Metal Clusters Effectively Adjust the Local Environment of Polymeric Carbon Nitride for Bifunctional Overall Water Splitting

Compared with single-atom catalysts, clusters not only possess more metal-loadings and stability but also provide flexible active sites to break the linear scaling relationship of multistep reactions. However, exploring precise structure-activity relationships and the synergistic effect between clusters and nanosheets is still in its infancy. Here, based on first-principles and nonequilibrium Green's function simulation, the C2N-supported Fe and Co tetrahedral clusters exhibit remarkable bifunctional catalytic performance with a very low overpotential of hydrogen (0.12 and 0.07 V) /oxygen (0.20 and 0.55 V) evolution reactions (HER/OER), respectively. The C2N-regulated Fe and Co clusters have suitable d-band centers around the Fermi surface for HER. In turn, the Fe and Co clusters activate the subadjacent dual-carbon sites for OER. Simultaneously, the cluster enhances the electronic conductivity of C2N, and the initial current only needs ultralow bias voltage around 0.1-0.4 V. The desired metal cluster regulation strategy offers cost-effective potential for advancing clean energy technology.

Determination and analysis of whole genome sequence of recombinant GII.6[P7] norovirus in Ningxia, China

While the GII.4 norovirus was the predominant genotype, non-GII.4 genotype was increasingly focused since the non-GII.4 genotype caused regional epidemics. In this study, the detection rate was16.51% (183/1108) in Ningxia from January to December 2020. Among identified genotypes, GII.4[P31] and GII.4[P16] were the dominant genotypes (n = 20 and 18, respectively) while GII.6[P7] was the main type (n = 6) in non-GII.4 strains which was mainly detected in from May to July. The whole genome sequences of the norovirus diarrhea samples identified as GII.6 [P7] with Ct ≤ 30 collected in 2020 were determined. In this study, the complete genome sequences of norovirus strains PL20-044 and QTX20-071 were identified and analyzed phylogenetically. Phylogenetic analysis of the ORF1and ORF2 regions showed that these strains evolved from the GII·P7-GII.6 strains detected in recent years from different country. The results showed that PL20-044 had intra-type recombination with GII·P7-GII.6c and GII·P7-GII.6a, while QTX20-071 had intre-type recombination within GII·P7-GII.6a. The evolutionary rates of the RdRp gene region of the GII·P7 genotype and the VP1 gene region of the GII.6 genotype were 2.91 × 10-3 (95%HPDs2.32-3.51 × 10-3) and 2.61 × 10-3 (95%HPDs2.14-3.11 × 10-3) substitutions/site/year, respectively. Comparative analysis of the amino acid mutation sites in VP1 with the GII·P7-GII.6a strains before 1997, the later detected strains have changed in aa131 and aa354. Moreover, PL20-044 strains showed special mutations at aa316 and aa395. These results help to understand the norovirus genotype circulating in the human population in Ningxia, and discover the evolutionary characteristics of the GII·P7-GII.6 strain.

High Dose Hyperfractionated Thoracic Radiotherapy vs. Standard Dose for Limited Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Multicenter, Open-Label Randomized, Phase 3 Trial

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Limited stage small-cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) is associated with poor prognosis. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of high-dose, hyperfractionated thoracic radiotherapy of 54 Gy in 30 fractions compared with standard dose (45 Gy in 30 fractions) as a first-line treatment for LS-SCLC.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The study was an open-label, randomized, phase 3 trial, done at 16 public hospitals in China. Key inclusion criteria were patients aged 18-70 years, with previously histologically or cytologically confirmed LS-SCLC, previously untreated or received 1-2 courses of intravenous cisplatin (75 mg/m²of body-surface area, on day 1 or divided into two days of each cycle) or carboplatin (area under the curve of 5 mg/mL per min, day 1 of each cycle)and intravenous etoposide (100 mg/m²of body-surface area, on days 1-3 of each cycle), and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1.Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) of 45 Gy in 30 fractions or the simultaneous integrated boost VMAT (SIB-VMAT) of 54 Gy in 30 fractions to the primary lung tumor and lymph node metastases starting 0-42 days after the first chemotherapy course. Both groups of patients received thoracic radiotherapy twice per day and 10 fractions per week. Prophylactic cranial radiation (PCI, 25 Gy in 10 fractions) was implemented to patients with responsive disease. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Safety was analyzed in the as-treated population.

RESULTS

Between June 30, 2017, and April 6, 2021, 224 eligible patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to 54 Gy (n = 108) or 45 Gy (n = 116). Median follow-up for the primary analysis was 45 months (IQR 41-48). Median overall survival was significantly improved in the 54 Gy group (62.4 months) compared with the 45 Gy group (43.1 months; p = 0.001). Median progression-free survival was significantly improved in the 54 Gy group (30.5 months) compared with the 45 Gy group (16.7 months; p = 0.044). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (30 [28%] of 108 patients in the 54 Gy group vs 27 [23%] of 116 patients in the 45 Gy group), neutropenic infections (6 [6%] vs 2 [2%]), thrombocytopenia (13 [12%] vs 12 [10%]), anemia (6 [6%] vs 4 [3%]), and esophagitis (1 [1%] vs 3 [3%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in 9 [8%] patients in the 54 Gy group and 16 [14%] patients in the 45 Gy group. There were one treatment-related deaths in 54 Gy group (myocardial infarction).

CONCLUSION

Compared with standard thoracic radiotherapy dose of 45 Gy, the high dose of 54 Gy improved overall survival and progression-free survival without increasing toxicities in patients with LS-SCLC, supporting twice-daily hyperfractionated thoracic radiotherapy of 54 Gy with concurrent chemotherapy is an alternative treatment option for LS-SCLC. This study is complete and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03214003.

Linker remodels human Galectin-8 structure and regulates its hemagglutination and pro-apoptotic activity

Numerous articles have reported the involvement of linker in regulating bioactivity of tandem-repeat galectins. We hypothesize that linker interacts with N/C-CRDs to regulate the bioactivity of tandem-repeat galectins. To further investigate structural molecular mechanism of linker in regulating bioactivity of Gal-8, Gal-8LC was crystallized. Gal-8LC structure revealed formation of β-strand S1 by Asn174 to Pro176 from linker. S1-strand interacts with C-terminal of C-CRD via hydrogen bond interactions, mutually influencing their spatial structures. Our Gal-8 NL structure have demonstrated that linker region from Ser154 to Gln158 interacts with the N-terminal of Gal-8. Ser154 to Gln158 and Asn174 to Pro176 are likely involved in regulation of Gal-8's biological activity. Our preliminary experiment results revealed different hemagglutination and pro-apoptotic activities between full-length and truncated forms of Gal-8, indicating involvement of linker in regulating these activities. We generated several mutant and truncated forms of Gal-8 (Gal-8 M3, Gal-8 M5, Gal-8TL1, Gal-8TL2, Gal-8LC-M3 and Gal-8_177-317). Ser154 to Gln158 and Asn174 to Pro176 were found to be involved in regulating hemagglutination and pro-apoptotic activities of Gal-8. Ser154 to Gln158 and Asn174 to Pro176 are critical functional regulatory regions within linker. Our study holds significant importance in providing a profound understanding of how linker regulates biological activity of Gal-8.

The regulating effect of boron doping and its concentration on the photocatalytic overall water splitting of a polarized g-C3N5 material

Photocatalytic overall water splitting with two-dimensional materials is a promising strategy to solve the problems of environmental pollution and energy shortage. However, conventional photocatalysts are often limited to a narrow visible photo-absorption range, low catalytic activity, and poor charge separation. Herein, given the intrinsic polarization facilitating the improvement of photogenerated carrier separation, we adopt a polarized g-C₃N₅ material combining the doping strategy to alleviate the abovementioned problems. Boron (B), as a Lewis acid, has a great chance to improve the capture and catalytic activity of water. By doping B into g-C₃N₅, the overpotential for the complicated four-electron process of the oxygen reduction reaction is only 0.50 V. Simultaneously, the B doping-induced impurity state effectively reduces the band gap and broadens the photo-absorption range. Moreover, with the increase of B doping concentration, the photo-absorption range and catalytic activity can be gradually improved. Whereas when the concentration exceeds 33.3%, the reduction potential of the conduction band edge will not meet the demand for hydrogen evolution. Therefore, excessive doping is not recommended in experiments. Our work affords not only a promising photocatalyst but also a practical design scheme by combining polarizing materials and the doping strategy for overall water splitting.

Metal-Free Carbon Nitride Nanosheet Supported the Pentacoordinated Silicon Intermediates for Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting

Photocatalytic overall water splitting is a promising approach to overcome the environmental and energy crisis. However, developing effective photocatalysts with well activity, light absorption, and photogenerated carrier lifetime is still a challenge. Herein, combining extensive first-principles and nonadiabatic molecular dynamics calculations, we find that microporous carbon-nitride nanosheets with a pyridinic nitrogen, such as C₂N and C₆N₆, possess the pentacoordinated silicon intermediates' bonding environment. The pentacoordinated silicon as intermediates exhibits good photocatalytic performance for the difficult four-electronic oxygen evolution reaction. The overpotential is only 0.55 V for C₂N, which is significantly lower than that of the tetracoordinated silicon intermediates (2.00 V). Simultaneously, the decoration of the silicon group not only widens the absorption range of visible light but also maintains the lifetime of photogenerated carriers on the nanosecond scale, which enhances the application efficiency of solar energy. Our work paves a new route for advancing photocatalytic overall water splitting.

Central Mechanism of Acupuncture Treatment in Patients with Migraine: Study Protocol for Randomized Controlled Neuroimaging Trial

Purpose

Acupuncture has been recognized as an effective and safe alternative therapy for migraine, but its central mechanism has not yet been adequately explained. Meanwhile, research into the clinical efficacy and central mechanism of true acupuncture (TA) and sham acupuncture (SA) is lacking. It is necessary to investigate whether TA has better efficacy than SA, and how they achieve different effects. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of TA and SA, observe the brain response caused by TA and SA, and further investigate the central nervous mechanism of TA and SA treatment for patients with migraine.

Patients and Methods

This is a randomized controlled neuroimaging trial combining acupuncture treatment with functional magnetic resonance imaging, with patients and outcome assessors blinded. A total of 60 patients with migraine will be randomly allocated to receive 12 sessions of either TA or SA treatments (three sessions per week for 4 weeks), and 30 healthy participants will be recruited as the healthy control (HC) group. Outcome assessment and neuroimaging will be conducted before and after the entire intervention. A headache diary and questionnaires of life quality and psychological properties will be used to evaluate clinical efficacy. Multimodal magnetic resonance imagining data analysis will be used to investigate the central mechanism of TA or SA in treating migraine. Pearson's correlation analysis will be used to reveal the relationship between the brain response and clinical improvements.

Conclusion

The results of this study will reveal the brain response to TA and SA in patients with migraine and contribute to further expanding the knowledge of their central mechanism.

Study Registration

This trial has been approved by the ethics committee of Dongzhimen Hospital affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (DZMEC-KY-2020-38) and registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number ChiCTR2000033995).

Binding of Glycerol to Human Galectin-7 Expands Stability and Modulates Its Functions

Glycerol is seen in biological systems as an intermediate in lipid metabolism. In recent years, glycerol has been reported to act as a chemical chaperone to correct the conformation of proteins. Here, we investigate the role of glycerol in galectin-7 (Gal-7). The thermal shift and CD assays showed that the thermal stability of Gal-7 increased with glycerol concentration but with little secondary structure changes induced by glycerol. In addition, glycerol can inhibit Gal-7-mediated erythrocyte agglutination. We also solved the crystal structures of human Gal-7 in complex with glycerol in two different conditions. Glycerol binds at the carbohydrate-recognition binding sites of Gal-7, which indicates glycerol as a small ligand for Gal-7. Surprisingly, glycerol can bind a new pocket near the N-terminus of Gal-7, which can greatly reduce the flexibility and improve the stability of this region. Moreover, overexpression of Gal-7 decreased the intracellular triglyceride levels and increased mRNA expression of aquaporin-3 (AQP-3) when HeLa cells were incubated with glycerol. These findings indicate that Gal-7 might regulate glycerol metabolism. Overall, our results on human Gal-7 raise the perspective to systematically explore this so far unrecognized phenomenon for Gal-7 in glycerol metabolism.

Sandwich-Polarized Heterojunction: Efficient Charge Separation and Redox Capability Protection for Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting

Photocatalytic overall water splitting is a potential strategy to address energy crisis and environmental issues. However, it remains a great challenge to design an efficient photocatalyst, which not only possesses large spatial separation of photogenerated electrons and holes (PEH) to suppress recombination, but also can preserve the redox capability to drive the reaction. Herein, we design a new type of sandwich-polarized heterojunction by inserting a polarized semiconductor into the interlayer of the conventional photocatalyst. The inserted sublayer with out-of-plane polarization can induce a large electrostatic potential difference between the top and bottom photocatalytic sublayers. Then, the band edges of the top and bottom sublayers can be shifted to form the type II band alignment. Also, the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum will be located on different photocatalytic sublayers to facilitate the spatial separation of PEH. Simultaneously, different from the conventional type II heterojunction that reduces the redox capability, the electrostatic potential difference also acts as an auxiliary booster to offset the reduced redox potential of PEH. Taking the C₂N/In₂Se₃/C₂N heterojunction as an example, the polarized In₂Se₃ effectively promotes the interface transfer of PEH in 1-5 ps and extends the lifetime of PEH to ∼186 ns, which is about six times that of bilayer C₂N. Simultaneously, the redox power of C₂N is well preserved. Our work offers a promising scheme to advance the photocatalytic overall water splitting.

Direct formation of interlayer exciton in two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures

In atomically thin two-dimensional van der Waals (2D vdW) heterostructures, spatially separated interlayer excitons play an important role in the optoelectronic performance and show great potential for the exploration of many-body quantum phenomena. A commonly accepted formation mode for interlayer excitons is via a two-step intralayer exciton transfer mechanism, namely, photo-excited intralayer excitons are initially generated in individual sublayers, and photogenerated electrons and holes are then separated into opposite sublayers based on the type-II band alignment. Herein, we expand the concept of interlayer exciton formation and reveal that bright interlayer excitons can be generated in one step by direct interlayer photoexcitation in 2D vdW heterostructures that have strong interlayer coupling and a short photoexcitation channel. First-principles and many-body perturbation theory calculations demonstrate that indium selenide/antimonene and indium selenide/black phosphorus heterostructures are two promising systems that show an exceptionally large interlayer transition probability (>500 Debye²). This study enriches the understanding of interlayer exciton formation and provides a new avenue to acquiring strong interlayer excitons in artificial 2D vdW heterostructures.

Learning from reproducing computational results: introducing three principles and the Reproduction Package

We carry out efforts to reproduce computational results for seven published articles and identify barriers to computational reproducibility. We then derive three principles to guide the practice and dissemination of reproducible computational research: (i) Provide transparency regarding how computational results are produced; (ii) When writing and releasing research software, aim for ease of (re-)executability; (iii) Make any code upon which the results rely as deterministic as possible. We then exemplify these three principles with 12 specific guidelines for their implementation in practice. We illustrate the three principles of reproducible research with a series of vignettes from our experimental reproducibility work. We define a novel Reproduction Package, a formalism that specifies a structured way to share computational research artifacts that implements the guidelines generated from our reproduction efforts to allow others to build, reproduce and extend computational science. We make our reproduction efforts in this paper publicly available as exemplar Reproduction Packages. This article is part of the theme issue 'Reliability and reproducibility in computational science: implementing verification, validation and uncertainty quantification in silico'.

Development of a low elastic modulus and antibacterial Ti-13Nb-13Zr-5Cu titanium alloy by microstructure controlling

In order to prepare a titanium with a low elastic modulus and good antibacterial property to meet the requirements as a biomedical material, Ti-13Nb-13Zr-5Cu (TNZ-5Cu) alloy was prepared by high vacuum consume electric arc melting furnace and then subjected to a solution treatment at 950 °C followed by a short-term aging treatment at 600 °C, for 15 min, 30 min, 1 h and 2 h, respectively. The microstructure, mechanical property, antibacterial property and biocompatibility of TNZ-5Cu were investigated in detail. The research results have shown that the solid solution treated alloy was mainly composed of β-phase and α″-phase, while the aged alloys of β-phase, α″-phase, α-phase and Ti₂Cu. Compared with Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy (65 GPa) and Ti-6Al-4 V alloy (111 GPa), the elastic modulus of TNZ-5Cu alloy after solution treatment was about 72 GPa and increased with the aging treatment up to 85 GPa, and the hardness was maintained at a higher level than that of Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloys (288 HV). The bacteria plate count results showed that the antibacterial ability of TNZ-5Cu alloy increased with the extension of the aging duration from <60% at 15-30 min to >90% at 1-2 h. Cell experiments showed that all TNZ-5Cu alloy had good cell compatibility. The low modulus and the antibacterial property could provide potential to avoid stress shield and device-related inflection in the clinical application.

The novel Mechanical Ventilator Milano for the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper presents the Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM), a novel intensive therapy mechanical ventilator designed for rapid, large-scale, low-cost production for the COVID-19 pandemic. Free of moving mechanical parts and requiring only a source of compressed oxygen and medical air to operate, the MVM is designed to support the long-term invasive ventilation often required for COVID-19 patients and operates in pressure-regulated ventilation modes, which minimize the risk of furthering lung trauma. The MVM was extensively tested against ISO standards in the laboratory using a breathing simulator, with good agreement between input and measured breathing parameters and performing correctly in response to fault conditions and stability tests. The MVM has obtained Emergency Use Authorization by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in healthcare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic and Health Canada Medical Device Authorization for Importation or Sale, under Interim Order for Use in Relation to COVID-19. Following these certifications, mass production is ongoing and distribution is under way in several countries. The MVM was designed, tested, prepared for certification, and mass produced in the space of a few months by a unique collaboration of respiratory healthcare professionals and experimental physicists, working with industrial partners, and is an excellent ventilator candidate for this pandemic anywhere in the world.

Preserved Calretinin Interneurons in an App Model of Alzheimer's Disease Disrupt Hippocampal Inhibition via Upregulated P2Y1 Purinoreceptors

To understand the pathogenesis of specific neuronal circuit dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we investigated the fate of three subclasses of "modulatory interneurons" in hippocampal CA1 using the AppNL-F/NL-F knock-in mouse model of AD. Cholecystokinin- and somatostatin-expressing interneurons were aberrantly hyperactive preceding the presence of the typical AD hallmarks: neuroinflammation and amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation. These interneurons showed an age-dependent vulnerability to Aβ penetration and a reduction in density and coexpression of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA synthesis enzyme, glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67), suggesting a loss in their inhibitory function. However, calretinin (CR) interneurons-specialized to govern only inhibition, showed resilience to Aβ accumulation, preservation of structure, and displayed synaptic hyperinhibition, despite the lack of inhibitory control of CA1 excitatory pyramidal cells from midstages of the disease. This aberrant inhibitory homeostasis observed in CA1 CR cells and pyramidal cells was "normalized" by blocking P2Y1 purinoreceptors, which were "upregulated" and strongly expressed in CR cells and astrocytes in AppNL-F/NL-F mice in the later stages of AD. In summary, AD-associated cell-type selective destruction of inhibitory interneurons and disrupted inhibitory homeostasis rectified by modulation of the upregulated purinoreceptor system may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy to normalize selective dysfunctional synaptic homeostasis during pathogenesis of AD.

Prediction of venous thromboembolism using clinical and serum biomarker data from a military cohort of trauma patients

INTRODUCTION

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent complication of trauma associated with high mortality and morbidity. Clinicians lack appropriate tools for stratifying trauma patients for VTE, thus have yet to be able to predict when to intervene. We aimed to compare random forest (RF) and logistic regression (LR) predictive modelling for VTE using (1) clinical measures alone, (2) serum biomarkers alone and (3) clinical measures plus serum biomarkers.

METHODS

Data were collected from 73 military casualties with at least one extremity wound and prospectively enrolled in an observational study between 2007 and 2012. Clinical and serum cytokine data were collected. Modelling was performed with RF and LR based on the presence or absence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE). For comparison, LR was also performed on the final variables from the RF model. Sensitivity/specificity and area under the curve (AUC) were reported.

RESULTS

Of the 73 patients (median Injury Severity Score=16), nine (12.3%) developed VTE, four (5.5%) with DVT, four (5.5%) with PE, and one (1.4%) with both DVT and PE. In all sets of predictive models, RF outperformed LR. The best RF model generated with clinical and serum biomarkers included five variables (interleukin-15, monokine induced by gamma, vascular endothelial growth factor, total blood products at resuscitation and presence of soft tissue injury) and had an AUC of 0.946, sensitivity of 0.992 and specificity of 0.838.

CONCLUSIONS

VTE may be predicted by clinical and molecular biomarkers in trauma patients. This will allow the development of clinical decision support tools which can help inform the management of high-risk patients for VTE.

Aberrant Excitatory-Inhibitory Synaptic Mechanisms in Entorhinal Cortex Microcircuits During the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease

Synaptic dysfunction is widely proposed as an initial insult leading to the neurodegeneration observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We hypothesize that the initial insult originates in the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) due to deficits in key interneuronal functions and synaptic signaling mechanisms, in particular, Wnt (Wingless/integrated). To investigate this hypothesis, we utilized the first knock-in mouse model of AD (AppNL-F/NL-F), expressing a mutant form of human amyloid-β (Aβ) precursor protein. This model shows an age-dependent accumulation of Aβ, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. Prior to the typical AD pathology, we showed a decrease in canonical Wnt signaling activity first affecting the LEC in combination with synaptic hyperexcitation and severely disrupted excitatory-inhibitory inputs onto principal cells. This synaptic imbalance was consistent with a reduction in the number of parvalbumin-containing (PV) interneurons, and a reduction in the somatic inhibitory axon terminals in the LEC compared with other cortical regions. However, targeting GABAA receptors on PV cells using allosteric modulators, diazepam, zolpidem, or a nonbenzodiazepine, L-838,417 (modulator of α2/3 subunit-containing GABAA receptors), restored the excitatory-inhibitory imbalance observed at principal cells in the LEC. These data support our hypothesis, providing a rationale for targeting the synaptic imbalance in the LEC for early stage therapeutic intervention to prevent neurodegeneration in AD.

CD56bright natural killer cells induce HBsAg reduction via cytolysis and cccDNA decay in long-term entecavir-treated patients switching to peginterferon alfa-2a

HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) reduction is well observed in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with pegylated interferon alpha-2a (PegIFNα). However, the mechanism of HBsAg suppression has not been fully elucidated. Twenty-seven of 55 entecavir-treated CHB e antigen positive patients were switched to PegIFNα treatment (Group A) whereas 28 patients continued entecavir treatment (Group B). The percentage or absolute number of CD56^bright /CD56^dim NK cells, expression of receptors and cytokines were evaluated by flow cytometry for 48 weeks and correlated with treatment efficacy. In vitro, purified NK cells were co-cultured with HepAD38 cells for measurement of HBsAg, apoptosis and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). In association with a reduction of HBsAg, the percentage and absolute number of CD56^bright NK cells was significantly elevated in patients in group A, especially in Virologic Responders (VRs, HBsAg decreased). Furthermore, the percentage of NKp30⁺ , NKp46⁺ , TRAIL⁺ , TNF-α⁺ and IFNγ⁺ CD56^bright NK cells were significantly expanded in Group A, which were positively correlated with the decline of HBsAg at week 48. In vitro, peripheral NK cells from Group A induced a decline of HBsAg in comparison with NK cells from Group B which was significantly inhibited by anti-TRAIL, anti-TNF-α and anti-IFNγ antibodies. Furthermore, apoptosis of HepAD38 cells and levels of cccDNA, were significantly reduced by TRAIL⁺ and TNF-α⁺ /IFNγ⁺ NK cells from Group A, respectively. A functional restoration of CD56^bright NK cells in entecavir-treated patients who were switched to PegIFNα contributes to HBsAg and cccDNA clearance through TRAIL-induced cytolysis and TNF-α/IFNγ-mediated noncytolytic pathways.

Value of automatic DNA image cytometry for diagnosing lung cancer

The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of automatic DNA image cytometry (DNA-ICM) for diagnosing lung cancer. A total of three different types of samples from 465 cases were included: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), 386 samples; pleural effusion cases, 70 samples; and fine-needle aspiration procedures, 9 samples. Two methods, liquid-based cytology (LBC) and automatic DNA-ICM, were used to assess the samples, and the pathological results of 120/465 cases were reviewed. The results of DNA-ICM were compared with those of LBC and pathology. There were 57 cases of lung cancer without aneuploidy and 49 cases without evidence of malignant tumor, but with the presence of heteroploid cells. The positive diagnostic rate for BALF samples using LBC was significantly higher compared with that for DNA-ICM (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in the positive diagnostic rate between DNA-ICM and LBC in pleural effusion samples. For DNA-ICM in BALF, pleural effusion and all samples, no statistically significant differences were identified between the positive diagnostic rates of lung squamous carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma. The positive diagnostic rate of LBC combined with DNA-ICM was not significantly improved. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases, the difference in the maximum value of DNA (DNAmax) was positively correlated with tumor stage (P<0.05), but no significant correlations were observed among DNA max, tumor type and tumor location. In small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) cases, no significant correlations were observed among DNAmax, tumor staging or tumor location. The differences in the DNAmax values of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, SCLC and NSCLC were not statistically significant. In the present study, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for LBC (0.936) was significantly greater compared with that for DNA-ICM (0.766) (P<0.05). DNA-ICM has medium diagnostic value in lung cancer, and the DNAmax was positively correlated with tumor stage in NSCLC. DNA-ICM may serve as a supplement to LBC, but it is not recommended as a sole procedure for lung cancer screening.

Effect of local scrotal heating on the expression of tight junction-associated molecule Occludin in boar testes

The aim of this study was to determine whether local scrotal heating (42°C, for 1 hr) had an effect on the expression of tight junction (TJ)-associated molecule Occludin in boar testes. Adult boars (Landrace, n = 6) were used and randomly divided into two groups (n = 3 each). Three boars were given local scrotal exposure to 42°C for approximately 1 h with a home-made electric blanket of controlled temperature as local scrotal heating group, the other three boars received no heat treatment and were left at standard room temperature as control group. After 6 hr, all boars were castrated and the testes were harvested. qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to explore the expression and localization of Occludin. qRT-PCR and Western blotting showed that the protein and mRNA levels of Occludin significantly decreased in local scrotal heating group as compared to the control. Furthermore, immunoreactivity staining of Occludin was localized at the sites of the blood-testis barrier (BTB) and formed an almost consecutive and strong immunoreactivity strand in the control, while Occludin was limited to Sertoli cells (SCs) and no obvious immunoreactivity strand was present in local scrotal heating group. These data indicated that local scrotal heating decreased the expression of TJ-associated molecule Occludin, which may be involved in heat-induced spermatogenesis damage.

Etoposide and cisplatin versus paclitaxel and carboplatin with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy in unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter randomized phase III trial

Background

The optimal chemotherapy regimen administered currently with radiation in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. A multicenter phase III trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of concurrent thoracic radiation therapy with either etoposide/cisplatin (EP) or carboplatin/paclitaxel (PC) in patients with stage III NSCLC.

Patients and methods

Patients were randomly received 60-66 Gy of thoracic radiation therapy concurrent with either etoposide 50 mg/m2 on days 1-5 and cisplatin 50 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 4 weeks for two cycles (EP arm), or paclitaxel 45 mg/m2 and carboplatin (AUC 2) on day 1 weekly (PC arm). The primary end point was overall survival (OS). The study was designed with 80% power to detect a 17% superiority in 3-year OS with a type I error rate of 0.05.

Results

A total of 200 patients were randomized and 191 patients were treated (95 in the EP arm and 96 in the PC arm). With a median follow-up time of 73 months, the 3-year OS was significantly higher in the EP arm than that of the PC arm. The estimated difference was 15.0% (95% CI 2.0%-28.0%) and P value of 0.024. Median survival times were 23.3 months in the EP arm and 20.7 months in the PC arm (log-rank test P = 0.095, HR 0.76, 95%CI 0.55-1.05). The incidence of Grade ≥2 radiation pneumonitis was higher in the PC arm (33.3% versus 18.9%, P = 0.036), while the incidence of Grade ≥3 esophagitis was higher in the EP arm (20.0% versus 6.3%, P = 0.009).

Conclusion

EP might be superior to weekly PC in terms of OS in the setting of concurrent chemoradiation for unresectable stage III NSCLC.

Trial registration ID

NCT01494558.

The PR status of the originating cell of ER/PR-negative mouse mammary tumors

Progesterone receptor (PR) is usually co-localized with estrogen receptor (ER) in normal mammary cells. It is not known whether ER/PR-negative human breast cancer arises from an ER/PR-negative cell or from an ER/PR-positive cell that later lost ER/PR. Using intraductal injection of a lentivirus to deliver both an oncogene (ErbB2) and a floxed green fluorescent protein (GFP) in PR(Cre/+)mice, whose Cre gene is under the control of the PR promoter, we were able to trace the PR status of the infected cells as they progressed to cancer. We found that the resulting early lesions stained negative for PR in most of the cells and usually retained GFP. The resulting tumors lacked ER and PR, and 75% (15/20) of them retained the GFP signal in all tumor cells, suggesting PR was never expressed throughout the evolution of a majority of these tumors. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that ErbB2-initiated ER/PR-negative mammary tumors primarily originate from the subset of the mammary epithelium that is negative for PR and probably ER as well. These findings also provide an explanation for why antihormonal therapy fails to prevent ER-negative breast cancers.

Ultra-sensitive biosensor for K-ras gene detection using enzyme capped gold nanoparticles conjugates for signal amplification

In this study, an ultra-sensitive hairpin DNA-based electrochemical DNA biosensor for K-ras gene detection is described. Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-streptavidin capped Au-NPs (HAS) conjugates are used for signal amplification. Initially, hairpin DNA dually labeled with thiol at its 5' end and with biotin at its 3' end is immobilized on the surface of Au-NPs modified electrode, and the hairpin DNA is in a "closed" state; hence, the HAS conjugates are shielded from being approached by the biotin due to steric hindrance. However, in the presence of target DNA, the target DNA hybridizes with the loop structure of hairpin DNA and causes conformational change, resulting in biotin forced away from the electrode surface, thereby becoming accessible for the HAS conjugates. Thus, the HAS conjugates are linked to the electrode surface via the specific interaction between biotin and streptavidin. Electrochemical detection was performed in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H2O2. Under optimal conditions, the peak current differences (ΔI) are linear with the target DNA in the range from 0.1 fM to 1 nM with a detection limit of 0.035 fM. Furthermore, this biosensor also demonstrates its excellent specificity for single-base mismatched DNA.

Abstract P5-03-14: Expression of ALDH1 in metastasizing axillary lymphnodes in breast cancer

Background: There is increasing evidences that a wide variety of malignancies, including breast cancer, may be driven by a small subset of ‘tumor-initiating cells’ or ‘cancer stem cells’ (CSC) which are able to form tumors in immunocompromised mice as well as to generate the phenotypic heterogeneity of the initial tumor. Enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH1) has been reported as a possible marker for mammary CSC. These cells are a source of tumor recurrence and metastasis, and are resistant to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy.

Objective: Assuming that the detection of CSC in axillary lymph nodes is more effective to predicting cancer outcome than the widely used detection of cancer cells in axillary lymph nodes, we measure ALDH1 levels to predict their presence into axillary lymph nodes on development of cancer and anticipate outcomes.

Methods: ALDH1 protein was detected by an immunohistochemical technique in 229 cases of breast cancer diagnosed from 2002 to 2011 Follow-up ranged from 11.5 months to 96.9 months, with a mean of 73.9 months. A survival assay was used to determine the relationship between distant metastatic rate and survival rate.

Results: ALDHl expression was detected in 79cases and the Positive rate in metastatic axillary lymph nodes was 34.5%. Negative ER, PR status were related to the ALDH1 positive cases(P = 0.012). See Table 1. Mortality rate between ALDH1 positive cases (50.8%) and negative cases (28.8%) were significantly different (P = 0.001). See Table 2. Further, survival analysis of recurrence-free survivals (RFS) and survival rate decreased significantly between ALDHl positive and negative cases (P = 0.001) (see table 2) and COX analysis shows that ALDH1 expression is an independent predictor of poor outcome in breast cancer(P = 0.011).

Discussion: What cancer stem cells migrate to the axillary nodes have more important prediction than that the matastesis of normal cancar cells in axillary node. It might be a role resulting in dying in breast cancer.

P2-11-09: EGFR Overexpression in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) and Its Association with the Prognosis

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate EGFR expression in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), and to find the relationship between EGFR overexpression and prognosis of TNBC, further to clarify the significance of EGFR in TNBC and provide valuable information for TNBC therapy.

Methods: 42 triple ***negandection ***ssitive breast cancer patients(studying group) and 40 HER2(3+) breast cancer patients(controling group) who underwent surgery from January 2000 to December 2005 were analyzed. 82 cases of paraffin-embedded specimens were detected by Immunohistochemistry(IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) and polymerase chain reaction(PCR) to investigate the overexpression, amplification and mutation of EGFR gene. The distant-free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS) of these patients were used to investigate the relationship between EGFR overexpression and the prognosis of TNBC.

Results: 34(43.9%) EGFR overexpression was observed in all cases, while gene amplification was only 7(9.1%) cases. No EGFR gene mutation was found in all cases. Overexpression of EGFR occurring in 57.1% patients in TNBC group and 25.0% patients in HER2 group, and we didn't found any correlation between EGFR overexpression and clinicopathology. 50(61.0%) patients relapsed (TNBC 28,HER2 22) and 27(32.9%) patients died(TNBC 18,HER2 9) were observed during the more than 5 years follow-up. The 5-year DFS was 57.1% and 77.5% respectively, the 5-year OS was 71.4% and 87.5% in TNBC and HER2 groups. In TNBC group, the survival of the EGFR-overexpressing group patients was significantly lower than that of the non-EGFR-overexpressing group patients (p=0.018 for DFS, p=0.026 for OS); In HER2 group, no statistical difference was found (p=0.079 for DFS, p=0.055 for OS).

Conclusions: This study showed that EGFR overexpression increased significantly in TNBC patients, which was no correlation with their clinico-pathological data. EGFR gene amplification was much less frequent than its overexpression. It suggested that EGFR gene amplification may not be the unique mechanism of EGFR overexpression in TNBC. There may be other possible mechanisms and pathways that cause EGFR overexpression. In addition, it may suggest that gefitinib therapy is useless in TNBC patients because we did not find any mutations in the tested exons of TNBC. EGFR overexpression may associate with a poor outcome of TNBC patients which suggest it could be a significant prognostic factor for TNBC patients. EGFR may play important role for molecular-targeting therapy of TNBC.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-11-09.

Effect of surface microstructure of TiO₂ film from micro-arc oxidation on its photocatalytic activity: a HRTEM study

Photocatalysis is a reaction that happens on the surface of catalysts around only several atomic layers. Therefore, the microstructure beneath the surface plays a key role for the improvement of photocatalytic property. In this paper, the microstructural variation of the TiO(2) film from micro-arc oxidation (MAO) was characterized by using a high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and the relationship between microstructures and photocatalytic activity was studied. The results revealed that: 1) The microstructural variation from the surface to the interior in the as-prepared film is as follows: an amorphous layer with thickness around 10-20 nm, an intermediate zone consisting of amorphous, anatase and few rutile TiO(2) phases with grain size about 12 nm, then the main structure consisting of anatase and few rutile TiO(2) phases with grain size around 20 nm. This variation was formed due to temperature gradient during MAO. 2) When the TiO(2) film was annealed at 450 °C for 12 h, the amorphous layer disappeared and crystallized into fine anatase grains, and, simultaneously, the grain size in the intermediate layer grew obviously from 12 nm into 18 nm, and the interior portion from 20 nm into 30 nm. 3) The photocatalysis experiments exhibited that photocatalytic activity of the post-annealed TiO(2) film was enhanced to more than twice that of the as-prepared TiO(2) film. Therefore, we propose that the crystallization of amorphous phase beneath the surface plays a key role for the improvement of its photocatalytic property.

Abstract P6-03-04: Opening, Dynamic Prospective Cohort Research on the Small Focus Less than 1.1cm Shown by B Ultrasound in Breast

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound is the most frequent clinical way to examine breast in China. Because Chinese have small and high density breasts, mammography can not show some lesions, and it costs too much. There are 5%-10% patients detected small, nonpalpable lesions by ultrasound in clinic and physical examination. Most of the lesions are very small, without typical characteristics of malignant or benign tumor. So many positive results bother doctors and patients. OBJECTIVE To find an appropriate way to detect breast cancer early and reduce unnecessary biopsy. METHODS: A Opening, dynamic prospective cohort research on the small focus less than 1.1cm shown by B ultrasound has been performed from 1 st January 2009. 791 cases and 1064 lesions were selected to the study group. All patients are female, from 35 to 75 years old. The lesions are from 0.25 cm to 1.1cm in ultrasound and less than grade 3 in mammography according to BI-RADS. The patients are divided to 2 groups according to the mammography grade of BI-RADS. The first subgroup concludes 260 cases with grade 3, and the second subgroup concludes 531 cases with less than grade 2. The patients who were more than grade 4 in ultrasound according to BI-RADS accepted biopsy as soon as they got into group. Other patients accept ultrasound per 3 months and mammography per year. We will do biopsy when the lesions rise up to 130% of the original size, and when the lesion reduce to 70% of the original size in consecutive two times examination on ultrasound , the patient will leave the group. RESULTS: Total 70 cases were performed biopsy during 17months. 2 cases (0.7%) without family history of breast cancer were breast cancer during biopsy in the first subgroup.2 cases (0.3%) with family history of breast cancer were mastopathy with atypia during the procedure of follow up—biopsy in the second subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Most small lesions which are negative on mammography are benign and need not be performed resection. Use of mammography can reduce unnecessary biopsy in Chinese. Ultrasound and family history of breast cancer should be considered well.

the cases of screening and biopsy

Molecular and enzymatic profiles of mammalian DNA methyltransferases: structures and targets for drugs

DNA methylation is an epigenetic event involved in a variety array of processes that may be the foundation of genetic phenomena and diseases. DNA methyltransferase is a key enzyme for cytosine methylation in DNA, and can be divided into two functional families (Dnmt1 and Dnmt3) in mammals. All mammalian DNA methyltransferases are encoded by their own single gene, and consisted of catalytic and regulatory regions (except Dnmt2). Via interactions between functional domains in the regulatory or catalytic regions and other adaptors or cofactors, DNA methyltransferases can be localized at selective areas (specific DNA/nucleotide sequence) and linked to specific chromosome status (euchromatin/heterochromatin, various histone modification status). With assistance from UHRF1 and Dnmt3L or other factors in Dnmt1 and Dnmt3a/Dnmt3b, mammalian DNA methyltransferases can be recruited, and then specifically bind to hemimethylated and unmethylated double-stranded DNA sequence to maintain and de novo setup patterns for DNA methylation. Complicated enzymatic steps catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases include methyl group transferred from cofactor Ado-Met to C5 position of the flipped-out cytosine in targeted DNA duplex. In the light of the fact that different DNA methyltransferases are divergent in both structures and functions, and use unique reprogrammed or distorted routines in development of diseases, design of new drugs targeting specific mammalian DNA methyltransferases or their adaptors in the control of key steps in either maintenance or de novo DNA methylation processes will contribute to individually treating diseases related to DNA methyltransferases.