of microRNA-34b in pediatric AML. The regulatory effects of microRNA-34b on proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of leukemia cells were accessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Bioinformatics prediction and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay were conducted to evaluate the binding between microRNA-34b and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA). LDHA expression after overexpression of microRNA-34b was determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Rescue experiments were conducted to verify whether microRNA-34b could regulate proliferative and apoptotic behaviors of leukemia cells by suppressing LDHA expression.

RESULTS

MicroRNA-34b was markedly downregulated in AML children. Low expression of microRNA-34b was correlated to FAB typing, cytogenetic abnormality, and day 7 response to the treatment of pediatric AML. By collecting the follow-up data, it was found that low expression of microRNA-34b was correlated to the poor prognosis of AML. Overexpression of microRNA-34b inhibited proliferative ability and cell cycle progression, but accelerated apoptosis of AML cells. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay verified that microRNA-34b could bind to LDHA, thereafter inhibiting LDHA expression. Overexpression of LDHA reversed the regulatory effects of microRNA-34b on proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of AML cells.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that microRNA-34b is lowly expressed in pediatric AML patients, and low expression of microRNA-34b may serve as an indicator of malignant progression and poor prognosis of pediatric AML. MicroRNA-34b may affect the proliferation and apoptosis of leukemia cells by regulating the expression of LDHA.

[Comparison of flow conditions of adhesives and retention force of restorations among four cement-retained methods of implant-supported fixed prostheses]

Objective: To compare the effect on the flow conditions of adhesives and the retention force of restorations among different cement-retained methods of implant-supported fixed prostheses. Methods: Four common cement-retained methods were selected, including the occlusal hole for screw access (OH), the lingual hole for adhesives overflow (LH), the resin replica for titanium abutment (RR), and the traditional cement-retained method (the control group). The adhesive used in this study was resin-modified glass ionomer cement. The two-dimensional analysis models of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were established. The flow conditions of adhesives in the adhesion process was analyzed by the CFD analysis. The internal filling ratio and the amount of neck overflow of adhesives below the edge of the prosthesis were calculated. Ten zirconia prostheses in each group were processed and cemented. The retention force was examined by mechanical tensile experiments in vitro. Results: The CFD analysis showed the internal filling ratio of adhesives from high to low was the LH group, the OH group, the RR group and the control group. The amount of neck overflow of adhesives below the edge of the prosthesis from less to more was the RR group, the OH group, the LH group and the control group. The retention force was (240.7±33.9) N in the control group, (278.2±59.1) N in the OH group, (292.9±47.9) N in the LH group, and (262.8±59.4) N in the RR group. There was a statistically significant difference in the retention force between the LH group and the control group (P=0.029). There was no significant difference among the other groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: The modified cement-retained methods can effectively reduce the amount of neck overflow of adhesives, and improve the filling condition of adhesive in the adhesive clearance to ensure the retention force of the prostheses. Clinically, the appropriate modified cement-retained method should be selected according to the three-dimensional position of the implant and the position of prosthetic margin.

Stable-isotopic analysis and high-throughput pyrosequencing reveal the coupling process and bacteria in microaerobic and hypoxic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification

Microaerobic and hypoxic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification (MAME-D and HYME-D) occur in stabilized landfills with leachate recirculation when biological denitrification is limited by lack of organics. To evaluate nitrate denitrification efficiency and culture MAME-D/HYME-D involved bacteria, a leach bed bioreactor semi-continuous experiment was conducted for 60 days in 5 runs, under nitrate concentrations ranging of 20 mg/L-55 mg/L, wherein 5% sterile leachate was added during runs 4 and 5. Although the HYME-D system demonstrated high denitrification efficiency (74.93%) and nitrate removal rate reached 2.62 mmol N/(L⋅d), the MAME-D system exhibited a denitrification efficiency of almost 100% and nitrate removal rate of 4.37 mmol N/(L⋅d). The addition of sterile leachate increased the nitrate removal rate in both systems, but caused the decrease of methane consumption in HYME-D. A stable isotope batch experiment was carried out to investigate the metabolic products by monitoring the ¹³CO₂ and ¹⁵N₂O production. The production of organic intermediates such as citrate, lactic acid, acetate, and propionic acid were also observed, which exhibited a higher yield in HYME-D. Variations in the microbial communities were analyzed during the semi-continuous experiment. MAME-D was mainly conducted by the association of type Ⅰ methanotroph Methylomonas and the methylotrophic denitrifier Methylotenera. Methane fermentation processed by Methylomonas under hypoxic conditions produced more complex organic intermediates and increased the diversity of related heterotrophic denitrifiers. The addition of sterile real leachate, resulting in increase of COD/N, influenced the microbial community of HYME-D system significantly.

Effect of plants and their root exudate on bacterial activities during rhizobacterium-plant remediation of phenol from water

We investigated remediation of phenol from water using microbe-plant partnerships. Co-introduction of maize seedlings, Pseudomonas fluorescens rifampicin-resistant P13 and P. stutzeri P7 carrying self-transmissible TOL-like plasmids reduced phenol content in water at lower phenol concentrations (25, 50, and 75 mg/L), similar to individual introduction of the bacteria. Co-introduction of plants and bacteria significantly reduced phenol content in water at higher phenol concentrations (100, 125, and 150 mg/L) compared to using individual introduction of the bacteria. Moreover, TOL-like plasmids were transferred from P7 to P13. Addition of plants promoted the growth of both strains, leading to increased plasmid transfer. At higher phenol concentrations, addition of plants resulted in increases of catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase (C23O) activity and reduction in level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) of bacteria in the degradation experiments. Increased plasmid transfer and C23O activity and reduction in ROS level might be the major reasons why plants promote bacterial degradation of phenol at higher phenol concentrations. Furthermore, root exudate of maize seedlings and artificial root exudate (ARE) constructed using major components of the root exudate had the same effects on bacterial activities. Unlike the ARE, deletion of glucose, arabinose, or fructose or all the monosaccharides from ARE resulted in no increase in numbers of both strains and in plasmid transfer. At the higher phenol concentrations, deletion of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine, or glycine or all the amino acids did not stimulate bacterial C23O activity. Deletion of fumaric, oxaloacetic or citric acids still reduced bacterial ROS level as ARE did, but, deletion of all the organic acids or DIMBOA, a hydroxamic acid, did not reduce bacterial ROS level as ARE did. The data showed that each monosaccharide might be important for sufficient numbers of plant-associated bacteria and increased plasmid transfer while each amino acid might be important for maintaining bacterial C23O activity and that DIMBOA might be responsible for the decrease in ROS levels. These results are the basis for efficient remediation of phenol from water by microbe-plant partnerships and further studies on the mechanism of rhizobacterium-plant interaction.

Known-Component Model-Based Material Decomposition for Dual Energy Imaging of Bone Compositions in the Presence of Metal Implant

Dual energy computed tomography (DE CT) is a promising technology for the assessment of bone compositions. One of potential applications involves evaluations of fracture healing using longitudinal measurements of callus mineralization. However, imaging of fractures is often challenged by the presence of metal fixation hardware. In this work, we report on a new simultaneous DE reconstruction-decomposition algorithm that integrates the previously introduced Model-Based Material Decomposition (MBMD) with a Known-Component (KC) framework to mitigate metal artifacts. The algorithm was applied to the DE data obtained on a dedicated extremity cone-beam CT (CBCT) with capability for weight-bearing imaging. To acquire DE projections in a single gantry rotation, we exploited a unique multisource design of the system, where three X-ray sources were mounted parallel to the axis of rotation. The central source provided high energy (HE) data at 120 kVp, while the two remaining sources were operated at a low energy (LE) of 60 kVp. This novel acquisition trajectory further motivates the use of MBMD to accommodate this complex DE sampling pattern. The algorithm was validated in a simulation study using a digital extremity phantom. The phantom consisted of a water background with an insert containing varying concentrations of calcium (50 - 175 mg/mL). Two configurations of titanium implants were considered: a fixation plate and an intramedullary nail. The accuracy of calcium-water decompositions obtained with the proposed KC-MBMD algorithm was compared to MBMD without metal component model. Metal artifacts were almost completely removed by KC-MBMD. Relative absolute errors of calcium concentration in the vicinity of metal were 6% - 31% for KC-MBMD (depending on the calcium insert and implant configuration), compared favorably to 48% - 273% for MBMD. Moreover, accuracy of concentration estimates for KC-MBMD in the presence of metal implant approached that of MBMD in a configuration without implant (6%-23%). The proposed algorithm achieved accurate DE material decomposition in the presence of metal implants using a non-conventional, axial multisource DE acquisition pattern.

Role of Maize Root Exudates in Promotion of Colonization of Bacillus velezensis Strain S3-1 in Rhizosphere Soil and Root Tissue

Bacillus velezensis strain S3-1 has a broad range of hosts and is used as a biocontrol agent and biofertilizer. However, the interaction of maize root exudates and colonization of the strain S3-1 has not yet been investigated. In our study, strain S3-1 effectively colonized both rhizosphere soil and root tissue. Collected maize root exudates significantly induced the chemotaxis, cluster movement, and biofilm formation of strain S3-1, showing increases of 1.43, 1.6, and 2.08 times, respectively, compared with the control. In addition, the components of root exudates (organic acids: citric acid, malic acid, and oxalic acid; amino acids: glycine, proline and phenylalanine; sugars: glucose, fructose, and sucrose) were tested. Each of these compounds could induce chemotactic response, swarming motility, and biofilm formation significantly. The strongest chemotactic response and swarming motility were found when malic acid was applied, but maximal ability of biofilm formation was stimulated by proline. Furthermore, we found that these compounds of root exudates stimulated the population of S3-1 adhering to the maize root surface, especially in the presence of malic acid. These results indicate that maize root exudates play an important role in the colonization of S3-1, and provide a deeper understanding of the interaction between plants and microorganisms.

[A multicentric clinical study on clinical characteristics and drug sensitivity of children with pneumococcal meningitis in China]

Objective: To understand clinical characteristics of children with pneumococcal meningitis (PM) in China and to analyze the drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates and associated impacts on death and sequelae. Methods: The clinical data, follow-up results and antimicrobial sensitivity of isolated strains of 155 children (including 98 males and 57 females, age ranged from 2 months to 15 years) with PM in 10 tertiary-grade A class hospitals of Infectious Diseases Surveillance of Pediatrics (ISPED) from 2013 to 2017 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into different groups according to the following standards: ≤1 year old group,>1-3 years old group and >3 years old group according to age; death group and non-death group according to the death within 30 days after PM diagnosis; complication group and non-complication group according to the abnormal cranial imaging diagnosis; sequelae group and no-sequelae group according to the follow-up results. Bonfereoni chi-square segmentation and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used for statistical analysis. Results: There were 64 cases (41.3%) in the ≤1 year old group, 39 cases in the >1-3 years old group (25.2%), and 52 cases (33.5%) in the >3 years old group. The most common clinical manifestation was fever (151 cases, 97.4%). The mortality was 16.8% (26/155) during hospitalization. The neurological complication rate was 49.7% (77/155) during hospitalization, including the most common complication, subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 50 cases (32.3%) and hearing impairment in 6 cases. During follow-up after discharge, no death was found and focal neurological deficits were found in 47 cases (30.3%), including the frequent neurological sequelae: cognitive and mental retardation of different degree in 22 cases and hearing impairment in 14 cases (9.0%). The rate of cure and improvement on discharge was 74.8% (116/155) and the lost to follow-up rate was 8.4% (13/155). The proportions of died cases, neurological complications during hospitalization and proportions of peripheral white blood cell count <12 × 10(9)/L before admission in ≤1 year old group were significantly higher than those in >3 years old group (25.0% (16/64) vs. 5.8% (3/52), 75.0% (48/64) vs. 25.0% (13/52), 48.4% (31/64) vs. 15.4% (8/52), χ(2)=7.747, 28.767, 14.044; P=0.005, 0.000, 0.000). The proportions of headache, vomiting, neck resistance and high risk factors of purulent meningitis in >3 years old group were significantly higher than those in ≤ 1 year old group (67.3%(35/52) vs. 1.6%(1/64), 80.8% (42/52) vs. 48.4% (31/64), 69.2% (36/52) vs. 37.5% (24/64), 55.8% (29/52) vs. 14.1%(9/64), χ(2)=57.940, 12.856, 11.568, 22.656; P=0.000, 0.000, 0.001, 0.000). Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were completely sensitive to vancomycin (100.0%, 152/152), linezolid (100.0%, 126/126), moxifloxacin (100.0%, 93/93) and ofloxacin (100.0%,41/41); highly sensitive to levofloxacin (99.3%, 142/143) and ertapenem (84.6%, 66/78); moderately sensitive to ceftriaxone (48.4%, 45/93), cefotaxime (40.0%, 44/110) and meropenem (38.0%, 38/100); less sensitive to penicillin (19.6%, 27/138) and erythromycin (4.2%, 5/120). The proportions of non-sensitive strains of penicillin (21/21) and meropenem (17/18) in the death group were significantly higher than those (90/117, 45/82) in the survived group(χ(2)=4.648 and 9.808, P=0.031 and 0.002). Conclusions: The children's PM is mainly found in infants under 3 years old in China. Death and neurological complications are more common in PM children under 1 year old. The clinical manifestations and peripheral blood inflammatory markers of PM patients under 1 year old are not typical. Fever is the most common clinical manifestation and subdural effusion and (or) empyema is the most common complication. Long-term hearing impairment is common in PM and the follow-up time must be prolonged. The dead PM cases had high in sensitive rates to penicillin and meropenem.

Identification of susceptibility SNPs in CTLA-4 and PTPN22 for scleritis in Han Chinese

The aim of this study was to determine the association between 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA4) and protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) genes with scleritis in a Chinese Han population. We recruited 432 scleritis patients and 710 healthy controls. Four tag SNPs of CTLA4 and nine tag SNPs of PTPN22 were selected using Haploview. Genotyping was performed with the Sequenom MassArray® iPLEX GOLD Assay. Genotype and allele frequency differences were analyzed by χ² test and Bonferroni correction. Haplotype analysis was performed to further evaluate the association of these two genes with scleritis. In this study, CTLA4/rs3087243 G allele frequency and GG genotype frequency were significantly increased in scleritis patients compared to healthy controls [corrected P-value (Pc) = 0·02, odds ratio (OR) = 1·475, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1·175-1·851; Pc = 0·04, OR = 1·546, 95% CI = 1·190-2·008, respectively]. None of the tested SNPs in the PTPN22 gene showed an association with scleritis. Haplotype analysis revealed a lower frequency of a CTLA4 TCAA haplotype (order of SNPs: rs733618, rs5742909, rs231775, rs3087243) (Pc = 4·26 × 10^-3 , OR = 0·618, 95% CI = 0·540-0·858) and a higher frequency of a PTPN22 TTATACGCG haplotype (order of SNPs: rs3789604, rs150426536, rs1746853, rs1217403, rs1217406, rs3789609, rs1217414, rs3789612, rs2488457) (Pc = 2·83 × 10^-4 , OR = 1·457, 95% CI = 1·210-1·754) in scleritis patients when compared to healthy controls. In conclusion, our findings indicate that CTLA4 and PTPN22 might confer genetic susceptibility to scleritis in a Chinese Han population.

Shaping the nebulous enhancer in the era of high-throughput assays and genome editing

Since the 1st discovery of transcriptional enhancers in 1981, their textbook definition has remained largely unchanged in the past 37 years. With the emergence of high-throughput assays and genome editing, which are switching the paradigm from bottom-up discovery and testing of individual enhancers to top-down profiling of enhancer activities genome-wide, it has become increasingly evidenced that this classical definition has left substantial gray areas in different aspects. Here we survey a representative set of recent research articles and report the definitions of enhancers they have adopted. The results reveal that a wide spectrum of definitions is used usually without the definition stated explicitly, which could lead to difficulties in data interpretation and downstream analyses. Based on these findings, we discuss the practical implications and suggestions for future studies.

Monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance: clinical manifestation, pathogenic characteristic and treatment

Monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS) is a group of renal disorders caused by a monoclonal immunoglobulin (MIg) secreted by a dangerous plasmatic/B-cell clone hyperplasia through MIg deposition or dysfunction of complement pathway, with increasing risk of progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD) and the underlying hematologic malignancy. The combination of renal biopsy, complete laboratory examination and bone marrow biopsy is an indispensable diagnostic tool for MGRS to identify accurately and unequivocally the pathogenic monoclonal MIg and provide guidance to treatment. Treatment of MGRS is composed of conventional therapy, chemotherapy, and stem cell transplantation to target the underlying clone and eliminate the noxious MIg on the basis of clinical data of some retrospective studies and a small amount of prospective trial. In addition, it is worthwhile point out assessment of therapeutic effect is significantly relevant for renal and overall prognosis. Thus, by comprehensively analyzing the clinical manifestations and pathogenic characteristic of MGRS, early recognition and prompt treatment can improve the prognosis and prevent post-translation recurrence with multidisciplinary cooperation.

Structure-Based Peptide Inhibitor Design of Amyloid-β Aggregation

Many human neurodegenerative diseases are associated with amyloid fibril formation. Inhibition of amyloid formation is of importance for therapeutics of the related diseases. However, the development of selective potent amyloid inhibitors remains challenging. Here based on the structures of amyloid β (Aβ) fibrils and their amyloid-forming segments, we designed a series of peptide inhibitors using RosettaDesign. We further utilized a chemical scaffold to constrain the designed peptides into β-strand conformation, which significantly improves the potency of the inhibitors against Aβ aggregation and toxicity. Furthermore, we show that by targeting different Aβ segments, the designed peptide inhibitors can selectively recognize different species of Aβ. Our study developed an approach that combines the structure-based rational design with chemical modification for the development of amyloid inhibitors, which could be applied to the development of therapeutics for different amyloid-related diseases.

Quantitative Cone-Beam CT of Bone Mineral Density Using Model-Based Reconstruction

PURPOSE

We develop and validate a model-based framework for artifact correction and image reconstruction to enable application of Cone-Beam CT (CBCT) in quantitative assessment of bone mineral density (BMD). Compared to conventional quantitative CT, this approach does not require a BMD calibration phantom in the field-of-view during an object scan.

METHODS

The quantitative CBCT (qCBCT) imaging framework combined fast Monte Carlo (MC) scatter estimation, accurate models of detector response, and polyenergetic Poisson likelihood (PolyPL, Elbakri et al 2003). The underlying object model assumed that the tissues were ideal mixtures of water and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). Accuracy and reproducibility of qCBCT was evaluated in benchtop test-retest studies emulating a compact extremity CBCT system (axis-detector distance=56 cm, 90 kVp x-ray beam, ~16 mGy central dose). Various arrangements of Ca inserts (50-500 mg/mL) were placed in water cylinders of ~11 cm to ~15 cm diameter and scanned at multiple positions inside the field-of-view for a total of 20 configurations. In addition, a cadaveric ankle was imaged in five configurations (with and without Ca inserts and water bath). Coefficient of variation (CV) of BMD values across different experimental configurations was used to assess reproducibility under varying imaging conditions. The performance of the model-based qCBCT framework (MC + PolyPL) was compared to FDK with water beam hardening correction and MC scatter correction.

RESULTS

The PolyPL framework achieved accuracy of 20 mg/mL or better across all insert densities and experimental configurations. By comparison, the accuracy of the FDK-based BMD estimates deteriorated with higher mineralization, resulting in ~120 mg/mL error for a 500 mg/mL Ca insert. Additionally, the model-based approach mitigated residual streaks that were present in FDK reconstructions. The CV of both methods was ~15% at 50 mg/mL Ca and less than ~8% for higher density inserts, where the PolyPL framework achieved 20-25% lower CV than the FDK-based approach.

CONCLUSION

Accurate and reproducible BMD measurements can be achieved in extremity CBCT, supporting clinical applications in quantitative monitoring of fracture risk, osteoporosis treatment, and early osteoarthritis.

Methane oxidation coupled to denitrification under microaerobic and hypoxic conditions in leach bed bioreactors

Managing nitrogen and carbon cycles in landfills is an environmental challenge. In this study, our purpose was to test two types of methane oxidation processes coupled to denitrification inside landfills: microaerobic and hypoxic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification (MAME-D and HYME-D). Leach bed bioreactors were designed and operated for >100 d with NO₃^--N concentration ranging from 100 to 400 mg N/L. During six runs of the leach bed bioreactor experiment, leach bed bioreactor 2 (MAME-D) reached 100% denitrification efficiency and the highest average specific denitrification rate of 20.36 mg N/(L·d) in run 5, while leach bed bioreactor 3 (HYME-D) achieved 75% denitrification efficiency and the highest average specific denitrification rate of 8.09 mg N/(L·d) in run 6. Subsequently, waste from leach bed bioreactors 1, 2, and 3 was inoculated into anaerobic bottles to run a batch experiment for 13 d. The total consumed methane, oxygen, and nitrate amounts in the microaerobic system with no methane and oxygen supplement were 2.33, 2.38, and 2.04 mmol, respectively, which almost matched the theoretical equation of aerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification. In the hypoxic system, the total consumed methane and nitrate amounts were 0.23 and 0.41 mmol, respectively, the ratio of which closely matched the HYME-D. In addition, via the diverse functional community analysis, methane oxidation in the microaerobic system was confirmed to be conducted by methanotrophs (i.e., Methylobacter and Methylomonas) using oxygen as an electron acceptor. Subsequently, the generated organic compounds could support denitrifiers (i.e., Methylophilaceae) to complete denitrification. In the hypoxic system, Methylomonas and Methylobacter utilized nitrate as a direct electron acceptor to oxidize methane. The two landfill processes characterized here will expand our understanding of the environmental role of methanotrophs and methylotrophs in both carbon and nitrogen cycles.

Cost-Effectiveness of Scaling Up Modern Family Planning Interventions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Economic Modeling Analysis in Indonesia and Uganda

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to estimate the long-term cost-effectiveness of improved family planning interventions to reduce the unmet need in low- and middle-income countries, with Indonesia and Uganda as reference cases.

METHODS

The analysis was performed using a Markov decision analytic model, where current situation and several scenarios to reduce the unmet need were incorporated as the comparative strategies. Country-specific evidence was synthesized from the demographic and health survey and published studies. The model simulated the sexual and reproductive health experience of women in the reproductive age range over a time horizon of women's reproductive years, from the healthcare payer perspective. Modeled outcomes included clinical events, costs and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) expressed as cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the impact of parameter uncertainty on modeled outcomes.

RESULTS

In the hypothetical cohort of 100,000 women, scenarios to reduce the unmet need for family planning would result in savings within a range of US$230,600-US$895,100 and US$564,400-US$1,865,900 in Indonesia and Uganda, respectively. The interventions would avert an estimated 1859-3780 and 3705-12,230 DALYs in Indonesia and Uganda, respectively. The results of our analysis indicate that scaling up family planning dominates the current situation in all scenarios in both countries, with lower costs and fewer DALYs. These results were robust in sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION

Scaling up family planning interventions could improve women's health outcomes substantially and be cost-effective or even cost saving across a range of scenarios compared to the current situation.

Production of feather oligopeptides by a newly isolated bacterium Pseudomonas otitis H11

Oligopeptides usually have high nutritive value and multiple physiological functions. To achieve the highly efficient utilization of feather waste, a feather-degrading bacterium, Pseudomonas otitis, was isolated and used for production of feather oligopeptides. The production potential and characteristics of the produced oligopeptides by H11 were also investigated. The results demonstrated that the optimal initial pH, temperature, fermentation time, and sterilization conditions were 11, 40°C, 24 h, and 121°C for 20 min, respectively. After 24 h of fermentation under the optimal conditions, the feathers were almost completely degraded. Correspondingly, 35.37% oligopeptides (accounting for 69.70% of the total soluble peptides) and varieties of essential amino acids (valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, methionine, threonine, and lysine) were obtained. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis indicated that the produced oligopeptides were mainly low molecular weight (below 1600 Da) and rich in branched-chain amino acids. Also, the oligopeptide-enriched hydrolysate displayed good antioxidant activity with 83% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) scavenging ability and 53% superoxide anion (O2•-) scavenging activity. This study demonstrated that the hydrolysate of feathers was abundant in oligopeptide fractions with 5-10amino acid residues and possessed good antioxidant activity. This oligopeptide-enriched hydrolysate could be used as a functional feed supplement and as a source for functional oligopeptide extraction.

Green Extraction of Six Phenolic Compounds from Rattan (Calamoideae faberii) with Deep Eutectic Solvent by Homogenate-Assisted Vacuum-Cavitation Method

A homogenate-assisted vacuum-cavitation extraction (HVE) method with a “green” solvent (a deep eutectic solvent, DES) was developed to extract phenolic compounds from rattan (Calamoideae faberii). In this study, the optimum molar ratio of choline chloride (ChCl) and ethylene glycol (EG) was 1:3, the optimum volume ratio of ChCl-EG:H₂O was 6:4, the solid-liquid ratio of HVE was 1:15, and the extraction time of homogenate and vacuum-cavitation were 2.0 min and 25 min, respectively. Under the optimum parameters of HVE, the extraction yield of total phenolic content with ChCl-EG solution was 6.82 mg/g. The higher total phenolic content was detected in fruit tissues (seeds 81.24 ± 1.55 mg/g, episperm 43.21 ± 0.87 mg/g, and arillus 38.47 ± 0.74 mg/g), followed by in leaves (sheath 19.5 ± 0.38 mg/g and blade 17.81 ± 0.33 mg/g). In addition, the content of specific phenolic compounds in aqueous and DES extracts was determined. Chlorogenic acid was the most abundant phenol in most organs of the rattan plant. Gallic acid was mainly distributed in the arillus; protocatechuic acid was mainly distributed in the arillus, sheath, and blade; protocatechuic aldehyde was mainly distributed in the blade, seed, and sheath; (+)-catechins were mainly distributed in the episperm, seed, and sheath; and epigallocatechin gallate was mainly distributed in the blade. The recovery rates of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, (+)-catechins, chlorogenic acid, and epigallocatechin gallate were 93.77%, 94.09%, 97.32%, 97.83%, 94.41%, and 92.47%, respectively, by AB-8 resin.

MiR-410 regulates malignant biological behavior of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia through targeting FKBP5 and Akt signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-410 in regulating the proliferation and apoptosis of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells and to explore the possible underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression level of miR-410 in ALL cases and cells was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to evaluate the interaction between miR-410 and FKBP5. MTT and colony formation assay were used to determine the effect of miR-410 on the proliferation and colony formation ability of ALL cells. The effect of miR-410 on cell apoptosis was measured by Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate 1 (FITC) and propidium iodide (PI). Western blot was used to analyze the effect of miR-410 on the protein expression levels of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and cleaved caspase-3.

RESULTS

In our investigation, miR-410 was significantly up-regulated in ALL cases and cells. We searched three public databases to predict the potential target of miR-410, and found that FKBP5 was a direct target of miR-410. Meanwhile, Luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed our hypothesis. The overexpression of miR-410 accelerated the proliferation and colony formation ability of ALL cells, whereas remarkably decreased cell apoptosis rate. Western blotting showed that miR-410 inhibited the activation of Akt signaling pathway. However, FKBP5 could reverse the effects of miR-410.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-410 regulated the proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis of ALL cells through targeting FKBP5 and Akt signal pathway, indicating that miR-410 might be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ALL.

Computed Tomography-Assessed Sarcopenia Indexes Predict Major Complications following Surgery for Hepatopancreatobiliary Malignancy: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Computed tomography (CT)-assessed sarcopenia indexes have been reported to predict postoperative morbidity and mortality; however conclusions drawn from different indexes and studies remain controversial.

AIM

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate various CT-assessed sarcopenia indexes as predictors of risk for major complications in patients undergoing hepatopancreatobiliary surgery for malignancy.

METHODS

Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases were systematically searched to identify relevant studies published before June 2018. PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews were followed. The pooled risk ratio (RR) for major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥III) was estimated in patients with sarcopenia versus patients without sarcopenia. Data extracted were meta-analyzed using Review Manager (version 5.3).

RESULTS

Twenty-eight studies comprising 6,656 patients were included in this study. CT-assessed sarcopenia indexes, such as skeletal muscle index (SMI, RR 1.36; 95% CI 1.14-1.63; p = 0.0008; I2 = 24%), psoas muscle index (PMI, RR 1.35; 95% CI 1.15-1.58; p = 0.0002; I2 = 0%), muscle attenuation (MA, RR 1.40; 95% CI 1.14-1.73; p = 0.002; I2 = 4%), and intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC, RR 1.63; 95% CI 1.28-2.09; p < 0.0001; I2 = 0%) were all predictors of postoperative major complications, although moderate heterogeneity existed and cutoffs for these indexes to define sarcopenia varied.

CONCLUSIONS

All commonly used CT-assessed sarcopenia indexes, such as SMI, PMI, MA, and IMAC can predict the risk of major postoperative complications; however, a consensus on the cutoffs for these indexes to define sarcopenia is still lacking.

Inhibiting amyloid-β cytotoxicity through its interaction with the cell surface receptor LilrB2 by structure-based design

Inhibiting the interaction between amyloid-β (Aβ) and a neuronal cell surface receptor, LilrB2, has been suggested as a potential route for treating Alzheimer's disease. Supporting this approach, Alzheimer's-like symptoms are reduced in mouse models following genetic depletion of the LilrB2 homologue. In its pathogenic, oligomeric state, Aβ binds to LilrB2, triggering a pathway to synaptic loss. Here we identify the LilrB2 binding moieties of Aβ (16KLVFFA21) and identify its binding site on LilrB2 from a crystal structure of LilrB2 immunoglobulin domains D1D2 complexed to small molecules that mimic phenylalanine residues. In this structure, we observed two pockets that can accommodate the phenylalanine side chains of KLVFFA. These pockets were confirmed to be 16KLVFFA21 binding sites by mutagenesis. Rosetta docking revealed a plausible geometry for the Aβ-LilrB2 complex and assisted with the structure-guided selection of small molecule inhibitors. These molecules inhibit Aβ-LilrB2 interactions in vitro and on the cell surface and reduce Aβ cytotoxicity, which suggests these inhibitors are potential therapeutic leads against Alzheimer's disease.

Author Correction: Inhibiting amyloid-β cytotoxicity through its interaction with the cell surface receptor LilrB2 by structure-based design

In the version of this Article originally published online, the upper right panel of Fig. 5a was mistakenly a repeat of the lower right panel. This has now been corrected in all versions of the Article.

Evolution of the Subsurface K-Rich Brines in the Triassic Carbonates in the Sichuan Basin of China

Subsurface K-rich brines are important mineral resources for fertilizer production while the evolution of such brines is poorly documented. In the Sichuan Basin in southwest China, they are found mainly in the Middle and Lower Triassic marine carbonate aquifers. Total dissolved solids of the brines range from 176 to 378 g/L and K concentrations, from 1.9 to 53.3 g/L. We found that the brines are mainly of Cl-Na type, while Ba is absent in the brines. Comparison of the brine samples with both the trajectories of ions and the newly proposed trajectories of ion ratios of evaporated seawater suggests that the brines are enriched in Ca, Sr, Li, and I, depleted in SO₄ and Mg, and neither enriched nor depleted in Cl and Na. These brines underwent four evolutionary periods: (1) deposition of marine rocks, (2) deposition of continental clastics, (3) tectonic deformation, and (4) rock erosion. Precipitation of salt minerals, dolomitization, sulfate reduction, and recrystallization during the first two periods are responsible for the enrichment and depletion of the chemical constituents of the brines. Extremely high K concentrations in two wells, both tapping the Middle Triassic Leikoupo carbonate aquifers, are attributed to the subsurface dissolution of potash salts during the migration of the brines to the anticlines formed during the third period in the Paleogene age. Saline and salty springs emanate from the outcropping carbonates in the river valleys in some anticlines in the eastern basin due to incongruent dissolution of the salt-bearing carbonates during the fourth period.

[Clinical characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of pneumococcal infections from 9 children's hospitals in 2016]

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics of pneumococcal infections and drug resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from children's hospitals, which would provide reference for preventing and treating pneumococcal diseases. Methods: This was a prevalence survey. In this study, the age, specimen type, monthly distribution characteristics, and antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from 9 children's hospitals in China were investigated between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. The WHONET 5.6 software was used to analyze the antibiotic susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The comparison of rates was performed by Chi-square test. Results: A total of 6 200 isolates of streptococcus pneumoniae were obtained, namely, 95.1% (5 876/6 177) from the respiratory tract specimens, 2.2% (136/6 177) from blood specimens and 0.4% (24/6 177) from cerebrospinal fluid specimens. The isolates were mainly from children older than 1 and younger than 5 years (54.7%, 3 381/6 185) . Most of strains (33.2%, 1 184/3 563) were isolated in November, December and January. Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were completely sensitive to vancomycin (100.0%, 6 189/6 189) , linezolid (100.0%, 6 030/6 030) , moxifloxacin (100.0%, 3 064/3 064) , highly sensitive to levofloxacin (99.8%, 5 528/5 540), ertapenem (98.8%, 3 024/3 061) and lowly sensitive to erythromycin (1.7%, 102/6 016), clindamycin (3.7%, 116/3 136), and tetracycline (5%, 244/4 877), respectively. According to the parenteral susceptibility breakpoints for non-meningitis isolates, the sensitivity of Streptocococus pneumoniae to penicillin from children's hospital of Chongqing Medical University (49.3%, 892/1 809) was significantly lower than those of other hospitals (χ(2)=1 268.161, P<0.05) . Conclusions:Streptococcus pneumoniae is mainly isolated from respiratory tract, from children older than 1 and younger than 5 years and during November to January in tertiary children's hospital of China. The Streptococcus pneumoniae from children is highly sensitive to vancomycin, linezolid, moxifloxacin, levofloxacin. There are also significant differences in the sensitivity of penicillin for Streptococcus pneumoniae from different hospitals.

Instability diagnosis and syntrophic acetate oxidation during thermophilic digestion of vegetable waste

Effective process monitoring and instability diagnosis are important for stable anaerobic digestion (AD) of vegetable waste (VW). In order to evaluate the performance of thermophilic digestion of VW, to make early diagnosis for instability after organic overload, and to reveal the dynamics of microbial community under different running states, thermophilic AD of VW was carried out under improved organic loading rates (OLR) of 0.5-2.5 g volatile solid (VS)/(L ∙ d) in this study. Gaseous parameters including volumetric methane production rate (VMPR), CH₄, CO₂, and H₂ concentrations, and liquid parameters including pH, oxidation-reduction potential, volatile fatty acid (VFA), and total alkalinity (TA), bicarbonate alkalinity (BA), intermediate alkalinity (IA), and ammonia, were monitored. The coupling parameters, such as the CH₄/CO₂, VFA/BA, and BA/TA ratios were also used to evaluate stability. The dynamics of syntrophic acetate-oxidizing bacteria (SAOB), acetoclastic methanogens (AM), and hydrogenotrophic methanogens (HM) were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. The main methanogenic bacteria were HM (Methanothermobacter) during the start-up period of OLR 0.5 gVS/(L ∙ d), while they were AM (Methanosarcina) during the stable period of OLR of 1.0 gVS/(L ∙ d). The VMPR of stable period was about 0.29 L/(L · d) with total VFA concentration below 100 mg/L, CH₄/CO₂ > 1.3, and BA/TA>0.9. The first instability due to the accumulation of VFA and self-recovery due to syntrophic acetate oxidation occurred at an OLR of 1.5 gVS/(L ∙ d). The syntrophic acetate-oxidizing bacteria probably belong to genus S1 (family Thermotogaceae). The digestion failed at an OLR of 2.0 g VS/(L · d). H₂ was only detected during collapsed period instead of instable period. The total ammonia nitrogen loss and bicarbonate alkalinity (BA) reduction were the primary causes for the instability of AD of VW without effluent recirculation. Compared with single parameters, the CH₄/CO₂ and BA/total alkalinity (TA) ratios are recommended as early warning indicators for engineering applications of thermophilic AD of VW.

Experimental investigation on the distribution of spray water in a spent fuel-assembly simulator

The spent fuel pool cooling system in a nuclear power plant, which is comprised mainly by the cooling pumps and heat exchangers, ensures the safety of the spent fuel assemblies and the integrity of the fuel rods during the period of storage. With the development of the passive cooling technique, a spray cooling system for the spent fuels based on the gravity was designed to further enhance the safety of the spent fuel pool in case of accident conditions. This paper presents an experimental investigation of the validity of the spray-cooling system using two types of tight rod bundles, namely a 5 × 5 heated rod bundle and a 17 × 17 isothermal rod bundle. Results shows that the rod bundle heated with a lower power can be effectively cooled only by air without any spray water. With the increase of the heated power, the rod surface temperature increases gradually and the spray cooling has to be implemented to maintain the wall temperature at a certain level. The effect of flow rate on wall temperature was investigated. For the isothermal rod bundle, main interests were focused on the distribution of the spray water after it flowed along the rods.

Research on thermal-hydraulic behavior in the spent fuel pool using a full-height experimental facility

During accident scenarios the effective cooling of spent fuel directly affects the safety of nuclear power plants. Two experiments were performed in a full-height facility to study the thermal-hydraulic behavior in spent fuel pool. In spent fuel pool boiling experiment, the heat transfer characteristics are related to the flow patterns. However, the flow pattern in narrow and long channel is different from the traditional flow pattern. In the semi-dry of heated rod, wall temperature oscillation occurs for a long time. In the spent fuel pray experiment, the liquid film thickness varies randomly with time and space. As the spray flow density increase, the maximum wall temperature decrease gradually with a certain linear characteristic.

Alisol A 24-acetate ameliorates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by inhibiting oxidative stress and stimulating autophagy through the AMPK/mTOR pathway

Alisol A 24-acetate (AA), a natural triterpenoid isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Rhizoma Alismatis, has various therapeutic effects. We investigated the anti-nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) effect of AA and its underlying mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. C57BL/6 mice were fed a methionine and choline-deficient (MCD) diet for 4 weeks to induce NASH. The mice were simultaneously treated with a daily dose of AA (15, 30, and 60 mg kg^-1, ig) for 4 weeks. On the last day, the animals were sacrificed and plasma and liver tissue were collected. Serum and liver tissue biochemical analyses and histological observation were performed. The human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 was used to build NASH models by culturing with conditioned medium from WRL-68 liver cells after exposure to MCD medium in vitro. Liver oxidative stress and inflammatory indices and autophagy markers were examined. The results showed that AA suppressed reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation in a NASH mouse model and inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokines and ROS in LX-2 cells in MCD medium. Furthermore, we found AA stimulated autophagy in mice liver and LX-2, which could be the underlying mechanism of AA in NASH. To further investigate the role of autophagy in LX-2 cells, we found that AA regulated autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway and dorsomorphin, a selective AMPK inhibitor, led to the suppression of AA-induced autophagy. Taken together, our results indicate that AA could be a possible therapy for NASH by inhibiting oxidative stress and stimulating autophagy.