Development of a Self-reported Olfactory Dysfunction Questionnaire (SODQ) to screen olfactory disorders in China

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of olfactory dysfunction is challenging given the negligence during routine physical examination, inconvenience of diagnosis in clinical practice, and the inattention to cross-cultural adaptability. The study aimed to develop and validate a simple and effective self-reported olfactory dysfunction questionnaire (SODQ) for the initial screening of clinical olfactory disorders in China.

METHODS

A total of 121 subjects participated in the study; of these, 96 subjects completed the T&T olfactometer test and 12-item questionnaire, and 25 participants were retested using the SODQ after one week. The T&T olfactometer test examined the olfactory function and the questionnaire measured the ability to perceive common odors in daily life. We evaluated the factor structure, reliability, validity, and discriminative ability of the SODQ.

RESULTS

The final version of the SODQ consisted of 10 items with one factor. Test-retest and internal consistency were excellent. Convergent validity of the questionnaire with the T&T olfactory test was high. Furthermore, the discrimination ability was high for the questionnaire with an area under the curve of 0.95 and a cut-off point of 22.

CONCLUSIONS

The SODQ is a brief, valid, and repeatable tool that has the potential to effectively screen for clinical olfactory disorders from a subjective perspective.

Genome editing efficiency of four Drosophila suzukii endogenous U6 promoters

The invasive spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) has caused serious economic losses to the fruit industry. The conventional control methods have many limitations and genetic engineering technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene drive are promising approaches. In the CRISPR/Cas9 system, the transcriptional regulatory elements play an important role in the activities of gRNA. Thus, in order to improve the genome editing efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in D. suzukii, we cloned and tested four endogenous U6 promoters to drive mutagenesis of the white gene. Our results showed that all the four promoters could be used with variable efficiency. The promoter DsU6-3 had the highest genome editing efficiency among the four DsU6 promoters. Compared with the DsU6-3 promoter, the DmU6:3 promoter showed lower efficiency to drive mutagenesis in D. suzukii. These findings expand the range of promoters available to express gRNAs in D. suzukii, facilitating the basic and applied research on this important pest.

Gamma-Ray Observation of the Cygnus Region in the 100-TeV Energy Region

We report observations of gamma-ray emissions with energies in the 100-TeV energy region from the Cygnus region in our Galaxy. Two sources are significantly detected in the directions of the Cygnus OB1 and OB2 associations. Based on their positional coincidences, we associate one with a pulsar PSR J2032+4127 and the other mainly with a pulsar wind nebula PWN G75.2+0.1, with the pulsar moving away from its original birthplace situated around the centroid of the observed gamma-ray emission. This work would stimulate further studies of particle acceleration mechanisms at these gamma-ray sources.

Long non-coding RNA NR2F1-AS1 promoted neuroblastoma progression through miR-493-5p/TRIM2 axis

OBJECTIVE

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays a vital role in the progression of various cancers. However, the potential mechanisms of NR2F1-AS1 in the tumorigenesis of neuroblastoma (NB) have not been determined.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression levels of NR2F1-AS1, miR-493 and TRIM2 were detected by RT-qPCR. The downstream target genes of NR2F1-AS1 or miR-493 were predicted by bioinformatics analysis (http://starbase.sysu.edu.cn/), which was further indicated by Luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. CCK-8, transwell, and TUNEL assays were performed to determine the viability, migration, invasion and apoptosis of NB cells.

RESULTS

NR2F1-AS1 was highly expressed and miR-493 was lowly expressed in NB tissues and cell lines. The high expression of NR2F1-AS1 was associated with poor prognosis in NB. NR2F1-AS1 knockdown inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion, and accelerated apoptosis of NB cells. MiR-493 was a downstream target of NR2F1-AS1, and the silencing of miR-493 reversed NR2F1-AS1 knockdown-attenuated progression of NB. Moreover, TRIM2 was demonstrated to be directly targeted by miR-493, and the upregulation of TRIM2 could abolish the inhibitory effect of miR-493 overexpression on the progression of NB. Finally, it was found that NR2F1-AS1 regulated TRIM2 expression by sponging miR-493.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrated that NR2F1-AS1 promoted the progression of NB through the miR-493/TRIM2 axis. This finding may provide new insight into the treatment of NB.

The influence of mechanical Circulatory support on post-transplant outcomes in pediatric patients: A multicenter study from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Registry

BACKGROUND

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is increasingly being used as a bridge to transplant in pediatric patients. We compare outcomes in pediatric patients bridged to transplant with MCS from an international cohort.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study of heart-transplant patients reported to the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) registry from 2005-2017 includes 5,095 patients <18 years. Pretransplant MCS exposure and anatomic diagnosis were derived. Outcomes included mortality, renal failure, and stroke.

RESULTS

26% of patients received MCS prior to transplant: 240 (4.7%) on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), 1,030 (20.2%) on ventricular assist device (VAD), and 54 (1%) both. 29% of patients were <1 year, and 43.8% had congenital heart disease (CHD). After adjusting for clinical characteristics, compared to no-MCS and VAD, ECMO had higher mortality during their transplant hospitalization [OR 3.97 & 2.55; 95% CI 2.43-6.49 & 1.42-4.60] while VAD mortality was similar [OR 1.55; CI 0.99-2.45]. Outcomes of ECMO+VAD were similar to ECMO alone, including increased mortality during transplant hospitalization compared to no-MCS [OR 4.74; CI 1.81-12.36]. Patients with CHD on ECMO had increased 1 year, and 10 year mortality [HR 2.36; CI 1.65-3.39], [HR 1.82; CI 1.33-2.49]; there was no difference in survival in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients based on pretransplant MCS status.

CONCLUSION

Survival in CHD and DCM is similar in patients with no MCS or VAD prior to transplant, while pretransplant ECMO use is strongly associated with mortality after transplant particularly in children with CHD. In children with DCM, long term survival was equivalent regardless of MCS status.

Characterization of inverted coaxial 76 Ge detectors in GERDA for future double- β decay experiments

Neutrinoless double- β decay of 76 Ge is searched for with germanium detectors where source and detector of the decay are identical. For the success of future experiments it is important to increase the mass of the detectors. We report here on the characterization and testing of five prototype detectors manufactured in inverted coaxial (IC) geometry from material enriched to 88% in 76 Ge. IC detectors combine the large mass of the traditional semi-coaxial Ge detectors with the superior resolution and pulse shape discrimination power of point contact detectors which exhibited so far much lower mass. Their performance has been found to be satisfactory both when operated in vacuum cryostat and bare in liquid argon within the Gerda setup. The measured resolutions at the Q-value for double- β decay of 76 Ge ( Q β β  = 2039 keV) are about 2.1 keV full width at half maximum in vacuum cryostat. After 18 months of operation within the ultra-low background environment of the GERmanium Detector Array (Gerda) experiment and an accumulated exposure of 8.5 kg · year, the background index after analysis cuts is measured to be 4 . 9 - 3.4 + 7.3 × 10 - 4 counts / ( keV · kg · year ) around Q β β . This work confirms the feasibility of IC detectors for the next-generation experiment Legend.

Doubling of the population exposed to drought over South Asia: CMIP6 multi-model-based analysis

Drought has a substantial socioeconomic impact under the changing climate. The estimation of population exposure to drought could be the pivotal signal to predict future water scarcity in the climate hotspot of South Asia. This study examines the changing population exposure to drought across South Asia using 20 climate model ensembles from the latest CMIP6 and demographic data under shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). Underpinning the latest version of the IPCC 6th Assessment Report (AR6), this paper focuses on the 2021-2040 (near-term), 2041-2060 (mid-term), and 2081-2100 (long-term) periods to project population exposure changes relative to the reference period (1995-2014) under four SSP-RCP scenarios. Drought events are detected by adopting the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) and run theory method. Model validation suggests that CMIP6-GCM performs well in projecting climate variables and capturing drought events. The results show that the projected increases in frequent drought events and affected areal coverage are stronger during the early part of the century and weaker at the end under all scenario combinations. In relative terms, the projected increase in the number of people exposed to drought is dominant (>1.5-fold) in the near-term and mid-term periods but decreases in the long-term period. Compared to the reference period, the leading increase in population exposure (2.3-fold) is projected under the newly designed gap scenario (SSP3-7.0) in the mid-term period. A surprising decline in the number of exposed populations was estimated to be 18.8% under SSP5-8.5 by the end of the century. The mitigating effect of the predicted heavy precipitation will decrease droughts in the late future. Spatially, increasing exposure will become more pronounced across India and Afghanistan. Furthermore, the population change effect is mainly responsible for the exposure changes in South Asia. However, this study strongly recommends future 'plausible world' regional rivalry pathways (SSP3) scenario-combinations into consideration for policymaking in regard to water management as well as migration planning over South Asia.

POS0094 EFFECTS OF RANKL INHIBITION ON PROMOTING HEALING OF BONE EROSION IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS USING HR-pQCT: A 2-YEAR, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL

Background:

Partial repair of bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is known from high-resolution peripheral quantitative computer tomography (HR-pQCT) studies in patients with moderate to high disease activity using biologics [1]. Whether RANKL inhibition by denosumab is efficacious in healing existing erosions in RA patients with low disease activity or in remission on conventional synthetic DMARDs is uncertain.

Objectives:

To evaluate the effects of denosumab on erosion healing at 2-4 metacarpophalangeal head as determined by HR-pQCT in patients with RA with stable disease.

Methods:

This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. RA patients with disease activity score 28 joints (DAS28) ≤5.1 were randomized (1:1) to subcutaneous denosumab 60 mg or placebo once every six months for 24 months. The primary outcome was erosion healing at MCP 2-4 on HR-pQCT at 12 months. The effects of denosumab on erosion and joint space parameters on HR-pQCT and radiographs, disease activity and health assessment questionnaire-disability index (HAQ-DI) were also examined.

Results:

At 24 months, HR-pQCT images were analyzed in 98 patients. Baseline demographic, clinical characteristics and imaging parameters were comparable between the two treatment groups (table 1). Seventeen patients in each group (placebo group: 17/52, 32.6%; denosumab group: 17/50, 34.0%) achieved sustained low disease activity (DAS28 ≤ 3.2) throughout the 24 months. At 12 months, changes in erosion parameters on HR-pQCT were similar between the two groups. At 24 months, new erosions (19% vs 9%, p=0.009) and erosion progression (34% vs 16%, p<0.001) were more common in the placebo group than the denosumab group. Erosion healing was seen in a significantly higher proportion of patients in the denosumab group (20% vs 6%, p=0.045) at 24 months. The details of the changes in HR-pQCT erosion parameters are shown in figure 1. No significant differences in the changes in joint space parameters on HR-pQCT, van der Heijde-Sharp erosion score, DAS28 and HAQ-DI were observed between the two groups at 12 and 24 months.

Table 1.

Baseline clinical, demographic, disease activity parameters and medications

Placebo (n=55)Denosumab (n=55)Total (n=110)Age56.5 ± 7.157.2 ± 8.556.8 ± 7.8Gender (Female)47 (86)41 (75)88 (80)Disease duration (years)8.5 ± 6.87.3 ± 6.97.9 ± 6.8Rheumatoid factor positive40 (72)38 (69)78 (71)ACPA positive43 (78)44 (80)87 (79)DAS28-CRP2.43 ± 0.832.6 ± 0.922.51 ± 0.88DAS28-CRP>3.28 (15)13 (24)21 (19)HAQ-DI (0-3)0.31 ± 0.380.46 ± 0.470.39 ± 0.43csDMARDs49 (89)52 (95)101 (92)Combination csDMARDs26 (47)33 (60)59 (54)Glucocorticoids5 (10)5 (9)10 (9)vdH- Sharp erosion score10.4 ± 18.48.9 ± 13.89.6 ± 16.2vdH- Sharp JSN score12.4 ± 17.711.5 ± 17.211.9 ± 17.4Lumbar spine aBMD, g/cm20.914 ± 0.1470.930 ± 0.1430.922 ± 0.145Total hip aBMD, g/cm20.837 ± 0.1020.847 ± 0.1460.841 ± 0.125Femoral neck aBMD, g/cm20.681 ± 0.0990.695 ± 0.1280.687 ± 0.114

Data are reported as mean ± SD or number (%). ACPA: Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody; DAS28: disease activity score 28; csDMARDs: conventional synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug. HAQ-DI: health assessment questionnaire disability index; vdH- Sharp score: Van der Heijde- Sharp score; aBMD: areal bone mineral density

Conclusion:

Although no differences in erosion parameters were observed at 12 months, denosumab was more efficacious than placebo in erosion repair on HR-pQCT after 24 months.

References:

[1]Finzel S, Rech J, Schmidt S, et al. Interleukin-6 receptor blockade induces limited repair of bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis: a micro CT study. Ann Rheum Dis 2013;72:396-400.

Figure 1.

Changes in erosion parameters by HR-pQCT. (A) Percentage of patients with overall erosion healing; (B) Outcome of individual erosion with healing, progression and new erosion detected across study period; change in (C) mean erosion volume; (D) total erosion volume; (E) erosion width; (F) erosion depth and (G) marginal osteosclerosis per patient.

Disclosure of Interests:

Ho SO: None declared, Isaac T. Cheng: None declared, Sze-Lok Lau: None declared, Evelyn Chow: None declared, Tommy Lam: None declared, Vivian W Hung: None declared, Edmund Li: None declared, James F Griffith: None declared, Vivian WY Lee: None declared, Lin Shi: None declared, Junbin Huang: None declared, Yan Kitty Kwok: None declared, Isaac C Yim: None declared, Tena K. Li: None declared, Vincent Lo: None declared, Jolly M Lee: None declared, Jack Jock Wai Lee: None declared, Ling Qin: None declared, Lai-Shan Tam Grant/research support from: Grants from Novartis and Pfizer

Prognostic factors at admission on patients with cancer COVID-19: Analysis of hope registry data

Background

Previous works seem to agree in the higher mortality of cancer patients with COVID-19. Identifying potential prognostic factors upon admission could help identify patients with a poor prognosis.

Methods

We aimed to explore the characteristics and evolution of COVID-19 cancer patients admitted to hospital in a multicenter international registry (HOPE COVID-19).

Our primary objective is to define those characteristics that allow us to identify cancer patients with a worse prognosis (mortality within 30 days after the diagnosis of COVID-19).

Results

5838 patients have been collected in this registry, of whom 770 had cancer among their antecedents. In hospital mortality reached 258 patients (33.51%). The median was 75 years (65–82). Regarding the distribution by sex, 34.55% of the patients (266/770) were women.

The distribution by type of cancer: genitourinary 238/745 (31.95%), digestive 124/745 (16.54%), hematologic 95/745 (12.75%).

In multivariate regression analysis, factors that are independently associated with mortality at admission are: renal impairment (OR 3.45, CI 97.5% 1.85–6.58), heart disease (2.32, 1.47–3.66), liver disease (4.69, 1.94–11.62), partial dependence (2.41, 1.34–4.33), total dependence (7.21, 2.60–21.82), fatigue (1.84, 1.16–2.93), arthromialgias (0.45, 0.26–0.78), SatO2 < 92% (4.58, 2.97–7.17), elevated LDH (2.61, 1.51–4.69) and abnormal decreased Blood Pressure (3.57, 1.81–7.15). Analitical parameters are also significant altered.

Conclusion

In patients with cancer from the HOPE registry, 30-day mortality from any cause is high and is associated with easily identifiable clinical factors upon arrival at the hospital. Identifying these patients can help initiate more intensive treatments from the start and evaluate the prognosis of these patients.

Nicotinamide improves NAD+ levels to protect against acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury in mice

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose causes acute liver injury (ALI). Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is an essential coenzyme, and NAD⁺ is oxidized type which synthesized from nicotinamide (NAM). The present study aimed to investigate the role of NAD⁺ in ALI and protective property of NAM. The mice were subjected to different doses APAP. After 8 hours, the serum activities of alaninetransaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), the hepatic NAD⁺ level and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) expression were determined. Then, the mice were pretreated with NAM (800 mg/kg), the hepatoprotective effects and the key antioxidative molecules were evaluated. Our findings indicated that APAP resulted in remarkable NAD⁺ depletion in a dose-dependent manner accompanied by NAMPT downregulation, and NAM pretreatment significantly elevated the NAD⁺ decline due to upregulation of NAMPT. Moreover, the downregulated Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 (Keap1), upregulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its translocation activation after NAM administration were confirmed, which were in accordance with improved superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) levels. Finally, NAM dramatically exhibited hepatoprotective effects by reducing the liver index and necrotic area. This study has suggested that APAP impairs liver NAD⁺ level and NAM is able to improve hepatic NAD⁺ to activate antioxidant pathway against APAP-induced ALI.

786 Retrospective analysis of paediatric ENT surgery outcomes during the COVID pandemic

Introduction

Studies show high morbidity/mortality for adults with peri-operative SARS-CoV-2 infection, leading to recommendations curtailing elective operations during the height of the pandemic. Our understanding of the risks associated with paediatric surgery is more limited, with preliminary data suggesting lower morbidity/mortality than in adults. A < 1% incidence of COVID-19 in paediatric patients undergoing preoperative universal screening is reported, and even in those testing positive, morbidity and mortality seem to be low. As waiting lists swell and the detriment associated with delaying surgery mounts, it is imperative to accurately quantify the risks of surgery in the paediatric population.

Method

Retrospective review of all paediatric ENT operations performed at the Evelina Children’s Hospital at the height of lockdown, from March to May 2020.

Results

61 procedures were performed on 56 patients. 50% had a pre-operative SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swabs. All cases involved a change in anesthetic practice; 2 cases involved a change in surgical practice. We noted 2 medical complications and 1 surgical complication. All patients are currently extant. No staff or patients subsequently developed COVID.

Conclusions

Our perioperative infection rates and mortality/morbidity figures concord with figures published elsewhere in literature. We are cautiously optimistic regarding risks associated with paediatric ENT surgery.

Autophagy related 4B, upregulated by HIF-1α, attenuates the sensitivity to cisplatin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

OBJECTIVE

Increasing evidence has shown that autophagy related proteins and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) are both involved in the malignant progress of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and HIF-1α plays an emerging role in the chemosensitivity of NPC cells. However, it is still unknown whether autophagy related proteins are associated with HIF-1α in regulating the chemosensitivity of NPC cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR) was applied to determine mRNA levels of HIF-1α and the autophagy related proteins, such as ATG3, ATG4B, ATG5, Beclin1, ATG7, ATG10, ATG12 and ATG16L1. Western blot was applied to determine protein levels of HIF-1α, ATG4B and cleaved Caspase-3. Cell viability and death were investigated by cell counting kit-8 and trypan blue exclusion assay. In addition, Caspase-3 activity was detected to reflect apoptosis. Furthermore, Luciferase reporter assay was applied to explore the mechanism by which HIF-1α transcriptionally upregulated ATG4B expression.

RESULTS

Our study reveals that HIF-1α increased ATG4B expression in NPC cells, and in turn upregulated the cisplatin (DDP)-induced protective autophagy, resulting in enhanced killing effect of DDP to NPC cells. In mechanism, reporter assay showed that HIF-1α upregulated ATG4B expression by activating its gene promoter region. The binding site (-225 to -216) was required for HIF-1α-induced increase of ATG4B gene promoter activity.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that HIF-1α elevates ATG4B via promoting its transcription, which alleviates the sensitivity of DDP in NPC cells through enhancing protective autophagy, suggesting that ATG4B, upregulated by HIF-1α, may be a novel target for DDP sensitization in the treatment of NPC in clinic.

[A novel compound heterozygous mutation in MYSM1 gene in a 1-month-old girl: a bone marrow failure syndrome 4 family survey and literature review]

目的

报道1例MYSM1基因复合杂合变异致骨髓衰竭综合征4型患儿临床表现及全外显子检测结果，同时报道其家系全外显子检测结果，为早期诊断此类骨髓衰竭综合征提供典型案例。

方法

报道1例1月龄骨髓衰竭综合征4型患儿临床诊断过程，并对患儿及其家系成员外周血DNA进行全外显子测序，使用BWA、GATK等软件对测序结果进行注释分析。

结果

本例1月龄骨髓衰竭综合征4型患儿，表现为全血细胞减少、多指畸形，影像学示非特异性脑白质改变及囊肿，淋巴细胞亚群分类示CD3⁻CD19⁺ B细胞降低。通过家系全外显子测序检测，鉴定患儿携带分别遗传自父母的MYSM1基因复合杂合性变异NM_001085487.2:c.1607_c.1611delAAGAG和c.1432C>T。家系验证证实先证者父亲携带的c.1432C>T突变来源于先证者祖父，先证者母亲携带的c.1607_c.1611delAAGAG突变来自于先证者外祖父，其他家系成员均不携带突变。

结论

本研究新发现MYSM1致病性变异c.1607_c.1611delAAGAG，国内外尚未见报道。本例为BMFS4的早期诊断提供了典型案例，并扩展了MYSM1基因致病性变异谱和表型谱。

Prospects for beyond the Standard Model physics searches at the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment: DUNE Collaboration

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a powerful tool for a variety of physics topics. The high-intensity proton beams provide a large neutrino flux, sampled by a near detector system consisting of a combination of capable precision detectors, and by the massive far detector system located deep underground. This configuration sets up DUNE as a machine for discovery, as it enables opportunities not only to perform precision neutrino measurements that may uncover deviations from the present three-flavor mixing paradigm, but also to discover new particles and unveil new interactions and symmetries beyond those predicted in the Standard Model (SM). Of the many potential beyond the Standard Model (BSM) topics DUNE will probe, this paper presents a selection of studies quantifying DUNE's sensitivities to sterile neutrino mixing, heavy neutral leptons, non-standard interactions, CPT symmetry violation, Lorentz invariance violation, neutrino trident production, dark matter from both beam induced and cosmogenic sources, baryon number violation, and other new physics topics that complement those at high-energy colliders and significantly extend the present reach.

Clinical and genetic spectrum of a Chinese cohort with SCN4A gene mutations

Skeletal muscle sodium channelopathies due to SCN4A gene mutations have a broad clinical spectrum. However, each phenotype has been reported in few cases of Chinese origin. We present detailed phenotype and genotype data from a cohort of 40 cases with SCN4A gene mutations seen in neuromuscular diagnostic service in Huashan hospital, Fudan University. Cases were referred from 6 independent provinces from 2010 to 2018. A questionnaire covering demographics, precipitating factors, episodes of paralysis and myotonia was designed to collect the clinical information. Electrodiagnostic studies and muscle MRI were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical spectrum of patients included: 6 Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (15%), 18 Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (45%), 7 sodium channel myotonia (17.5%), 4 paramyotonia congenita (10%) and 5 heterozygous asymptomatic mutation carriers (12.5%). Review of clinical information highlights a significant delay to diagnosis (median 15 years), reports of pain and myalgia in the majority of patients, male predominance, circadian rhythm and common precipitating factors. Electrodiagnostic studies revealed subclinical myotonic discharges and a positive long exercise test in asymptomatic carriers. Muscle MRI identified edema and fatty infiltration in gastrocnemius and soleus. A total of 13 reported and 2 novel SCN4A mutations were identified with most variants distributed in the transmembrane helix S4 to S6, with a hotspot mutation p.Arg675Gln accounting for 32.5% (13/40) of the cohort. Our study revealed a higher proportion of periodic paralysis in SCN4A-mutated patients compared with cohorts from England and the Netherlands. It also highlights the importance of electrodiagnostic studies in diagnosis and segregation studies.

First Detection of sub-PeV Diffuse Gamma Rays from the Galactic Disk: Evidence for Ubiquitous Galactic Cosmic Rays beyond PeV Energies

We report, for the first time, the long-awaited detection of diffuse gamma rays with energies between 100 TeV and 1 PeV in the Galactic disk. Particularly, all gamma rays above 398 TeV are observed apart from known TeV gamma-ray sources and compatible with expectations from the hadronic emission scenario in which gamma rays originate from the decay of π^{0}'s produced through the interaction of protons with the interstellar medium in the Galaxy. This is strong evidence that cosmic rays are accelerated beyond PeV energies in our Galaxy and spread over the Galactic disk.

Application of random sample consensus method for parameter estimation of reflectometry density profile in toroidal plasma

Microwave reflectometry diagnostics have been widely used to measure density profiles in fusion plasma. However, the high sensitivity of the diagnostics to plasma turbulence often results in large radial deviations in the edge density profile and causes difficulty in profile evaluation. To improve the performance of profile evaluation, a modified RANdom SAmple Consensus (RANSAC) method has been applied to fit the density profiles measured by reflectometry on the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak. Compared with the traditional least-squares method, the modified RANSAC method is much more efficient and robust in fitting the experimental profiles. Furthermore, a combination of RANSAC and a genetic algorithm (GA-RANSAC) is used to further optimize the profile evaluation procedure. The results show that this GA-RANSAC method yields better performance and stabler convergence than the modified RANSAC alone.

Age-Related Changes of Material Mechanics and Bone Material Parameters of Rat Skulls

Abstract

Objective To study the relationship between material mechanics and bone material parameters of rat skulls and their correlation with age by examination of the parameters. Methods Forty-eight healthy male SD rats were divided into 2, 4, 6, 8, 17, 26, 52 and 104 week groups according to their age. Each group had six rats. The right cranium was compressed by KD Ⅱ-0.2 microcomputer controlled electronic universal testing machine, and material mechanics parameters （ultimate load, compression strength and compression modulus） were measured, then the skull slices were cut off and scanned by Micro-CT system to detect bone material parameters （skull thickness, bone mineral density, bone volume, and trabecular thickness）. Results The differences in ultimate load, compression strength and compression modulus among all groups had statistical significance （P<0.05）, and were positively correlated with age within 26 weeks （P<0.05）. The differences in skull thickness, bone mineral density, bone volume and trabecular thickness among all groups had statistical significance （P<0.05）, and were positively correlated with age within 52 weeks （P<0.05）. All material mechanics parameters were positively correlated with bone material parameters （P<0.05）. Conclusion There is a positive correlation between bone material parameters （skull thickness, bone mineral density, bone volume, trabecular thickness）, material mechanics parameter （skull ultimate load, compression strength, compression modulus） and age in a certain range, which can be used to infer age.

Involvement of microRNA-124 in biological behaviors of laryngeal carcinoma via PLOD2 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of microRNA-124 (miR-124) in laryngeal carcinoma (LC) and to explore the underlying mechanisms.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

LC tissues were collected from 98 patients diagnosed with LC in our hospital. Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis was used to detect the expression levels of miR-124 and procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 2 (PLOD2) in LC tissues and cell lines. Bioinformatics (TargetScan and miRDB) and double Luciferase assay were performed to predict and confirm the relationship between PLOD2 and miR-124 in LC, respectively. MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and the colony formation assay were designed to measure the proliferation ability of the cells. Additionally, transwell and wound healing assays were used to explore cell migration and invasion.

RESULTS

MiR-124 was found significantly downregulated both in LC tissues and cells. PLOD2 was predicted and confirmed as the target gene of miR-124 in LC. By regulating the protein expression of PLOD2, miR-124 could significantly suppress the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cells. However, the transfection of PLOD2 could partially offset the effects of miR-124 on LC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-124 was involved in regulating the malignant behaviors of LC cells. Furthermore, the miR-124/PLOD2 axis might become a potential target for the treatment of LC.

Accurate diagnosis of colorectal cancer based on histopathology images using artificial intelligence

BACKGROUND

Accurate and robust pathological image analysis for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis is time-consuming and knowledge-intensive, but is essential for CRC patients' treatment. The current heavy workload of pathologists in clinics/hospitals may easily lead to unconscious misdiagnosis of CRC based on daily image analyses.

METHODS

Based on a state-of-the-art transfer-learned deep convolutional neural network in artificial intelligence (AI), we proposed a novel patch aggregation strategy for clinic CRC diagnosis using weakly labeled pathological whole-slide image (WSI) patches. This approach was trained and validated using an unprecedented and enormously large number of 170,099 patches, > 14,680 WSIs, from > 9631 subjects that covered diverse and representative clinical cases from multi-independent-sources across China, the USA, and Germany.

RESULTS

Our innovative AI tool consistently and nearly perfectly agreed with (average Kappa statistic 0.896) and even often better than most of the experienced expert pathologists when tested in diagnosing CRC WSIs from multicenters. The average area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of AI was greater than that of the pathologists (0.988 vs 0.970) and achieved the best performance among the application of other AI methods to CRC diagnosis. Our AI-generated heatmap highlights the image regions of cancer tissue/cells.

CONCLUSIONS

This first-ever generalizable AI system can handle large amounts of WSIs consistently and robustly without potential bias due to fatigue commonly experienced by clinical pathologists. It will drastically alleviate the heavy clinical burden of daily pathology diagnosis and improve the treatment for CRC patients. This tool is generalizable to other cancer diagnosis based on image recognition.

Curcumin decreases dibutyl phthalate-induced renal dysfunction in Kunming mice via inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis

Curcumin (Cur) has been used extensively in dietary supplement with antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. Although dibutyl phthalate (DBP) has adverse effects on the kidney, any association between DBP exposure and the role of Cur is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that exposure to DBP has adverse consequences on renal dysfunction in mice and the potential protective role of Cur in decreasing DBP-induced renal dysfunction via inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis. Kidney function, oxidative stress biomarkers, and apoptosis factors as well as Bcl-2 and Bax were investigated. The results showed a marked increase of renal dysfunction, oxidative stress and apoptosis level after DBP exposure compared to the control. While administration of Cur to DBP-treated mice may reduce these adverse biochemical changes compared with DBP-alone group. Overall, these results suggest that oxidative stress and apoptosis are involved in DBP-induced renal disorder, whereas Cur plays a protective role in inhibiting these two pathways.

Down-regulation of MIAT suppresses osteosarcoma progression by acting as a ceRNA for miR-141-3p to regulate SIX1-mediated PI3K/AKT pathway

OBJECTIVE

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a frequent bone malignancy. Long non-coding RNA myocardial infarction associated transcript (MIAT) has been reported to be involved in the development of human cancers, including OS. However, the mechanism underlying MIAT in OS progression remains largely unclear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression levels of MIAT and sineoculis homeobox homolog 1 (SIX1) in OS tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Cell viability, apoptosis, migration and invasion of OS cells were determined by MTT, flow cytometry and trans-well assays, respectively. The target interaction among MIAT, miR-141-3p and SIX1 was analyzed by bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay. Phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway was evaluated by Western blot.

RESULTS

MIAT and SIX1 expression levels were enhanced in OS tissues and cells. Knockdown of MIAT or SIX1 repressed cell viability, migration and invasion but promoted apoptosis in OS cells. Moreover, overexpression of SIX1 reversed the inhibitive role of MIAT silence in OS progression. Furthermore, MIAT could increase SIX1 expression by competitively sponging miR-141-3p. Besides, inhibition of MIAT blocked PI3K/AKT pathway by decreasing SIX1 in OS cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MIAT silence suppresses OS progression through inactivating PI3K/AKT signaling by sponging miR-141-3p to regulate SIX1, indicating a novel target for the treatment of OS.

[Clinicopathological features of notochordal tumors: a study of 48 cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of notochordal tumors. Methods: The clinical, radiologic and pathologic data of 48 notochordal tumors were collected from 2008 to 2019 at Shanghai Jiaotong University Sixth People's Hospital. Expression of cytokertin, S-100 protein, vimentin, brachyury and INI1 was detected by immunohistochemistry. The pathologic differential diagnoses and biologic behavior of various types of notochordal tumors were analyzed using the new standard in the 5th edition of WHO tumor classification. Results: Four cases of benign notochordal cell tumor were confined to vertebral body. Histopathologically, they lacked lobular architecture and extracellular myxoid matrix. The tumor cells were vacuolated and had centrally or peripherally located round to oval nuclei, with small nucleoli, without atypia, mimicking mature adipocytes. No mitotic figures were seen. Two cases of poorly differentiated chordoma, from patients aged 12 years and 21 years respectively, were located in cervical vertebra, and were composed of cohesive sheets or nests of epithelioid cells, with focal rhabdoid morphology. There was relatively abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm and scattered cytoplasmic vacuoles. The moderately pleomorphic nuclei were round to ovoid with vesicular chromatin and mitotic figures could be seen. Extracellular myxoid stroma was observed focally. Forty cases of conventional chordoma and two cases of extra-axis chordoma had similar histologic features. All 48 cases expressed cytokeretin, 45 cases expressed brachyury, and two poorly differentiated tumors showed loss of INI1/SMARCB1. Conclusions: There are four subtypes of chordomas: conventional, dedifferentiated, poorly differentiated and extra-axis. Chondroid chordoma is no longer thought to be a distinct entity. Each type has its unique clinicopathological characteristics. Brachyury is highly specific and sensitive for the diagnosis of various notochordal tumors. Poorly differentiated chordoma shows distinct clinicopathological features, including young age and loss of immunohistochemical expression of INI1/SMARCB1, and its diagnosis requires the combined detection of brachyury and INI1/SMARCB1.

Application of Autologous Cartilage Transplantation in the Reconstruction of Congenital Nasal Soft Triangle Deformities in Asians

BACKGROUND

Nasal soft triangle is one of the areas usually left unattended in most rhinoplasties, whereas its unique anatomy puts it at great risk of deformities. Its appearance is critical to the natural contour of the nasal tip lobule. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of autologous cartilage transplantation in treating congenital nasal soft triangle deformities in Asians.

METHODS

From January 2016 to January 2018, 32 patients underwent the procedure, in which costal cartilage, septal cartilage, or conchal cartilage was taken. All cases were operated upon using the external rhinoplasty approach. The cartilage was carved into battens as the lateral and intermediate crura grafts to reconstruct the dome of alar cartilage and treat the soft triangle deformities. The costal cartilage or septal cartilage was used as a columella strut. At the same time, a prosthesis or costal cartilage scaffold was placed onto the nasal dorsum, and finally the fascia was placed on the tip of the nose to relieve tension. The changes of the angle between the intermediate and lateral crura of the alar cartilage before and after cartilage graft and the difference between the greatest distance from the long axis of the nostrils to the alar rim before and after surgery were statistically analyzed. In addition, we compared the preoperative and postoperative nasal contour and evaluated the outcome of soft tissue triangle deformities and asymmetry correction and the whole procedure.

RESULTS

The angle between the lateral and medial crura of the 32 patients decreased from 51.5 ± 10.9 degrees preoperatively to 37.2 ± 5.9 degrees at completion of the nasal dome reconstruction (P < 0.05). The maximum distance from the long axis of the nostrils to the alar rim was 3.3 ± 0.6 mm preoperatively and 1.9 ± 0.7 mm postoperatively (P < 0.05). The patients were followed up for 6 to 18 months, and the noses were with natural contour and tactile impression and without any serious complications. The degree of satisfaction was 87.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of autologous cartilage is an ideal choice to treat soft triangle deformities, which can result in significant improvement of the nasal contour and high degree of satisfaction postoperatively.

Integration of full divertor detachment with improved core confinement for tokamak fusion plasmas

Divertor detachment offers a promising solution to the challenge of plasma-wall interactions for steady-state operation of fusion reactors. Here, we demonstrate the excellent compatibility of actively controlled full divertor detachment with a high-performance (βN ~ 3, H98 ~ 1.5) core plasma, using high-βp (poloidal beta, βp > 2) scenario characterized by a sustained core internal transport barrier (ITB) and a modest edge transport barrier (ETB) in DIII-D tokamak. The high-βp high-confinement scenario facilitates divertor detachment which, in turn, promotes the development of an even stronger ITB at large radius with a weaker ETB. This self-organized synergy between ITB and ETB, leads to a net gain in energy confinement, in contrast to the net confinement loss caused by divertor detachment in standard H-modes. These results show the potential of integrating excellent core plasma performance with an efficient divertor solution, an essential step towards steady-state operation of reactor-grade plasmas.