Effects of air pollutant exposure on lung function in exercisers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to systematically evaluate the effect of air pollutant exposure on lung function in exercisers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Computer search Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCO and Cochrane Library, MINORS scale for literature quality evaluation, and Stata 12.0 software for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

According to the literature inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 14 pieces of literature were screened and included in the Meta-analysis, and the literature quality was relatively high. Meta-analysis shows that air pollutant exposure has no significant effect on FVC, FEV1 and PEF of exercisers (p>0.05); but it can significantly increase the FeNO level of exercisers [Z=2.26, p = 0.024, SMD=-0.228, 95% CI= (-0.426, -0.031)]. Egger linear regression analysis shows that FVC [β=-4.64, p = 0.004, 95% CI= (-7.32,-1.95)] has the possibility of publication bias; FEV1, PEF and FeNO p>0.05 and 95% CI contains 0, there is no publication bias in the included literature. There is no sensitivity problem in the included literature, and the combined result is robust and reliable.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to air pollutants may cause allergic airway inflammation by increasing FeNO levels in exercised populations, and adversely affecting human health.

The effect of passive lower limb training on heart rate asymmetry

OBJECTIVE

Heart rate asymmetry (HRA) is an approach for quantitatively assessing the uneven distribution of heart rate accelerations and decelerations for sinus rhythm. We aimed to investigate whether automatic regulation led to HRA alternation during passive lower limb training.

METHODS

Thirty healthy participants were recruited in this study. The protocol included a baseline (Pre-E) and three passive lower limb training trials (E1, E2 and E3) with a randomized order. Several variance-based HRA variables were established. Heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, i.e., mean RR, SDNN, RMSSD, LF (n.u.), HF (n.u.) and VLF (ms2), and HRA variables, i.e., SD1a, SD1d, SD2a, SD2d, SDNNa and SDNNd, were calculated by using 5-min RR time series, as well as the normalized HRA variables, i.e., C1a, C1d, C2a, C2d, Ca and Cd.

RESULTS

Our results showed that the performance of HRA was distinguished. The normalized HRA was observed with significant changes in E1, E2 and E3 compared to Pre -E. Moreover, parts of non-normalized HRA variables correlated with HRV parameters, which indicated that HRA might benefit in assessing cardiovascular modulation in passive lower limb training.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, this study suggested that passive training led to significant HRA alternation and the application of HRA gave us the possibility for autonomic assessment.

Response of the Cerebral Cortex to Resistance and Non-resistance Exercise Under Different Trajectories: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

Background: At present, the effects of upper limb movement are generally evaluated from the level of motor performance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the response of the cerebral cortex to different upper limb movement patterns from the perspective of neurophysiology.

Method: Thirty healthy adults (12 females, 18 males, mean age 23.9 ± 0.9 years) took resistance and non-resistance exercises under four trajectories (T1: left and right straight-line movement; T2: front and back straight-line movement; T3: clockwise and anticlockwise drawing circle movement; and T4: clockwise and anticlockwise character ⁕ movement). Each movement included a set of periodic motions composed of a 30-s task and a 30-s rest. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure cerebral blood flow dynamics. Primary somatosensory cortex (S1), supplementary motor area (SMA), pre-motor area (PMA), primary motor cortex (M1), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) were chosen as regions of interests (ROIs). Activation maps and symmetric heat maps were applied to assess the response of the cerebral cortex to different motion patterns.

Result: The activation of the brain cortex was significantly increased during resistance movement for each participant. Specifically, S1, SMA, PMA, and M1 had higher participation during both non-resistance movement and resistance movement. Compared to non-resistance movement, the resistance movement caused an obvious response in the cerebral cortex. The task state and the resting state were distinguished more obviously in the resistance movement. Four trajectories can be distinguished under non-resistance movement.

Conclusion: This study confirmed that the response of the cerebral motor cortex to different motion patterns was different from that of the neurophysiological level. It may provide a reference for the evaluation of resistance training effects in the future.

Epidemiologic Features and Influencing Factors of Norovirus Outbreaks in the City of Wuxi, China from 2014 to 2018

The study investigated the genotypic changes and epidemiologic features of norovirus outbreaks and factors influencing the attack rate and outbreak duration in Wuxi from 2014 to 2018. Norovirus outbreaks, monitored through surveillance system, were investigated. The norovirus-positive specimens from outbreaks were collected and genotyped using a dual polymerase-capsid genotyping protocol based on a one-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicon. The genotypes were analyzed by Norovirus Typing Tool Version 2.0. A total of 74 norovirus outbreaks were reported in Wuxi from 2014 to 2018. Most (93.2%) norovirus outbreaks were caused by GII genotypes. The predominant norovirus genotypes in outbreaks have changed from GII.17 (20.3%) in 2014–2015 to GII.P16/GII.2 (40.5%) in 2017–2018. GII.P16/GII.2 in 2017–2018 season were more prevalent than GII.17 in 2014–2015 season (χ² = 4.741, P = 0.029). 56.7% of the outbreaks occurred in primary schools. The re-outbreak rate was 16.2%. 66.7% of re-outbreaks were caused by norovirus variants different from previous genotypes. Outbreaks in nonprimary school settings (odds ratio [OR]: 4.007; 95% CI: 1.247–12.876) and those leading to temporary school or institution closure (OR: 20.510; 95% CI: 1.806–232.937) were reported with a higher attack rate. The outbreaks in primary schools (OR: 4.248; 95% CI: 1.211–14.903), re-outbreaks (OR: 6.433; 95% CI: 1.103–37.534) and longer report timing (OR: 8.380; 95% CI: 2.259–31.089) declared a significantly longer duration. It is of great importance that the monitoring of norovirus outbreaks for the emergence of novel strains, along with responsive prevention and control intervention should be strengthened in adults and school-age population, especially in primary students and preschool children.

Bioequivalence and Food Effect Assessment of 2 Rivaroxaban Formulations in Healthy Chinese Volunteers: An Open, Randomized, Single-Dose, and 4-Period Crossover Study

Rivaroxaban is a direct factor Xa inhibitor used for the management of thromboembolic disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetic profile, and bioequivalence of a generic and a branded rivaroxaban formulation (Xarelto) under fasted and fed conditions in healthy Chinese volunteers. An open-label, randomized, single-dose, 4-period complete, and replicate crossover study in healthy Chinese volunteers was performed. A single oral dose of 20 mg of 2 rivaroxaban formulations was administered to 72 healthy volunteers, with 36 in the fasted group and 36 consuming a high-fat diet. The evaluated pharmacokinetic parameters, including maximum rivaroxaban concentration, the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) from time 0 to the last measurable concentration, and AUC from time 0 to infinity, were assessed for BE. The plasma concentrations of rivaroxaban were measured by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. The geometric mean ratios with 90% confidence intervals of the maximum rivaroxaban concentration, AUC from time 0 to the last measurable concentration, and AUC from time 0 to infinity were all within the range of 80% to 125% under fasted and fed conditions. The within-subject variability of the test and reference products was compared, and the upper limit of the 90% confidence intervals for the test-to-reference ratio of the within-subject variability was <2.5, which indicated that the rivaroxaban test and the rivaroxaban reference formulation were bioequivalent. No serious adverse events were reported during either fasted or fed conditions of the study.

Pain modulation induced by electronic wrist-ankle acupuncture: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

BACKGROUND

As a new technology, electronic wrist-ankle acupuncture (E-WAA) combines the advantages of wrist-ankle acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, but the analgesic effect and mechanism need to be clarified. The purpose of this study was to identify the pain modulation caused by E-WAA by evaluating the response of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) from the perspective of neurophysiology.

METHODS

Fifty male volunteers (age 25.00 ± 1.05 years) with trapezius myofascial pain syndrome were randomly allocated into intervention group (E-WAA treatment) or sham control group at a 1:1 ratio. An outcome evaluation system was used to induce tenderness on the Jianjing point and record the pain value. A multichannel functional near-infrared spectroscope was used to detect the PFC activation during tenderness before and after treatment to demonstrate the neuromodulation mechanism. A general linear model and t-test (p < 0.05) were used to analyze the difference in the oxyhemoglobin (HbO) concentration and pain value.

RESULTS

In the intervention group, the pain value of volunteers decreased significantly (p = 0.017) after E-WAA treatment, whereas there was no statistical difference (p = 0.082) in the sham group. Before treatment, the frontopolar (FP) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) were the activation areas of the PFC. The E-WAA treatment then suppressed the activation of the two areas. The HbO concentration of the FP and DLPFC changed from a sharp rise during tenderness to not changing with tenderness stimulation.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrated that the E-WAA have a great analgesic effect. The FP and DLPFC were relative to the analgesia neuromodulation induced by the E-WAA.

Detection of nucleated red blood cells using the Mindray BC-6800Plus hematology analyzer: a clinical performance evaluation

BACKGROUND

With the development of instrument technology, the functions and detection methods of automatic blood cell analyzers have become more complex. To ensure optimal clinical applicability, it is crucial to select an automatic blood cell analyzer with excellent clinical detection performance. This study evaluated the latest Mindray BC-6800Plus automatic blood cell analyzer and assessed its performance in the detection of nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs).

METHODS

A total of 490 clinical blood samples were used to assess the performance of the instrument, including parameters such as precision, linearity, conformity rate of manual microscopic examination, carryover, and limit of quantitation.

RESULTS

The instrument showed a small carryover (≤0.02) and excellent linearity (R2≥0.9986). The reproducibility of the sample tests was satisfactory, and the coefficient of variation (CV) of the test results [0.98-1.72% and 0.62-6.97% for white blood cells (WBCs) and NRBCs, respectively] were significantly lower than that declared by the manufacturer (2.5% and 20% for WBCs and NRBCs, respectively). Thus, the BC-6800Plus satisfies the requirements of clinical testing. Two separate Mindray BC-6800Plus machines were tested and found to be in good agreement with each other and with manual microscopy methods. Furthermore, WBC and NRBC counts were highly consistent with results obtained using the XN-9100 blood analyzer.

CONCLUSIONS

The Mindray BC-6800Plus is an excellent analyzer that can provide timely and accurate reports for clinical laboratory detection of NRBC.

BSC2 induces multidrug resistance via contributing to the formation of biofilm in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Biofilm plays an important role in fungal multidrug resistance (MDR). Our previous studies showed that BSC2 is involved in resistance to amphotericin B (AMB) through antioxidation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, the overexpression of BSC2 and IRC23 induced strong MDR in S. cerevisiae. BSC2-overexpression affected cellular flocculation, cell surface hydrophobicity, biofilm formation and invasive growth. However, it failed to induce caspofungin (CAS) resistance and affect the invasive growth in FLO mutant strains (FLO11Δ, FLO1Δ, FLO8Δ and TUP1Δ). Furthermore, the overexpression of BSC2 compensated for chitin synthesis defects to maintain the cell wall integrity and significantly reduced the cell morphology abnormality induced by CAS. However, it could not repair the cell wall damage caused by CAS in the FLO mutant strains. Although BSC2 overexpression increased the level of mannose in the cell wall, DPM1 overexpression in both BY4741 and bsc2∆ could confer resistance to CAS and AMB. In addition, BSC2 overexpression significantly increased the mRNA expression of FLO11, FLO1, FLO8 and TUP1. BSC2 may function as a regulator of FLO genes and be involved in cell wall integrity in yeast. Taken together, our data demonstrate that BSC2 induces MDR in a FLO pathway-dependent manner via contributing to the formation of biofilms in S. cerevisiae. TAKE AWAYS: Overexpression of BSC2 induced strong MDR in S. cerevisiae. BSC2 affected cellular flocculation, CSH, biofilm formation and invasive growth. BSC2 could not repair the cell wall damage caused by CAS in the FLO mutants. BSC2 may function as a regulator of FLO genes to maintain cell wall integrity. BSC2 promotes biofilm formation in a FLO pathway-dependent manner to induce MDR.

LncRNA-PANDAR regulates the progression of thyroid carcinoma by targeting miR-637/KLK4

Thyroid gland carcinoma (TC) originates from follicular or parafollicular thyroid cells and is one of the most common endocrine organ malignancies. To explore the molecular mechanism by which long-chain non-coding RNAs regulate the growth and metastasis of thyroid gland carcinoma, in this study we focused on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that have been reported to be involved in tumorigenesis. We identified Promoter Region of CDKN 1A antisense DNA damage-activated RNA (PANDAR), which was positively correlated with thyroid gland carcinoma risk. PANDAR could promote thyroid gland carcinoma cell proliferation and metastasis. PANDAR negatively correlated with miR-637, and miR-637 overexpression suppressed thyroid gland carcinoma progression, which could be reversed by PANDAR. MiR-637 could target Kallikrein-related peptidases 4 (KLK4) to inhibit its expression, which was high in thyroid gland carcinoma. KLK4 inhibited cell progression in thyroid gland carcinoma cells. Knockdown of PANDAR expression inhibited cancer progression in nude mice. Overall, PANDAR can suppress miR-637 and induce KLK4 to regulate invasion and migration in thyroid gland carcinoma. Additionally, we identified miR-637 as a target of PANDAR in thyroid gland carcinoma, and PANDAR can be used as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of thyroid gland carcinoma.

Differences in epidemiology of patients with preeclampsia between China and the US (Review)

Preeclampsia (PE) is a complex complication that occurs during pregnancy. Studies indicated that morbidity from PE exhibits marked variations among geographical areas. Disparities in the incidence of PE between China and the US may be due to differences in ethnicity and genetic susceptibility, maternal age, sexual culture, body mass index, diet, exercise, multiple pregnancies and educational background. These epidemiological differences may give rise to differences between the two countries in terms of diagnostic and therapeutic criteria for PE. PE may be largely attributed to susceptibility genes and lifestyles, such as diet, body mass index and cultural norms regarding sexual relationships. The epidemiologic differences of patients with PE between the two countries indicated that appropriate prevention plans for PE require to be developed according to local conditions.

Long non-coding RNA GHET1 promotes thyroid cancer cell proliferation and invasion

BACKGROUND

We aimed to evaluate the role of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) gastric carcinoma proliferation-enhancing transcript 1 (GHET1) on thyroid cancer (TC) behavior in vitro.

METHODS

TC tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues were obtained after surgical excision from 43 patients with TC. The expression of LncRNA GHET1 was analyzed by real-time (RT) PCR. Human papillary thyroid cancer cell lines (TPC-1, BCPAP) were used to examine the role of LncRNA GHET1 in vitro. Cell proliferation was determined by CCK8 and cell colony formation assays. Transwell and wound-healing assays were used to detect the invasion and migration of thyroid cancer cells.

RESULTS

Our results showed that LncRNA GHET1 was significantly more upregulated in TC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. LncRNA GHET1 was also increased in thyroid cancer cell lines compared to normal thyroid cell lines. The upregulation of LncRNA GHET1 was significantly associated with tumor invasion, gender, and lymph node metastasis in patients with thyroid cancer. The in vitro studies showed that silencing LncRNA GHET1 in BCPAP cells inhibited cell proliferation, cell invasion, and migration. Silencing of LncRNA GHETI also promoted the cell apoptotic rate, caused an increase in the cell population at the G0/G1 phase, and decreased the cell population at the S phase. In contrast, the overexpression of LncRNA GHET1 promoted cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, inhibited cell apoptosis, and increased cell population at the S phase in TPC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

LncRNA GHET1 dysregulation might be involved in the carcinogenesis of thyroid cancer. LncRNA GHET1 could be used as a potential molecular marker and molecular target for TC.

Cervical carcinoma high-expressed long non-coding RNA 1 promotes papillary thyroid carcinoma cell proliferation and invasion

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that cervical carcinoma high-expressed long non-coding RNA 1 (lncRNA-CCHE1) may promote tumor development by regulating tumor migration and invasion in a variety of cancers; yet, the role of lncRNA-CCHE1 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of lncRNA-CCHE1 in PTC.

METHODS

The expression of lncRNA-CCHE1 in 51 PTC carcinoma tissues and normal adjacent tissues was measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), plate cloning assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry were used to analyze the effect of lncRNA-CCHE1 on PTC cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis in vitro.

RESULTS

A higher expression of lncRNA-CCHE1 was found in PTC tissues than in adjacent tissues. High expression of lncRNA-CCHE1 was positively correlated with the number of tumors, extra-glandular invasion, and tumor stage. In addition, the down-regulation of lncRNA-CCHE1 reduced the proliferation and invasion of PTC cell lines and promoted cell apoptosis, while its up-regulation caused the opposite effect. These effects were regulated via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK) pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

The lncRNA-CCHE1 is closely related to PTC progression and may be used as a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and treatment of PTC.

Nonpharmacological interventions for cancer-related fatigue in lung cancer patients: A protocol for an evidence map of overview of a network meta-analysis of existing trials

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers, the symptoms and treatment of which can cause negative emotions like anxiety, depression, and cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Nonpharmacological interventions, serving as alternative therapies, can greatly alleviate CRF in lung cancer patients. Previous meta-analyses have reported nonpharmacological interventions of CRF in lung cancer patients, but the results may be conflicting, and the reporting and methodological qualities remain unknown. Moreover, there is limited evidence to identify efficient and safe non-pharmacological interventions of CRF in lung cancer patients. This study aims to assess the therapeutic efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions of CRF in lung cancer patients through a network meta-analysis.

METHODS

Relevant literatures reporting non-pharmacological interventions of CRF in lung cancer patients published before June 2021 will be searched in online databases, including Wanfang, VP Information Chinese Journal Service Platform, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese BioMedicine Literature Database, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of science. Two reviewers will be independently responsible for study selection, quality appraisal, and data extraction. Data analysis will be performed using the STATA14.0 and GEMTC 0.14.3 software.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis will provide additional and stronger evidences for nonpharmacological interventions of CRF in lung cancer patients. Our findings will be conductive to make therapeutic decisions by clinicians.

CONCLUSION

This study will provide a reliable evidence-based basis for non-pharmacological interventions of CRF in lung cancer patients.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval was not required for this study. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, presented at conferences, and shared on social media platforms. This review would be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentations.

OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/QRY42.

A randomized, open-label, two-period crossover bridging study on fuzuloparib capsules of different specifications in healthy Chinese volunteers

AIMS

Fuzuloparib, also known as fluzoparib or SHR3162, is a poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor developed for the treatment of malignant tumours. Three specifications of fuzuloparib capsules (10 mg, 40 mg and 100 mg) were originally developed for clinical trials. After the recommended dose was determined, a new specification of fuzuloparib capsule (50 mg) was produced for clinical use. This bridging study was conducted to determine the bioequivalence of the new specification to the three other specifications at the recommended dose.

METHODS

A single-centre, randomized, open-label, two-period, crossover bridging study was conducted in 40 healthy Chinese subjects under fed conditions. Enrolled subjects received a single oral dose of test or reference preparations according to a randomization list in the first period and crossed over to receive the other preparations in the second period after a 6-day washout interval. Blood samples were collected pre-dose and post-dose at specified time intervals. Plasma fuzuloparib concentrations were analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). A non-compartment model was adopted to calculate pharmacokinetic parameters of investigational preparations. Primary PK parameters including area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) from administration to the last sampling time (AUC_0-t ), AUC extrapolated to infinity (AUC_0-∞ ) and C_max of test and reference preparations were compared to evaluate their bioequivalence.

RESULTS

The 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of geometric mean ratios of AUC_0-t , AUC_0-∞ and C_max were 96.99-104.95%, 97.03-104.93% and 96.53-108.98%, respectively, all of which were within the bioequivalence range of 80-125%. No serious adverse events were observed in this study and no subjects withdrew from the study due to adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

The test preparations were bioequivalent to the reference preparations. All investigational products were well tolerated.

Impact of posttranslational modifications in pancreatic carcinogenesis and treatments

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly aggressive cancer, with a 9% 5-year survival rate and a high risk of recurrence. In part, this is because PC is composed of heterogeneous subgroups with different biological and functional characteristics and personalized anticancer treatments are required. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) play an important role in modifying protein functions/roles and are required for the maintenance of cell viability and biological processes; thus, their dysregulation can lead to disease. Different types of PTMs increase the functional diversity of the proteome, which subsequently influences most aspects of normal cell biology or pathogenesis. This review primarily focuses on ubiquitination, SUMOylation, and NEDDylation, as well as the current understanding of their roles and molecular mechanisms in pancreatic carcinogenesis. Additionally, we briefly summarize studies and clinical trials on PC treatments to advance our knowledge of drugs available to target the ubiquitination, SUMOylation, and NEDDylation PTM types. Further investigation of PTMs could be a critical field of study in relation to PC, as they have been implicated in the initiation and progression of many other types of cancer.

Association between gestational weight gain in women with gestational diabetes mellitus and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a retrospective cohort study

Background

To examine association between gestational weight gain (GWG) in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study enrolled women with GDM who delivered at 2010–2020 in Changzhou, Jiangsu. Total GWG, rates of GWG in second trimester and third trimesters were stratified into three categories according to IOM guidelines: within, below, and above IOM guidelines. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used.

Results

Overall, 1606 women with GDM fulfilled inclusion criteria. Compared with within IOM guidelines and after adjusting for confounders, total GWG above IOM guidelines in pregnancy was associated with an increased odds of caesarean delivery [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04–1.72], hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) (aOR = 2.00, 1.28–3.12), preeclampsia (aOR = 2.06, 1.01–3.12), macrosomia (aOR = 1.55, 1.13–2.13) and large for gestational age (LGA) (aOR = 2.82, 1.94–3.23), and a decreased odds of premature rupture of membrane (PROM) (aOR = 0.46, 0.36–0.60) and preterm birth (aOR = 0.35, 0.26–0.44); total GWG below IOM guidelines in pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (aOR = 1.96, 1.44–2.66), small for gestational age (SGA) (aOR = 1.32, 1.11–1.50) and a decreased odds of macrosomia (aOR = 0.35, 0.23–0.53) and LGA (aOR = 0.54, 0.42–0.72). Further, in both second and third trimesters of pregnancy, rates of GWG above IOM guidelines was found to be associated with a high odds of HDP (aOR = 2.55, 1.86–3.38; aOR = 1.93, 1.08–2.98), preeclampsia (aOR = 2.28, 1.21–3.81; aOR = 2.17, 1.35–4.37), macrosomia (aOR = 1.20, 1.02–1.82; aOR = 2.02, 1.51–2.64) and LGA (aOR = 1.42, 1.24–1.97; aOR = 1.79, 1.51–2.54). Rates of GWG above IOM guidelines in third trimester of pregnancy also increased odds of caesarean delivery (aOR = 1.48, 1.16–2.34) when compared with within IOM guidelines. While rates of GWG below IOM guidelines in both second and third trimesters of pregnancy was associated with a decreased odds of macrosomia (aOR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.52–0.78; aOR = 0.52, 0.39–0.63) and LGA(aOR = 0.71, 0.51–0.82; aOR = 0.67, 0.55–0.79). In addition, rate of GWG below IOM guidelines in third trimester of pregnancy was associated with an increased odds of preterm birth (aOR = 1.52, 1.12–2.05) and SGA (aOR = 1.21, 1.10–1.69).

Conclusion

GWG, outside IOM guidelines has increased risks of APOs among women with GDM, implying that careful surveillance for GWG during different stages of pregnancy is warranted.

Abstract 1975: Tumor treating fields triggers OFD1 removal from primary cilia to promote glioma cell survival

Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) significantly prolongs the survival of patients with glioblastoma, but glioma cells can still escape this therapy creating significant problems. Recent studies suggest glioma cells resist TTFields exposure by triggering AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent autophagy pathway activation. Our group has been studying primary cilia, microtubule-based ‘antenna' whose growth is stimulated by autophagy-activated removal of Oral-Facial-Digital Syndrome 1 protein (OFD1) from the cilia base. Here we asked whether TTFields affect glioma primary cilia and/or play any role in the prosurvival response to TTFields. Using a low grade (S7) glioma cell line, we found that 1 or 3 intermittent cycles of 72hr 200kHz TTFields treatment in vitro caused a significant lengthening of primary cilia after cells were allowed to recover 3-4 days after TTFields. At the cilia base, TTFields led to recruitment of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3B) and phospho-AMPK, and removal of OFD1, changes associated with autophagy pathway activation. Acutely after TTFields, we observed fewer cilia and apparent ‘ciliophagy' because the cilia appeared to detach or ‘dissolve' from the basal body. In U87 cells, TTFields induced a significant reduction of extranuclear clusters of OFD1 while increasing a dramatic formation of nuclear islands of OFD1, two phenomena that were disrupted by addition of the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ). TTFields also stimulated surprising growth of primary cilia in U87 cells which normally rarely elaborate cilia. Further, we found that TTFields was less effective at killing cilia-depleted S7 cells. Finally, TTFields plus inhibition of autophagy using CQ or a histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitor led to dramatically fewer cells and cilia, thus promoting TTFields toxicity. Altogether, our results suggest that primary cilia are potential membrane ‘hotspots' triggered by TTFields to promote glioma cell survival via OFD1.

Citation Format: Ping Shi, Jia Tian, Matthew R. Sarkisian. Tumor treating fields triggers OFD1 removal from primary cilia to promote glioma cell survival [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1975.

A remote gain controlled and polarization angle tunable Doppler backward scattering reflectometer

Remote control of the diagnostic systems is the basic requirement for the high performance plasma operation in a fusion device. This work presents the development of the remote control system for the multichannel Doppler backward scattering (DBS) reflectometers. It includes a remote controlled quasi-optical system and a remote intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier gain control system. The quasi-optical system contains a rotational polarizer, its polarization angle is tunable through a remote controlled motor, and it could combine the microwave beams with a wide frequency range into one focused beam. The remote IF gain control system utilizes the digital microcontroller (MCU) technique to regulate the signal amplitude for each signal channel. The gain parameters of amplifiers are adjustable, and the feedback of working status in the IF system will be sent to MCU in real time for safe operation. The gain parameters could be controlled either by the Ethernet remote way or directly through the local control interface on the system. Preliminary experimental results show the effectiveness of the remote controlled multichannel DBS system.

Gesture Recognition Using Surface Electromyography and Deep Learning for Prostheses Hand: State-of-the-Art, Challenges, and Future

Amputation of the upper limb brings heavy burden to amputees, reduces their quality of life, and limits their performance in activities of daily life. The realization of natural control for prosthetic hands is crucial to improving the quality of life of amputees. Surface electromyography (sEMG) signal is one of the most widely used biological signals for the prediction of upper limb motor intention, which is an essential element of the control systems of prosthetic hands. The conversion of sEMG signals into effective control signals often requires a lot of computational power and complex process. Existing commercial prosthetic hands can only provide natural control for very few active degrees of freedom. Deep learning (DL) has performed surprisingly well in the development of intelligent systems in recent years. The significant improvement of hardware equipment and the continuous emergence of large data sets of sEMG have also boosted the DL research in sEMG signal processing. DL can effectively improve the accuracy of sEMG pattern recognition and reduce the influence of interference factors. This paper analyzes the applicability and efficiency of DL in sEMG-based gesture recognition and reviews the key techniques of DL-based sEMG pattern recognition for the prosthetic hand, including signal acquisition, signal preprocessing, feature extraction, classification of patterns, post-processing, and performance evaluation. Finally, the current challenges and future prospects in clinical application of these techniques are outlined and discussed.

Harnessing Hypoxia-Dependent Cyanine Photocages for In Vivo Precision Drug Release

Photocaging holds promise for the precise manipulation of biological events in space and time. However, current near-infrared (NIR) photocages are oxygen-dependent for their photolysis and lack of timely feedback regulation, which has proven to be the major bottleneck for targeted therapy. Herein, we present a hypoxia-dependent photo-activation mechanism of dialkylamine-substituted cyanine (Cy-NH) accompanied by emissive fragments generation, which was validated with retrosynthesis and spectral analysis. For the first time, we have realized the orthogonal manipulation of this hypoxia-dependent photocaging and dual-modal optical signals in living cells and tumor-bearing mice, making a breakthrough in the direct spatiotemporal control and in vivo feedback regulation. This unique photoactivation mechanism overcomes the limitation of hypoxia, which allows site-specific remote control for targeted therapy, and expands the photo-trigger toolbox for on-demand drug release, especially in a physiological context with dual-mode optical imaging under hypoxia.

Functional variants in the chromosome 4q21 locus contribute to allergic rhinitis risk by modulating the expression of N-acylethanolamine acid amidase

BACKGROUND

Previous haplotype-based association studies identified chromosome 4q21 as an allergic rhinitis (AR) susceptibility locus; however, the functional role of 4q21 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on AR risk remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the functional effect of 4q21 SNPs on AR risk by conducting cohort-based functional genomics and genetic association analyses.

METHODS

The associations between 4q21 SNPs and mRNA expression levels of three 4q21-associated genes (SDAD1, NAAA and CXCL9) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were assessed in a Singapore/Malaysia Chinese cohort (n = 291). Exon expression levels of these genes in PBMCs were tested against the tag-SNP genotypes in a Singapore Chinese cohort (n = 30). Serum protein levels of these genes were assessed with tag-SNP genotypes in a Singapore Chinese cohort (n = 193). SNP functions were characterized through luciferase assay. In a Singapore Chinese cohort (n = 1794), we confirmed the associations between functional SNPs and AR.

RESULTS

Forty SNPs in 4q21 showed significant associations with NAAA (but not SDAD1 or CXCL9) mRNA expression in PBMCs, of which were tagged by two tag-SNPs, rs17001237 and rs2242470. Both tag-SNPs rs2242470 and rs12648687 (a proxy for rs17001237) were also significantly associated with the expression level of NAAA exon 1. Tag-SNP rs12648687 was correlated with serum NAAA level. A four promoter SNPs-haplotype tagged by rs17001237 influenced the NAAA promoter activity in HEK293T cells. Lastly, individuals carrying the risk allele A of rs12648687 exhibited significantly higher AR risk in the Singapore Chinese population.

CONCLUSIONS & CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The rs17001237 linkage set SNPs in the 4q21 locus are associated with NAAA expression at both gene and protein levels ex vivo, have functional consequences in vitro and contribute to AR susceptibility in our study population. Our findings provided a better understanding of the genetic mechanism that contributes to AR pathogenesis.

Exercise-related blood pressure response is related to autonomic modulation in young adults: A new extension study

BACKGROUND:

The delayed blood pressure recovery (BPR) at post-exercise has been in association with a major risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

OBJECTIVE:

The study focused on evaluating the systolic and diastolic blood pressure recovery (SBPR, DBPR) and the autonomic modulation following treadmill exercise in healthy young adults. Although considerable literature had been published about BPR and HRV, the association between BPR and ultra-short-term HRV has not yet been completely described.

METHODS:

Fifteen subjects performed exercise with three different intensities on a treadmill, the speed was 6 km/h, 9 km/h, 12 km/h, respectively. SBP and DBP was measured per 30 s in each trial. The synchronous 5-min electrocardiogram (ECG) signals were recorded and HRV30s parameters including SDNN30s, RMSSD30s, SDNN30s/RMSSD30s, SD130s, SD230s and SD130s/SD230s were calculated every 30 s periods in 5 min ECG signals to match the corresponding BPR.

RESULTS:

The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values and the Bland-Altman plots indicated good consistency and repeatability between HRV30s and HRV5min at three post-exercise trials, with most ICC values > 0.75. Besides, SBPR and DBPR generally decreased and returned to the Rest level in 5 mins. The Spearman correlation coefficients showed strong relationships between BPR and HRV30s sympathetic-vagal balance parameters, i.e., ratio SDNN/RMSSD and ratio SD1/SD2.

CONCLUSIONS:

These observations represented a new insight into the cardiovascular regulation at post-exercise, which could contribute to physical exercise areas in the future.

Pharmacokinetics and Bioequivalence of Cefprozil for Suspension and Granule Formulation in Healthy Chinese Volunteers: Two Single-Dose Crossover Studies

INTRODUCTION

Cefprozil, an oral second-generation semi-synthetic cephalosporin, possesses a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. A granule formulation has been developed to improve medication adherence of the patients. This study was conducted to assess the bioequivalence of the granule formulation to a dry suspension in healthy Chinese volunteers and estimate the pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of cefprozil.

METHODS

An open-label, randomized, single-dose, two-period, two-group, crossover study was conducted in 60 healthy Chinese volunteers under fasted or fed conditions (30 volunteers for each condition) to assess the bioequivalence between two formulations of cefprozil. Blood samples were collected at specified time intervals, and the plasma concentrations of cis- and trans-cefprozil were determined by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. PK and bioavailability parameters were estimated via non-compartmental methods. Adverse events (AEs) were also recorded.

RESULTS

Under fasted conditions, the mean Cmax was (3534.70 ± 634.67) ng/ml, Tmax was (0.98 ± 0.25) h, t1/2 was (1.37 ± 0.13) h and AUC0-t was (9302.86 ± 1618.39) ng·h/ml, respectively, after a single dose of 125 mg cefprozil for suspension. Under fed conditions, the mean Cmax was (2438.80 ± 493.78) ng/ml, Tmax was (1.66 ± 0.76) h, t1/2 was (1.36 ± 0.24) h and AUC0-t was (9332.36 ± 1373.61) ng·h/ml, respectively. The PK parameters of the granule formulation of cefprozil were similar to those of the suspension. The 90% CI values of the GMRs of Cmax, AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ under both fasted and fed conditions were within the prespecified bioequivalence range (80.00-125.00%).

CONCLUSIONS

According to the criteria for bioequivalence, the test granule formulations of cefprozil and "Cefprozil for Suspension®" were determined to be bioequivalent whether under fasted or fed conditions by measurement of cis-, trans- and total cefprozil.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT04414254.

DiR-labeled tolerogenic dendritic cells for targeted imaging in collagen- induced arthritis rats

Tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDCs) are immunosuppressive cells and play an important role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as immunotherapeutic tools. We aimed to investigate whether allogeneic tolDCs (allo-tolDCs) and autologous tolDCs (auto-tolDCs) had long-time tolerogenic potential in vivo and improve arthritis in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. TolDCs were induced by NF-κB Decoy ODN, and loaded with Bovine Type II collagen (CII- loaded tolDCs) and identified by flow cytometry, and labeled with DiR and injected into CIA rats. The biodistribution of DiR-labeled tolDCs was monitored by IVIS imaging at different time points. Major organs were harvested and analyzed by ex-in vivo cell imaging. The tolDCs were successfully constructed, along with expressing low levels of CD80 and CD86 compared to DCs. The fluorescent signals of all DiR (+) groups were observed at least 25 days, and as long as 35 days. DiR (+) CII- loaded allo-and auto-tolDCs at post injection mainly distributed in the chest and abdomen and gradually moved to limb joints over time. The allo- and auto-tolDCs decreased the expression of IFN-γ and IL-2 in CIA rats with different severity compared to CIA rats without tolDCs treatment, while significantly increased the expression of IL-4 and IL-10. Additionally, these tolDCs ameliorated the ankle joints injury in CIA rats with different severity. The both allo- and auto-tolDCs showed long-time tolerogenic potential in vivo and ameliorated arthritis in CIA rats with different severity.

Clioquinol inhibits cell growth in a SERCA2-dependent manner

Clioquinol has been reported to act as a potential therapy for neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. We have previously reported that clioquinol induces S-phase cell cycle arrest through the elevation of calcium levels in human neurotypic SH-SY5Y cells. In this study, different types of cells were observed to detect if the effect of clioquinol on intracellular calcium levels is cell type-specific. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay showed that clioquinol exhibited varying degrees of concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in different cell lines, and that the growth inhibition caused by it was not related to cell source or carcinogenesis. In addition, the inhibition of cell growth by clioquinol was positively associated with its effect on intracellular calcium content ([Ca²⁺ ]_i ). Furthermore, the elevation of [Ca²⁺ ]_i induced by clioquinol led to S-phase cell cycle arrest. Similar to our previous studies, the increase in [Ca²⁺ ]_i was attributed to changes in the expression levels of the calcium pump SERCA2. Comparison of expression levels of SERCA2 between cell lines showed that cells with high levels of SERCA2 were more sensitive to clioquinol. In addition, analysis using UALCAN and the Human Protein Atlas also showed that the expression of SERCA2 in the corresponding human tissues was similar to that of the cells tested in this study, suggesting potential in the application of clioquinol in the future. In summary, our results expand the understanding of the molecular mechanism of clioquinol and provide an important strategy for the rational use of clioquinol.

Chemerin reverses the malignant phenotype and induces differentiation of human hepatoma SMMC7721 cells

Chemerin exhibits an inhibitory effect on hepatocellular carcinoma; however, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, low chemerin expression was confirmed in samples of liver cancer patients and hepatoma cells. Chemerin altered hepatoma cell morphology but had no effect on normal hepatocytes. Chemerin inhibited proliferation of several human hepatoma cell lines. Real-time PCR detection of hepatocellular carcinoma markers showed that mRNA levels of albumin and A-type gamma-glutamyl transferase increased whereas those of alpha-fetoprotein, alkaline phosphatase, B-type gamma-glutamyl transferase, insulin-like growth factor II, and human telomerase reverse transcriptase decreased in chemerin-treated SMMC7721 cells. Western blotting revealed that chemerin up-regulated albumin and vimentin expressions, and downregulated alpha-fetoprotein expression. Phosphorylated STAT3 was significantly up-regulated, whereas phosphorylated ERK and AKT were significantly downregulated by chemerin. Chemerin decreased phosphorylated ERK and AKT expression and the cell proliferation induced by PI3K activator 740 Y-P but could not significantly alter phosphorylated STAT3 expression and the cell growth induced by STAT3 inhibitor NSC74859. In conclusion, chemerin reversed the malignant phenotype and induced SMMC7721 cell differentiation by inhibiting MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling; growth inhibition by chemerin is not directly related to the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Our study provides novel evidence that chemerin could be utilized for liver cancer treatment.

Characteristics and evaluation of the effectiveness of monitoring and control measures for the first 69 Patients with COVID-19 from 18 January 2020 to 2 March in Wuxi, China

BACKGROUND

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused 91,305 confirmed cases and 4746 deaths in China by 13:50 on October 11, 2020. We analyzed data on 69 infections in Wuxi to describe the disease's characteristics, to analyze factors of cases clinical outcome and to evaluate the prevention and control measures.

METHODS

The demographic characteristics, exposure history, time indicators and propagation dynamics in Wuxi were collected.

RESULTS

The clinical severity of cases was mostly mild and normal (75.36 %). Aging (relative risk [RR] = 1.04, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.08) and fever (RR = 10.33, 95 %CI: 2.75-38.78) were risk factors for disease severity. The mean incubation period was estimated to be 4.77 days (95 % CI: 3.61-5.94), with a mean serial interval of 6.31 days (95 % CI: 5.12-7.50). The controlled reproduction number was estimated to be 1.12 (95 %CI: 0.71-1.69).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of COVID-19 in Wuxi has turned into a lower level, suggesting the early prevention and control measures have achieved effectiveness. Aging and fever of initial symptom were risk factors for severe clinical outcome. The family clusters provided further clues of the risk factors for COVID-19 transmission.

Design and Implementation of an Intelligent Analgesic Bracelet Based on Wrist-ankle Acupuncture

A flexible, multifunctional, and intelligent analgesic bracelet was proposed in this article to alleviate symptoms of pain. Based on the theory of wrist-ankle acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is the technical basis of the method. A set of targeted circuit system capable of generating adjustable electrical stimulation signals to simulate filamentary acupuncture was designed. The system architecture includes a wireless communication module, a signal control module, a stimulus signal generation module, and a wearable, flexible bracelet. In addition, a pain assessment interface with a visual analog scale was designed to assess pain levels. Two comparative experiments were designed, involving a custom pain assessment scale and hand-held dolorimeter that were performed before and after wearing the bracelet to verify the analgesic effect of the bracelet. The results showed that the wrist-worn analgesic bracelet is significantly effective in alleviating pain in various parts of the human body.

A promising drug delivery candidate (CS-g-PMDA-CYS-fused gold nanoparticles) for inhibition of multidrug-resistant uropathogenic Serratia marcescens

Antibiotic resistance amongst microbial pathogens is a mounting serious issue in researchers and physicians. Various alternatives to overcome the multidrug-resistant bacterial infections are under search, and biofilm growth inhibition is one of them. In this investigation, a polymeric drug delivery system loaded with multi-serratial drugs to improve the delivery of drugs against urinary tract infection causative Serratia marcescens. The chitosan grafted pyromellitic dianhydride - cysteine (CS-g-PMDA-CYS) was conjugated with AuNPs by using the -SH group of CYS and RF (rifampicin) and INH (isoniazid) were loaded in AuNPs-fused CS-g-PMDA-CYS system. Several physicochemical techniques characterized this fabricated AuNPs/RF/INH/CS-g-PMDA-CYS system. The successful encapsulation of RF and INH in AuNPs-fused CS-g-PMDA-CYS polymer had confirmed, and it observed the loading capacity for RF and INH was 9.02% and 13.12%, respectively. The in vitro drug discharge pattern was perceived high in pH 5.5 compared with pH 7.4. The AuNPs/RF/INH/CS-g-PMDA-CYS escalates 74% of Caenorhabditis elegans survival during Serratia marcescens infection by aiming biofilm development and virulence in S. marcescens. Author postulate that the fabricated system is a promising drug carrier and delivery system for inhibition of multidrug-resistant bacterias like S. marcescens.

DPM1 expression as a potential prognostic tumor marker in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Altered glycosylation of proteins contributes to tumor progression. Dolichol phosphate mannose synthase (DPMS), an essential mannosyltransferase, plays a central role in post-translational modification of proteins, including N-linked glycoproteins, O-mannosylation, C-mannosylation and glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors synthesis. Little is known about the function of DPMS in liver cancer.

Methods

The study explored the roles of DPMS in the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma using UALCAN, Human Protein Atlas, GEPIA, cBioPortal and Metascape databases. The mRNA expressions of DPM1/2/3 also were detected by quantitative real-time PCR experiments in vitro.

Results

The transcriptional and proteinic expressions of DPM1/2/3 were both over-expressed in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Over-expressions of DPMS were discovered to be dramatically associated with clinical cancer stages and pathological tumor grades in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. In addition, higher mRNA expressions of DPM1/2/3 were found to be significantly related to shorter overall survival in liver cancer patients. Futhermore, high genetic alteration rate of DPMS (41%) was also observed in patients with liver cancer, and genetic alteration in DPMS was associated with shorter overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. We also performed quantitative real-time PCR experiments in human normal hepatocytes and hepatoma cells to verify the expressions of DPM1/2/3 and results showed that the expression of DPM1 was significantly increased in hepatoma cells SMMC-7721 and HepG2.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results suggested that DPM1 could be a potential prognostic biomarker for survivals of hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Impacts of age, diabetes, gender, and access type on costs associated with vascular access among Chinese patients on hemodialysis

OBJECTIVES

Examine the impacts of age, diabetes, gender, and access type on vascular access (VA) associated costs among Chinese hemodialysis (HD) patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively included patients whose first permanent VA was created at the West China Hospital. Clinical characteristics, maturation, intervention, utilization, and exchange of every VA, as well as VA-related infection were collected. The study period for each patient was from HD initiation to the last follow-up. VA-related costs, including those for placement and intervention procedures, were calculated according to the standards set in 2019 for Chinese tertiary hospitals. Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests were conducted for comparisons between groups.

RESULTS

A total of 358 Chinese HD patients experienced functionally 143 arteriovenous fistula (AVF), 22 arteriovenous graft (AVG), and 439 tunneled cuffed central venous catheter (tcCVC) during a median study period of 26 (IQR 13-44) months, of which 42.5% used more than one permanent VA. The median annual VA-related cost in the groups of age >75 years and ⩽75 years, diabetes and non-diabetes, male and female, was $525 and $397 (p = 0.016), $459 and $462 (p = 0.64), $476 and $445 (p = 0.94), respectively. The median monthly costs for AVF ($18), AVG ($289), and tcCVC ($37) were significantly different.

CONCLUSION

HD patients aged >75 years had significantly higher annual VA-related costs. However, the annual VA-related costs did not differ across the diabetes groups or the gender groups. AVF was the most cost-effective permanent VA type in China, partly due to the inexpensive materials used compared to AVG or tcCVC.

MiR-122-3p regulates the osteogenic differentiation of mouse adipose-derived stem cells via Wnt/β catenin signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

To explore the regulatory mechanism of micro-ribonucleic acid (miR)-122-3p in the osteogenic differentiation of mouse adipose-derived stem cells (mADSCs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The regulatory mechanism of miR-122-3p in the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells was investigated through its overexpression and knockdown.

RESULTS

The overexpression of miR-122-3p inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of mADSCs. On the contrary, its knockdown promoted the osteogenic differentiation of mADSCs. The further study on the molecular mechanism of miR-122-3p regulating mADSCs' osteogenic differentiation showed that the overexpression of miR-122-3p could activate the Wingless and int-1 (WNT)/β-catenin signaling pathway, but the knockdown of miR-122-3p could repress this signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-122-3p influences the osteogenic differentiation of mADSCs by modulating the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Ultrasound-guided versus Shikani optical stylet-aided tracheal intubation: a prospective randomized study

Background

To compare ultrasound-guided tracheal intubation (UGTI) versus Shikani optical stylet (SOS)-aided tracheal intubation in patients with anticipated normal airway.

Methods

Sixty patients aged 18–65 years old who presented for elective surgery under general anesthesia were recruited in this prospective randomized study. They were assigned into two equal groups, either an ultrasound-guided group (Group UG, n = 30) or an SOS-aided group (Group SOS, n = 30). After the induction of anesthesia, the tracheal intubation was performed by a specified skilled anesthesiologist. The number of tracheal intubation attempt and the duration of successful intubation on the first attempt were recorded. Complications relative to tracheal intubation including desaturation, hoarseness and sore throat were also recorded.

Results

The first-attempt success rate is 93.3% (28/30) in Group UG and 90% (27/30) in Group SOS (P = 0.640). The second-attempt was all successful for the 2 and 3 patients left in the two groups, and the overall success rate of both groups was 100%. The duration of successful intubation on the first attempt of Group UG was not significantly different from that of Group SOS (34.0 ± 20.8 s vs 35.5 ± 23.2 s, P = 0.784). One patient in Group SOS had desaturation (P = 0.313), and there was none hoarseness in the two groups. Sore throat was detected in both group (4 in Group UG, 5 in Group SOS, P = 0.718).

Conclusion

Ultrasound-guided tracheal intubation was as effective as Shikani optical stylet-aided tracheal intubation in adult patients with anticipated normal airway.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IIC-17010875. Date of Registration: 15 March 2017.

Abstract 6203: HDAC6 inhibitors may enhance TTFields toxicity to glioma cells by altering primary cilia

Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) is the most recent FDA-approved therapy that significantly extends overall survival of patients with glioblastoma (GBM). TTFields are high frequency alternating electric fields directed at the tumor which putatively disrupt microtubule polarity and dynamics during mitosis leading to cell death. Combining TTFields with other therapies that further destabilize or alter microtubule dynamics in GBM cells may enhance TTFields efficacy. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is an emerging regulator of glioma cell proliferation, and distinct from other HDACs through its role in deacetylating non-histone proteins such as alpha-tubulin, and promoting disassembly of microtubule-based primary cilia, an event that normally precedes mitosis. It is unclear whether inhibiting HDAC6 could enhance TTFields toxicity of GBM cells, or whether HDAC6 inhibitors have any effect on primary cilia reported in human glioblastoma. To examine this, we treated various human and mouse glioma cell lines in vitro with selective HDAC6 inhibitors (ACY1215 or ACY738) with or without 3 days of continuous 200 kHz TTFields exposure. We analyzed subsequent glioma cell proliferation and characteristics of primary cilia. Consistent with previous reports, ACY1215 and ACY738 significantly decreased glioma proliferation, in part by disrupting the G2/M transition. Notably, we found the number of non-viable human GBM cells labeled with propidium iodide was significantly increased with ACY1215 and TTFields co-treatment compared to either treatment alone. ACY1215 and ACY738 had no effect on primary cilia length, but did increase the percentage of ciliated glioma cells. Although ACY1215 and ACY738 rapidly increased levels of cytosolic acetylated alpha-tubulin, both drugs unexpectedly decreased levels of acetylated alpha- tubulin in glioma cilia which was not attributable to loss of the axoneme microtubule backbone. This indicates that the cytoplasm and cilia respond differently to HDAC6 inhibitors. ACY738 treatment in particular also led to an increase in level of ciliary Arl13b, a GTPase important for cilia stability and signaling, an effect that was not observed in normal neural cultures of mouse glia and neurons. We also observed that primary cilia are not completely ablated by TTFields, and that the viability of GBM cells engineered to lack cilia were unaffected by ACY1215 treatment. Collectively, our data raise the possibility that HDAC6 inhibitors may enhance sensitivity to TTFields therapy in part by interfering with the microtubule status or signaling pathways associated with glioma cilia.

Citation Format: Ping Shi, Reemsha Basrai, Alice Cheng, Neil Kalaria, Joseph J. Lebowitz, Habibeh Khoshbouei, Matthew Sarkisian. HDAC6 inhibitors may enhance TTFields toxicity to glioma cells by altering primary cilia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6203.

The correlation between atmospheric visibility and influenza in Wuxi city, China

Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease that poses a threat to public health. We assessed the association between atmospheric visibility and influenza and influenza-like illness (ILI) in Wuxi city, China.Daily meteorological data, ILI activity, and influenza virus infection rates were collected between 31 December 2012 and 31 December 2017. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to analyze the exposure-lag-response of ILI and influenza activity and daily average visibility.A total of 12,800 cases were detected; 1046 cases (8.17%) were of Flu-A and 527 (4.12%) were of Flu-B infection. Our analysis suggested a non-linear relationship between atmospheric visibility and influenza: U-shaped for ILI, and L-shaped for Flu-A and Flu-B. Comparing low visibility (2.5 km) to ILI cases, the risk appeared between day 1 and day 2. For Flu-A, the risk appeared between days 5 and 9, whereas for Flu-B, the risk effect was much stronger and had a longer reaction delay, staying above zero until day 9. The protective effects of high visibility (14 km) on ILI and Flu-B occurred the same day or one day later. However, we found no association between high visibility and Flu-A.In conclusion, our study contributes novel evidence for the effects of atmospheric visibility on influenza. These findings are important for the development of influenza surveillance and early warning systems in Wuxi city.

Assessment of Temperature-Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Association and Its Variability across Urban and Rural Populations in Wuxi, China: A Distributed Lag Nonlinear Analysis

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) has brought millions of attacks and a substantial burden in the Asia-Pacific region. Previous studies assessed disease risks around the world, which demonstrated great heterogeneity, and few determined the modification effect of social factors on temperature-disease relationship. We conducted a time-series study to evaluate the temperature-associated HFMD morbidity risk using daily data (from 2011 to 2017) and to identify potential modifiers relating to urban-rural status and aggregation mode of children. By applying a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) and controlling for time-varying factors and other meteorological factors, we found that the relationship between daily mean temperature and the cumulative risk of HFMD was an approximately M-shaped curve. The effects of higher temperature appeared to be greater and more persistent than those of lower temperature. With the reference of -6°C, the cumulative relative risk (RR) values of high temperature (95 percentile) and low temperature (5 percentile) were 3.74 (95% CI: 2.50-5.61) and 1.72 (95% CI: 1.24-2.37) at lag 4-7, respectively. Temperature-associated HFMD morbidity risks were more pronounced among rural children and those attending kindergartens or schools at specific lags and temperatures. Relative risk values for temperature-disease association was highest among the 3- to 6-year group, whereas no gender difference was observed. Studying effect estimates and their modifications using the DLNM on a daily scale helps to identify susceptible groups and guide policy-making and resource allocation according to specific local conditions.

Aluminum induces oxidative damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The mechanism of aluminum toxicity was studied in the model cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cell growth of yeast was inhibited by aluminum. The spot assay showed that the mechanism of aluminum detoxification in yeast cells was different from that of heavy metal cadmium. After treatment with aluminum, intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species, protein carbonyl, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were dramatically increased. Meanwhile, the percentage of aluminum-treated cells permeable to propidium iodide was augmented significantly. These data demonstrated that aluminum toxicity was attributed to oxidative stress in yeast, and it induced oxidative damage by causing lipid peroxidation, injuring cell membrane integrity. Moreover, aluminum triggered the antioxidant defense system in the cells. Glutathione levels were found to be decreased, while activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were increased after treatment with aluminum. Additionally, an oxidative-stress-related mutation sensitivity assay showed that aluminum-induced yeast oxidative stress was closely related to glutathione. These data demonstrated that the oxidative damage caused by aluminum was different from that of hydrogen peroxide, in yeast. Aluminum could cause DNA damage, and aluminum toxicity was associated with sulfhydryl groups, such as glutathione, while it was independent of YAP1.

WHSC1 Promotes Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Activating mTORC1 Signaling

Background

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome candidate gene-1 (WHSC1) plays key regulatory roles in cancer development and progression. However, its specific functions and potential mechanisms of action remain to be described in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials and Methods

WHSC1 expression in HCC was evaluated using The Cancer Genome Atlas and verified in HCC tissues and cell lines using qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Functional assays were performed to explore the role of WHSC1 in HCC progression. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry, co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry were conducted to evaluate the interaction between WHSC1 and prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit beta (P4HB). Pathway enrichment was performed using gene set enrichment analysis.

Results

WHSC1 was markedly overexpressed in HCC tissues and cell lines. The level of expression was strongly associated with adverse clinicopathological characteristics. Survival analyses revealed that WHSC1 upregulation predicted poor overall survival and higher recurrence rates in patients with HCC. Functional studies revealed that WHSC1 significantly stimulated HCC proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. WHSC1 was shown to interact with P4HB to stimulate P4HB expression and subsequently activate mTOR1 signaling.

Conclusion

We determined the oncogenic role of WHSC1 in HCC, via P4HB interaction, which activates mTOR1 signaling, and identified WHSC1 as a promising therapeutic target for HCC.

Hepatitis B virus infection and the risk of cancer among the Chinese population

The relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) and nonhepatocellular cancers remains inconclusive. This large case-control study aimed to assess the associations between HBV infection status and multiple cancers. Cases (n = 50 392) and controls (n = 11 361) were consecutively recruited from 2008 to 2016 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Multivariable adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using logistic regression by adjusting age and gender. A meta-analysis based on published studies was also performed to verify the associations. Of these, 12.1% of cases and 5.5% of controls were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositive. We observed significant associations between HBsAg seropositivity and esophagus cancer (aOR [95% CI] = 1.32 [1.13-1.54]), stomach cancer (1.46 [1.30-1.65]), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; 39.11 [35.08-43.59]), intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma (ICC and ECC; 3.83 [2.58-5.67] and 1.72 [1.28-2.31]), pancreatic cancer (PaC; 1.37 [1.13-1.65]), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL; 1.88 [1.61-2.20]) and leukemia (11.48 [4.05-32.56]). Additionally, compared to participants with HBsAg-/anti-HBs-/anti-HBc-, participants with HBsAg-/anti-HBs-/anti-HBc+, indicating past HBV-infected, had an increased risk of esophagus cancer (aOR [95% CI] = 1.46 [1.24-1.73]), stomach cancer (1.20 [1.04-1.39]), HCC (4.80 [3.95-5.84]) and leukemia (15.62 [2.05-119.17]). Then the overall meta-analysis also verified that HBsAg seropositivity was significantly associated with stomach cancer (OR [95% CI] = 1.23 [1.14-1.33]), ICC (4.05 [2.78-5.90]), ECC (1.73 [1.30-2.30]), PaC (1.26 [1.09-1.46]), NHL (1.95 [1.55-2.44]) and leukemia (1.54 [1.26-1.88]). In conclusion, both our case-control study and meta-analysis confirmed the significant association of HBsAg seropositivity with stomach cancer, ICC, ECC, PaC, NHL and leukemia. Of note, our findings also suggested that the risk of stomach cancer elevated for people whoever exposed to HBV.

LOXL2 from human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells accelerates wound epithelialization by promoting differentiation and migration of keratinocytes

In this study, we identified wound healing-related proteins secreted by human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) and human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs). We observed increased migration and reduced proliferation and differentiation when keratinocytes were co-cultured in media conditioned by hAECs (hAECs-CM) and hAMSCs (hAMSCs-CM). Label-free mass spectrometry and bioinformatic analyses of the hAECs-CM and hAMSCs-CM proteome revealed several proteins associated with wound healing, angiogenesis, cellular differentiation, immune response and cell motility. The levels of the proteins related to wound healing, including CTHRC1, LOXL2 and LGALS1, were significantly higher in hAMSCs-CM than hAECs-CM. LOXL2 significantly enhanced in vitro keratinocyte migration and differentiation compared to CTHRC1 and LGALS1. Moreover, LOXL2 enhanced keratinocyte migration and differentiation by activating the JNK signaling pathway. We observed significant reduction in the in vitro migration and differentiation of keratinocytes when co-cultured with medium conditioned by LOXL2-silenced hAMSCs and when treated with 10 μM SP600125, a specific JNK inhibitor. Treatment with hAMSCs-CM and LOXL2 significantly accelerated wound healing in the murine skin wound model. These findings show that LOXL2 promotes wound healing by inducing keratinocyte migration and differentiation via a JNK signaling pathway.

Mapping the near-field spin angular momenta in the structured surface plasmon polariton field

Optical spin angular momenta in a confined electromagnetic field exhibit a remarkable difference with their free space counterparts; in particular, the optical transverse spin that is locked with the energy propagating direction lays the foundation for many intriguing physical effects such as unidirectional transportation, quantum spin Hall effects, photonic Skyrmions, etc. In order to investigate the underlying physics behind the spin-orbit interactions as well as to develop the optical spin-based applications, it is crucial to uncover the spin texture in a confined field, yet it faces challenges due to their chiral and near-field vectorial features. Here, we propose a scanning imaging technique which can map the near-field distributions of the optical spin angular momenta with an achiral dielectric nanosphere. The spin angular momentum component normal to the interface can be uncovered experimentally by employing the proposed scanning imaging technique and the three-dimensional spin vector can be reconstructed theoretically with the experimental results. The experiment is demonstrated on the example of surface plasmon polaritons excited with various vector vortex beams under a tight-focusing configuration, where the spin-orbit interaction emerges clearly. The proposed method, which can be utilized to reconstruct the photonic Skyrmion and other photonic topological structures, is straightforward and of high precision, and hence it is expected to be valuable for the study of near-field spin optics and topological photonics.

Holliday junction recognition protein promotes pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis via modulation of the MDM2/p53 signaling

Holliday junction recognition protein (HJURP) refers to a histone H3 chaperone that has been implicated in different kinds of malignancies. Yet, its character in pancreatic cancer remains unclear. The expression of HJURP was assessed in PDAC tissues by RT-qPCR, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry. HJURP-deficient or overexpressed PDAC cell lines were constructed, using shRNA or plasmids with HJURP insert. MTT, sphere formation assay, migration, and invasion assays were performed to evaluate the viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of PDAC cells. We used xenograft mice models to assess the tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. RNA-seq was applicated in search of the potential downstream target of HJURP in PDAC and subsequent verification were fulfilled via multiple assays, including immunofluorescence. Additionally, chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to explore the potential regulation of MDM2 expression by HJURP through H3K4me2. In this current research, we found that the expression of HJURP in PDAC cells and tissue was significantly higher than those of adjacent normal tissue, and high HJURP expression predicted poor survival. HJURP significantly promoted the viability, sphere formation, migration, and invasion of PDAC cells in vitro, HJURP also facilitated tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanically, MDM2/p53 axis is critical for HJURP-mediated malignant behaviors in PDAC, and HJURP regulates MDM2 expression through H3K4me2. HJURP could serve as a promising biomarker, and target for PDAC prognosis and treatment.