Ti n+1C n MXenes with fully saturated and thermally stable Cl terminations

MXenes are a rapidly growing family of 2D materials that exhibit a highly versatile structure and composition, allowing for significant tuning of the materials properties. These properties are, however, ultimately limited by the surface terminations, which are typically a mixture of species, including F and O that are inherent to the MXene processing. Other and robust terminations are lacking. Here, we apply high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), corresponding image simulations and first-principles calculations to investigate the surface terminations on MXenes synthesized from MAX phases through Lewis acidic melts. The results show that atomic Cl terminates the synthesized MXenes, with mere residual presence of other termination species. Furthermore, in situ STEM-electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) heating experiments show that the Cl terminations are stable up to 750 °C. Thus, we present an attractive new termination that widely expands the MXenes' functionalization space and enables new applications.

[Application of three semi-quantitative risk assessment methods in electroplating enterprises]

Objective: To apply the semi-quantitative risk assessment model in the Technical Guidelines for Occupational Health Risk Assessment of Chemical Hazardous Factors in the Workplace to assess the occupational health risk of electroplating enterprises and explore its applicable conditions and characteristics. Methods: Three electroplating enterprises were selected as the research objects. Occupational hygiene survey and hazard factor detection were conducted on the spot. Three semi-quantitative risk assessment methods were used to assess the risk, and the evaluation results were compared. Results: The consistency between the contact index method and the comprehensive index method was strong. The weighted Kappa value was 0.946 and the P value was less than 0.001, but the consistency between the contact ratio method, the contact index method and the comprehensive index method was poor. The weighted Kappa value was 0.345 and 0.391, and the P value was 0.009 and 0.004, respectively. When the contact concentration is less than 50% OELs, the evaluation results of the contact ratio method are lower than those of the exponential method and the comprehensive exponential method. The consistency of the three methods was the highest when the contact concentration (>50%) and (<OELs). When the contact concentration >OELs, the results of the contact ratio method are higher than those of the index method and the comprehensive index method. Conclusion: Contact ratio method is suitable for occupational health risk assessment under the condition of incomplete occupational health information and for enterprise managers to identify key control points of health risk through self-assessment; Contact index method is suitable for hazard risk assessment of occupational hazards without sampling test conditions or OELs, and pre-assessment of occupational hazards of construction projects without access to analogical test data. The index method is suitable for occupational health risk assessment with available testing data and complete occupational health information.

Whole-genome SNP data unravel population structure and signatures of selection for black plumage of indigenous chicken breeds from Jiangxi province, China

Ten indigenous chicken breeds were originally distributed in Jiangxi Province, China, and they define a critical component of Chinese chicken genetic resources. We have investigated the population genetics of seven Jiangxi chicken breeds using 600K chicken BeadChip SNP data. To provide a genome-wide perspective for the population structure of all 10 Jiangxi chicken breeds, we herein genotyped 78 additional individuals from the seven breeds and 63 chickens from three uninvestigated breeds-Yugan Black (YG), Nancheng Black (NC) and Wanzai Yellow using 55K chicken SNP arrays. We then explored merged data of 17 101 SNPs from 235 individuals to infer the population structure of the 10 breeds. We showed that NC and YG are two regional populations of the same breed, as individuals from the two populations clustered together to form a branch separate from the other breeds in the neighbor-joining tree, they always grouped together in multidimensional principal component analyses and they displayed an identical pattern of ancestral lineage composition. Hence, NC and YG should be considered a single breed in the state-supported conservation scheme. Moreover, we conducted a genome scan for signatures of selection for black plumage. bayescan and hapflk analyses of two contrasting groups (three black-feathered breeds vs. six non-black-feathered breeds) consistently detected 25 putative regions under selection. Nine pigmentation- associated genes (DCT, SLC24A5, SLC30A4, MYO5A, CYP19A1, NADK2, SLC45A2, GNAQ and DCP2) reside within these regions, and these genes are interesting candidates for black plumage and provide a starting point for further identification of causative mutations for black feathers in chicken.

Anti-α-enolase antibody combined with β2 microglobulin evaluated the incidence of nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

OBJECTIVE

Anti-α-enolase antibody (Ab) combined with β2 microglobulin (β2-MG) were investigated to predict the incidence of nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

METHODS

Levels of serum anti-α-enolase Ab and urinary β2-MG were detected in 115 SLE patients, 29 SLE patients with nephritis and 70 healthy controls by ELISA and immunoturbidimetry, respectively. Furthermore, the correlation between anti-α-enolase Ab combined with β2-MG and the incidence of nephritis in SLE patients was evaluated by correlation analysis.

RESULTS

The optical density value of serum anti-α-enolase Ab in SLE patients with nephritis (0.84) was greatly increased compared with SLE patients (0.76) or healthy controls (0.54). Moreover, the levels of urinary β2-MG in SLE patients with nephritis (6.75 mg/L) were increased compared with SLE patients (3.45 mg/L) or healthy controls (1.48 mg/L). There was a positive correlation between the level of anti-α-enolase Ab and β2-MG ( r = 0.754). Furthermore, anti-α-enolase Ab combined with β2-MG for evaluating the incidence of nephritis in SLE patients had the best assessment of the effectiveness (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC): 92.7%) compared with only anti-α-enolase Ab (AUC: 80.9%) or β2-MG (AUC: 84.5%).

CONCLUSION

These data suggested that anti-α-enolase Ab may be a potential indicator for the prediction of nephritis in SLE patients.

[Induction of specific CD8(+) T cells against hepatocellular carcinoma-associated neoantigens]

Objective: To predict the tumor neoantigen peptides in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and examine their specific immune effects against the tumor cells without injury to normal cells. Methods: The data of whole-genome sequencing and exome sequencing of HCC tumor and matched non-tumor liver tissues were analyzed to confirm the HCC-associated somatic mutations. Based on the HLA phenotype of the patients, we used NetMHC software to predict the neoantigen epitopes with high binding affinity to their MHC-I molecules. The predicted peptides with mutation sites included were synthesized. GPL10687 platform was applied to examine the gene expression difference between tumor and normal tissues of the selected genes in GSE25097, one of the GEO databases. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to confirm the expressions in tumors and normal tissues of the selected genes. By using the predicted peptides, we induced the generation of antigen-specific CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and examined their specific effects against tumor cells. Results: The mutation frequency of TP53 (tumor protein p53) was 40%, and LAMA3 (Laminin Subunit Alpha 3) was 8% in the analyzed HCC tissues. In GSE25097 database, TP53 and LAMA3 mRNA levels in tumors were 1.57±0.02 and 1.37±0.10, which were significantly increased than those in matched no-tumor tissue (0.54±0.01 and 0.36±0.01, P<0.05). The differences of expression levels of TP53 and LAMA3 in tumor and no-tumor tissues were validated by using qRT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry in 10 HCC tissues. The mRNA levels of TP53 and LAMA3 in tumors were 0.24±0.03 and 0.13±0.06, which were significantly elevated than those in matched no-tumor tissue (0.11±0.01 and 0.01±0.01, P<0.05). Among the Chinese population, HLA-A2 and HLA-A11 and HLA-A24 accounted for 70%, representing the major MHC-I molecules. The CTLs induced by predicted peptides showed cytotoxicity to the targets pulsed with mutated peptide, with no effect on the target pulsed with normal peptide and on normal cells. Conclusions: TP53 and LAMA3 existed relative higher mutation frequency in HCC, and expressed higher in tumor tissues. The induced CTLs by predicted peptides derived from mutation-associated protein could specific kill the target cells without injury to normal cells.

The potential markers of endocrine resistance among HR+ /HER2+ breast cancer patients

PURPOSE

Breast cancer with positive hormone receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) is a special subgroup with different clinical features and survival, especially the endocrine therapy resistance. The main purpose of the study is to find the potential markers to predict the survival and endocrine therapy resistance of patients with HR+ /HER2+ breast cancer.

METHODS

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to collect patients' clinical information and tumor features including age, tumor size, grade, stage and long-term survival; the BioPortal for Cancer Genomics (https://cbioportal.org) was used to download the gene data for specific patient group; cluster analyses of gene expression were conducted through the DAVID Bioinformatics Resources 6.8 software.

RESULTS

All of the included patients were diagnosed as HR positive breast cancer, but the PR positive rates were more common in HER2- group and also the ER+ /PR+ disease. Patients in HR+ /HER2+ group were more likely to present as stage III-IV and grade III disease. Among HR+ /HER2+ patients, 68.6% received chemotherapy, while only 28.9% in HR+ /HER2- group received chemotherapy (P < 0.0001). The survival of HR+ /HER2+ group was poorer. From TCGA database, series genes which were differed between HR+ /HER2+ and HR+ /HER2- were screened out that related to ERBB2 closely: IKZF3, LASP1, CDK12, MLLT6, and RARA. The first three candidate genes were associated with patients' survival, especially in patients who received hormone therapies.

CONCLUSION

This study analyzed the clinical characteristics and survival of patients with HR+/HER2+ breast cancer as a special subgroup. ERBB2, IKZF3, LASP1, and CDK12 were the potential markers of the resistance of endocrine therapy, and they will provide new strategies for clinicians.

A data acquisition system for HV-CMOS sensor research and development in the upgrade of ATLAS experiment

In the high luminosity Large Hadron Collider upgrade of the A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS (ATLAS) experiment in 2026, the new inner tracker detector will be installed. As a promising candidate for the outer layer of the inner tracker detector, the High Voltage CMOS (HV-CMOS) pixel sensors are being investigated by the ATLAS collaboration. A Front-End LInk eXchange (FELIX) based Data Acquisition (DAQ) system is developed for the R&D of the HV-CMOS sensors. A FELIX card with a Peripheral Component Interconnect express interface in the back-end is used to control, monitor, calibrate, and read out the front-end electronics. In the front-end, a Xilinx evaluation board ZC706 works as the interface between the back-end and the custom boards with HV-CMOS sensors and the readout Application-Specific Integrated Circuit. The DAQ system was successfully deployed for the testbeam experiment at CERN. The design of the DAQ system, the tuning of sensors, and the testbeam results will be described in details.

Observation of second sound in graphite at temperatures above 100 K

Wavelike thermal transport in solids, referred to as second sound, is an exotic phenomenon previously limited to a handful of materials at low temperatures. The rare occurrence of this effect restricted its scientific and practical importance. We directly observed second sound in graphite at temperatures above 100 kelvins by using time-resolved optical measurements of thermal transport on the micrometer-length scale. Our experimental results are in qualitative agreement with ab initio calculations that predict wavelike phonon hydrodynamics. We believe that these results potentially indicate an important role of second sound in microscale transient heat transport in two-dimensional and layered materials in a wide temperature range.

Kinetic Analysis on Thermal Decomposition of Poly(lactic acid) Toughened by Calcium Sulfate Whiskers

The biocomposites of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) involving 15 % mass fraction of calcium sulfate whiskers (CSW) were prepared via melt-blending technology, in an effort of toughening PLA and enhancing the thermal stability. The morphological structure, impact toughness, thermal stability as well as kinetic analysis on thermal decomposition for PLA/CSW composites were performed thoroughly. The results showed that CSW was organized successfully via silanization, helping to form well-bonded interfaces, and accordingly, the impact toughness increased remarkably. The thermal stability was enhanced by adding whiskers, leading to increased decomposition temperature and decreased mass conversion rate. Kinetic analysis revealed the great dispersions on the reaction order and activation energy. Though, in comparison to pure PLA, the reaction order of PLA/CSW composites increased based on calculation methods except for Carrasco's, the activation energy of the composites declined independently of the applied mathematical models, meaning that thermal decomposition of PLA phase was accelerated by the introduced CSW.

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

Purpose

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

Patients and Methods

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

Results

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

[Effects of ICAT silencing in Wnt signaling pathway and NSC67657 induced cell differentiation of HL-60 cells]

目的

探讨β-catenin相关蛋白1（ICAT）沉默对Wnt信号通路及甾醇类新药NSC67657诱导HL-60细胞单核系分化的影响。

方法

NSC67657诱导HL-60细胞分化，流式细胞术检测细胞表面分化抗原CD14的表达，检测细胞分化程度；构建慢病毒LV-ICAT-RNAi载体，感染HL-60细胞，采用荧光实时定量PCR和Western blot技术检测感染前后ICAT基因和蛋白表达情况，判断干扰效果；采用免疫共沉淀技术检测β-catenin与ICAT蛋白在细胞内的相互作用；采用Western blot技术分析NSC67657诱导非感染HL-60细胞（HL-60v组）和LV-ICAT-RNAi载体感染HL-60细胞（HL-60i组）前后Wnt/β-catenin通路下游靶点Cyclin D1、TCF-1和c-Jun的表达情况；NSC67657分别作用HL-60v组和HL-60i组细胞24 h，采用瑞氏染色、透射电子显微镜、流式细胞术观察细胞分化情况。

结果

10 µmol/L NSC67657可以诱导HL-60细胞向单核系分化，连续诱导5 d后，CD14⁺细胞比例为（92.30±5.14）%；HL-60i细胞ICAT mRNA表达（0.07±0.01）明显低于HL-60v组（1.00±0.08）（P=0.002）（平均敲减效率为93.2%），Western blot结果与PCR结果一致（P=0.001）；免疫共沉淀结果显示，ICAT与β-catenin蛋白在细胞分化前后都存在相互作用，药物诱导细胞分化后两者相互作用条带吸光度明显增加。药物作用HL-60i细胞Wnt信号通路下游靶蛋白Cyclin D1、TCF-1和c-Jun表达明显高于HL-60v组，但低于非药物处理组。NSC67657作用HL-60i细胞CD14⁺细胞比例为（8.33±3.14）%，明显低于HL-60v组的（19.08±4.73）%，但仍高于非药物处理非感染HL-60细胞组（0.60±0.03）%（F=119.24，P=0.010），细胞形态和超微结果符合细胞表面分化抗原检测结论。

结论

ICAT蛋白参与了NSC67657诱导HL-60细胞的单核系分化，Wnt/β-catenin信号通路可能起到桥梁作用。

Clinical analysis of cervical lymph node metastasis risk factors in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma

PURPOSE

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a vital prognosis factor in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). The study tried to identify clinicopathological factors for LNM of PTMC.

METHODS

The clinicopathological data of 1031 patients with PTMC were extracted and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors associated with cervical lymph node metastasis. ROC analysis was used to determine the ideal critical points of the sum of the maximum diameter of multifocal in a unilateral lobe.

RESULTS

The probability of LNM, central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) and lateral lymph node metastasis(LLNM)of PTMC patients were 35.6, 33.7 and 5.6%, respectively. In addition, 1.9% PTMC had LLNM only. Male, age ≤ 40 years, tumor largest diameter ≥ 5 mm, multifocal, non-uniform echoic distribution, the sum of the maximum diameter of multifocal in a unilateral lobe ≥ 8.5 mm, tumors in the lower pole location were prone to CLNM. Ultrasound mix-echo, the sum of the maximum diameter of the multifocal ≥ 10.75 mm, tumors in the upper pole location were extremely prone to LLNM. T3 were prone to LLNM or skip LLNM.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the clinicopathological characteristics of PTMC, the cervical lymph nodes should be correctly evaluated to guide the surgical treatment.

Increased intrinsic connectivity for structural atrophy and functional maintenance after acute ischaemic stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Significant clinical recovery has commonly been observed in ischaemic stroke patients with irreversible brain structural damage. However, brain mechanisms that help to maintain clinical function remain unclear.

METHODS

Sixty-two patients with acute ischaemic stroke underwent longitudinal clinical assessments and magnetic resonance scanning. The clinical recovery trajectory was evaluated using a hierarchical linear model and intrinsic connectivity was analysed with a seed-based approach to examine its changing pattern based on the regional volume changes calculated using voxel-wise analysis.

RESULTS

It was observed that clinical outcome measures improved mainly in the short-term period (baseline versus 3 weeks) and then remained stable. Grey matter volume was reduced significantly in the bilateral caudate over the entire 3-year long-term period. Significant intrinsic connectivity increases were observed in the caudate-middle cingulum over the short-term period and in the caudate-precuneus and caudate-calcarine over the long-term period. Finally, it was found that increased caudate-calcarine connectivity was associated with reduced right caudate volume, and a positive correlation was found between increased caudate-middle cingulum connectivity and the amount of modified Rankin score changes.

CONCLUSIONS

The increased intrinsic connectivity found in this study tends to be a compensatory mechanism for post-stroke structural damage, associated with clinical recovery. The study helps in understanding the significance of enhanced intrinsic connectivity in post-stroke long-term assessment and rehabilitation.

[Prospective cohort study on the risks of pre-pregnancy overweight, excessive gestational weight gain on macrosomia]

Objective: To investigate the risks of pre-pregnancy overweight, excessive gestational weight gain on macrosomia. Methods: We conducted one hospital-based cohort study, focusing on pregnant women from January 2015. All pregnant women attending to this hospital for maternal check-ups, were included in our cohort and followed to the time of delivery. Data related to general demographic characteristics, pregnancy and health status of those pregnant women, was collected and maternal pre-pregnant BMI and maternal weight gain were calculated. Logistic regression was used to explore the risk difference of pre-pregnancy BMI, excessive gestational weight gain on macrosomia. Results: The overall incidence of macrosomia in our cohort appeared as 6.6% (149/2 243). After adjusting the confounding factors including age and histories on pregnancy, pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity was associated with higher risks of macrosomia (OR=3.12, 95%CI: 1.35-7.22, P=0.008; OR=2.99, 95%CI: 1.17-7.63, P=0.022) when comparing to those with normal pre-pregnancy weight. Cesarean delivery and sex of the offspring were associated with higher risk of macrosomia, while excessive gestational weight gain showed no significant difference (OR=1.41, 95%CI: 0.96-2.09, P=0.084). Our data showed that Macrosomia was statistically associated with gestational weight gain (P=0.002). After controlling parameters as age, history of pregnancy and related complications of the pregnant women, results from the logistic regression showed that women with gestational inadequate weight gain having reduced risks to deliver macrosomia, when compared to those pregnant women with adequate weight gain (OR=0.52, 95%CI: 0.30-0.90, P=0.019). Conclusion: Pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity were on higher risks to macrosomia.

Inflammation-induced overexpression of microRNA-223-3p regulates odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells by targeting SMAD3

AIM

To profile miRNA expression between inflamed and healthy human dental pulp tissues and to investigate how the upregulation of miR-223-3p in the inflamed pulp tissue regulates odontoblast differentiation and regeneration.

METHODOLOGY

Microarray analysis was used to identify differences in miRNA expression patterns between healthy and inflamed pulp tissue. The results were validated using quantitative real-time PCR. To determine the effect of miR-223-3p on odontoblast differentiation, miR-223-3p was overexpressed in human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), which were cultured in mineralizing induction medium (to induce odontoblast differentiation). To identify the target genes of miR-223-3p, an SABiosciences Human Osteogenesis PCR Array, combined with bioinformatics, was used. Furthermore, a dual-luciferase reporter assay and a small interfering RNA (siRNA) experiment were used to confirm the relationship between miR-223-3p and its target gene. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t-test or one-way analysis of variance (anova); P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed (fold change >2.0; P < 0.05) between the two tissues. In particular, miR-223-3p was markedly upregulated in inflamed dental pulp. Overexpression of miR-223-3p in DPSCs significantly increased the protein levels of dentine sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and dentine matrix protein 1 (DMP-1) (P < 0.05). However, the SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3) protein level was significantly lower than in control DPSCs (P < 0.05). Bioinformatics and the dual-luciferase assay reporter assay indicated that Smad3 was a potential target of miR-223-3p. Knockdown of Smad3 in DPSCs subjected to mineralization induction resulted in detection of DSPP and DMP-1 earlier than in control DPSCs, and it increased the protein level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), thereby promoting odontoblast differentiation.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-223-3p is implicated in the regulation of odontoblast differentiation, which may be involved in the process of pulpitis repair.

The efficacy of trans-esophageal echocardiography in treatment of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation with left atrial appendage occlusion

The article "The efficacy of trans-esophageal echocardiography in treatment of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation with left atrial appendage occlusion" by Y. Song, S.-C. Qin, X. Fu, Z.-M. Jiang, K. Chen, X.-L. Wang, R.-F. Zhang, Y. Liuang, R.-F. Zhang, Y. Liu, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2018; 22 (16): 5335-5338 has been withdrawn.

Population genetic analyses of seven Chinese indigenous chicken breeds in a context of global breeds

Jiangxi province in China is rich in indigenous chicken breeds, which have diverse phenotypes and represent a valuable genetic resource for further genetic improvement of modern breeds. Here, we conducted a series of analyses to reveal genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships and population structure of seven chicken breeds in Jiangxi province in the context of nine non-local chicken breeds, using 600K SNP data. We show that Jiangxi indigenous breeds have more abundant nucleotide diversity than do European local and commercial breeds. Among Jiangxi breeds, Dongxiang Blue-eggshell (DX) and Chongren Partride (CR) display remarkably reduced genetic diversity, as the two breeds exhibit increased inbreeding coefficients, runs of homozygosity, extent of linkage disequilibrium and reduced expected heterozygosity. DX, CR and Taihe Silkie (TH) represent three ancestral lineages of the Jiangxi chicken and display genetic differentiation from the other four Jiangxi breeds, which show a signature of admixture with European commercial breeds. These findings provide insight for the establishment of an efficient conservation program for Jiangxi chicken breeds. Considering the current status of genetic diversity and ancestral representativeness, particular attention should be paid to DX, CR and TH chickens.

[Experience on postoperative complications of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy]

Objective: To summarize the incidence and characteristics of postoperative complications after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy(LPD), and to share our experience on management of complications. Methods: The clinical data of 320 LPD performed by a single team in Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital between September 2012 and September 2017 were retrospectively analyzed, among which there were 196 males and 124 females with age of (60.2±11.6) years old.There were 306 patients who underwent standard LPD, and 14 patients who underwent extended LPD. The patients were divided into 2 groups of former 160 LPD and later 160 LPD according to the time order. By analyzing the differences of clinical outcomes between the two groups, especially focusing on the incidence of postoperative complications.The experience on management of complications was concluded. The prior surgical history of latter group was significantly higher than the former group(30.0%(48/160)vs. 18.8%(30/160), χ(2)=5.49, P=0.019), and the rest of baseline characteristics remained the comparable (P>0.05). For resectable lesions, LPD was performed by "No back" approach, following the principle of "From distal to cephalad, from ventral to dorsal, and from left to right" . As for the borderline resectable patients, LPD was performed by "Easy first" strategy. Student t test, χ(2) test or Fisher test was used to analyzed the data between the two groups respectively. Results: Of 320 LPD patients, 306 cases underwent standard LPD, 14 cases underwent LPD with resection of other organs.There were 278 LPD cases who followed "No back" approach, and 42 cases who followed "Easy first" strategy because of difficulty in creating the retro-pancreatic tunnel. And the overall morbidity was 32.2%(103/320) with reoperation rate of 5.3%(17/320). The perioperative mortality was 0.6%(2/320). The operation time of latter group was ((346.6±48.8)minutes), which was shorter than that of former group((358.0±54.4)minutes)(t=1.97, P=0.048). The blood loss of former and latter group remained comparable((207.9±135.8)ml vs.(189.6±121.4)ml, P=0.205). However, in subgroup analysis, the patients with blood loss less <200 ml of latter group decreased significantly from 59.4%(95/160) to 47.5%(76/160)(χ(2)=4.53, P=0.033). The overall morbidity of latter group was 28.8%(46/160), indicated a decrease from 35.6%(57/160) of former group without significant difference(P=0.188). Moreover, Grade A/B/C pancreatic fistula rate, Grade A/C bile leakage rate, Grade B/C postoperative hemorrhage rate of the later group tended to decrease, although they also didn't reach a significant difference. However, the abdominal infection rate decreased significantly(χ(2)=3.93, P=0.047). The length of hospital stay remained comparable(P=0.156). Conclusions: The most common complications after LPD were postoperative hemorrhage and pancreatic fistula. With specialized team and accumulated experience, the morbidity can decrease progressively by analyzing the leading cause and improving the technical skills.

[Effect of anesthesia on cardiopulmonary complications in elderly patients with hip fracture]

Objective: To compare the effects of different types of anesthesia on postoperative cardiopulmonary complications in patients aged 80 years and above who received unilateral hip fracture surgery. Methods: The perioperative data of patients aged 80 and above who underwent unilateral hip fracture surgery in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from July 2009 to June 2014 were collected and grouped based on the types of anesthesia including general anesthesia, neuraxial anesthesia, and peripheral nerve block. Variables were analyzed including preoperative general conditions (age, sex, type of fracture, ASA physical status classification, preoperative cardiopulmonary complications), intraoperative conditions (type of surgical procedure, operative time, blood loss, total intraoperative fluid infusion), and postoperative conditions (length of hospital stay, postoperative hospital stay, ICU stay, postoperative newly developed cardiopulmonary complications, postoperative in-hospital death, hospitalization costs). The incidences of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications of each group were analyzed and compared. Results: A total of 219 cases were finally analyzed including general anesthesia (n=46), neuraxial anesthesia (n=90) and nerve block group (n=83). Fewer cases with preoperative pulmonary complications were noticed in general anesthesia group (15 cases, 32.6%) than in neuraxial anesthesia group (45 cases, 50%) and nerve block group (47 cases, 56.6%) (χ(2)=6.912, P=0.032). No statistical differences were found between groups regarding preoperative cardiovascular complications and other variables. There were no significant differences in postoperative cardiopulmonary complications. However, the cost of hospitalization was lower in neuraxial anesthesia group (45.6±21.4) thousand RMB and nerve block group (48.2±25.8) thousand RMB compared with general anesthesia group (56.3±21.6) thousand RMB, the difference was statistically significant(F=9.951, P=0.007). Conclusions: For elderly patients undergoing unilateral hip surgery, the type of anesthesia does not affect the incidence of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications. However, neuraxial anesthesia and nerve block may reduce the cost of hospitalization.

[The role of high-mobility group box protein 1 in the signaling pathways of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats]

Objective: To investigate the role of high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) in the signaling pathways of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) in rats. Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200-250 g, were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10) using a random number table: sham operation group (group sham), MIRI group (group IR-C), anti-HMGB1 antibody group (group IR-H-Ig), contrast antibody control group (group IR-Ig). The rat model of MIRI was established by 30 min occlusion of left anterior descending branch (LAD) of coronary artery followed by 180 min reperfusion. In sham group, no blocking of LAD was adopted after thoracotomy. Anti-HMGB1 antibody and contrast antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) (2 mg/kg) were injected respectively at 30 min of reperfusion in IR-H-Ig and IR-Ig groups. Blood samples were collected from the femoral vein for determination of interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), HMGB1, creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations at 180 min of reperfusion. The rats were then sacrificed after blood samples were taken and the pathological changes of myocardial tissue were observed. The mRNA and protein expressions of HMGB1, toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB in myocardial tissues were detected by Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR respectively. Results: Compared with the Sham group, the plasma level of IL-6, TNF-α, HMGB1 increased significantly and HMGB1, TLR4 and NF-κB mRNA and protein levels of myocardial tissues up-regulated in IR-C and IR-Ig groups (all P<0.05). The plasma level of CK-MB and cTnI increased significantly in IR-C, IR-H-Ig, IR-Ig group (all P<0.05). Compared with the IR-C group, the levels of the plasma HMGB1, the cytokines mentioned above, CK-MB and cTnI were significantly decreased, and mRNA and protein expressions of HMGB1, TLR4 and NF-κB of myocardial tissues down-regulated in IR-H-Ig group (all P<0.05). Inflammatory cell infiltration in MIRI groups increased significantly, while it was significantly reduced in IR-H-Ig group. Conclusion: Blocking the combination of HMGB1 and TLR4 can effectively alleviate the tissue damage caused by myocardial ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

HDAC2 dysregulation in the nucleus basalis of Meynert during the progression of Alzheimer's disease

AIMS

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by degeneration of cholinergic basal forebrain (CBF) neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM), which provides the major cholinergic input to the cortical mantle and is related to cognitive decline in patients with AD. Cortical histone deacetylase (HDAC) dysregulation has been associated with neuronal degeneration during AD progression. However, whether HDAC alterations play a role in CBF degeneration during AD onset is unknown. We investigated global HDAC protein levels and nuclear HDAC2 immunoreactivity in tissue containing the nbM, changes and their association with neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) during the progression of AD.

METHODS

We used semi-quantitative western blotting and immunohistochemistry to evaluate HDAC and sirtuin (SIRT) levels in individuals that died with a premortem clinical diagnosis of no cognitive impairment (NCI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild/moderate AD (mAD) or severe AD (sAD). Quantitative immunohistochemistry was used to identify HDAC2 protein levels in individual cholinergic nbM nuclei and their colocalization with the early phosphorylated tau marker AT8, the late-stage apoptotic tau marker TauC3 and Thioflavin-S, a marker of β-pleated sheet structures in NFTs.

RESULTS

In AD patients, HDAC2 protein levels were dysregulated in the basal forebrain region containing cholinergic neurons of the nbM. HDAC2 nuclear immunoreactivity was reduced in individual cholinergic nbM neurons across disease stages. HDAC2 nuclear reactivity correlated with multiple cognitive domains and with NFT formation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that HDAC2 dysregulation contributes to cholinergic nbM neuronal dysfunction, NFT pathology, and cognitive decline during clinical progression of AD.

[Effect of resection of adenoids and tonsillectomy on immune function in children with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome]

Objective:To remove the immune function of children with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome by resection of adenoids and tonsillar. Method: The fasting peripheral venous blood of children with OSAHS and healthy children were collected. The lymphocyte subsets, NK cells and immunoglobulin levels were compared between the two groups. The fasting blood samples of OSAHS children were collected again after 2d, 30d, 60d and 90d after operation. The changes of lymphocyte subsets, NK cells and immunoglobulin levels were observed after operation. Result: Before operation, at the 0.05 test level, it was not yet clear that the levels of IgG, IgM, IgA, NK, CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ in OSAHS children were significantly different from those in the control group. The levels of IgA, CD3+ and CD4+ decreased significantly in children at 2d and OSAHS after operation, and IgG, IgM, IgA, NK, CD3+ and IgA continued to rise after 60d until ninetieth day after operation. Conclusion: There is no statistical disorder of immune level in children with OSAHS compared with healthy children. The implementation of adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy in children with OSAHS, the level of immunity in 90 days can be restored to the preoperative level.

[Transurethral flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser resection for tumors of renal pelvis: 6 cases report and literature review]

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the experience of flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser resection in treatment of renal pelvic carcinoma and to evaluate its value in treatment of renal pelvic carcinoma.

METHODS

The clinical data of 6 patients with renal pelvic carcinoma treated in Peking University Third Hospital from January 2015 to January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The 6 patients were treated by the same experienced urologist and by flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser resection of renal pelvic tumors under general anesthesia. Regarding the intensity of the holmium laser, 10-30 W was generally used with settings of 0.5-1.5 J and 10-20 Hz. In general, a 200 μm end-firing holmium laser fiber was used. Narrow-band imaging (NBI) technique was applicated to search for tumors and check whether the excision was satisfactory. Routine "second flexible ureteroscopy" was performed after 4-6 weeks, and suspected lesions were referred for a biopy, then vaporized and cauterized. The ureteroscopy was examined every 6 months after operation, and color Doppler ultrasound, computed tomography urography (CTU) or magnetic resonance urography (MRU) were performed at the same time. The urine tumor cells were examined for 3 days before the operation, and the urine tumor markers, such as urinary nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) were tested. For cases with highisk urothelial carcinoma and normal renal function, and 6 cycles of systemic adjuvant chemotherapy were performed after operation.

RESULTS

All of the cases were successfully treated. The data were as follows: the operation time 77.5 min (45-115 min), the blood loss 10 mL (5-20 mL), and hospital stay after surgery 3 days (2-5 days). After 13-34 months' followp, two patients had recurrent tumor recurrence and underwent resection operation. Two patients received systemic adjuvant chemotherapy after operation. Case 5 was histopathologically high grade urothelial carcinoma, and 6 cycles of systemic chemotherapy were given after operation. Local recurrence occurred during chemotherapy, and then endoscopic operation was performed, and no recurrence occurred in the follow-up for 12 months after reoperation. In case 6, the pathology was low grade urothelial carcinoma, but the case was multiple tumors in the right renal calyx and the lower calyx. Then 6 cycles of systemic chemotherapy were given, and no recurrence was found in the followp for 13 months.

CONCLUSION

Transurethral flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser resection is relatively safe for the treatment of renal pelvic carcinoma. It is suitable for special cases of solitary kidney and renal dysfunction, as well as for patients with low risk urinary tract epithelial tumors, but the recurrence rate is high, and the indications need to be strictly controlled. Patients with high-risk urothelial carcinoma who underwent endoscopic resection are advised to receive systemic adjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) regimen after surgery, in order to increase the overall survival rate. Systemic chemotherapy combined with endoscopic operation may become a new treatment for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Efficient and tunable spectral compression using frequency-domain nonlinear optics

A key requirement in the field of ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy is to efficiently generate intense tunable narrowband picosecond laser pulses synchronized to a broadband femtosecond laser source. Current nonlinear methods for picosecond pulse generation suffer from complexities in both experimental implementation and pulse frequency tunability. We present here a straightforward method for spectral bandwidth compression that produces frequency tunable picosecond pulses with efficient power conversion. Broadband femtosecond laser pulses are compressed to narrowband picosecond pulses using frequency domain sum-frequency generation of spatially chirped pulses, achieving spectral bandwidths of <20 cm^-1 and power conversion efficiency of ∼18%. The experimental design of the bandwidth compressor is presented and its application to stimulated Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated.

Diagnostic and prognostic implications of serum miR-101 in osteosarcoma

Blood-circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be used as potential biomarkers in various cancers. MiR-101 has been found to act as a tumor suppressor in many tumor types, but little is known for osteosarcoma. The purpose of this study was to investigate miR-101 expression in osteosarcoma patients and assess its correlation with clinical features and prognosis. Serum samples from 152 osteosarcoma patients and 70 healthy controls were detected using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The data showed that miR-101 expression levels were remarkably underexpressed in serum samples from osteosarcoma patients compared to controls, and the post-treatment serum miR-101 expression was significantly higher than that in the pre-treatment expression. Low serum miR-101 expression was positively associated with advanced clinical stage and distant metastasis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that serum miR-101 could serve as a useful marker for osteosarcoma diagnosis, with a high sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, patients with high miR-101 expression had longer overall survival and recurrence free survival than those with low miR-101 expression. In addition, both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that serum miR-101 downregulation was associated with shorter overall survival and recurrence free survival. Our present results implicated serum miR-101 might be a useful biomarker for the clinical diagnosis and prognosis of osteosarcoma.