Measurement of the ^{18}O(α, γ)^{22}Ne Reaction Rate at JUNA and Its Impact on Probing the Origin of SiC Grains

The ^{18}O(α,γ)^{22}Ne reaction is critical for AGB star nucleosynthesis due to its connection to the abundances of several key isotopes, such as ^{21}Ne and ^{22}Ne. However, the ambiguous resonance energy and spin-parity of the dominant 470 keV resonance leads to substantial uncertainty in the ^{18}O(α,γ)^{22}Ne reaction rate for the temperature of interest. We have measured the resonance energies and strengths of the low-energy resonances in ^{18}O(α,γ)^{22}Ne at the Jinping Underground Nuclear Astrophysics experimental facility (JUNA) with improved precision. The key 470 keV resonance energy has been measured to be E_{α}=474.0±1.1  keV, with such high precision achieved for the first time. The spin-parity of this resonance state is determined to be 1^{-}, removing discrepancies in the resonance strengths in earlier studies. The results significantly improve the precision of the ^{18}O(α,γ)^{22}Ne reaction rates by up to about 10 times compared with the previous data at typical AGB temperatures of 0.1-0.3 GK. We demonstrate that such improvement leads to precise ^{21}Ne abundance predictions, with an impact on probing the origin of meteoritic stardust SiC grains from AGB stars.

Deep Underground Laboratory Measurement of ^{13}C(α,n)^{16}O in the Gamow Windows of the s and i Processes

The ^{13}C(α,n)^{16}O reaction is the main neutron source for the slow-neutron-capture process in asymptotic giant branch stars and for the intermediate process. Direct measurements at astrophysical energies in above-ground laboratories are hindered by the extremely small cross sections and vast cosmic-ray-induced background. We performed the first consistent direct measurement in the range of E_{c.m.}=0.24 to 1.9 MeV using the accelerators at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory and Sichuan University. Our measurement covers almost the entire intermediate process Gamow window in which the large uncertainty of the previous experiments has been reduced from 60% down to 15%, eliminates the large systematic uncertainty in the extrapolation arising from the inconsistency of existing datasets, and provides a more reliable reaction rate for the studies of the slow-neutron-capture and intermediate processes along with the first direct determination of the alpha strength for the near-threshold state.

Constraining the External Capture to the ^{16}O Ground State and the E2 S Factor of the ^{12}C(α,γ)^{16}O Reaction

The ^{12}C(α,γ)^{16}O reaction is one of the most crucial reactions in nuclear astrophysics. The E2 external capture to the ^{16}O ground state (GS) has not been emphasized in previous analyses but may make a significant contribution to the ^{12}C(α,γ)^{16}O cross section depending on the value of the GS asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC). In the present work, we determine this ANC to be 337±45  fm^{-1/2} through the ^{12}C(^{11}B,^{7}Li)^{16}O reaction using a high-precision magnetic spectrograph. This sheds light on the existing large discrepancy of more than 2 orders of magnitude between the previously reported ANC values. Based on the new ANC, we experimentally constrain the GS external capture and show that through interference with the high energy tail of the 2^{+} subthreshold state, a substantial enhancement in the GS S_{E2}(300) factor can be obtained (70±7  keV b) compared to that of a recent review (45 keV b), resulting in an increase of the total S factor from 140 to 162 keV b, which is now in good agreement with the value obtained by reproducing supernova nucleosynthesis calculations with the solar-system abundances. This work emphasizes that the external capture contribution for the ground state transition cannot be neglected in future analyses of the ^{12}C(α,γ)^{16}O reaction.

[Analysis of four carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency cases caused by homozygous mutation of SLC25A20 c.199-10T> G]

Objective: To investigate the clinical, biochemical and genetic features of four carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency cases. Methods: Four cases diagnosed with carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency from Guangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital were studied. DNA was extracted from dry blood filter for gene analysis. SLC25A20 gene analysis was performed in 1 case and the whole exon sequence analysis was performed in 3 cases. Results: Retrospective study on unrelated carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency patients, the age of onset was 1-28 d, the age of death were 1.5-30 d, main clinical features were hypoglycemia (4 cases), arrhythmia (2 cases), sudden death (2 cases). Biochemical test showed hypoglycemia (1.2-2.0 mmol/L) , elevated creatine kinase (955-8 361 U/L) and creatine kinase isozyme(199-360 U/L), normal or decreased free carnitine level (3.70-27.07 μmol/L) , elevated long-chain acylcarnitine (palmityl carnitine 1.85-14.84 μmol/L). The gene tests showed that all 4 cases carried SLC25A20 gene c.199-10T> G homozygous mutation, inherited from their parents. By analyzing the haplotype, we found that the mutation loci of C. 199-10T> G were all in the same haplotype. Conclusion: The c.199-10T> G mutation is an important molecular cause of carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency, which has relatively high frequency in Guangxi population, and is related to the founder effect.

[Association of PD-1, TIM-3 and TREM-1 single nucleotide polymorphisms with pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility]

Objective: To investigate the association of programmed cell death 1(PD-1), T cell immunoglobulin mucin 3 (TIM-3) and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) genes polymorphisms with pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility. Methods: In this case-control study, peripheral venous blood of 100 pulmonary tuberculosis patients (pulmonary tuberculosis group) in the Jintan People's Hospital of Changzhou and of community physical examination volunteers (health control group) was collected from Mar 2015 to Sep 2016. A total of 66 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in PD-1, TIM-3 and TREM1 sequences were selected and SNP genotype and allele frequency were analyzed using the next-generation sequencing technology. Association of these SNP with pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility was investigated using linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis and genetic models. Results: Among these 66 SNP, 24 SNP with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium P (HWE-P) value <0.001 or minimum allele frequency (MAF) <0.05 were kicked out. The remaining 42 SNP were analyzed with LD analysis and genetic models. There was no significant difference in genotype frequencies between pulmonary tuberculosis group and health control group (all P>0.05). Five SNP (rs41435650, rs28539662, rs13023138, rs75565781, rs36084323) in PD-1 were identified in a significant haplotype (TACGC) between pulmonary tuberculosis group and health control group (P=0.014). Among these haplotypes, strong LD was observed between rs28539662 and rs75565781 (r(2)=0.871), as well as rs36084323 (r(2)=0.864). Rs75565781 showed highest correlation with rs36084323 (r(2)=0.966). Conclusion: These SNP in PD-1, TIM-3 and TREM-1 genes are not associated with the susceptibility of pulmonary tuberculosis.

[Clinical and molecular analysis of two Chinese siblings with Bloom syndrome]

Objective: To expand the knowledge of the clinical and molecular characteristics of the children with Bloom syndrome. Methods: Clinical data of two siblings with classic Bloom syndrome of Shanghai Children's Medical Center from January 2009 to June 2017 were obtained and analyzed. The DNA of peripheral blood was collected from two Bloom syndrome siblings and their parents during 2015. The mutations were detected with high-throughput sequencing by Illumina sequencing platform. Results: The two siblings (probands) visited our department for short stature and growth retardation, they had full-term normal delivery after normal pregnancy of their mother. Both cases presented with feeding difficulties, malnutrition, microcephaly and mental retardation, repeated infection, symmetrical short stature and special faces. At first, the proband was an 8-year-3-month old girl, her height was 99.7 cm, body mass index (BMI) 12.07 kg/m(2), head circumference was 45.5 cm, and birth weight was 1.6 kg. Her younger brother was 3-year-11-month old, his height was 86.6 cm, BMI was 14 kg/m(2), birth weight was 1.95 kg, and the head circumference reached 36 cm at 16 months. No evidence of cancer and characteristic rash was detected at 8-year follow-up. Pathogenic complex heterozygous mutations c.772_773delCT, p.Leu258Glufs*7 and c.959+ 2T>A in BLM gene were detected in both siblings, which were separately inherited from their unaffected parents. Besides , c.959 + 2T>A has not been reported previously. Conclusions: Children with Bloom syndrome are characterized by short stature, microcephaly, special faces, feeding difficulties, and immunodeficiency. And butterfly erythematous rash may be absent. The c.959+2T>A mutation detected in our patients maybe a novel pathogenic mutation.

[Relationship between particulate matters and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality in Ningbo: a time-series study]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the short-term effect of particulate matters with an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to 10 μg (PM10) and aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to 2.5 μg (PM2.5) on cardio-cerebrovascular mortality in Ningbo city.

METHODS

Daily cardio-cerebrovascular mortality data from 2011 to 2014 in Ningbo city were collected and the time series study using a semi-parametric generalized additive model were used to evaluate the relationship between the mortality of cardio-cerebrovascular disease and particulate matters after adjustment for the long-term trend of death,weather conditions, "days of the week" and other confounding factors.

RESULTS

In single-pollutant model, the short-term effects of particulate matter on cardio-cerebrovascular mortality was strongest in lagged 2 days in Ningbo city, and an increase of 10 μg/m(3) in moving average concentrations (lagged 2-3 days and lagged 2-4 days) of PM2.5 and PM10 could increase the cardio-cerebrovascular mortality by 0.55% (0.23%-0.87%) and 0.53% (0.28%-0.78%), respectively. In multi-pollutant models, PM10 did remain robust after being adjusted for PM2.5 with 0.58% (0.09%-1.07%) increase in cardio-cerebrovascular mortality. The effect of PM2.5 had no statistical significantce after being adjusted for other co-pollutants.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggested that the concentrations of ambient particulate matters were associated with an increased risk of daily cardio-cerebrovascular mortality in Ningbo city.

[Effects of dihydroartemisinin on the apoptosis of Fadu cells]

Objective:To investigate the effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on the apoptosis of Fadu cells.Method:Fadu cells were treated with DMSO or different doses of DHA for 24 or 48 h.After that, IC50 values of DHA were calculated based on the cell viability tested via MTT assay, the cell morphology was observed,the percentage of apoptotic cells was analyzed with the Annexin V-FITC Apoptosis Detection Kit, and some important regulators of apoptosis, such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Mcl-1, Bax, and C-PARP were determined by Western blotting.Result:Certain doses of DHA significantly inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of Fadu cells in a dose and time dependent manners. DHA also downregulated the expression of antiapoptotic proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, and Mcl-1) and upregulated the expression of proapoptotic proteins (Bax and C-PARP).Conclusion:DHA remarkably inhibited proliferation and induction of apoptosis in Fadu cells via affecting proteins of Bcl-2 family. DHA may be a promising drug to treat hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

A novel multi-parameter scoring system for distinguishing sarcoidosis from sputum negative tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disorder of unknown cause, affecting multiple organs. Tuberculosis is the world's second most common cause of death from infectious diseases. Due to the similar clinical, radiological and histopathological pictures in sarcoidosis and tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been considered as potential infectious factor. However, it remains difficult to distinguish sarcoidosis from tuberculosis, especially when sputum examinations for mycobacterium are negative.

METHODS

1. to establish a scoring system for differentiating sarcoidosis and tuberculosis: We collected the risk factors, laboratory data and the data of clinical, radiographic, pathological manifestations from the 117 of sarcoidosis patients and 181 of sputum negative tuberculosis patient. And we put them into the designed form. Based on the results of univariate analysis, clinical experience and the literature, we further selected 13 variables that were more supportive to distinguish the two diseases. Finally 9 variables were selected based on logistic regression to establish the scoring systems with significant differences between the two diseases. The beta-coefficient form the logistic regression were used to calculate the weight of each variable. Four types of comprehensive scoring models were established in the end (clinical-- radiographic; clinical--radiographic--radionuclide; clinical--radiographic--pathological and clinico-radiographic--radionuclide--pathological group). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was used to determine an optimal cutoff point for each scoring system. 2. to validate the accuracy of the established scoring system: 73 of new sarcoidosis patients and 57 of new tuberculosis patients were chosen to assess the diagnosis accuracy of the four scoring systems.

RESULTS

1. we established four types of comprehensive scoring models, included clinical--radiographic; clinical--radiographic--radionuclide; clinical--radiographic--pathological and clinico--radiographic--radionuclide--pathological scoring models, the optimal cutoff values respectively were 9, 17, 18 and 22, the sensitivity and specificity of the four scoring system to distinguish the two diseases respectively were: 93.16% (109/117) and 97.79% (177/181), 92.31% (108/117) and 98.90% (179/181); 93.16% (109/117) and 98.90% (179/181); 94.87% (111/117) and 98.90% (179/181). 2. Validation of the scoring systems with 130 new patients (73 of sarcoidosis and 57 of tuberculosis):, the sensitivity and specificity of CR, CRE, CRP, CREP were 91.78% (67/73) and 87.72% (50/57), 97.26% (69/73) and 98.25% (56/57), 94.52% (71/73) and 96.49% (55/57), 98.63% (72/73) and 98.25% (56/57) respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The four scoring systems established by this study can be utilized to differentiate sarcoidosis and sputum negative tuberculosis effectively. Based on the availability of clinical-radiographical/histopathological data, any of the four diagnostic scoring systems were reliable tools for differential diagnosis, with increased information leading to better discrimination.

Genome-wide ORFeome cloning and analysis of Arabidopsis transcription factor genes

Here, we report our effort in generating an ORFeome collection for the Arabidopsis transcription factor (TF) genes. In total, ORFeome clones representing 1,282 Arabidopsis TF genes have been obtained in the Gateway high throughput cloning pENTR vector, including 411 genes whose annotation lack cDNA support. All the ORFeome inserts have also been mobilized into a yeast expression destination vector, with an estimated 85% rate of expressing the respective proteins. Sequence analysis of these clones revealed that 34 of them did not match with either the reported cDNAs or current predicted open-reading-frame sequences. Among those, novel alternative splicing of TF gene transcripts is responsible for the observed differences in at least five genes. However, those alternative splicing events do not appear to be differentially regulated among distinct Arabidopsis tissues examined. Lastly, expression of those TF genes in 17 distinct Arabidopsis organ types and the cultured cells was profiled using a 70-mer oligo microarray.

[The expression of Quox-1 gene homologous sequence in the development of early human embryos]

By using the b2 fragment of Quox-1 gene as probe, we have confirmed that the Quox-1 gene homologous sequence exists in the human genome according to the results of Southern blot. Studies on the expression of Quox-1 homologous sequence in early human embryos from 26 to 37 days by means of immunohistochemistry technigue with Quox-1 protein antibodies showed the spatiotemporal expression patterns: in 26 days embryo Quox-1 homologous sequence was expressed in many places including neural tube, but 30 days later, tits expression sites were limited to notochord, digestive epithelium, myotome, cardiac muscle cell and periderm. The functions in control and regulation of Quox-1 gene homologous sequence during the early development of human embryo were discussed.

Characterization of stage-specific antigens of Paragonimus westermani

In order to develop a serodiagnostic assay to detect antigens of Paragonimus westermani in biological specimens, we generated monoclonal antibodies to antigens of metacercariae and adult worms, and partially characterized the epitopes recognized by representative Mabs. Metacercarial stage-specific determinants were periodate-sensitive and protease-resistant, indicating that they are carbohydrate epitopes. In contrast, adult worm-specific determinants resisted periodate treatment but were sensitive to proteases, indicating that they are polypeptides. The majority of cross-reactive Mabs studied were directed against phosphorylcholine determinants. When used in a dot-ELISA, Paragonimus-specific Mabs could detect 0.3-7 ng/ml parasite antigen in human sera.

Synthesis of a trehalose homolog, 6-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco-heptopyranosyl 6-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco-heptopyranoside, and the corresponding bis(heptosiduronic acid)

Crystalline 6-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco-heptopyranosyl 6-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco- heptopyranoside (8) and (6-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco-heptopyranosyluronic acid) 6-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco-heptopyranosiduronic acid (7) were synthesized from alpha, alpha-trehalose (1). Reaction of 2,3,4,2',3',4'-hexa-O-acetyl- 6,6'-di-O-tosyl-alpha, alpha-trehalose with sodium dicarbonylcyclopentadienyliron, followed by oxidative hydrolysis or methanolysis, gave the 2,3,4,2',3',4'-hexa-acetate of 7 or its dimethyl ester, respectively. O-Deacetylation (Zemplén) then gave 7 and its dimethyl ester. Reduction of the hexa-O-acetyldicarboxylic acid with borane-oxolane complex yielded 8. Alternatively, cyanide displacement of hexa-O-acetyl-alpha, alpha-trehalose 6,6'-ditriflate gave the dinitrile hexa-acetate of 7, which was O-deacetylated and then hydrolyzed with alkaline hydrogen peroxide to yield 7. 2,3,4,2',3',4'-Hexa-O-benzyl-alpha, alpha-trehalose 6,6'-ditriflate was similarly converted into the dinitrile, which was hydrolyzed to the corresponding diamide. Treatment of the 2,3,4,2',3',4'-hexa- O-acetyl-alpha, alpha-trehalosuronic acid 16 with thionyl chloride followed by diazomethane gave a crystalline bisdiazoketone which, however, failed to produce the expected bis(heptosiduronic acid) on attempted Wolff rearrangement.

Studies on specific serological antigens in metacercariae and juveniles of Paragoniums westermani and its monoclonal antibodies

The polyclonal antibodies to juveniles of Paragoniums westermani (PwJ-PcAbs) from sera of Wistar rats infected with Paragoniums westermani (P.w.) were purified by Sephadex G 200 chromatography. Next the shared serological antigens of P.w. metacercaria and juveniles (PwMJ-SAg) from the crude antigens of the metacercariae (M-NS-Ag) were purified with immuno-affinity chromatography on cyanogen bromide-activated cross-linked Sepharose 4B beads coupled with PwJ-PcAbs. PwMJ-SAg, a group of glycoprotein molecules shown by the staining test, were specific serological antigens of P.w. metacercariae and juveniles, identified by the immunoabsorb test and immunoelectrophoresis. By SDS-PAGE, PwMJ-SAg were fractionated to seven bands, including major bands A (27.5 K) and Bi (19.5 K), the two major serological antigen molecules. 20 sera samples from the patients with the nonpulmonary type of P. w. paragonimiasis were detected using PwMJ-SAg and M-NS-Ag by Dot-ELISA, and the difference of sensitivity between two antigens was highly statistically significant (P less than 0.001). BALB/c mice, in the early stage of infection with P. w. metacercaria, were immunized with PwMJ-SAg. The spleen cells of the mice were isolated and fused with SP2/o, a murine myeloma cell line. After three subclonal cultures, eight cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) to PwMJ-SAg were prepared from 384 wells of hybridoma cells. All McAbs were IgG1 subclass.