Sex modulates the apolipoprotein E ε4 effect on white matter and cortical functional connectivity in individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent studies from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative show that, in the USA, 75% of patients with Alzheimer's disease are female. To date, there have rarely been any attempts to analyze data by sex or gender, which limits the potential for discovering the effects of sex or gender on disease. Little evidence is available regarding the effect of gender and apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 on white matter (WM) connection from the functional perspective due to the lack of appropriate techniques for detecting blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals in WM.

METHODS

We took advantage of a new framework known as functional tensor imaging to investigate the effect of sex and APOEε4 on WM cortical functional connectivity throughout the brain.

RESULTS

In a group of female patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, we found a significantly reduced functional connectivity in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule, left superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, bilateral temporopolar area and right somatosensory association cortex in APOEε4 carriers in contrast to non-carriers. We also found a significant APOEε4 by sex interaction effect on the right somatosensory association cortex, left temporopolar area and left superior temporal gyrus. The clinical Montreal Cognitive Assessment score was significantly negatively associated with the right somatosensory association cortex with APOEε4 by sex interaction in males.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that increased APOE-related risk in women may be associated with decreased activity in both gray matter and WM in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment compared with men. The finding suggests accounting for sex differences in neuroimaging biomarkers, diagnostics and treatment strategy.

Drug vector representation: a tool for drug similarity analysis

DrugMatrix is a valuable toxicogenomic dataset, which provides in vivo transcriptome data corresponding to hundreds of chemical drugs. However, the relationships between drugs and how those drugs affect the biological process are still unknown. The high dimensionality of the microarray data hinders its application. The aims of this study are to (1) represent the transcriptome data by lower-dimensional vectors, (2) compare drug similarity, (3) represent drug combinations by adding vectors and (4) infer drug mechanism of action (MoA) and genotoxicity features. We borrowed the latent semantic analysis (LSA) technique from natural language processing to represent treatments (drugs with multiple concentrations and time points) by dense vectors, each dimension of which is an orthogonal biological feature. The gProfiler enrichment tool was used for the 100-dimensional vector feature annotation. The similarity between treatments vectors was calculated by the cosine function. Adding vectors may represent drug combinations, treatment times or treatment doses that are not presented in the original data. Drug-drug interaction pairs had a higher similarity than random drug pairs in the hepatocyte data. The vector features helped to reveal the MoA. Differential feature expression was also implicated for genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens. An easy-to-use Web tool was developed by Shiny Web application framework for the exploration of treatment similarities and drug combinations (https://bioinformatics.fafu.edu.cn/drugmatrix/). We represented treatments by vectors and provided a tool that is useful for hypothesis generation in toxicogenomic, such as drug similarity, drug repurposing, combination therapy and MoA.

[Study on the characteristics of major birth defects in 1.69 million cases of fetus in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region]

Objective: Tracking the information on 1.69 million fetal cases across Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi) so as to study the occurrences of total and major birth defects in order to evaluate the ability on related prevention and control programs in Guangxi. Methods: Using the self-developed "Gui Women's System" to establish a database of 1.69 million fetal cases in Guangxi and to analyze the distribution of time, space and population, as well as the outcomes of pregnancy, using the big data. Results: During the 29 months of observation, the overall live birth rate was 99.25%, with stillbirth rate during pregnancy as 0.44%, stillbirth rate during birth as 0.02%, and the 0-6 days mortality rate as 0.14%. The total detection rate on birth defects was 197.63/10 000; the incidence rate was 103.04/10 000, the birth rate was 102.55/10 000. The overall discovery rate of major birth defects was 48.33/10 000, with the incidence rate as 783 000, the birth rate as 0.58/10 000. The discovery rates of major birth defects in 14 cities were between 35 and 68/10 000, and the birth rate dropped significantly to less than 1.00 in 10 000. Nationalities showed that the number of pregnant women with birth defects more than 50 000 would include Hui (9.68/10 000), Yao (9.57/10 000), and Jing (9.37/10 000). With the increasing age of gestation, number of birth defects, incidence of major birth defects also increased. Ninety-five percent of the major birth defects were found within <28 weeks and with the top 5 kinds of major birth defects as complicated congenital heart disease (9.11/10 000), alpha thalassemia (8.36/10 000), and 21-trisomy syndrome (7.85/10 000), beta thalassemia (5.32/10 000) and fetal edema syndrome (4.92/10 000). The top 5 major birth defects appeared as complicated congenital heart disease (9.11/10 000), alpha thalassemia (8.36/10 000), and 21-trisomy syndrome (7.85/10 000), beta thalassemia (5.32/10 000) and fetal edema syndrome (4.92/10 000). Conclusion: Programs leading to increase the rate on discovery of major birth defects were fundamental in effectively reducing the major birth defects.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 deficiency significantly exacerbates tert-butyl alcohol-induced toxicity in mice

Owing to the use of ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) as a fuel additive, the possible adverse effects of ETBE exposure have become a public concern. Our previous study showed that ETBE-induced toxicity in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (Aldh2) gene knockout (KO) mice was caused by its primary metabolite acetaldehyde, which was toxic. However, it is unclear whether tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), another main metabolite of ETBE, plays a role in ETBE-induced toxicity. To investigate this relationship, we analyzed the changes of TBA concentrations in tissues after ETBE exposure, and then evaluated the toxicity after direct TBA treatment in both KO and wild-type (WT) mice. An exposure to 500 ppm ETBE via inhalation resulted in the formation of its three metabolites, TBA, 2-methyl-1,2-propanediol and ethanol, whose concentrations in the liver, brain, fat and testis of male KO mice were significantly higher than the corresponding concentrations observed in male WT mice. Direct treatment to TBA (20 mg/mL of drinking water) caused significant changes in relative organ weights and histopathology, and increased levels of genetic damages in both types of mice. These toxic effects were also seen in KO mice exposed to a lower concentration of TBA (5 mg/mL), which was associated with increased oxidative stress in serum (reduced glutathione and reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio decreased). Our findings indicate that ALDH2 is involved in the metabolism of ETBE and TBA, and ALDH2 deficiency could greatly increase the sensitivity to TBA-induced toxicity.

[Interpretation of "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Infection by the National Health Commission (Trial Version 5)"]

the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China publish the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection (trial version 5) .With the awareness and understanding of the disease, the guidelines have been revised for recognize, treat, and prevent diseases. Then, what are the contents of the fifth edition of the guide issued updated compared to the fourth edition, now, learn together.

MiR-129 is involved in the occurrence of uterine fibroid through inhibiting TET1

OBJECTIVE

To detect the expressions of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-129 and its target gene in uterine fibroid tissues and to investigate the role of miR-129 in the occurrence of uterine fibroid.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expressions of miR-129 and its target gene ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) were detected via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Dual-luciferase reporter gene and Western blotting were used to verify the regulatory relation between miR-129 and target gene. The effects of miR-129 on the proliferation, apoptosis, cycle and extracellular matrix (ECM) of uterine fibroid cells were investigated via transfection with miR-129 mimics and TET1 small-interfering RNA (siRNA).

RESULTS

MiR-129 was lowly expressed in uterine fibroid. The expression of miR-129 was regulated by sex hormones. The highly expressed miR-129 promoted apoptosis and inhibited proliferation through reducing the low expression of TET1. At the same time, miR-129 affected the accumulation of ECM.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of miR-129 in uterine fibroid is lower, and the proliferation capacity of tumor cells is enhanced, thus promoting the occurrence and development of uterine fibroid.

Redox-modulated colorimetric detection of ascorbic acid and alkaline phosphatase activity with gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) exhibit characteristic absorption peaks in the ultraviolet visible region due to their special surface plasmon resonance effect. This characteristic absorption peak would change with the relative colour varying from wine red to orange-yellow upon sequential addition of ascorbic acid (AA) into the mixture of AuNPs and Ag(I). Similar observations also could be found when the hydrolysis product of sodium l-ascorbyl-2-phosphate with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was used as an alternative to AA. Results of structure characterization confirmed that the phenomena were due to the reduction of Ag(I) to Ag(0) on the surface of AuNPs and the formation of core-shell AuNPs@Ag. Therefore, a colorimetric assay for rapid visual detection of AA and ALP based on redox-modulated silver deposition on AuNPs has been proposed. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the absorbance variation ΔA_{522 nm} /A_{370 nm} of AuNPs was proportional to the concentration of AA (5-60 μmol/L) and ALP (3-18 U/L) with the corresponding detection limit of 2.44 μmol/L for AA and 0.52 U/L for ALP. The assay showed excellent selectivity towards AA and ALP. Moreover, the assay has been applied to detect AA and ALP activity in real samples with satisfying results.

Composite super-moiré lattices in double-aligned graphene heterostructures

When two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals are brought into close proximity to form a van der Waals heterostructure, neighbouring crystals may influence each other's properties. Of particular interest is when the two crystals closely match and a moiré pattern forms, resulting in modified electronic and excitonic spectra, crystal reconstruction, and more. Thus, moiré patterns are a viable tool for controlling the properties of 2D materials. However, the difference in periodicity of the two crystals limits the reconstruction and, thus, is a barrier to the low-energy regime. Here, we present a route to spectrum reconstruction at all energies. By using graphene which is aligned to two hexagonal boron nitride layers, one can make electrons scatter in the differential moiré pattern which results in spectral changes at arbitrarily low energies. Further, we demonstrate that the strength of this potential relies crucially on the atomic reconstruction of graphene within the differential moiré super cell.

Identification of urinary hsa_circ _0137439 as potential biomarker and tumor regulator of bladder cancer

Cell-free circular RNAs (circRNAs) stably and abundantly exist in body fluids. In this study we aimed to investigate the potential of urinary cell-free circRNAs as a novel class of noninvasive disease biomarkers for diagnosis of bladder cancer. Differentially expressed circRNAs from 10 normal and 10 bladder cancer urine samples were firstly detected by microarray. Hsa_circ_0137439 was then screened and validated in 30 normal and 116 bladder cancer samples. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of hsa_circ_0137439. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate the significance of hsa_circ_0137439 in the prognosis of bladder cancer. We found that hsa_circ_0137439 was significantly upregulated in bladder cancer samples. Moreover, increased expression of hsa_circ_0137439 was correlated with higher tumor stage, higher tumor grade, higher lymph node status, and history of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Also, urinary cell-free hsa_circ_0137439 could not only differentiate bladder cancer from normal controls but also distinguish MIBC from non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Additionally, hsa_circ_0137439 in urine supernatant could serve as an independent prognostic predicator of recurrence-free survival and overall survival for patients with bladder cancer. Cell assays showed that hsa_circ_0137439 knockdown contributed to the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration via hsa_circ_0137439/miR-142-5p/ MTDH axis. In conclusion, urinary cell-free hsa_circ_0137439 could be a promising biomarker for tumor diagnosis and prognostic assessment of bladder cancer patients.

Antimicrobial stewardship intervention: optimizing antibiotic treatment in hospitalized patients with reported antibiotic allergy

BACKGROUND

Reported antibiotic allergy in hospitalized patients seems to be related to more adverse events, the use of reserve antibiotics and longer hospitalization. Most patients reporting an antibiotic allergy can be de-labelled; as such, an antimicrobial stewardship intervention was set up.

AIM

To determine the impact of reported antibiotic allergy on the antibiotic treatment of hospitalized patients, and prevent unnecessary deviation from the preferred antibiotic treatment by a proactive antimicrobial stewardship intervention.

METHODS

Hospitalized patients reporting an antibiotic allergy were included in an intervention study at a teaching hospital in the Netherlands between March and May 2019. Physicians received training and were provided with a recommendation in the electronic medical record in case the preferred antibiotic treatment was unnecessarily avoided due to the allergy label and the patient was eligible for a drug challenge.

FINDINGS

In total, 492 patients reporting an antibiotic allergy were identified, accounting for 558 hospital admissions. In 93 cases, the antibiotic allergy label interfered with the preferred antibiotic treatment. Sixty-eight of these patients were eligible for a drug challenge, and 42 patients were challenged. In 40 (95%) of these patients, no allergic reaction was observed, and the preferred antibiotic treatment was given. Two (5%) patients developed a non-severe skin reaction after a drug challenge and continued an alternative antibiotic regimen.

CONCLUSION

This antimicrobial stewardship intervention can be used to provide patients with reported antibiotic allergy labels with the preferred antibiotic treatment, and to de-label them after uneventful re-exposure to the antibiotic agent.

P6449Circulating long noncoding RNA expression signature as a novel biomarker for myocardial fibrosis

Background

Cardiac fibrosis (CF) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of heart failure (HF), predisposing to contractile dysfunction, myocardial stiffness and life-threatening arrhythmias. Early detection and intervention of myocardial fibrosis, therefore, can delay or prevent the progression of HF. Current diagnostic and treatment options for CF, however, are very limited.

Purpose

To test the hypothesis that circulating lncRNA expression signature can be a sensitive biomarker to diagnose and correlate with the extent of CF in human heart.

Methods

Plasma RNA samples from healthy control (n=23) and from patients with diffuse myocardial fibrosis documented by cardiac magnetic resonance (T1 mapping technique, n=16) were analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNASeq), followed by differential expression, gene ontology/pathway and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses.

Results

RNASeq revealed that 439 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the plasma from patients with CF, compared to that from controls. Gene ontology analyses showed significant enrichment of these CF-linked genes in cytoskeleton organization, innate immune response, and MAPK-Erk signaling, cellular processes known to contribute to the development of CF. Further analyses showed that 84 plasma lncRNAs were dysregulated in patients with CF; 5 of the lncRNAs (ENSGehz746.10420265401.1, ENSGehz746.10420229124.6, ENSGehz746.10420281376.1, ENSGehz746.10420273275.1 and ENSGehz746.10420179818.13) showed concordant changes with their cis-mRNA (UBB, VIM, BCL2L1, PPP3R1 and PCBP1). Hierarchical clustering analyses demonstrated that the expression signature of plasma lncRNAs could distinguish patients with CF from control patients (classification accuracy 87%). The expression levels of plasma lncRNAs ENSGehz746.10420258017.1 and ENSGehz746.10420265401.1, in particular, were markedly downregulated in patients with myocardial fibrosis. ROC curve analyses showed that low expression levels of ENSGehz746.10420258017.1 and ENSGehz746.10420265401.1 were highly sensitive and specific to detect the presence of CF in human heart (AUC 0.9 for both lncRNAs, Figure).

LncRNA Predicts Cardiac Fibrosis

Conclusions

The present study revealed a circulating transcriptome signature that reflects the pathogenesis of CF. The expression profiles of circulating lncRNAs discriminated between patients with and without interstitial myocardial fibrosis. LncRNAs ENSGehz746.10420258017.1 and ENSGehz746.10420265401.1, in particular, are novel biomarkers with potential to facilitate clinical diagnosis of myocardial fibrosis.

[rmIL-33-stimulated nuocytes promote allergic inflammation in mouse model of allergic rhinitis]

Objective:The study aimed to investigate the role of nuocytes in allergic rhinitis （AR） murine models. Method:After intranasal administration of recombinant （rm） interleukin （IL）-33 in BALB/c mice, nuocytes were sorted and purified from the mouse nasal-associated lymphoid tissue （NALT）. Then, we examined the response of nuocytes to rmIL-33 in vitro. After a murine model of AR was established using ovalbumin, we adoptively transferred the cultured NALT-derived nuocytes to mice models, and determined allergic responses in them. Result:rmIL-33 expanded nuocytes in NALT of mice compared with AR mice （t=3.66, P<0.01）, and increased production of IL-13 from these cells in vitro in comparison with unstimulated nuocytes （t=19.90, P<0.000 1）. After adoptive transfer of nuocytes, sneezing （t=9.89, P<0.000 1） ,numbers of eosinophils（t=8.17, P<0.000 1）, concentrations of IL-13 （t=40.47, P<0.000 1） and IL-33 （t=19.89, P<0.000 1） in nasal lavage fluid were all enhanced when compared with AR mice. Conclusion:Nuocytes promote allergic inflammation in a murine model of AR.

[Ratio of transfer cesarean section after trial of labor and maternal-fetal adverse outcomes based on Robson classifications]

Objective: To investigate the ratio of transfer cesarean section after trial of labor and maternal-fetal outcomes based on Robson classifications. Methods: The delivery data by cesarean section in Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from January 1st, 2009 to December 31st, 2015 (gestational age ≥28 weeks and newborn birth weight >1 000 g) were retrospectively collected. The ratio of transfer cesarean section after trial of labor and maternal-fetal adverse outcomes were analyzed by weighted adverse outcome score in different Robson classifications. Results: (1) The highest ratio of transfer cesarean section after trial of labor was classification 9 (all abnormal lies, including previous cesarean section and breech were excluded) reached 47.31% (431/911) , followed by classification 2 (nulliparous women with a single cephalic pregnancy, ≥37 weeks gestation who had labour induced) accounted for 44.90%(409/911). (2)The tops of weighted adverse outcome score of transfer cesarean section after trial of labor were classification 10 (single cephalic pregnancy at <37 weeks gestation, including women with previous cesarean delivery) 24.55, classification 5 (single cephalic pregnancy multiparous women, with at least one previous cesarean delivery, ≥37weeks gestation) 3.64. Conclusion: Carefully evaluating the delivery mode and emphasizing the intrapartum management in nulliparous women with a single cephalic pregnancy, at ≥37 weeks gestation who had labour induced and trial of labor after cesarean section is essential to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes in transfer cesarean section after trial of labor.

[Effects of n-hexane on learning and memory and the expressions of nerve growth factor mRNA and nerve growth factor receptor mRNA of brain tissue in mice exposed to N-hexane]

Objective: To Effects of n-hexane on learning and memory and the expressions of nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA and nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) mRNA of brain tissue in mice exposed to N-hexane. Methods: 40 Kunming mice were randomly divided into low-dose group, meddle-dose group, high-dose dose group and control group, with 10 mice in each group. All the groups were orally exposed to n-hexane in different doses: low-dose group with 43.5 mg/kg, middle-dose group with 86.5 mg/kg and high-dose group with 173.0 mg/kg, 1 time per day for 20 d. After the poisoning, the Y-arm test and the expressions of NGF mRNA and NGFR mRNA and the concentrations of NGF and NGFR in the brain tissues of each group were measured. Results: In the first Y-arm test, there existed a significant difference in correct reaction rate generally in all groups (P<0.05), and correct reaction rate in the middle-dose group and the high-dose group were low significantly compared with that in the control group(P<0.05). In the second Y-arm test, there existed a significant differences in total electric shock time and correct reaction rate generally in all groups (P<0.01), and the total electric shock time prolonged significantly and the correct response rate decreased significantly in 3 dose groups compared with those of the control group(P<0.05). The expression levels of NGF mRNA in brain tissues of low, meddle and high dose-groups were 0.81±0.66, 0.67±0.37 and 0.69±0.26, and the expression levels of NGFR mRNA were 1.22±0.42, 1.98±0.84 and 2.01±2.01, respectively. Compared with the control group, the expressions of NGF mRNA in the 3 dose groups decreased significantly (P<0.05), and the expression of NGFR mRNA in middle-and high-dose groups increased significantly (P<0.05). The concentrations of NGF in brain tissues of low,meddle and high dose-groups were 39.97±7.24 ng/L, 39.26±7.88 ng/L,31.70±8.21 ng/L,and the concentrations of NGFR were 17.37±6.82 ng/L,21.37±7.16 ng/L, 22.46±7.70 ng/L, respectively. Compared with the control group, the concentrations of NGF in high-dose groups decreased significantly(P<0.05), and the concentrations of NGFR in middle-and high-dose groups increased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion: N-hexane exposure can result in decrease of learning and memory in mice, which may be related to abnormal expression of NGF mRNA and NGFR mRNA in brain tissue.

Tetramethylpyrazine supplementation reduced Salmonella Typhimurium load and inflammatory response in broilers

The present study tested whether tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) supplementation could influence the growth performance, Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) load, inflammasomes, cytokines, and chemokines in broilers. Treatments were a 2 × 2 factorial design, including negative control (NC), S. Typhimurium challenge (SC), and NC/SC + TMP (150 mg/kg of diet). The trial lasted for 28 D, and S. Typhimurium subclinical challenge was occurred on day 8. The results showed that S. Typhimurium challenge worsened (P < 0.05) growth performance, S. Typhimurium load in intestinal digesta and visceral tissues, intestinal inflammatory responses, and permeability compared to the NC treatment. TMP supplementation increased (P < 0.05) feed intake, weight gain, and feed efficiency by 4.3 to 12.0%, but decreased (P < 0.05) S. Typhimurium load by 5.4 to 45.8%, inflammasomes (caspase-1/3/9, gasdermin A/E, and nod-like receptor protein 3) by 25.0 to 59.0%, chemokines (C-C motif ligand 2 and C-X-C motif 10) by 40.2 to 47.2%, intestinal permeability by 28.2% compared to the SC treatment. The TMP also reduced inflammatory response by influencing tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 1β/4/6. Factorial analysis indicated that TMP and SC were interactive (P < 0.05) on most parameters due to the more pronounced TMP effect in S. Typhimurium challenge groups. It is concluded that TMP can promote growth and mitigate S. Typhimurium infection by reducing the S. Typhimurium load and inflammatory response in broilers.

Pool boiling of HFO-1336mzz(Z) on a reentrant cavity surface

This paper quantifies the pool boiling performance of R1336mzz(Z) on a flattened, horizontal Turbo-ESP surface for air-conditioning and industrial heat recovery applications for heat fluxes between roughly 10 kWm-2 and 120 kWm-2. The R1336mzz(Z) pool boiling curve was measured for three saturation temperatures and exhibited the best performance with respect to saturation temperature near the middle saturation temperature of 298.1 K. The study showed that the boiling performance of R1336mzz(Z) on the Turbo-ESP did not differ statistically from that of R123 for heat fluxes between 13 kWm-2 and 59 kWm-2. For heat fluxes larger than 59 kWm-2, the R123 boiling heat flux was up to 5% larger than the heat flux for R1336mzz(Z). A pool boiling model was modified to include a convective term and was used to predict boiling heat transfer for the test refrigerants on the Turbo-ESP surface, mostly, to within ±0.5 K.

Dispersal and genetic differentiation of Syntrichia caninervis populations across different desert regions in China

The moss Syntrichia caninervis is widely distributed in cool temperate and cold deserts where environmental pressures create a dependence on asexual reproduction (fragment reproduction). However, when compared to sporophyte-producing mosses, there is a lack of evidence to support the capacity of drought-tolerant mosses that predominantly fragment and produce protonema to disperse over long distances. We used 20 microsatellite loci to study genetic variation and structure in six populations (five natural populations and one population from a regeneration site) in three contrasting and widely separated regions of China. The genetic diversity and expected heterozygosity were lower in populations from the Tengger Desert than in populations from the other regions. Using PCoA, UPGMA and Structure analysis, the genetic grouping divided the three regions into three distinct groups. This may indicate that in regions where S. caninervis reproduces predominantly asexually, propagules are spread mainly by short-distance dispersal. The genetic diversity of the population from the regeneration site in the Tengger Desert was slightly higher than that of the nearby, naturally occurring population, and included some input from the Pamir Plateau almost 2,300 km to the west, suggesting long-distance dispersal of S. caninervis propagules across the region. Predominantly asexually reproducing populations of S. caninervis are mainly dependent on short-distance dispersal. Long-distance dispersal of S. caninervis propagules across the region is difficult. Establishment of populations with dominant asexual reproduction will eventually result in genetic differentiation.

Gene co-expression network analysis identifies trait-related modules in Arabidopsis thaliana

A comprehensive network of the Arabidopsis transcriptome was analyzed and may serve as a valuable resource for candidate gene function investigations. A web tool to explore module information was also provided. Arabidopsis thaliana is a widely studied model plant whose transcriptome has been substantially profiled in various tissues, development stages and other conditions. These data can be reused for research on gene function through a systematic analysis of gene co-expression relationships. We collected microarray data from National Center for Biotechnology Information Gene Expression Omnibus, identified modules of co-expressed genes and annotated module functions. These modules were associated with experiments/traits, which provided potential signature modules for phenotypes. Novel heat shock proteins were implicated according to guilt by association. A higher-order module networks analysis suggested that the Arabidopsis network can be further organized into 15 meta-modules and that a chloroplast meta-module has a distinct gene expression pattern from the other 14 meta-modules. A comparison with the rice transcriptome revealed preserved modules and KEGG pathways. All the module gene information was available from an online tool at http://bioinformatics.fafu.edu.cn/arabi/ . Our findings provide a new source for future gene discovery in Arabidopsis.

Association of mineral content outside of bone with coronary artery calcium and 1-year cardiovascular prognosis in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Coronary artery calcifications (CACs) are common among maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and associated with increased morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular events. The insight into chronic kidney disease‐mineral and bone disorder (CKD‐MBD) established a correlation between dysregulated mineral metabolism and CACs. This study aimed to identify the association of mineral content outside of bone (MCOB) with CACs and cardiovascular events in MHD patients. In the pilot prospective study with no intervention, patients underwent body composition assessment by body composition monitor after hemodialysis and computed tomography examination using the Agatston scoring method simultaneously within a week. The primary end point included cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death. Correlations and receiver operating characteristic analysis elucidated the associations of MCOB with CACs; multivariate analysis assessed the cardiovascular risk for groups with different MCOB. One hundred three eligible patients with an average age of 48 (35‐63) years old were enrolled and followed up to 12 (11‐12.5) months, among which 52.4% had detectable CACs at baseline. MCOB showed an inverse correlation with Agatston score and significantly discriminated the patients with Agatston score > 0 (AUC = 0.737; P < 0.001) and 400 (AUC = 0.733; P < 0.001). MCOB ≤ 9.2657 mg/kg was an independent risk factor for CACs (OR = 4.853; P = 0.044) and strong predictor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality (HR = 10.108; P = 0.042), as well as rehospitalization (HR = 2.689; P = 0.004). MCOB inversely correlated with the presence and extent of CACs, and could discriminate Agatston score > 0 and 400, which also presented as an independent indicator for CKD‐MBD and 1‐year cardiovascular prognosis in adult MHD patients. Additional studies are required for identifying this issue.

Evaluation of Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging in Sub-acute Ischemic Stroke: Comparison with Rehabilitation Treatment Effect

Stroke is a serious worldwide medical condition that causes neurological function disability. Diffusional kurtosis imaging, which measures the non-Gaussianity of water diffusion, has been demonstrated to be a sensitive biomarker in many neuro-pathologies. This study explores the relationship between neural function recovery and transformation of the ischemic lesion and/or corticospinal tract during the sub-acute phase after stroke by using diffusional kurtosis imaging. We performed a prospective study of function recovery and K metrics of 43 patients with sub-acute ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery territory. The effect of rehabilitation treatment was evaluated using both the Fugl-Meyer motor function score and modified Barthel index score at post-treatment compared with admission, and patients were allocated to two groups: good and poor rehabilitation effect (GRE and PRE). Metrics of diffusional kurtosis imaging within ischemic lesion and along the corticospinal tract were acquired, respectively. All three relative axial diffusional kurtoses (rKas) along the corticospinal tract in the GRE group ( n = 21) were significantly larger than those of the PRE group ( n = 22), including rKa in the posterior limb of internal capsule, rKa in the cerebral peduncle, and rKa in the basal part of the pons ( p = 0.014, 0.005, and 0.021, respectively). This multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging study showed that diffusional kurtosis imaging has the potential to complement existing stroke imaging techniques and revealed its own advantages in elucidating the possible biophysical mechanism of functional restoration underlying ischemic stroke.

[The influence of different thyroid stimulating hormone cut-offs to diagnose subclinical hypothyroidism during the first trimester of pregnancy]

Objective: To analyze the influence of different thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) cut-offs to diagnose subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in the first trimester of gestation. Methods: A total of 896 pregnant women were enrolled in Peking University International Hospital between October 2016 and March 2018. Among them, 421 pregnant women with single fetus who were conformed to the criteria of National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB), without adverse pregnancy outcomes and obstetric complications, were selected to establish their self-sequential longitudinal reference ranges of thyroid function. Then, SCH was diagnosed in the first trimester, using different TSH cutoffs, such as the upper limit of the first trimester-specific reference range, 4.0 mU/L recommended by the 2017 Guidelines of American Thyroid Association (ATA), 5.17 mU/L (Roche reagent) recommended by 2012 Guidelines of Chinese Society of Endocrinology and Chinese Society of Perinatal Medicine, and 2.5 mU/L recommended by 2011 Guidelines of ATA, respectively. Results: The TSH reference range was 0.12-4.16 mU/L in the first trimester. Using TSH>4.16, 4.0, 5.17 and 2.5 mU/L to diagnose SCH in the first trimester, the prevalence rates were 4.35% (39/896), 5.92% (53/896), 1.56% (14/896) and 20.87% (187/896), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the prevalence rates of SCH using the TSH upper reference limit of 4.0 mU/L and 4.16 mU/L (P=0.134). When TSH was defined as>4.0 mU/L to diagnose SCH, the sensitivity, specificity and Youden index was 97.4%, 98.2%, and 0.956, respectively. Conclusions: The TSH upper reference limit of 4.0 mU/L recommended by 2017 Guidelines of ATA can be used as a cut-off to diagnose SCH in first trimester for the areas without trimester-specific reference ranges for TSH in China.

Cytotoxic and antibacterial polyketide-indole hybrids synthesized from indole-3-carbinol by Daldinia eschscholzii

Two skeletally undescribed polyketide-indole hybrids (PIHs), named indolchromins A and B, were generated from indole-3-carbinol (I3C) in the fungal culture (Daldinia eschscholzii). The indolchromin structures were elucidated mainly by their 1D and 2D NMR spectra with the former confirmed by the single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. Each indolchromin alkaloid was chirally separated into four isomers, whose absolute configurations were assigned by comparing the recorded circular dichroism (CD) spectra with the electronic CD (ECD) curves computed for all optional stereoisomers. Furthermore, the indolchromin construction pathways in fungal culture were clarified through enzyme inhibition, precursor feeding experiment, and energy calculation. The cascade reactions, including decarboxylative Claisen condensation catalyzed by 8-amino-7-oxononanoate synthase (AONS), C(sp³)-H activation, double bond migration, and Michael addition, all undergone compatibly during the fungal cultivation. In an MIC range of 1.3–8.6 μmol/L, (2S,4R)- and (2R,4S)-indolchromin A and (2R,4S)-indolchromin B are inhibitory against Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium difficile, Veillonella sp., Bacteroides fragilis, and Streptococcus pyogenes. (2R,4S)-Indolchromin A and (2S,4S)-indolchromin B were cytotoxic against the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 with IC₅₀ values of 27.9 and 131.2 nmol/L, respectively, with the former additionally active against another human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 (IC₅₀ 94.4 nmol/L).

The Association between Long- and Intra-Dialytic Blood Pressure Variability with All-Cause Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients

BACKGROUND

Blood pressure variability (BPV) is a potential prognostic predictor for all-cause mortality.

OBJECTIVES

We conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare the prognostic value of long-term BPV with intra-dialytic BPV in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We included 611 HD patients and collected their baseline blood pressure (BP) measurements for 1 year and monitored them for 40 months. Long-term BPV was assessed by pre-dialysis BP SD and pre-dialysis absolute BP residual metric. Intra-dialytic BPV was assessed by intra-dialytic BP average real variability and intra-dialytic absolute BP residual.

RESULTS

Long-term systolic BPV showed a weak correlation with mean BP, but a stronger correlation with intra-dialytic BPV. High long-term systolic blood pressure (SBP) SD and long-term SBP residual metrics were associated with high all-cause mortality (p = 0.0084 and 0.0056, respectively), while no such association was found for intra-dialytic BPV or diastolic BPV. According to receiver operating characteristic curve with mortality as dependent variable, long-term SBP residual metric showed the strongest prognostic ability (area under curve [AUC] 0.679, p = 0.0006), which was even stronger in patients with BP ≥140/90 mm Hg (AUC 0.713, p = 0.0004). After completely adjusting for confounders, long-term SBP residual metric remained significantly associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.628 per quartile; 95% CI 1.086-2.441).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest long-term SBP residual metric to be a better predictor of all-cause mortality in HD patients, which could be used as an additional target for BP management.

Hydrothermal synthesis of carbon dots codoped with nitrogen and phosphorus as a turn-on fluorescent probe for cadmium(II)

Nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dots (N,P-CDs) have been synthesized via hydrothermal method starting from o-phosphorylethanolamine and citric acid. The blue-green fluorescence of the N,P-CDs (with excitation/emission peaks at 325/435 nm) is gradually enhanced on sequential addition of Cd(II) ions. This fluorometric assay works in the 0.5 μM to 12.5 μM Cd(II) concentration range and has a 0.16 μM detection limit. The phenomenon may be attributed to chelation enhanced fluorescence that is induced by the formation of Cd(II)-N,P-CDs complex with functional groups present on the surface. The method has applied to the detection of Cd(II) in spiked serum and urine samples and gave satisfying results. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of the synthesis of nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dots (N,P-CDs) and their application as a turn-on fluorescence probe for Cd(II) detection.

Synthesis of enantiopure 18F-trifluoromethyl cysteine as a structure-mimetic amino acid tracer for glioma imaging

Although 11C-labelled sulfur-containing amino acids (SAAs) including L-methyl-[11C]methionine and S-[11C]-methyl-L-cysteine, are attractive tracers for glioma positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, their applications are limited by the short half-life of the radionuclide 11C (t1/2 = 20.4 min). However, development of 18F-labelled SAAs (18F, t1/2 = 109.8 min) without significant structural changes or relying on prosthetic groups remains to be a great challenge due to the absence of adequate space for chemical modification. Methods: We herein present 18F-trifluoromethylated D- and L-cysteines which were designed by replacing the methyl group with 18F-trifluoromethyl group using a structure-based bioisosterism strategy. These two enantiomers were synthesized stereoselectively from serine-derived cyclic sulfamidates via a nucleophilic 18F-trifluoromethylthiolation reaction followed by a deprotection reaction. Furthermore, we conducted preliminary in vitro and in vivo studies to investigate the feasibility of using 18F-trifluoromethylated cysteines as PET tracers for glioma imaging. Results: The two-step radiosynthesis provided the desired products in excellent enantiopurity (ee > 99%) with 14% ± 3% of radiochemical yield. In vitro cell study demonstrated that both enantiomers were taken up efficiently by C6 tumor cells and were mainly transported by systems L and ASC. Among them, the D-enantiomer exhibited relatively good stability and high tumor-specific accumulation in the animal studies. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that 18F-trifluoromethylated D-cysteine, a new SAA tracer, may be a potential candidate for glioma imaging. Taken together, our study represents a first step toward developing 18F-trifluoromethylated cysteines as structure-mimetic tracers for PET tumor imaging.

[Risk factors and sonographic findings associated with the type of placenta accreta spectrum disorders]

Objective: To evaluate the risk factors and sonographic findings of pregnancies complicated by placenta increta or placenta percreta. Methods: Totally, 2 219 cases were retrospectively analyzed from 20 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2011 to December 2015. The data were collected based on the original case records. All cases were divided into two groups, the placenta increta (PI) group (79.1%, 1 755/2 219) and the placenta percreta (PP) group (20.9%, 464/2 219) , according to the degree of placental implantation. The risk factors and sonographic findings of placenta increta or percreta were analyzed by uni-factor and logistic regression statistic methods. Results: The risk factors associated with the degree of placental implantation were age, gravida, previous abortion or miscarriage, previous cesarean sections, and placenta previa (all P<0.05), especially, previous cesarean sections (χ(2)=157.961) and placenta previa (χ(2)=91.759). Sonographic findings could be used to predict the degree of placental invasion especially the boundaries between placenta and uterine serosa, the boundary between placenta and myometrium, the disruption of the placental-uterine wall interface and loss of the normal retroplacental hypoechoic zone(all P<0.01). Conclusions: Previous cesarean sections and placenta previa are the main independent risk factors associated with the degree of placenta implantation. Ultrasound could be used to make a prenatal suggestive diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum disorders.