The increased expression of TCF3 is correlated with poor prognosis in Chinese patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Regulatory factors controlling stem cell identity and self-renewal are often active in aggressive cancers and are thought to promote cancer growth and progression. B-cell-specific transcription factor 3 (TCF3/E2A) is a member of the T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) transcription factor family that is central to regulating epidermal and embryonic stem cell identity. It has been reported that TCF3 was connected with the development and progression of a number of human cancers. In this study, we aimed to identify the expression of TCF3 in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and evaluate its clinical significance.

DESIGN

To investigate the expression of TCF3 in NPC and its relationship to prognosis.

SETTING

An in vitro study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We analysed the expression of TCF3 in NPC and in non-tumourous nasopharyngeal tissues by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. The expression patterns of TCF3 in 117 archived paraffin-embedded NPC specimens were characterised by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between the TCF3 protein expression and the clinicopathological features of NPC was analysed.

RESULTS

We observed that TCF3 had a higher expression in NPC than in non-tumourous nasopharyngeal tissues of 117 archived paraffin-embedded NPC specimens, and 80 (68.4%) biopsy tissues revealed high levels of TCF3 expression. Furthermore, statistical analyses demonstrated that the increased expression of TCF3 was closely related to clinical stage, locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis of NPC. NPC patients with high levels of TCF3 expression had a shorter survival time, whereas patients with lower levels of TCF3 expression survived longer. Moreover, multivariate analysis suggested that the upregulation of TCF3 was a critical prognostic factor for NPC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our observations suggest, for the first time, that TCF3 is significantly associated with the development and progression of NPC, which can be used as an important prognostic marker for patients with NPC and may be an effective target for the treatment of NPC.

[Clinical evaluation of periodontal-orthodontic treatment in patients with aggressive periodontitis and malocclusion]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical effect and safety of periodontal-orthodontic treatment in patients with aggressive periodontitis (AgP) and malocclusion.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted in 25 AgP patients, who had received periodontal-orthodontic treatment in Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology. Clinical indexes, including probing depth (PD), bleeding index (BI) and percentage of sites with bleeding on probing (BOP%) were evaluated at three time points: Baseline (T0); active periodontal treatment finished and before orthodontic treatment (T1); and after orthodontic treatment (T2). Also changes of ratio of the residual alveolar bone height (RBH) and the occurrence of root resorption were evaluated by periapical radiographs.

RESULTS

(1) Compared with T0, all the clinical parameters including PD, BI, BOP% and percentage of sites with PD>3 mm were significantly improved (P<0.001). (2) Significant difference was observed in the average RBH between T0 (68.37%±15.60% and T2 (70.27%±14.23%). RBH in upper incisors [(58.79%±16.71% at T0, 65.54% (55.74%, 78.13%) at T2], upper canines [77.62% (66.06%, 87.17%) at T0, 79.57% (69.75%, 86.52%) at T2] and upper molars [74.30% (61.69%, 84.45%) at T0, 76.76% (68.12%, 85.09%) at T2] showed significant increase (P<0.05). (3) After orthodontic treatment, varying degrees of root resorption occurred in (23.94%±13.45%) of teeth per capita, among which the lower and upper incisors showed the highest incidence (68.48% and 65.31% in homogeneous teeth, respectively).

CONCLUSION

After active periodontal treatment, orthodontic treatment in AgP patients had not aggravated inflammation and alveolar bone resorption; root resorption occurred in two-thirds of incisors approximately.

Association of polygenic risk for major psychiatric illness with subcortical volumes and white matter integrity in UK Biobank

Major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) are common, disabling and heritable psychiatric diseases with a complex overlapping polygenic architecture. Individuals with these disorders, as well as their unaffected relatives, show widespread structural differences in corticostriatal and limbic networks. Structural variation in many of these brain regions is also heritable and polygenic but whether their genetic architecture overlaps with that of major psychiatric disorders is unknown. We sought to address this issue by examining the impact of polygenic risk of MDD, SCZ, and BP on subcortical brain volumes and white matter (WM) microstructure in a large single sample of neuroimaging data; the UK Biobank Imaging study. The first release of UK Biobank imaging data comprised participants with overlapping genetic data and subcortical volumes (N = 978) and WM measures (N = 816). The calculation of polygenic risk scores was based on genome-wide association study results generated by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Our findings indicated no statistically significant associations between either subcortical volumes or WM microstructure, and polygenic risk for MDD, SCZ or BP. These findings suggest that subcortical brain volumes and WM microstructure may not be closely linked to the genetic mechanisms of major psychiatric disorders.

Changes in blood monocyte Toll-like receptor and serum surfactant protein A reveal a pathophysiological mechanism for community-acquired pneumonia in patients with type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

The lung is one of the target organs of microangiopathy in diabetes mellitus (DM); patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are vulnerable to pneumonia, and a variety of pathophysiological mechanisms has been described.

AIM

This study aimed to determine the pathophysiological mechanism of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in T2DM patients.

METHODS

A total of 90 individuals was included in this study comprised of three groups (n = 30): healthy control, T2DM and T2DM+ CAP groups. Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 and 4 protein and messenger RNA expression in peripheral blood monocytes(PBMC) was assessed by western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively, and surfactant protein A (SP-A) levels were examined in serum samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

In T2DM and T2DM+CAP groups, levels of both TLR2/4 protein and mRNA in PBMC were decreased compared with controls (P <0.05), with lower levels observed in the T2DM+CAP group in comparison with T2DM patients (P <0.05). The serum SP-A levels in T2DM+CAP individuals were significantly higher than the values obtained for T2DM patients (P <0.05). It also showed apparent increases when compared with that in controls although no statistical significance was detected.

CONCLUSION

In T2DM patients with pneumonia, TLR2/4 levels in PBMC and serum SP-A were altered, maybe playing an important role in the susceptibility to pneumonia in T2DM patients.

[Application of whole genome sequencing technology in the epidemiology of tuberculosis]

Objective: To delineate the application of whole genome sequencing technology in the epidemiology of tuberculosis. Methods: From 2009 to 2012, nine Mycobacterium tuberculosis that sharing identical variable number of tandem repeats genotype (VNTR) patterns were reported from two TB cases designated hospitals. Both whole-genome sequencing analysis (WGS) and epidemiologic investigations were performed to describe the transmission patterns of these Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Results: By WGS analysis, two genomic clusters including 7 and 2 Mycobacterium tuberculosis were noticed, respectively. The cluster of 2 cases possessed more than 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) when compared to the cluster of 7 cases and suggesting that the transmission route was independent. The transmission chain based on the SNPs difference showed the process of the propagation direction and the accumulation of drug resistance mutations in each cluster. Conclusion: Using a WGS-based genomic epidemiologic approach, we were able to reconstruct the tuberculosis transmission network, tracing the putative source of the transmission and determining the transmission direction or the missing links.

Single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction for structure dynamic studies of warm dense matter

We have developed a single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast-electron-diffraction system to measure the structural dynamics of warm dense matter. The electron probe in this system is featured by a kinetic energy of 3.2 MeV and a total charge of 20 fC, with the FWHM pulse duration and spot size at sample of 350 fs and 120 μm respectively. We demonstrate its unique capability by visualizing the atomic structural changes of warm dense gold formed from a laser-excited 35-nm freestanding single-crystal gold foil. The temporal evolution of the Bragg peak intensity and of the liquid signal during solid-liquid phase transition are quantitatively determined. This experimental capability opens up an exciting opportunity to unravel the atomic dynamics of structural phase transitions in warm dense matter regime.

Experimental studies of thermal environment and contaminant transport in a commercial aircraft cabin with gaspers on

Gaspers installed in commercial airliner cabins are used to improve passengers' thermal comfort. To understand the impact of gasper airflow on the air quality in a cabin, this investigation measured the distributions of air velocity, air temperature, and gaseous contaminant concentration in five rows of the economy-class section of an MD-82 commercial aircraft. The gaseous contaminant was simulated using SF6 as a tracer gas with the source located at the mouth of a seated manikin close to the aisle. Two-fifths of the gaspers next to the aisle were turned on in the cabin, and each of them supplied air at a flow rate of 0.66 l/s. The airflow rate in the economy-class cabin was controlled at 10 l/s per passenger. Data obtained in a previous study of the cabin with all gaspers turned off were used for comparison. The results show that the jets from the gaspers had a substantial impact on the air velocity and contaminant transport in the cabin. The air velocity in the cabin was higher, and the air temperature slightly more uniform, when the gaspers were on than when they were off, but turning on the gaspers may not have improved the air quality.

Sarcopenia in overweight and obese patients is a predictive factor for postoperative complication in gastric cancer: A prospective study

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. This study aims to explore the prevalence of sarcopenia in overweight and obese gastric cancer (GC) patients and figured out the impacts of sarcopenia on the postoperative complication of overweight and obese GC patients.

METHODS

According to the recommended body-mass index (BMI) for Asian populations by WHO, we conducted a prospective study of overweight and obese gastric cancer patients (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m²) under curative gastrectomy from August 2014 to December 2015. Including lumbar skeletal muscle index, handgrip strength and gait speed as the sarcopenic components were measured before surgery. Patients were followed up after gastrectomy to gain the actual clinical outcomes. Factors contributing to postoperative complications were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Total of 206 overweight or obese patients were enrolled in this study, 14 patients were diagnosed sarcopenia and were demonstrated having significantly association with higher risk of postoperative complications, higher hospital costs, and higher rate of 30-days readmission compared with the non-sarcopenic ones. On the basis of univariate and multivariate analysis, sarcopenia was an independent risk factor for postoperative complication of overweight and obese patients with gastric cancer (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia is an independent predictor of postoperative complications in overweight or obese patients with gastric cancer after radical gastrectomy.

Passive Paradigm Single-Tone Elicited ERPs in Tension-Type Headaches and Migraine

The active 'oddball' event-related potential (ERP) P3 is elongated or reduced in migraine and tension-type headaches, indicating a deficit of active attention in these primary headaches. It is then reasonable to study the passive attention function in these headaches through the technology of passive paradigm singletone elicited ERPs. We invited 32 patients suffering from chronic tension-type headache (CTTH), 17 from frequent episodic tension-type headache (FETH) and 32 from interictal migraine without aura, as well as 28 healthy subjects to undergo passive paradigm single-tone ERPs. There were no statistically significant differences when the mean latencies and amplitudes of N1, P2, N2 or the mean latencies of P3 of the four groups were considered. In contrast, the P3 amplitudes were significantly reduced in the patient groups when compared with healthy controls. However, no further significant difference was found between patient groups when considering P3 amplitude. Our study demonstrated a deficit of passive attention in CTTH, FETH and migraine, but could not separate these headache types in this regard. The reduced P3 in patients might be due to the head pain experienced.

Preparation and Anti-Fouling Property of Acryloylmorpholine-Grafted PVDF Membrane: The Effect of Cross-Linking Agent

Inspired by the hydration capability of hydrogel materials, cross-linked poly(N-acryloylmorpholine) (PACMO) chains were designed into poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) backbones to synthesize the copolymers (PVDF-g-PACMO) using the radical polymerization method. These copolymers were then cast into the porous membranes via immersion phase inversion. The effects of N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA) in the reaction solution on the structure and performance of as-prepared copolymer membranes were evaluated by elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle measurement, protein adsorption and filtration experiment. The grafting degree of PACMO increases with the increase of MBAA amount in the reaction solution, which endows the copolymer membrane with a good hydrophilicity. The protein adsorption and irreversible membrane fouling decrease and then further increase with the elevated grafting degree of PACMO. This result indicates that the anti-fouling property of membrane not only depends on the surface hydrophilicity and but also associates with the grafting structures of PACMO. This work provides a fundamental understanding of various grafting structures governing the performance of anti-fouling properties.

Intranasal atomised dexmedetomidine optimises surgical field visualisation with decreased blood loss during endoscopic sinus surgery: a randomized study

BACKGROUND

Safe and effective endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) depends on distinct surgical visibility. Various interventions are proposed to reduce intranasal bleeding. This study investigated whether intranasal atomised dexmedetomidine (DEX) provided optimal surgical conditions and decreased blood loss.

METHODS

ASA I or II patients undergoing ESS were randomly assigned to receive either 2 μg/kg intranasal DEX (group D) or the same volume of saline (group N) 15 min before induction. Lund-Mackay (LM) scores represented the extent of the preoperative surgical lesion and were obtained based on the computed tomographic scans. Estimated blood loss was recorded. The visibility of the surgical field was rated by surgeons on a numerical rating scale (NRS) or assessed using Boezaart score.

RESULTS

Median blood loss in groups D and N was 75 and 100 ml, respectively. NRS and Boezaart score for surgical condition were lower in group D than in group N. LM score showed a positive correlation between NRS and Boezaart score in group N but not in group D.

CONCLUSION

Intranasal atomised DEX resulted in improved surgical conditions with less bleeding during ESS despite the severity of the preoperative surgical lesion.

Identification and functional characterization of microRNAs reveal a potential role in gastric cancer progression

PURPOSE

To investigate the potential candidate microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis, classification, and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC).

METHODS

We use bioinformatics overlapping subclasses analysis to find the tumor grade and lymphatic metastasis-related GC specific miRNAs from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Then, we further investigated these GC specific miRNAs distributions in different GC clinical features and their correlations overall survival on the basis of GC patients' information and their related RNA sequencing profile from TCGA. Finally, we randomly selected some of key miRNAs use qRT-PCR to confirm the reliability and validity.

RESULTS

22 GC specific key miRNAs were identified (Fold-change >2, P < 0.05), 11 of them were discriminatively expressed with tumor size, grade, TNM stage and lymphatic metastasis (P < 0.05). In addition, nine miRNAs (miR-196b-5p, miR-135b-5p, miR-183-5p, miR-182-5p, miR-133a-3p, miR-486-5p, miR-144-5p, miR-129-5p and miR-145-5p) were found to be significantly associated with overall survival (log-rank P < 0.05). Finally, four key miRNAs (miR-183-5p, miR-486-5p, miR-30c-2-3p and miR-133a-3p) were randomly selected to validation and their expression levels in 53 newly diagnosed GC patients by qRT-PCR. Results showed that the fold-changes between TCGA and qRT-PCR were 100 % in agreement. We also found miR-183-5p and miR-486-5p were significantly correlated with tumor TNM stage (P < 0.05), and miR-30c-2-3p and miR-133a-3p were associated with tumor differentiation degree and lymph-node metastasis (P < 0.05). These verified miRNAs clinically relevant, and the bioinformatics analysis results were almost the same.

CONCLUSION

These key miRNAs may functions as potential candidate biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis, classification and prognosis for GC.

SP6616 as a new Kv2.1 channel inhibitor efficiently promotes β-cell survival involving both PKC/Erk1/2 and CaM/PI3K/Akt signaling pathways

Kv2.1 as a voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel subunit has a pivotal role in the regulation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and pancreatic β-cell apoptosis, and is believed to be a promising target for anti-diabetic drug discovery, although the mechanism underlying the Kv2.1-mediated β-cell apoptosis is obscure. Here, the small molecular compound, ethyl 5-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-7-methyl-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-5H-[1,3]thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylate (SP6616) was discovered to be a new Kv2.1 inhibitor. It was effective in both promoting GSIS and protecting β cells from apoptosis. Evaluation of SP6616 on either high-fat diet combined with streptozocin-induced type 2 diabetic mice or db/db mice further verified its efficacy in the amelioration of β-cell dysfunction and glucose homeostasis. SP6616 treatment efficiently increased serum insulin level, restored β-cell mass, decreased fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels, and improved oral glucose tolerance. Mechanism study indicated that the promotion of SP6616 on β-cell survival was tightly linked to its regulation against both protein kinases C (PKC)/extracellular-regulated protein kinases 1/2 (Erk1/2) and calmodulin(CaM)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/serine/threonine-specific protein kinase (Akt) signaling pathways. To our knowledge, this may be the first report on the underlying pathway responsible for the Kv2.1-mediated β-cell protection. In addition, our study has also highlighted the potential of SP6616 in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

EMC6/TMEM93 suppresses glioblastoma proliferation by modulating autophagy

EMC6 (endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein complex subunit 6), also known as transmembrane protein 93, is a novel positive autophagy regulator. In this report, we evaluated the anti-tumor activity of EMC6 in glioblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Our data show that overexpression of EMC6 in three glioblastoma cell lines (SHG44, U87 and U251) suppresses tumor cell growth by activating autophagy, but fails to induce cell apoptosis. EMC6-mediated autophagy was associated with inactivation of the PIK3CA/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Accordingly, EMC6 knockdown in glioblastoma cells had the opposite effect; it promoted cell growth. Overexpression of EMC6 also sensitized glioblastoma cells to the chemotherapy drug, temozolomide, to further suppress tumor growth. Our data indicate that EMC6-induced autophagy may play a positive role in suppressing the development of glioblastoma.

Prediction of Giant Thermoelectric Efficiency in Crystals with Interlaced Nanostructure

We present a theoretical study of the thermoelectric efficiency of "interlaced crystals", recently discovered in hexagonal-CuInS2 nanoparticles. Interlaced crystals are I-III-VI2 or II-IV-V2 tetrahedrally bonded compounds. They have a perfect Bravais lattice in which the two cations have an infinite set of possible ordering patterns within the cation sublattice. The material comprises nanoscale interlaced domains and phases with corresponding boundaries. Here we employ density functional theory and large-scale molecular dynamics calculations based on model classical potentials to demonstrate that the phase and domain boundaries are effective phonon scatterers and greatly suppress thermal conductivity. However, the absence of both structural defects and strain in the interlaced material results in a minimal effect on electronic properties. We predict an increase of thermal resistivity of up to 2 orders of magnitude, which makes interlaced crystals an exceptional candidate for thermoelectric applications.

Intranasal atomised dexmedetomidine optimises surgical field visualisation with decreased blood loss during endoscopic sinus surgery: a randomized study

BACKGROUND

Safe and effective endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) depends on distinct surgical visibility. Various interventions are proposed to reduce intranasal bleeding. This study investigated whether intranasal atomised dexmedetomidine (DEX) provided optimal surgical conditions and decreased blood loss.

METHODS

ASA I or II patients undergoing ESS were randomly assigned to receive either 2 μg/kg intranasal DEX (group D) or the same volume of saline (group N) 15 min before induction. Lund-Mackay (LM) scores represented the extent of the preoperative surgical lesion and were obtained based on the computed tomographic scans. Estimated blood loss was recorded. The visibility of the surgical field was rated by surgeons on a numerical rating scale (NRS) or assessed using Boezaart score.

RESULTS

Median blood loss in groups D and N was 75 and 100 ml, respectively. NRS and Boezaart score for surgical condition were lower in group D than in group N. LM score showed a positive correlation between NRS and Boezaart score in group N but not in group D.

CONCLUSION

Intranasal atomised DEX resulted in improved surgical conditions with less bleeding during ESS despite the severity of the preoperative surgical lesion.

Sarcopenia, as defined by low muscle mass, strength and physical performance, predicts complications after surgery for colorectal cancer

AIM

Recent studies have shown that sarcopenia is associated with negative postoperative outcomes. However, none of these studies analysed muscle strength or physical performance, which are also important components of sarcopenia. The present study aimed to investigate whether sarcopenia itself, as defined by low muscle mass, strength and physical performance, would predict complications after surgery for colorectal cancer.

METHOD

We conducted a prospective study of patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at our department between August 2014 and February 2015. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by a combination of third lumbar vertebra muscle index (L3 MI), handgrip strength and 6-m usual gait speed. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluating the risk factors for postoperative complications were performed. Only complications classified as Grade II or above according to the Clavien-Dindo classification were analysed in this study.

RESULTS

A total of 142 patients were included in the study, and 17 patients were diagnosed as having sarcopenia. Postoperative complications of Grade II or above occurred in 40 patients, including 10 with sarcopenia and 30 without sarcopenia. Multivariate analysis showed that sarcopenia and previous abdominal surgery were independent risk factors for postoperative complications. Patients with sarcopenia also had an obvious tendency to a higher incidence of infectious complications. By comparing two logistic regression models, sarcopenia showed a better predictive power for postoperative complications than did low muscle mass.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia and previous abdominal surgery are independent risk factors for complications after surgery for colorectal cancer. Including a functional aspect to the definition of sarcopenia may result in a better prediction of postoperative complications.

Low-grade Albuminuria Associated with Subclinical Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction and Left Ventricular Remodeling

AIMS

Low-grade albuminuria (LGA) has been shown to be associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Our study investigated the relationship between normal urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratios (UACRs) and subclinical left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction and remodeling in diabetics and non-diabetics.

METHODS

A total of 888 diabetic and 208 non-diabetic patients with normal UACRs (< 30 mg/g) from Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China were examined. The subjects were stratified into quartiles based on their respective UACR levels. LV diastolic function was defined by early diastolic transmitral velocities (E)/average early diastolic annular velocities (average e), accompanied by average e. LV remodeling was defined by LV mass indexed to body surface area and relative wall thickness based on 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography.

RESULTS

UACR was independently associated with cardiac diastolic function as defined by E/e and average e (OR=1.042, P=0.001) and LV remodeling (OR=1.037, P=0.001) in all participants. Diabetic patients in the highest quartile of UACR demonstrated a greater risk of developing LV diastolic dysfunction by a magnitude of 1.625 (OR=1.625, P=0.037) than patients in the lowest quartile; those in the third and highest quartiles demonstrated a greater risk of LV remodeling by a magnitude of 1.729-1.994 compared to the lowest quartile (OR=1.729, P=0.027 and OR=1.994, P=0.005, respectively). The association between UACR and subclinical diastolic dysfunction was most prevalent in younger, non-obese, non-hypertensive females or patients who had experienced diabetes for fewer than 10 years. The association between UACR and LV remodeling was most prevalent in non-obese, older males, in patients with normal low-density lipoprotein levels, in patients who had experienced diabetes for fewer than 10 years, and in patients without hypertension.

CONCLUSION

UACR was associated with subclinical LV diastolic dysfunction and remodeling in both patients with and without Type 2 diabetes. We conclude that LGA may also be a marker for subclinical cardiovascular damage in Type 2 diabetics.

Mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Ultrafast electron probes are powerful tools, complementary to x-ray free-electron lasers, used to study structural dynamics in material, chemical, and biological sciences. High brightness, relativistic electron beams with femtosecond pulse duration can resolve details of the dynamic processes on atomic time and length scales. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory recently launched the Ultrafast Electron Diffraction (UED) and microscopy Initiative aiming at developing the next generation ultrafast electron scattering instruments. As the first stage of the Initiative, a mega-electron-volt (MeV) UED system has been constructed and commissioned to serve ultrafast science experiments and instrumentation development. The system operates at 120-Hz repetition rate with outstanding performance. In this paper, we report on the SLAC MeV UED system and its performance, including the reciprocal space resolution, temporal resolution, and machine stability.

Dietary intake of heme iron and risk of cardiovascular disease: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Iron is thought to play a fundamentally important role in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This meta-analysis was performed to investigate the dose-response association between dietary intake of iron (including heme and non-heme iron) and the risk of CVD.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed a search of the PubMed and Embase databases for prospective cohort studies of the association between dietary iron intake and CVD risk. Thirteen articles comprising 252,164 participants and 15,040 CVD cases were eligible for inclusion. Heme iron intake was associated significantly with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and the pooled relative risk (RR) for each 1 mg/day increment was 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 1.14, I² = 59.7%). We also found evidence of a curvilinear association (P < 0.05 for non-linearity). In contrast, we found no association between CVD risk and dietary non-heme (0.98, 0.96 to 1.01, I² = 15.8%) or total iron (1.00, 0.94 to 1.06, I² = 30.4%). Subgroup analyses revealed that the association between heme iron intake and CVD risk was stronger among non-fatal cases (1.19, 1.07-1.33) and American patients (1.31, 1.11-1.56).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher dietary intake of heme iron is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas no association was found between CVD and non-heme iron intake or total iron intake. These findings may have important public health implications with respect to preventing cardiovascular disease.

Chemoprevention gene therapy (CGT) of pancreatic cancer using perillyl alcohol and a novel chimeric serotype cancer terminator virus

Conditionally replication competent adenoviruses (Ads) that selectively replicate in cancer cells and simultaneously express a therapeutic cytokine, such as melanoma differentiation associated gene- 7/Interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24), a Cancer Terminator Virus (CTV-M7), hold potential for treating human cancers. To enhance the efficacy of the CTV-M7, we generated a chimeric Ad.5 and Ad.3 modified fiber bipartite CTV (Ad.5/3-CTV-M7) that can infect tumor cells in a Coxsackie Adenovirus receptor (CAR) independent manner, while retaining high infectivity in cancer cells containing high CAR. Although mda-7/IL-24 displays broad-spectrum anticancer properties, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells display an intrinsic resistance to mda-7/IL-24-mediated killing due to an mda-7/IL-24 mRNA translational block. However, using a chemoprevention gene therapy (CGT) approach with perillyl alcohol (POH) and a replication incompetent Ad to deliver mda-7/IL-24 (Ad.mda-7) there is enhanced conversion of mda-7/IL-24 mRNA into protein resulting in pancreatic cancer cell death in vitro and in vivo in nude mice containing human PDAC xenografts. This combination synergistically induces mda-7/IL-24-mediated cancer-specific apoptosis by inhibiting anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 protein expression and inducing an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response through induction of BiP/GRP-78, which is most evident in chimeric-modified non-replicating Ad.5/3- mda-7- and CTV-M7-infected PDAC cells. Moreover, Ad.5/3-CTV-M7 in combination with POH sensitizes therapy-resistant MIA PaCa-2 cell lines over-expressing either Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL to mda-7/IL-24-mediated apoptosis. Ad.5/3-CTV-M7 plus POH also exerts a significant antitumor 'bystander' effect in vivo suppressing both primary and distant site tumor growth, confirming therapeutic utility of Ad.5/3-CTV-M7 plus POH in PDAC treatment, where all other current treatment strategies in clinical settings show minimal efficacy.

Inhibition of farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase prevents angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibrosis in vitro

Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS)-catalysed isoprenoid intermediates are important for the activation of Ras homologue gene family, member A (RhoA) in angiotensin (Ang) II-induced cardiac fibrosis. This study was designed to investigate the specific role of FPPS in the development of cardiac fibrosis. We demonstrated that FPPS expression was elevated in both in-vivo and in-vitro models of Ang II-mediated cardiac fibrosis. FPPS inhibition by zolendronate and FPPS knock-down by a silencing lentivirus decreased the expression of cardiac fibrosis marker genes, including collagen I, collagen III and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. FPPS inhibition was reversed by geranylgeraniol (GGOH) and mimicked by RhoA knock-down with siRhoA. The antagonistic effect of GGOH on the zolendronate-mediated modulation of RhoA activation in Ang II-stimulated cardiac fibroblasts was demonstrated by a pull-down assay. Furthermore, FPPS knock-down also prevented RhoA activation by Ang II in vitro. In conclusion, FPPS and RhoA may be part of a signalling pathway that plays an important role in Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis in vitro.