Association of human leukocyte antigen-G and -F with recurrent miscarriage and implantation failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PROBLEM

The immune system plays an essential role in embryonic implantation and pregnancy, but the molecular details remain controversial. In the past four decades, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G and -F have garnered significant attention.

METHOD OF STUDY

MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Trials Registry were searched from their inception dates until December 2022. Studies were selected following PRISMA guidelines. Meta-analyses were used to assess the relationship of soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) and HLA-G 3'-untranslated region polymorphisms with recurrent miscarriage (RM) and recurrent implantation failure (RIF). Narrative synthesis was conducted to determine the association of RM with other single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and HLA-G protein in tissues and of RIF with HLA-F. Risk-of-bias was assessed using ROBINS-I. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's and Begg's tests.

RESULTS

Finally, 42 articles were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review (32 in the meta-analysis; 13 in narrative synthesis). We found a significant association between the 14-bp ins/del HLA-G polymorphism and RM risk, but no definitive association with RIF risk. Women with RM had lower blood concentrations of sHLA-G during pregnancy and non-pregnancy than did controls. For women in the RIF group, no significant difference was found.

CONCLUSION

HLA-G protein and gene expression levels may be closely related to RM. The relevance of HLA-G to RIF is still being determined. A narrative synthesis of current studies has shown that HLA-F is likely associated with RIF.

Discovery, traceability, formation mechanism, metal and organic components analysis of supramolecules from Maxing Shigan decoction

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction is a complex polydispersed phase system containing colloid solution, emulsion and suspension, which maybe induced by the supramolecular phenomenon in decoction. However, until now there is no systematic analysis of composition and formation mechanism of supramolecules in TCM decoction contained mineral drug and herb medicines. Maxing Shigan Decoction (MXSGT), one of the classic TCM recipes, has been widely used in the treatment of fever in clinic. In this study, we obtained the supramolecular part of MXSGT (MXSGT NPs). And its traceability, formation mechanism, metal and organic components were further analyzed. The morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS); and the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced rats' fever model was established to evaluate the antipyretic effect of MXSGT NPs. Furthermore, interaction of the disassembled groups was studied to explore the traceability and formation mechanism of MXSGT NPs by isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC). Due to the combination of mineral gypsum and herb medicines, both ICP-OES and UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS were used to analyze metal and organic components of MXSGT and MXSGT NPs, respectively. The results showed that MXSGT NPs was regular spherical nanoparticles and had the same antipyretic effect as MXSGT. Moreover, MXSGT NPs was formed by the interaction between metal and organic components, resulted in enriching the main active compounds of MXSGT. This study would provide a new idea of studying TCM decoction, especially clarifying the connotation with the participation of mineral gypsum.

Bushen Huoxue formula for the treatment of diminished ovarian reserve: A combined metabolomics and integrated network pharmacology analysis

Objective

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of the Bushen Huoxue Formula (BHF) in treating diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) through the use of metabolomics and integrated network pharmacology.

Methods

The study involved 24 non-pregnant female Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into four groups of six rats each: control, model, BHF, and DHEA (n = 6 per group). The model group was induced with DOR by administering Tripterygium glycosides orally [50 mg (kg·d)-1] for 14 days. Subsequently, BHF and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) treatments were given to the respective groups. Ovarian reserve function was assessed by measuring anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), estradiol (E2), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and conducting hematoxylin-eosin staining. In addition, UHPLC-QTOF-MS analysis was performed to identify differential metabolites and pathways in DOR rats treated with BHF. In this study, LC-MS was utilized to identify the active ingredients of BHF, while network pharmacology was employed to investigate the correlations between BHF-related genes and DOR-related genes. An integrated analysis of metabonomics and network pharmacology was conducted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of BHF in treating DOR.

Results

The model group exhibited a poor general condition and a significant decrease in the number of primordial, primary, and secondary follicles (P < 0.05) when compared to the control group. However, BHF intervention resulted in an increase in the number of primordial, primary, and secondary follicles (P < 0.05), along with elevated levels of AMH and E2 (P < 0.05), and a decrease in FSH levels (P < 0.05) in DOR rats. The modeling process identified eleven classes of metabolites, including cholesterol esters (CE), diacylglycerols (DAG), hexosylceramides (HCER), lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC), phosphatidylcholines (PC), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), sphingomyelins (SM), ceramides (CER), free fatty acids (FFA), triacylglycerols (TAG), and lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPE). The study found that PC, CE, DAG, and TAG are important metabolites in the treatment of DOR with BHF. LC-MS analysis showed that there were 183 active ingredients in ESI(+) mode and 51 in ESI(-) mode. Network pharmacology analysis identified 285 potential genes associated with BHF treatment for DOR in ESI(+) mode and 177 in ESI(-) mode. The combined analysis indicated that linoleic acid metabolism is the primary pathway in treating DOR with BHF.

Conclusion

BHF was found to improve ovarian function in rats with DOR induced by Tripterygium glycosides. The study identified key metabolites such as phosphatidylcholine (PC), cholesteryl ester (CE), diacylglycerol (DAG), triacylglycerol (TAG), and the linoleic acid metabolism pathway, which were crucial in improving ovarian function in DOR rats treated with BHF.

[Analysis of therapeutic mechanism of Liushen Wan against colitis-associated colorectal cancer based on network pharmacology and validation in mice]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Liushen Wan (LSW) against colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) by network pharmacology.

METHODS

TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM, CNKI, PubMed, Genecards, OMIM, and TTD databases were used to obtain the related targets of LSW and CAC. The common targets of LSW and CAC were obtained using Venny online website. The PPI network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.8.2 to screen the core targets of LSW in the treatment of CAC. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were conducted using DAVID database. The therapeutic effect of LSW on CAC was evaluated in a C57BL/6J mouse model of AOM/DSS-induced CAC by observing the changes in body weight, disease activity index, colon length, and size and number of the tumor. HE staining and RT-qPCR were used to analyze the effect of LSW on inflammatory mediators. Immunohistochemistry and TUNEL staining were used to evaluate the effect of LSW on the proliferation and apoptosis of AOM/DSS-treated colon tumor cells. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to detect the effects of LSW on the expression of TLR4 proteins in CAC mice.

RESULTS

Network pharmacology analysis identified 69 common targets of LSW and CAC, and 33 hub targets were screened in the PPI network. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that the effect of LSW on CAC was mediated by the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. In the mouse model of AOM/DSS-induced CAC, LSW significantly inhibited colitis-associated tumorigenesis, reduced tumor number and tumor load (P < 0.05), obviously improved histopathological changes in the colon, downregulated the mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and inhibited the proliferation (P < 0.01) and promoted apoptosis of colon tumor cells (P < 0.001). LSW also significantly decreased TLR4 protein expression in the colon tissue (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

LSW can inhibit CAC in mice possibly by regulating the expression of TLR4 to reduce intestinal inflammation, inhibit colon tumor cell proliferation and promote their apoptosis.

MRI features and whole-lesion apparent diffusion coefficient histogram analysis of brain metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer for differentiating epidermal growth factor receptor mutation status

AIM

To explore the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics and whole-lesion apparent diffusion coefficient histogram analysis of brain metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the differentiation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-eight patients with brain metastases from NSCLC were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients were subtyped into EGFR mutation (23 cases) and wild-type (25 cases) groups. Whole-lesion histogram metrics were derived from the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, and imaging features were evaluated according to conventional MRI. Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-squared test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to discriminate the two groups and to determine the diagnostic efficacy of ADC histogram parameters.

RESULTS

EGFR mutation group had more multiple brain metastases, less peritumoural brain oedema (PTBO), and lower peritumoural brain oedema index (PTBO-I) than EGFR wild-type group (all p<0.05). In addition, 90th and 75th percentiles of ADC and maximum ADC in the EGFR mutation group were significantly higher than in the EGFR wild-type group (all p<0.05). Ninetieth percentile of ADC had the highest area under the curve (AUC; 0.711), and it was found to outperform 75th percentile of ADC (AUC, 0.662; p=0.039) and maximum ADC (AUC, 0.681).

CONCLUSIONS

Whole-lesion ADC histogram analysis and MRI features of brain metastasis from NSCLC are expected to be potential biomarkers to non-invasively differentiate the EGFR mutation status.

Superaerophilic/superaerophobic cooperative electrode for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction via enhanced mass transfer

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), as an effective method to produce green hydrogen, is greatly impeded by inefficient mass transfer, i.e., bubble adhesion on electrode, bubble dispersion in the vicinity of electrode, and poor dissolved H₂ diffusion, which results in blocked electrocatalytic area and large H₂ concentration overpotential. Here, we report a superaerophilic/superaerophobic (SAL/SAB) cooperative electrode to efficiently promote bubble transfer by asymmetric Laplace pressure and accelerate dissolved H₂ diffusion through reducing diffusion distance. Benefiting from the enhanced mass transfer, the overpotential for the SAL/SAB cooperative electrode at -10 mA cm^-2 is only -19 mV, compared to -61 mV on the flat Pt electrode. By optimizing H₂SO₄ concentration, the SAL/SAB cooperative electrode can achieve ultrahigh current density (-1867 mA cm^-2) at an overpotential of -500 mV. We can envision that the SAL/SAB cooperative strategy is an effective method to improve HER efficiency and stimulate the understanding of various gas-involved processes.

On (GO, O)-fuzzy rough sets derived from overlap and grouping functions

Rough sets, as a powerful tool to deal with uncertainties and inaccuracies in data analysis, have been continuously concerned and studied by many scholars since it was put forward, especially the research on various rough set models. On the other hand, overlap and grouping functions, as two newly aggregation operators and mathematical model to handle the problems involving in information fusion, have been successfully applied in many real-life problems. In this paper, based on overlap and grouping functions, we propose a new fuzzy rough set model named (GO, O)-fuzzy rough sets and consider its characterizations along with topological properties. Properly speaking, firstly, we utilize QL-operators (and also QL-implications) constructed from overlap and grouping functions and fuzzy negations to define the lower approximation operator in (GO, O)-fuzzy rough set model named GO-lower fuzzy rough approximation operator and the upper approximation operator in (GO, O)-fuzzy rough set model is considered as the O-upper fuzzy rough approximation operator in (IO, O)-fuzzy rough set model proposed by Qiao recently. Secondly, we discuss lots of basic properties of (GO, O)-fuzzy rough sets, especially for the properties of GO-lower fuzzy rough approximation operator. Thirdly, we focus on the relationship between (GO, O)-fuzzy rough sets and concrete fuzzy relations. Finally, we give the topological properties of the upper and lower approximation operators in (GO, O)-fuzzy rough set model.

Multi-functional self-assembly nanoparticles originating from small molecule natural product for oral insulin delivery through modulating tight junctions

Background

Oral administration of insulin (INS) could be absorbed into systemic circulation only if the carrier protected it from the hostile gastrointestinal conditions. However, traditional macromolecular carriers have not totally overcome challenges in addressing these biological barriers.

Result

In this study, inspired by small molecule natural products (SMNPs), we demonstrate the multi-functional self-assembly nanoparticles (BA-Al NPs) originating from baicalin (BA) and AlCl₃ through coordination bonds and hydrogen bonds. As a novel carrier for oral insulin delivery (INS@BA-Al NPs), it displayed effective capacity in pH stimuli-responsive insulin release, intestinal mucoadhesion and transepithelial absorption enhance. Meanwhile, BA improved the paracellular permeability for insulin absorption, because of its downregulation at both mRNA and protein level on internal tight junction proteins. In vivo experiments exhibited remarkable bioavailability of INS and an ideal glucose homeostasis in the type I diabetic rat model.

Conclusion

This study offers a novel frontier of multi-functional carriers based on SMNPs with self-assembly character and bioactivity, which could be a promising strategy for diabetes therapy.

Graphical Abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-022-01260-9.

Revealing the Toxicity-Enhancing Essence of Glycyrrhiza on Genkwa Flos Based on Ultra-high-performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled With Quadrupole-Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Self-Assembled Supramolecular Technology

Researchers often focus on the mechanisms of synergistic agents, a few explore drug combinations that enhance toxicity, while few have studied the internal mechanism of compatibility enhancement in chemical level. Herein, we present a comprehensive analysis based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) and a self-assembled supramolecular strategy, which reveals the toxicity-enhancing essence of glycyrrhizic acid originated in licorice when combined with Genkwa Flos. Through this method, we discovered the toxicity was enhanced through the formation of a supramolecular complex from Genkwa Flos/glycyrrhizic acid. The morphology and size distribution of the self-assembled nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering Furthermore, a total of 58 constituents (eight diterpenoids, 35 flavonoids, five phenylpropanoids, four nucleosides, two amino acids, and four other compounds) consisted from the supramolecular complex were identified through accurate-mass measurements in full-scan MS/data-dependent MS/MS mode. Based on the hydrophobic interaction of glycyrrhizic acid with yuanhuacine (one of main ingredients from Genkwa Flos), the supramolecular self-assembly mechanism was revealed with proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) and NOESY 2D NMR. The toxicity of Genkwa Flos and Genkwa Flos/glycyrrhizic acid supramolecular complex were compared through in vitro studies on L-02 cells using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay; and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining was performed to further confirm the enhancement inhibition of Genkwa Flos/glycyrrhizic acid supramolecular complex than Genkwa Flos. This study provides fundamental scientific evidence of the formation of a self-assembled phytochemical supramolecular when Genkwa Flos and glycyrrhizic acid are combined, enabling to understand their clinical incompatibility and contraindication.

[Clinical significance and management strategies of low-level viremia during the treatment of chronic hepatitis B]

Chronic hepatitis B and its related complications seriously endanger the lives and health of our country people. Although the first-line nucleos(t)ide analogs such as entecavir, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and tenofovir alafenamide fumarate can inhibit virus replication to a certain extent, delay or prevent disease progression, and reduce the incidence of hepatitis B-related liver cancer, but in clinical practice, HBV DNA positivity is still detected continuously or intermittently in the serum of some patients. Therefore, low-level viremia has received widespread attention and triggered discussion, and has become the difficulties and hotspot of antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis B. This article summarizes and discusses the definition and incidence in line with the main guidelines and studies, impact of disease control and clinical prognosis, and the current treatment options in order to provide definite reference for the management of low-level viremia during antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Estimation of moisture migration in rammed earth based on entropy theory

In the field of cultural relic protection, the migration of moisture will cause a series of adverse effects, such as disruption and crater eruption. Assessment of water migration status is the key to early warning and prevention of these problems. In an attempt for a solution, the whole process of moisture migration in rammed earth is studied by using the moisture migration initiation criterion based on entropy. We analyzed and compared the entropy change law of the infrared radiation temperature in the two main migration stages, and we made a judgment on whether the moisture state is in the steady equilibrium or in the process of dynamic migration. The results show that the moisture migration status can be identified quickly and in real time by using the moisture migration initiation criterion based on entropy. The results of this study provide a new method for judging the state of moisture migration in geotechnical engineering, especially in the field of cultural relic protection, which has very important practical significance.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has been spreading and brought unprecedented psychological pressure on people across the entire globe since December 2019.

Objectives

To synthesize the existing evidence of the prevalence of mental health status during the epidemic and provide the basis for mental health education.

Materials and methods

The literature search was conducted in nine databases from December 2019 to October 2020. The risk of bias for each study was assessed, and the random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the prevalence of specific mental health problems. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO with the registration number CRD42020208619.

Results

About 27 studies were included in the analysis with a total of 706,415 participants combined, and 14 mental health problems were gathered. Meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of depression was 39% (95% CI: 27–51%) and that of anxiety was 36% (95% CI: 26–46%). Subgroup analysis indicated that the prevalence of depression and anxiety varied among nations and due to the survey date. The prevalence of depression (60%, 95% CI: 46–74%) and anxiety (60%, 95% CI: 46–74%) in non-Chinese college students was higher than those in Chinese college students (26%, 95% CI: 21–30% and 20%, 95% CI: 14–26%). The proportion of depression (54%, 95% CI: 40–67%) and anxiety (37%, 95% CI: 26–48%) was higher after March 1 than before it (21%, 95% CI: 16–25% and 19%, 95% CI: 13–25%).

Conclusions

The meta-analysis results presented that the prevalence of depression (39%) or anxiety (36%) among college students greatly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the mental health of college students is affected by the nations and the survey date. It was necessary to take measures to reduce mental health risks during the pandemic.

[Transcription factor EB related autophagy in the treatment of multiple myeloma and its mechanism]

目的

明确硼替佐米和（或）西拉美新作用于多发性骨髓瘤（MM）细胞株后细胞增殖、转录因子EB（TFEB）核转位表达变化及自噬水平，为进一步探讨TFEB对自噬的调控机制提供依据。

方法

体外培养MM细胞株RPMI8226及U266，并以一定浓度的硼替佐米和西拉美新处理MM细胞，CCK-8法检测细胞增殖，实时定量PCR和Western blot法检测TFEB、自噬相关因子LC3B、Beclin1、p62、LAMP1的mRNA和蛋白相对表达量。

结果

随着硼替佐米浓度增加及作用时间延长，两个细胞系的增殖抑制率增高（P<0.05）。硼替佐米和西拉美新联用对上述MM细胞株的增殖有协同抑制作用（P<0.05）。空白对照组、单药组、联合用药组处理MM细胞株后，细胞质中TFEB的mRNA和蛋白相对表达量依次下降（P<0.05），细胞核中TFEB的mRNA和蛋白相对表达量依次上升（P<0.05），自噬相关因子LC3B、Beclin1、LAMP1的mRNA和蛋白相对表达量依次上升，p62的mRNA和蛋白相对表达量依次下降（P<0.05）。

结论

硼替佐米和西拉美新具有协同抑制MM细胞增殖作用，与其诱导MM细胞株自噬表达增强相关，发生核转位的TFEB表达亦增强。

[Role of the liver-enriched transcription factor binding site mutation in the C promoter region of hepatitis B virus genome for HBx-enhanced hepatitis B virus replication]

Objective: To construct a recombinant HBV replication-type plasmid with liver-enriched transcription factor binding site mutation at proximal of HBV C promoter in order to elucidate the role of HBx-enhanced HBV replication. Methods: Site-directed mutagenesis technology was used to construct a recombinant plasmid with liver-enriched transcription factor binding site mutation at proximal of HBV C promoter on the basis of wild-type HBV replicating plasmid and HBV replicating plasmid lacking HBx expression. Subsequently, plasmid transfection was carried out in HBV liver cancer cell replication model and mouse replication model, and HBV replication intermediates of cells and mouse liver tissue were extracted for detection. Results: Based on the HBV replicating plasmid, the HBV replicating plasmid with liver-enriched transcription factor binding site mutation at proximal of HBV C promoter was successfully constructed. HBx-enhanced HBV replication were detected in both the HBV liver cancer replication model and the mouse replication model. After mutating liver-enriched transcription factor binding site mutation at proximal of HBV C promoter, the effect of HBx on the enhancement of HBV replication was not significantly affected. Conclusion: HBx may not enhance HBV replication through liver-enriched transcription factor binding site mutation at proximal of HBV C promoter. The role of other liver-enriched transcription factor binding sites in HBx-enhanced HBV replication needs further study.

Self-assembled nanoparticles of natural phytochemicals (berberine and 3,4,5-methoxycinnamic acid) originated from traditional Chinese medicine for inhibiting multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Background:

In the field of antibacterial, nanomaterials are favored by researchers because of their unique advantages. Medicinal plants, especially traditional Chinese medicine, are considered to be an important source of new chemicals with potential therapeutic effects, as well as an important source for the discovery of new antibiotics. MRSA is endangering people's lives as a kind of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus which are resistant to tetracycline, amoxicillin, norfloxacin and other first-line antibiotics. It is a hotspot to find good anti-drug-resistant bacteriae, nature-originated nanomaterials with good biocompatibility.

Objective:

We reported the formation of phytochemical nanoparticles (NPs) by the self-assembly of berberine (BBR) and 3,4,5-methoxycinnamic acid (3,4,5-TCA) from Chinese herb medicine, which had good antibacterial activity against MRSA.

Method and Results:

We found that NPs had good antibacterial activity against MRSA; especially, its antibacterial activity was better than first-line amoxicillin, norfloxacin and its self-assembling precursors on MRSA. When the concentration reached 0.1 µmol/mL, the inhibition rate of NPs reached 94.62%, which was higher than that of BBR and the other two antibiotics (p < 0.001). It was observed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) that NPs could directly adhere to the bacterial surface, which might be an important aspect of the antibacterial activity of NPs. Meanwhile, we further analyzed that the self-assembly was formed by hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking through ultraviolet−visible (UV-vis), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), hydrogen nuclear magnetic spectrum (1 H NMR), and powder X-ray diffraction (pXRD). NPs’ morphology was observed by FESEM and TEM. The particles size and surface charge were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS); and the surface charge was -31.6 mv, which proved that the synthesized NPs were stable.

Conclusion:

We successfully constructed a naturally self-assembled nanoparticle, originating from traditional Chinese medicine, which had good antibacterial activity for MRSA. It is a promising way to obtain natural nanoparticles from medicinal plants and apply them to antibacterial therapy.

PCAT1 promotes the proliferative and migratory potentials of ovarian cancer via targeting NEK2

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to clarify the potential role of PCAT1 in the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer (OC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Expression levels of PCAT1 and NEK2 in OC tissues and cell lines were detected by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Correlation between PCAT1 expression with tumor stage and prognosis of OC patients was analyzed. Knockdown or over-expression of PCAT1 and NEK2 were achieved by siRNA or lentivirus transfection, respectively. Subsequently, cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle progression and migration were determined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry and transwell assay, respectively. Furthermore, the protein levels of relative genes in Wnt pathway were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

PCAT1 was highly expressed in OC tissues and cell lines, especially in tumor tissues with stage III-IV compared with stage I-II. The prognosis of OC patients with higher expression of PCAT1 was significantly worse than those with lower expression. In vitro experiments confirmed that PCAT1 knockdown obviously inhibited proliferative and migratory potentials, whereas induced apoptosis of OC cells. No significant changes were observed in cell cycle progression of OC cells after knockdown or overexpression of PCAT1. Meanwhile, overexpression of PCAT1 remarkably upregulated the expression level of NEK2, which was the target gene of PCAT1. Interestingly, NEK2 knockdown could obviously suppress cell migration. Furthermore, Western blot results elucidated that PCAT1 knockdown could inhibit the protein levels of relative genes in Wnt pathway in OC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

PCAT1 was highly expressed in OC tissues than adjacent normal tissues. PCAT1 overexpression significantly promoted proliferative and migratory potentials, whereas inhibited apoptosis of OC cells through upregulating NEK2 expression via Wnt pathway.

CtIP contributes to non-homologous end joining formation through interacting with ligase IV and promotion of TMZ resistance in glioma cells

OBJECTIVE

C-terminal-binding protein interacting protein (CtIP) participates in a variety of DNA metabolisms and DNA double strand break repair (DSBR). The role of CtIP has been proven in facilitating end resection in homologous recombination (HR). This study aimed to investigate the role of CtIP in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) formation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study CtIP deficient U87 cell line was generated by using CRISPR/Cas9 method. HR and NHEJ reporter assay were conducted in U87 cells. The cell viability of U87 cells was evaluated by using Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Ionizing radiation assay and clonogenic survival assay were also conducted in this study. Bacteria expressed CtIP and ligase IV proteins were collected and purified. Affinity capture assay was conducted to observe the interactions between proteins.

RESULTS

Both of the temozolomide (TMZ)-resistant and CtIP deficient glioma cell lines were successfully generated. The results indicated that CtIP participated in NHEJ formation through interacting with ligase IV in glioma cells. CtIP significantly improved the NHEJ efficiency in glioma cells. The CtIP deficient glioma cells were sensitive to the treatment of DNA damaging drug (TMZ). Meanwhile, the CtIP deficiency significantly enhanced the sensitivity of glioma cells to the treatment of TMZ.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study indicated that CtIP contributed to NHEJ formation through interacting with IV and promotion of TMZ resistance in glioma cells via promoting DSBR efficiency.

Identification of Peripheral Blood and Menstrual Blood Based on the Expression Level of MicroRNAs and Discriminant Analysis

Objective To construct a discriminant analysis model based on the differential expression of multiple microRNAs （miRNAs） in two kinds of blood samples （peripheral blood and menstrual blood） and three non-blood samples （saliva, semen and vaginal secretion）, to form an identification solution for peripheral blood and menstrual blood. Methods Six kinds of miRNA （miR-451a, miR-144-3p, miR-144-5p, miR-214-3p, miR-203-3p and miR-205-5p） were selected from literature, the samples of five kinds of body fluids commonly seen in forensic practice （peripheral blood, menstrual blood, saliva, semen, vaginal secretion） were collected, then the samples were divided into training set and testing set and detected by SYBR Green real-time qPCR. A discriminant analysis model was set up based on the expression data of training set and the expression data of testing set was used to examine the accuracy of the model. Results A discriminant analysis statistical model that could distinguish blood samples from non-blood samples and distinguish peripheral blood samples from menstrual blood samples at the same time was successfully constructed. The identification accuracy of the model was over 99%. Conclusion This study provides a scientific and accurate identification strategy for forensic fluid identification of peripheral blood and menstrual blood samples and could be used in forensic practice.

[Observation of cosmetic effect of corneal interlamellar staining in patients with corneal leucoma]

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of corneal staining in patients with corneal leucoma. Methods: Restrospective case series study.Thirty eyes of 30 patients (17 males, 13 females) with corneal leucoma who underwent corneal interlamellar staining at Beijing Aier-Intech Eye Hospital from October 2014 to July 2018 were included. The mean age was 31.50±15.66 years. Postoperative follow-up was more than 1 year. All the patients underwent appearance examination, anterior segment examination with a slit lamp, B-scan examination and anterior segment OCT examination preoperatively and postoperatively. The effect of corneal staining, patient satisfaction and the incidence of complications were investigated. Results: The corneal epithelium of all the patients healed completely within 1-3 days after operation. The mean follow-up period was 30.68±18.02 months (range, 12.37-58.10 months). During the postoperative follow-up period, no staining permeation or inflammatory reaction in the anterior chamber occurred. The corneal color and appearance were well maintained in 18 patients (72.0%). Seven patients (28.0%) showed mild corneal color-fading. One patient was treated with enucleation and orbital hydroxyapatite implantation because of eye atrophy and corneal banding degeneration caused by the primary disease at 4 years after operation. The surgeon was satisfied with the improvement of the appearance of all cases; 22 patients (88.0%) were satisfied with the postoperative appearance. No significant complications were observed in all the cases. Conclusions: Corneal interlamellar staining is one of best choices for the treatment of corneal leucoma. It has advantages of quick postoperative recovery, long-standing color staining and good cosmetic effect. The operation is simple and easy to carry out and there is no obvious damage to eye tissues. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56:465-472).

Canopy Nitrogen Concentration Monitoring Techniques of Summer Corn Based on Canopy Spectral Information

Crop nitrogen monitoring techniques, particularly choosing sensitive monitoring bands and suitable monitoring models, have great significance both in theory and in practice for achieving non-destructive monitoring of nitrogen concentration and accurate management of water and fertilizer in large-scale areas. In this study, a lysimeter experiment was carried out to examine the characteristics of canopy spectral reflectance variation of summer corn under different fertilization levels. The relationship between canopy spectral reflectance and nitrogen concentration was investigated, based on which sensitive bands for the corn canopy nitrogen monitoring were selected and a suitable spectral index model was determined. The results suggest that under different fertilization levels, the canopy spectral reflectance of summer corn decreases with the increase of the canopy nitrogen concentration in the visible light band, but varies in the opposite direction in the near-infrared band, with a premium put on a higher correlation between the spectral reflectance of the characteristic bands and their first derivatives and the canopy nitrogen concentration. The most sensitive bands for monitoring the canopy nitrogen concentration using spectral reflectance and its first derivative are found to be 762 nm and 726 nm and the correlation coefficients are 0.550 and 0.795, respectively. The optimal band combination, generated by multivariate stepwise regression analysis, is composed of 762 nm, 944 nm and 957 nm bands. From the 55 reported spectral index models of crop nitrogen concentration monitoring, the most suitable index model, NDRE, is chosen such that this index model has the highest correlation with the canopy nitrogen concentration in summer corn. This model has a significant positive correlation with the canopy nitrogen concentration at each growth period, and the correlation coefficient is up to 0.738 during the whole growth period. Spectral monitoring models of canopy nitrogen concentration are constructed using sensitive bands, and a combination of bands and the spectral index, suggesting that these models perform well in monitoring. The models arranged in descending order of simulation accuracy are as follows: the suitable spectral index model, the optimal band combination model, the sensitive band reflectance first derivative model, the sensitive band reflectance model. The determination coefficients are 0.754, 0.711, 0.639 and 0.306, respectively.

[Predictive value of cervical length measured by transvaginal ultrasound during the second and the third trimester of pregnancy for preterm birth in twin pregnancies]

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of cervical length (CL) measured by transvaginal ultrasound for preterm birth <32 weeks, <34 weeks in twin pregnancies in the second and the third trimester of pregnancy. Methods: A total of 490 twin pregnant women with CL measured by transvaginal ultrasound during the second trimester of pregnancy (20-24 weeks) and the third trimester of pregnancy (28-32 weeks) delivered in Peking University Third Hospital, and Tongzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2014 to December 2017 were collected, and 161 cases out of which were measured by CL during both the second trimester and the third trimester of pregnancy. Based on the measured gestational weeks, 427 cases were in the second trimester group and 224 cases in the third trimester group. The predictive value of CL for preterm birth was evaluated by calculating the optimal cut-off point with sensitivity and specificity. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between CL and preterm birth after adjusting for confounding factors (age of pregnant women, chorionic status, mulipara, assisted reproductive pregnancy and pre-pregnancy body mass index). Results: (1) The median CL of pregnant women in the second trimester group and the third trimester group were 36 mm (33-40 mm) and 28 mm (18-33 mm) respectively. In the second trimester group, 151 cases (35.4%, 151/427) were preterm birth and 276 cases (64.6%, 276/427) were full-term birth; the median CL of preterm and full-term pregnant women were 34 mm (30-37 mm) and 37 mm (34-40 mm), respectively, with significant difference (P<0.01). In the third trimester group, 100 cases (44.6%, 100/224) were preterm birth and 124 cases (55.4%, 124/224) were full-term birth; the median CL of preterm and full-term pregnant women were 22 mm (15-30 mm) and 31 mm (23-34 mm), respectively, with significant difference (P<0.01). (2) Prediction of preterm birth <32 weeks and <34 weeks was performed with CL in the second trimester group. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve were 0.78 (95%CI: 0.70-0.86) and 0.71 (95%CI: 0.64-0.79), respectively. The optimal cut-off points were 36.5 mm and 33.5 mm, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, CL was inversely associated with preterm birth <32 weeks and <34 weeks of gestation. (3) Prediction of preterm birth <32 weeks and <34 weeks were performed with CL in the third trimester group. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve were 0.86 (0.75-0.96) and 0.75 (0.67-0.84), respectively. The optimal cut-off points were 17.5 mm and 18.5 mm, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, CL was inversely associated with preterm birth at <32 weeks and <34 weeks of gestation. Conclusions: CL measured by transvaginal ultrasound in the second and the third trimester is a good predictor for preterm birth of twin pregnancy. CL≤36.5 mm and ≤33.5 mm at 20-24 weeks of gestation could predict preterm birth <32 weeks and <34 weeks respectively. CL≤17.5 mm and ≤18.5 mm at 28-32 weeks of gestation could predict preterm birth <32 weeks and <34 weeks respectively.

Highly efficient and stable solar-powered desalination by tungsten carbide nanoarray film with sandwich wettability

Solar-powered desalination is a promising way to resolve the worldwide water crisis for its low consumption and simple facility. Considering the fragility and aggregations of traditional materials, which may decrease efficiency, we herein introduce a robust tungsten carbide (WC) nanoarray film as a stable and efficient photothermal material, whose absorption is over 97.5% throughout almost the whole solar spectrum range (220-2200 nm) due to nanoarray structure and thus enhanced localized surface plasmon resonance. Besides, for the first time, we modified the film with sandwich wettability. It accelerates evaporation by reducing water's reflection of light, enlarging hydrophobic-hydrophilic boundaries, and depressing heat dissipation. Combining high absorption with unique wettability, the WC nanoarray film offers high solar-to-vapor efficiency of 90.8% and produces drinking water at the rate of (1.06 ± 0.10) kg m^-2 h^-1 from man-made seawater and (0.98 ± 0.18) kg m^-2 h^-1 from heavy metal sewage under one sun (AM 1.5) while 98% performance remains after 1 h × 100 times' reutilization.

[The impact of genetic variation of KDR on clinical outcomes of advanced colorectal cancer patients treated by first line bevacizumab based regimens]

Objective: To investigate the association between kinase insertion region receptor (KDR) gene genetic variation and the efficacy of bevacizumab in patients with advanced colorectal cancer(CRC) were investigated in this study. Methods: 118 patients with advanced colorectal cancer who were treated by bevacizumab based first line regimens were included in this study. Peripheral blood and the biopsy tissue specimens of the CRC patients were collected for the genotyping of genetic variation and KDR gene expression, respectively. The univariate analysis of genotypes and prognosis was carried out by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and multivariate were adjusted by Cox regression analysis. Results: Located in the coding region, the prevalence of 889 C>T in KDR among the study population were as follows: CC genotype 86 cases (72.88%), CT genotype 30 cases (25.42%), TT genotype 2 cases (1.70%), minor allele frequency of 889 C>T is 0.14. The distribution of three genotypes in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (P=0.737). There were no statistical differences in the distribution of the genotypes in baseline clinical data. TT and CT genotype patients were merged in the comparison of clinical outcomes. The clinical outcomes analysis of patients with different genotypes found that the objective response rates (ORR) of CT/TT genotypes were 34.38% and 43.02% (P=0.395), respectively. And the median progression free survival (PFS) of patients with CT/TT genotype and CC genotype were 7.5 and 9.7 months respectively, which was statistically significant (P=0.009). In terms of overall survival (OS), the median OS of the two genotypes were 19.3 and 20.1 (P=0.025), respectively. Adjusted in multivariate Cox regression analysis of PFS, CT/TT genotypes were an independent factor for PFS (OR=1.88, P=0.023). Additionally, of the 57 biopsy tissue specimens, gene expression analysis was conducted. And the results showed that the expression of KDR in cancer tissues of the patients with CT/TT genotypes were significantly higher than those of the CC genotype patients (P<0.001). Conclusion: Among advanced colorectal cancer patients treated by bevacizumab, the polymorphism 889 C>T of KDR may impact the clinical outcomes of bevacizumab first line treatment by influencing the mRNA expression of KDR.

The role of Snf5 in the osteogenic differentiation potential during replicative senescence of rat mesenchymal stromal cells

The osteogenic capacities of bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs) diminish during replicative senescence, and these changes affect the success of therapeutic application of BMSCs. In this study, we sought to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the osteogenic differentiation capacities that occur during replicative senescence. It is well known that Oct4 is a key transcription factor essential for maintaining differentiation capacities of the stem cells. In this study, we found that BMSCs at passage 6 (replicative senescent BMSCs) showed marked decreases in the osteogenic differentiation potential and the level of Oct4. These were accompanied by reduced levels of Snf5 and histone H3 lysine-4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) in the Oct4 promoter. In BMSCs at passage 2, knockdown of Snf5 diminished expression of Oct4 and disrupted the up-regulation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) after osteogenic differentiation induction, which was accompanied by a reduction in Snf5 and H3K4me3 binding to the Oct4 promoter. These findings indicate that the decreased level of Snf5 binding to the promoter region of the Oct4 gene down-regulated the expression of Oct4, which may be the mechanism underlying the decline in osteogenic capacities in replicative senescent BMSCs.

Aligned N-doped carbon nanotube bundles with interconnected hierarchical structure as an efficient bi-functional oxygen electrocatalyst

The fabrication of cost effective and efficient electrocatalysts with functional building blocks to replace noble metal ones is of great importance for energy related applications yet remains a great challenge. Herein, we report the fabrication of a hierarchical structure containing CNTs/graphene/transition-metal hybrids (h-NCNTs/Gr/TM) with excellent bifunctional oxygen electrocatalytic activity. The synthesis was rationally designed by the growth of shorter nitrogen-doped CNTs (S-NCNTs) on longer NCNTs arrays (L-NCNTs), while graphene layers were in situ generated at their interconnecting sites. The hybrid material shows excellent OER and ORR performance, and was also demonstrated to be a highly active bifunctional catalyst for Zn–air batteries, which could be due to rapid electron transport and full exposure of active sites in the hierarchical structure.

A hierarchical structure containing aligned CNTs/graphene/transition-metal was fabricated and worked as a highly active bifunctional catalyst for Zn–air batteries.

Comparison of Kaposi Sarcoma Risk in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Adults Across 5 Continents: A Multiregional Multicohort Study

BACKGROUND

We compared Kaposi sarcoma (KS) risk in adults who started antiretroviral therapy (ART) across the Asia-Pacific, South Africa, Europe, Latin, and North America.

METHODS

We included cohort data of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive adults who started ART after 1995 within the framework of 2 large collaborations of observational HIV cohorts. We present incidence rates and adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs).

RESULTS

We included 208140 patients from 57 countries. Over a period of 1066572 person-years, 2046 KS cases were diagnosed. KS incidence rates per 100000 person-years were 52 in the Asia-Pacific and ranged between 180 and 280 in the other regions. KS risk was 5 times higher in South African women (aHR, 4.56; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 2.73-7.62) than in their European counterparts, and 2 times higher in South African men (2.21; 1.34-3.63). In Europe, Latin, and North America KS risk was 6 times higher in men who have sex with men (aHR, 5.95; 95% CI, 5.09-6.96) than in women. Comparing patients with current CD4 cell counts ≥700 cells/µL with those whose counts were <50 cells/µL, the KS risk was halved in South Africa (aHR, 0.53; 95% CI, .17-1.63) but reduced by ≥95% in other regions.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite important ART-related declines in KS incidence, men and women in South Africa and men who have sex with men remain at increased KS risk, likely due to high human herpesvirus 8 coinfection rates. Early ART initiation and maintenance of high CD4 cell counts are essential to further reducing KS incidence worldwide, but additional measures might be needed, especially in Southern Africa.

[Effect of microRNA-106b on the invasion and proliferation of trophoblasts through targeting MMP-2]

Objective: To investigate the expression of microRNA-106b (miR-106b) in the placentas of patients with pre-eclampsia and its relationship with matrix metallopeptidase (MMP) -2, and its effect on the invasion and proliferation of trophoblasts. Methods: (1) Placental tissues were collected from patients with mild pre-eclampsia (mPE, n=30), severe pre-eclampsia (sPE, n=30) and normal pregnant women (n=40). Human choriocarcinoma cell lines JAR and JEG3 were assigned to the miR-106b mimics group, the mimics negative control group, the miR-106b inhibitor group and the inhibitor negative control group, respectively. (2) The target gene of miR-106b(such as MMP-2) was predicted by bioinformatics. Dual-luciferase reporting system was used to verify the regulation of miR-106b on the expression of MMP-2. (3) The expressions of miR-106b and MMP-2 were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot. (4) Cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay. (5) Invasive activities in each group were assessed by cell transwell invasion assays. Results: (1) Predicting result of bioinformatics indicated that MMP-2 was one of the target genes of miR-106b. Dual-luciferase activity assay demonstrated that MMP-2 was the direct target of miR-106b (P<0.01) .(2) The results of qRT-PCR.①The expression of miR-106b in the placentas of mPE, sPE, normal pregnant women were 2.89±0.04, 1.96±0.03, 1.01±0.03, respectively (P<0.05). And the expression of MMP-2 mRNA in the placentas of mPE, sPE, normal pregnant women were 1.87±0.05, 0.69±0.03, 2.78±0.03, respectively (P<0.05). ②The expression of miR-106b in the JAR cell line in the miR-106b mimics group, the mimics negative control group, the miR-106b inhibitor group and the inhibitor negative control group were 2.39±0.03, 1.03±0.04, 0.73±0.03, 1.11±0.04, respectively (P<0.05). And its expression in the JEG3 cell line were 2.17±0.04, 1.18±0.04, 0.61±0.03 and 1.22±0.03, respectively (P<0.05). ③The expression of MMP-2 mRNA in the JAR cell line in the miR-106b mimics group, the mimics negative control group, the miR-106b inhibitor group and the inhibitor negative control group were 0.45±0.15, 1.02±0.03, 2.28±0.03, 1.11±0.03, respectively (P<0.05). And its expression in the JEG3 cell line were 0.58±0.03, 1.25±0.15, 2.25±0.03, 1.21±0.03, respectively (P<0.05). (3) The results of western blot. ①The expression of MMP-2 protein in the placentas of mPE, sPE, normal pregnant women were 1.63±0.04, 0.55±0.03, 2.82±0.03, respectively (P<0.05). ②The expression of MMP-2 protein in the JAR cell line in the miR-106b mimics group, the mimics negative control group, the miR-106b inhibitor group and the inhibitor negative control group were 0.41±0.03, 0.97±0.03, 2.25±0.03, 1.01±0.03, respectively (P<0.05). And its expression in the JEG3 cell line were 0.53±0.03, 1.20±0.03, 2.31±0.04, 1.19±0.03, respectively (P<0.05). (4) miR-106b could inhibit the proliferation of JAR and JEG3 cells, cell proliferation rates in the miR-106b mimics group were lower than that in the mimics negative control group (P<0.05). And cell proliferation rate in the miR-106b inhibitor group was higher than the inhibitor negative control group (P<0.05). (5) The numbers of JAR cell that passed the membrane in the miR-106b mimics group, the mimics negative control group. The miR-106b inhibitor group and the inhibitor negative control group were 61±15, 79±13, 134±13, 80±12, respectively(P<0.05). And the numbers of JEG3 cell that passed were 57±12, 71±15, 128±15, 70±14, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion: The miR-106b could inhibit the invasion and proliferation of JAR and JEG3 cells through targeting MMP-2, and have a relationship with the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.

Single Crystalline Ultrathin Nickel-Cobalt Alloy Nanosheets Array for Direct Hydrazine Fuel Cells

Ultrathin 2D metal alloy nanomaterials have great potential applications but their controlled syntheses are limited to few noble metal based systems. Herein Ni x Co1-x alloy nanosheets with ultrathin (sub-3 nm) single-crystalline 2D structure are synthesized through a topochemical reduction method. Moreover, the optimized composition Ni0.6Co0.4 alloy nanosheets array exhibits excellent performances for hydrazine oxidation reaction and direct hydrazine fuel cells.

Expression of KLF5 in odontoblastic differentiation of dental pulp cells during in vitro odontoblastic induction and in vivo dental repair

AIM

To identify whether Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) was involved in odontoblastic differentiation during reparative dentine formation.

METHODOLOGY

Human Dental pulp cells (DPCs) were isolated from healthy human dental pulp tissue and induced for odontoblastic differentiation. Alizarin Red staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) activity, quantitative real-time PCR and Western Blot were performed to evaluate in vitro odontoblastic differentiation. The expression profile of KLF5 during the in vitro odontoblastic differentiation was determined by quantitative real-time PCR and Western Blot. Knock-down of KLF5 by lentivirus-mediated shRNA was performed to determine the function of KLF5 in odontoblastic differentiation. After direct pulp capping with MTA, the maxillary first molar segments dissected from male Wistar rats were prepared for histology analysis and immunohistochemistry staining.

RESULTS

Odontoblastic differentiation was confirmed by significantly increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP; P = 0.004) activity and upregulated odontoblastic differentiation-related genes including dentine sialophosphoprotein (DSPP; P = 0.004) and dentine matrix protein-1 (DMP-1; P = <0.001). The expression of KLF5 was significantly upregulated during odontoblastic differentiation of in vitro cultured DPCs (P = 0.0002). KLF5 knock-down impaired odontoblastic differentiation. After direct pulp capping, dentine bridge-like calcified tissues were formed under the perforation sites. KLF5 was expressed in odontoblast-like cells and DPCs beneath the perforation sites during reparative dentine formation.

CONCLUSIONS

KLF5 might be involved in the process of odontoblastic differentiation during reparative dentine formation.

[Estimation of femoral version based on broach geometry after femoral-neck osteotomy]

OBJECTIVE

To find out whether it is accurate to estimate femoral version based on femoral broach after femoral neck osteotomy using computed tomography scans.

METHODS

In 32 total hip arthroplasty (THA), we performed CT scans before and after operation. Four possible levels (lesser trochanter, 5 mm above, 10 mm above and 15 mm above the lesser trochanter) of broach version were calculated based on the preoperative CT scan. Stem versions were measured on the postoperative CT scan. We determined the difference between the preoperative broach version and the postoperative stem version using the Student's t test for paired samples assuming equal variance.

RESULTS

For the operated hips, preoperative hip version differed according to the level of measurement. Our findings showed that the average femoral version was 37.0°±11.0° at the level of the lesser trochanter (section 1), 34.3°±10.6° at 5 mm above the lesser trochanter (section 2), 28.1°±10.9° at 10 mm above the lesser trochanter (section 3), and 22.4°± 13.7° at 15 mm above the lesser trochanter (section 4), and that the average version for the femoral neck (FNV) was 12.9°±13.8°. The postoperative hip version was the stem version (FSV), which we found to be an average of 26.1°±11.0°. The mean femoral version for section 1 and 2 was larger than the mean postoperative stem version (P<0.01); the mean version for sections 3 and 4 did not differ from the mean postoperative stem version (P>0.05). The mean femoral neck version was less than the mean postoperative stem version (P<0.01); the difference was 13.2°±11.1° of the increased anteversion on average for the FSV compared with FNV.

CONCLUSION

The accuracy of estimated femoral version after arthroplasty depends on broach level. When it is 10 mm above the lesser trochanter, stem version estimation is accurate, but below that level, there is a tendency to overestimate.

FOXM1 and polo-like kinase 1 are co-ordinately overexpressed in patients with gastric adenocarcinomas

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancers present late in life with advanced disease and carry a poor prognosis. Polo-like Kinase 1 (PLK1) is a mitotic kinase with regulatory functions during G2/M and mitosis in the cell cycle. In mammalian cells, there is an intricate co-regulatory relationship between PLK1 and the forkhead transcription factor FOXM1. It has been demonstrated that individually either PLK1 or FOXM1 expression predicts poorer survival. However, the co-expression of both of these markers in gastric adenocarcinomas has not been reported previously.

METHODS

We aimed to assess the expression of PLK1 and FOXM1 in Gastric adenocarcinomas in a Western Population, to examine whether there is a relationship of PLK1 to FOXM1 in cancer samples. We assess both the protein and mRNA expression in this patient population by Tissue Microarray immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemistry was performed on biopsy samples from 79 patients with gastric cancer. Paired normal controls were available in 47 patients. FOXM1 expression was significantly associated with gastric adenocarcinoma (p = 0.001). PLK1 and FOXM1 co-expression was demonstrated in 6/8 (75 %) tumours when analysed by RT-PCR. FOXM1 is overexpressed in a large proportion of gastric carcinomas at the protein level and FOXM1 and PLK1 are concomitantly overexpressed at the mRNA level in this cancer type.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has demonstrated that FOXM1 and its target gene PLK1 are coordinately overexpressed in a proportion of gastric adenocarcinomas. This suggests that chemotherapeutic treatments that target this pathway may be of clinical utility.

TNF-α mutation affects the gene expression profiles of patients with multiple trauma

Multiple trauma can induce sepsis and organ failure, even threaten people’s lives. To further study the mechanisms of multiple trauma, we analyzed microarray of GSE5760. GSE5760 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus including a total of 58 peripheral blood transcriptome from patients without (WT, n = 30) and carrying (MUT, n = 28) the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) rs1800629 A variant. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the limma package in R and the Benjamin and Hochberg method in a multi-test package. Then, functional enrichment analysis of DEGs was performed. Also, transcription factors significantly related to DEGs were searched using WebGestalt and interaction network of transcription factors and DEGs were constructed using STRING online software. Furthermore, pathway enrichment analysis for the DEGs in the interaction network was conducted using KO-Based Annotation System (KOBAS). We screened 39 DEGs including 27 upregulated and 12 downregulated genes. The enriched functions were associated with biological process (BP) (such as response to hypoxia, P value = 0.039803), cell components (CC) (such as mitochondrial part, P value = 0.043857), and molecular function (MF) (such as structural constituent of ribosome, P value = 0.008735). Besides, RPS7 and RPL17 were associated with ribosome and participated in ribosome pathway. PPP2R2B was related to mitochondrion. KCNMA1, ALAS2 and SOCS3 were associated with hypoxia. Moreover, transcription factors of LEF1, CHX10, ELK1, SP1, and MAZ were significantly related to DEGs. RPS7, RPL17, PPP2R2B, KCNMA1, ALAS2, and SOCS3 might relate to multiple trauma. And TNF-α mutation could cause sepsis in patients with multiple trauma by changing the expression of these genes.

HIV and aging: insights from the Asia Pacific HIV Observational Database (APHOD)

OBJECTIVES

The proportion of people living with HIV/AIDS in the ageing population (>50 years old) is increasing. We aimed to explore the relationship between older age and treatment outcomes in HIV-positive persons from the Asia Pacific region.

METHODS

Patients from the Australian HIV Observational Database (AHOD) and the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD) were included in the analysis. We used survival methods to assess the association between older age and all-cause mortality, as well as time to treatment modification. We used regression analyses to evaluate changes in CD4 counts after combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiation and determined the odds of detectable viral load, up to 24 months of treatment.

RESULTS

A total of 7142 patients were included in these analyses (60% in TAHOD and 40% in AHOD), of whom 25% were >50 years old. In multivariable analyses, those aged > 50 years were at least twice as likely to die as those aged 30-39 years [hazard ratio (HR) for 50-59 years: 2.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-3.83; HR for > 60 years: 4.28; 95% CI 2.42-7.55]. The effect of older age on CD4 count changes was insignificant (p-trend=0.06). The odds of detectable viral load after cART initiation decreased with age (p-trend=< 0.0001). The effect of older age on time to first treatment modification was insignificant (p-trend=0.21). We found no statistically significant differences in outcomes between AHOD and TAHOD participants for all endpoints examined.

CONCLUSIONS

The associations between older age and typical patient outcomes in HIV-positive patients from the Asia Pacific region are similar in AHOD and TAHOD. Our data indicate that 'age effects' traverse the resource-rich and resource-limited divide and that future ageing-related findings might be applicable to each setting.

Analysis of key genes and pathways involved in acute lung injury in a mouse model

A mouse model of acute lung injury (ALI) was chosen in this study to explore the key genes and pathways involved in the process of ALI with microarray technology. Gene expression microarray data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Mice from the experimental group were further divided into 6 subgroups, which received octadecenoate treatments for 1, 1.5, 3, 4, 18, and 24 h. Differentially co-expressed genes were screened to uncover the pathogenesis of ALI. Almost all of the differentially co-expressed genes were identified at two times: 1.5 and 3 h. Functional analysis revealed that several inflammation-related pathways were significantly enriched. Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, hematopoietic cell lineage, and leukocyte transendothelial migration were enriched at 1.5 h. The B cell receptor signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, Fc epsilon RI signaling pathway, and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis were significantly enriched at 3 h. It could be inferred that ALI initiated at 1.5 h and lasted through 3 h. However, co-expression patterns were not found from 4 h onward. In conclusion, several key genes and pathways implicated in the development of ALI were found in this study using the mouse model, among which ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis appears to play an important role in the process.

β-catenin enhances odontoblastic differentiation of dental pulp cells through activation of Runx2

An intense stimulus can cause death of odontoblasts and initiate odontoblastic differentiation of stem/progenitor cell populations of dental pulp cells (DPCs), which is followed by reparative dentin formation. However, the mechanism of odontoblastic differentiation during reparative dentin formation remains unclear. This study was to determine the role of β-catenin, a key player in tooth development, in reparative dentin formation, especially in odontoblastic differentiation. We found that β-catenin was expressed in odontoblast-like cells and DPCs beneath the perforation site during reparative dentin formation after direct pulp capping. The expression of β-catenin was also significantly upregulated during odontoblastic differentiation of in vitro cultured DPCs. The expression pattern of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) was similar to that of β-catenin. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that Runx2 was also expressed in β-catenin–positive odontoblast-like cells and DPCs during reparative dentin formation. Knockdown of β-catenin disrupted odontoblastic differentiation, which was accompanied by a reduction in β-catenin binding to the Runx2 promoter and diminished expression of Runx2. In contrast, lithium chloride (LiCl) induced accumulation of β-catenin produced the opposite effect to that caused by β-catenin knockdown. In conclusion, it was reported in this study for the first time that β-catenin can enhance the odontoblastic differentiation of DPCs through activation of Runx2, which might be the mechanism involved in odontoblastic differentiation during reparative dentin formation.

IMM-H004, a novel coumarin derivative compound, protects against amyloid beta-induced neurotoxicity through a mitochondrial-dependent pathway

We have investigated the effect of IMM-H004 (7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methyl-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-2H-chromen-2-one), a coumarin derivative, on the amyloid beta (Aβ)-induced neurotoxicity in primary culture cortical neurons and pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Our results showed that treatment with IMM-H004 markedly reduced the number of apoptotic cells after exposure to Aβ25-35 or Aβ1-42, determined by MTT, TUNEL staining and Flow cytometry. Further study indicated that IMM-H004 significantly inhibited Aβ-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis by reversing Aβ-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, including MMP (mitochondrial membrane potential) decrease, reactive oxygen species production, and mitochondrial release of cytochrome c. IMM-H004 can regulate the interaction between Bax and Bcl-2, decreased levels of p53 and active caspase-3 protein induced by Aβ25-35. Furthermore, IMM-H004 also reduced translocation of AIF (apoptosis-inducing factor) induced by Aβ25-35. These results demonstrated that IMM-H004 was capable of protecting neuronal cells from Aβ-induced degeneration through a mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway. The results of this study lend further credence to the notion that IMM-H004 is a 'multipotent therapeutic agrent' that reduces toxic levels of brain Aβ, and holds the potential to protect neuronal mitochondrial function in Alzheimer's disease.

The FOXM1-PLK1 axis is commonly upregulated in oesophageal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The transcription factor FOXM1 is an important regulator of the cell cycle through controlling periodic gene expression during the G2 and M phases. One key target for FOXM1 is the gene encoding the protein kinase PLK1 and PLK1 itself acts in a positive feedback loop to phosphorylate and activate FOXM1. Both FOXM1 and PLK1 have been shown to be overexpressed in a variety of different tumour types.

METHODS

We have used a combination of RT-PCR, western blotting, tissue microarrays and metadata analysis of microarray data to study whether the FOXM1-PLK1 regulatory axis is upregulated and operational in oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

RESULTS

FOXM1 and PLK1 are expressed in oesophageal adenocarcinoma-derived cell lines and demonstrate cross-regulatory interactions. Importantly, we also demonstrate the concomitant overexpression of FOXM1 and PLK1 in a large proportion of oesophageal adenocarcinoma samples. This co-association was extended to the additional FOXM1 target genes CCNB1, AURKB and CKS1. In a cohort of patients who subsequently underwent surgery, the expression of several FOXM1 target genes was prognostic for overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

FOXM1 and its target gene PLK1 are commonly overexpressed in oesophageal adenocarcinomas and this association can be extended to other FOXM1 target genes, providing potentially important biomarkers for predicting post-surgery disease survival.