[Pulmonary co-infection with Nocardia otitidiscaviarum and Aspergillus: a case report]

Nocardia is a rarely encountered opportunistic gram-positive bacterium that exhibits marked invasiveness and dissemination. Typically, acquired through trauma or inhalation, this pathogen primarily affects immunocompromised individuals and is a potentially life-threatening risk in severe cases. Nocardia otitidiscaviarum is a particularly rare subtype of Nocardia infection, and the occurrence of concurrent Aspergillus infection is extremely rare. In cases where both infections manifest concomitantly, rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential to facilitate the subsequent selection of appropriate anti-infective interventions. This paper reported the diagnostic and therapeutic experience in managing a case of pulmonary co-infection with Nocardia otitidiscaviarum and Aspergillus. The patient presented with an acute onset, rapid progression, and early manifestation of respiratory failure. The diagnostic process included respiratory pathogen culture and bronchoscopy, which was supplemented with targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS). These comprehensive diagnostic modalities led to the identification of pulmonary co-infection with Nocardia otitidiscaviarum and Aspergillus. After adjustment of the antibiotic regimen, the patient's condition improved rapidly, culminating in a timely discharge.

[Distribution characteristics of emerging and reemerging Oncomelania hupensis in China from 2015 to 2021]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the distribution characteristics of emerging and reemerging Oncomelania hupensis snails after the criteria for transmission control of schistosomiasis were achieved in China, so as to provide insights into assessment of schistosomiasis transmission risk and formulation of snail control strategies during the elimination phase.

METHODS

O. hupensis survey data in China from 2015 to 2021 were collected from the National Schistosomiasis Pevention and Control Information Management System, and the distribution characteristics of emerging and reemerging O. hupensis snails were descriptively analyzed.

RESULTS

Emerging and reemerging O. hupensis snails were identified in China each year from 2015 to 2021, with relatively larger areas with emerging and reemerging O. hupensis snail habitats in 2016 and 2021, and relatively higher numbers of counties (districts) where emerging and reemerging O. hupensis snails were detected in 2016 and 2021. A total of 4 586.30 hm2 of emerging O. hupensis snail habitats were found in 10 schistosomiasis-endemic provinces of China (except Fujian and Yunnan Provinces) from 2015 to 2021, with 96.80% in Anhui, Hunan and Hubei provinces, where marshland and lake endemic foci were predominant. A total of 21 023.90 hm2 of reemerging O. hupensis snail habitats were found in 12 schistosomiasis-endemic provinces of China from 2015 to 2021, with 97.67% in six provinces of Hubei, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Yunnan and Anhui, where marshland and lake and hilly endemic regions were predominant. Emerging snail habitats were found in 15.08% of all schistosomiasisendemic counties (districts) in China from 2015 to 2021, and 78.75% of all emerging snail habitats were identified in 11 schistosomiasis-endemic counties (districts), with the largest area of emerging snail habitats found in Lixian County, Hunan Province (645.00 hm2). Reemerging snail habitats were found in 47.67% of all schistosomiasis-endemic counties (districts) in China from 2015 to 2021, and 43.29% of all reemerging snail habitats were identified in 11 schistosomiasis-endemic counties (districts), with the largest area of reemerging snail habitats found in Weishan Li and Hui Autonomous County of Hunan Province (1 579.70 hm2).

CONCLUSIONS

Emerging and reemerging O. hupensis snails were identified in China each year from 2015 to 2021, with much larger areas of reemerging snail habitats than emerging snail habitats, and larger numbers of schistosomiasis-endemic provinces and counties (districts) with reemerging snails were found that those of provinces and counties (districts) with emerging snails. Specific snail control interventions are required tailored to the causes of emerging and reemerging snail habitats. Both emergence and reemergence of O. hupensis snails should be paid attention to in marshland and lake endemic areas, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Shanghai Municipality and Zhejiang Province where schistosomiasis had been eliminated, and reemergence of O. hupensis snails should be given a high priority in hilly areas. In addition, monitoring of O. hupensis snails should be reinforced in snail-free areas after flooding.

An Adaptive Multi-Feature Fusion Network for Predicting Overall Survival of Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Accurate prognostic prediction could allow personalized treatment to achieve optimal clinical outcome. We aimed to develop a highly predictive overall survival model, considering the complementary relationships between clinical information, traditional radiomics and deep image information, to further improve the overall prediction accuracy by constructing a richer feature set and adaptive weighting.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 427 patients with Oropharyngeal Cancer (OPC) patients from the TCIA database were included. 341 cases were used for training, 86 cases were used as an independent cohort. Patient characteristics, including TMN, age, gender, HPV status, smoking or drinking status, etc. were considered as potential predictors. Traditional radiomics features of gross tumor volume (GTV) was extracted from planning CT using open-source software. In addition, a two-dimensional convolutional network (2D_CNN) was designed to extract deep image features. An adaptive multi-feature fusion network was developed to predict overall survival of patients based on three types of features. The fusion network integrates an attention mechanism to the channel dimension to obtain proper weighting of each channel in the feature graph through the fully connected network by focusing on effective feature channels and automatic learning according to the loss, thus improving the utilization rate of effective features. The model performance was evaluated using the area-under-ROC-curve (AUC), accuracy, precision, recall, f1-score.

RESULTS

The AUCs of predictive models based on clinical features, traditional radiomics features and deep image features were 0.7, 0.61 and 0.72, respectively. Combining patient characteristics, radiomic features and deep imaging features, the AUCs of the prediction models was significantly improved to 0.85 and 0.86 (with attention mechanisms) for the independent test cohort (Table 1).

CONCLUSION

The proposed adaptive multi-channel network assigned effective weights to the potential predictors, selectively enhanced useful features while suppressed irrelevant features, enabling more accurate feature map weights. We demonstrated the improved predictive value, with a multi-channel fusion network integrated with an attention mechanism, for overall survival of OPC patients.

A Novel Multi-Objective Based Feature Selection Method for Response Prediction

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Accurate response prediction is essential towards personalized treatment in radiation therapy. Excessive imaging features, extracted from medical images, pose a great challenge in radiomic analyses. Feature selection is an essential step to remove redundant and irrelevant features for model construction.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We proposed a novel multi-objective based radiomic feature selection method (MRMOPSO), where the number of features, sensitivity, and specificity are jointly considered as optimization objectives for feature selection. The MRMOPSO innovated by three aspects: 1) Fisher score initialize the feature population to speed up the convergence; 2) Min-redundancy particle generation operations to reduce the redundancy between radiomic features, a truncation strategy was also introduced; 3) Particle selection operation guided by elitism strategies to improve local search ability of the algorithm. We evaluated the effectiveness of the proposed MRMOPSO method using a cohort of oropharyngeal cancer patients from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA). 357 patients were used for model training and additional 64 patients were used for independent evaluation. The proposed methods were compared with (a) classical feature selection methods, i.e., Lasso, minimal-redundancy-maximal-relevance criterion (mRMR), F-score, and mutual information (MI), (b) single-objective feature selection methods, i.e., genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) and (c) multi-objective feature selection methods, i.e., multiple objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO), nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA II).

RESULTS

The other feature selection methods yielded AUCs, sensitivity, specificity of (0.48-0.71), (0.49-0.86), (0.33-0.67), respectively. The MRMOPSO achieved significantly highly AUC of 0.84 with smaller number of selected features on the independent dataset (Table 1). Additionally, the MRMOPSO remarkably improved the sensitivity (0.81), specificity (0.81) and achieved an excellent balance between sensitively and specificity.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated a novel multi-objective based radiomic feature selection method. The proposed algorithm effectively reduced feature dimension, and achieved superior AUC with simultaneous improved sensitivity and specificity, for radiomic response prediction.

[The clinical characteristics of Parkinson's disease patients with concomitant periodic limb movements in sleep]

The current study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with concomitant periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS). The clinical data of 36 PD patients who underwent polysomnography (PSG) in Beijing Tiantan Hospital from October 2018 to July 2022 were collected. Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale 3.0 and Hoehn & Yahr (H-Y) stage were used to evaluate the disease severity. Patients were divided into two groups: the PLMS+group periodic limb movements in sleep index [(PLMSI)≥15 times/h] and the PLMS-group (PLMSI<15 times/h), using the PLMSI 15 times/h as the cut-off value. The clinical characteristics between the two groups were compared. There were 15 patients (42%) in the PLMS+group and 21 patients (58%) in the PLMS-group, among which 12 patients (12/15) in the PLMS+group and 9 patients (42.9%) in the PLMS-group had rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). The rate of RBD in PLMS+group was higher than that in PLMS-group (P<0.05). There was statistically significant difference in the blood folate level between the PLMS-group and PLMS+group [6.20 (5.14, 11.70) ng/ml vs 4.41 (3.07, 5.64) ng/ml] (P<0.01). Folate deficiency was more common in the PLMS+group, while no statistically significant differences were found in homocysteine and ferritin levels (both P>0.05). Four patients in the PLMS+group had falling experience, while 14.3% (3/21) patients in the PLMS-group had falling experience. Patients in the PLMS+group were more likely to fall. The PLMS+group had higher arousal index according to PSG [PLMS-group: 11.90 (9.10, 15.80) times/h; PLMS+group: 21.50 (19.35, 29.90) times/h] (P<0.05). No statistically significant differences in other sleep parameters were detected between the two groups (all P>0.05). Meanwhile, the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in both groups was higher than normal (<5 times/h), of which the PLMS-group was 9.80 (4.70, 22.20) times/h and the PLMS+group was 8.20 (1.70, 11.15) times/h, indicating that PD patients were more likely to experience sleep apnea and hypopnea. PD patients with PLMS had lower folate level, higher risk for falls, higher sleep arousal index, more sleep fragmentation, and higher prevalence of RBD.

[Treatment and prognosis analysis of 488 patients with FIGO 2018 stage Ⅲc squamous cervical cancer]

Objective: To analyze the treatment and prognosis of patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2018 stage Ⅲc cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: A total of 488 patients at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between May, 2013 to May, 2015 were enrolled. The clinical characteristics and prognosis were compared according to the treatment mode (surgery combined with postoperative chemoradiotherapy vs radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy). The median follow-up time was (96±12) months ( range time from 84 to 108 months). Results: (1) The data were divided into surgery combined with chemoradiotherapy group (surgery group) and concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (radiotherapy group), including 324 cases in the surgery group and 164 cases in the radiotherapy group. There were significant differences in Eastern Cooperation Oncology Group (ECOG) score, FIGO 2018 stage, large tumors (≥4 cm), total treatment time and total treatment cost between the two groups (all P<0.01). (2) Prognosis: ① for stage Ⅲc1 patients, there were 299 patients in the surgery group with 250 patients survived (83.6%). In the radiotherapy group, 74 patients survived (52.9%). The difference of survival rates between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). For stage Ⅲc2 patients, there were 25 patients in surgery group with 12 patients survived (48.0%). In the radiotherapy group, there were 24 cases, 8 cases survived, the survival rate was 33.3%. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.296). ② For patients with large tumors (≥4 cm) in the surgery group, there were 138 patients in the Ⅲc1 group with 112 patients survived (81.2%); in the radiotherapy group, there were 108 cases with 56 cases survived (51.9%). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). Large tumors accounted for 46.2% (138/299) vs 77.1% (108/140) in the surgery group and radiotherapy group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). Further stratified analysis, a total of 46 patients with large tumors of FIGO 2009 stage Ⅱb in the radiotherapy group were extracted, and the survival rate was 67.4%, there was no significant difference compared with the surgery group (81.2%; P=0.052). ③ Of 126 patients with common iliac lymph node, 83 patients survived, with a survival rate of 65.9% (83/126). In the surgery group, 48 patients survived and 17 died, with a survival rate of 73.8%. In the radiotherapy group, 35 patients survived and 26 died, with a survival rate of 57.4%. There were no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.051). (3) Side effects: the incidence of lymphocysts and intestinal obstruction in the surgery group were higher than those in the radiotherapy group, and the incidence of ureteral obstruction and acute and chronic radiation enteritis were lower than those in the radiotherapy group, and there were statistically significant differences (all P<0.01). Conclusions: For stage Ⅲc1 patients who meet the conditions for surgery, surgery combined with postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and radical chemoradiotherapy are acceptable treatment methods regardless of pelvic lymph node metastasis (excluding common iliac lymph node metastasis), even if the maximum diameter of the tumor is ≥4 cm. For patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis and stage Ⅲc2, there is no significant difference in the survival rate between the two treatment methods. Based on the duration of treatment and economic considerations, concurrent chemoradiotherapy is recommended for the patients.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity of compacted steel slag-bentonite mixtures--A potential hydraulic barrier material of landfill cover

The feasibility of using steel slag and bentonite mixtures to construct the hydraulic barrier of a landfill cover was explored in the present study. Fine-grained steel slag (SS; particle diameter < 1 mm) and sodium-activated calcium bentonite (SACB) were used to prepare compacted specimens, and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (k_s) was measured using a flexible-wall permeameter. Influential factors including SACB content (BC), SS gradation, water-washing treatment of SS and compaction water content (ω_comp) were investigated. The hydraulic conductivity results were interpreted in microscopic scale through mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was found that when BC was below 10%, the k_s value of the specimens prepared with well graded SS was about one order of magnitude lower than that of the specimens prepared with poorly graded SS. This was due to less macropores caused by better SS gradation. Yet, the effects of SS gradation on k_s diminished as BC further increased to 15%, suggesting the dominant role of BC on k_s at high BC. Water-washing treatment of SS helped reduce k_s significantly to 1.2 × 10^-10 m/s at BC of 10%, owing to less multivalent cations and hence lower osmotic swelling reduction caused by cations. Controlling ω_comp 1-2% wetter than the optimum water content (ω_opt) also helped reduce k_s significantly, owing to the reduction of macropores. Accordingly, it is suggested to use well-graded SS mixed with 10% SACB and then compact at ω_comp slightly wetter than ω_opt to the degree of compaction greater than 90% in engineering practice.

Effects of kisspeptin-10 on the reproductive performance of sows in a fixed-time artificial insemination programme

Kisspeptin (KP) is a major positive regulator of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis and affects female reproductive cyclicity in mammals. It offers an attractive alternative strategy to control reproduction in fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) protocols. We aimed to evaluate the effects of different doses of kisspeptin-10 (KP-10) on sow reproductive performance in FTAI protocols. One hundred ninety-eight weaned sows were divided into three groups at random. A FTAI-GnRH group of sows (n = 98) received 100 µg (2 mL) gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH; gonadorelin) by intramuscular injection at 96 h after weaning (t = 0 h); FTAI-KPL (KPL: low-dose KP-10, n = 50), and FTAI-KPH groups of sows (KPH: high-dose KP-10, n = 50) received 0.5 or 1 mg KP-10 (2 mL) respectively at 96 h after weaning. Sows were checked twice daily for oestrus. Ultrasonographic evaluations were performed to determine the follicular diameter and time of ovulation; blood samples were collected immediately before injection (t₀ = 0 min) and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 min, 24 and 48 h postinjection. Sows were inseminated at 112 and 132 h after weaning. The oestrus rates (96 vs 92%; 96 vs 88%) and weaning-to-oestrus intervals (98.9 vs 98.6 h; 98.9 vs 97.1 h) were not affected by treatment, but oestrus in the FTAI-KPL group was significantly longer than in the FTAI-GnRH group (38.7 vs 30.0 h; P < 0.05). The peak LH concentrations were 1.29 times greater than at t₀ = 0 in the FTAI-GnRH group, and 1.45 and 1.44 times greater than at t₀ = 0 in the FTAI-KPL and FTAI-KPH groups, respectively. Follicular diameters and pregnancy rates (86 vs 88%, 86 vs 80%, respectively) did not differ between the treatments. Moreover, the total numbers of piglets born and those born alive did not differ among the three groups. These findings suggested that 0.5 mg KP-10 given at 96 h after weaning could be used in FTAI programmes to manage batch farrowing in sows.

Causal roles of daytime sleepiness in cardiometabolic diseases and osteoporosis

OBJECTIVE

Daytime sleepiness has some association with cardiometabolic diseases and osteoporosis, but it is unknown whether their relationship is causal. This two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study aims to explore their causal relationship.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We included the largest genome-wide association studies (GWASs) associated with daytime sleepiness, cardiometabolic diseases and osteoporosis. 34 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used as the instrumental variables of daytime sleepiness.

RESULTS

Genetic predisposition to excessive daytime sleepiness was strongly associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease (beta-estimate: 0.610, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.128 to 1.093, standard error [SE]: 0.246, p-value=0.013) and may increase the incidence of type 2 diabetes (beta-estimate: 0.614, 95% CI: 0.009 to 1.219, SE: 0.309, p-value=0.047). We found no causal influence of daytime sleepiness on heart failure, atrial fibrillation, cerebral ischemia, intracerebral hemorrhage, forearm bone mineral density (FA-BMD), femoral neck BMD (FN-BMD), and lumbar spine BMD (LS-BMD).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that excessive daytime sleepiness was causally associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease, which may benefit to prevent this disease.

A comparison of the reproductive performance in primiparous sows following two timed artificial insemination protocols

Timed artificial insemination (TAI) is an efficient reproductive technology in batch farrowing production that aids management in pig farms. However, the effect of TAI on the reproduction performance is still controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two TAI protocols on the reproductive performance of primiparous sows. A total of 332 weaned sows were randomly allocated into three treatments. Sows assigned to Control (n = 110) were untreated and inseminated on each day in oestrus after weaning. Sows assigned to eG-TAI (n = 112) received equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) 24 h after weaning and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gonadorelin: GnRH) at oestrus, and were inseminated at 8 and 32 h later if oestrus at 0800, or 16 and 40 h later if oestrus at 1600. Sows assigned to 2e-TAI (n = 110) received eCG and GnRH 24 h and 96 h after weaning, respectively, and were inseminated 16 and 40 h after GnRH administration. Sows showing oestrus at GnRH administration or 64 h after were inseminated immediately, for a total of three inseminations. Ultrasonographic evaluations were performed to determine the follicular diameter and time of ovulation. Most sows in the 2e-TAI and eG-TAI groups ovulated 0-48 h after the GnRH injection. Our results indicated that oestrus rate within seven days after weaning in the experimental groups was higher, and weaning-to-oestrus interval was shorter than in the control group (99.3 h vs 113.5 h, P < 0.05). The breeding and farrowing rates in the experimental groups were significantly higher than in the control group (P < 0.05), while the numbers of total born, live-born and stillborn were not different among the three groups (Control: 12.7, 11.6 and 1.1; 2e-TAI: 12.4, 11.3 and 1.0; eG-TAI: 12.0, 11.4 and 0.4, respectively). These results indicated that TAI could ensure a high farrowing rate in primiparous sows under batch farrowing management.

Superficial versus deep system single venous anastomosis in the radial forearm free flap: a meta-analysis

The selection of the superficial or deep drainage system for use with the radial forearm free flap (RFFF) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to identify the optimal drainage system for single venous anastomosis. A systematic review and cumulative meta-analysis was performed to assess superficial and deep system single venous anastomosis for use with the RFFF in postoperative reconstruction of the head and neck. This study included 1073 flaps (495 superficial system-based flaps, 578 deep system-based flaps) reported in six studies. The outcomes assessed in the studies selected for this meta-analysis included venous compromise, flap failure, and the salvage success rate. Venous compromise was more common in the superficial system group (odds ratio (OR) 2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36-3.86, P=0.002). The rate of successful salvage was higher with the superficial system (OR 8.19, 95% CI 1.75-38.3, P=0.008). The rate of flap failure was lower in the superficial system group (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.04-2.48, P=0.27). Although the deep system showed a lower risk of venous compromise, the evidence provided by the meta-analysis was insufficient to determine which type of drainage system is more suitable for single venous anastomosis in RFFF. All included studies were cohort studies; therefore, findings must be interpreted with caution.

[Transcranial sonographic characteristics of Parkinson's disease with symptoms of restless legs syndrome]

Objective: To evaluate the transcranial sonographic characteristics in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS). Methods: Patients with diagnosis of definite PD from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and 3 other participating hospitals between September 2018 and December 2019 were consecutively enrolled. Concurrent RLS symptoms were determined using Non-motor Symptoms Questionnaire. Transcranial sonography (TCS) and clinical assessments were performed during the same time and the related variables were compared between the two groups using t-test, non-parametric test, Chi-square test and Spearman correlation analysis, respectively. Results: Among 349 patients with PD, the prevalence of RLS symptoms was 22.6%. Compared to patients without RLS symptoms, those with RLS had longer disease duration (43.0 (24.0, 91.0) months vs 37.0 (20.0, 60.0) months, P<0.05) and higher Hoehn-Yahr stage (2.5 (2.0, 3.0) vs 2.0 (1.5, 2.5), P<0.01).TCS revealed that patients with RLS symptoms were more likely to have abnormality in the raphe nucleus (21.50% vs 7.78%, χ²=15.9, P<0.001) and increased third ventricle width ((6.22±1.97) mm vs (5.16±1.90) mm, P<0.001). No significant differences were found regarding parameters of substantia nigra. Conclusions: Concurrent RLS symptoms are common in PD patients. Abnormal echogenicity of raphe nucleus and increased third ventricle width could be characteristics of TCS in PD patients with RLS symptoms.

LINC00675 suppresses proliferative, migration and invasion of clear cell renal cell carcinoma via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the role of LINC00675 in affecting the progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and its potential mechanism, thus providing effective hallmarks and therapeutic targets for the clinical treatment of ccRCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in renal epithelial tissues and ccRCC tissues were searched by analyzing the dataset downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and LINC00675 was selected. LINC00675 level in ccRCC cell lines was determined by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Overexpression model of LINC00675 model in 786-O and 769-P cells was constructed by the transfection of pcDNA3.1(+)-LINC00675 (LV-LINC00675). Changes in proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities of 786-O and 769-P cells overexpressing LINC00675 were assessed. At last, relative levels of β-catenin, Vimentin, and N-cadherin in ccRCC cells overexpressing LINC00675 were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTS

LINC00675 was downregulated in ccRCC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of LINC00675 attenuated proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities of 786-O and 769-P cells. Downregulation in β-catenin after overexpression of LINC00675, while Vimentin and N-cadherin levels did not change.

CONCLUSIONS

LINC00675 is downregulated in ccRCC. Overexpression of LINC00675 attenuates ccRCC to proliferate, migrate, and invade by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Inactivation of TMEM106A promotes lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation via the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways in macrophages

Pattern recognition receptors, such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), play an important role in the host defense against invading microbial pathogens. Their activation must be precisely regulated, as inappropriate activation or overactivation of TLR signaling pathways may result in inflammatory disorders, such as septic shock or autoimmune diseases. TMEM106A is a type II transmembrane protein constitutively expressed in macrophages. Our current study demonstrated that TMEM106A levels were increased in macrophages upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, as well as in the peripheral monocytes of patients with sepsis. Tmem106a knockout mice were more sensitive to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic shock than wild-type mice. Further experiments indicated that Tmem106a ablation enhanced the expression of CD80, CD86 and major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-II in mouse macrophages upon LPS stimulation, accompanied with up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, interferon (IFN)-β and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), indicating the activation of macrophages and polarization towards the M1 inflammatory phenotype. Moreover, elevated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling were found to be involved in the LPS-induced inflammatory response in Tmem106a^-/- macrophages. However, this effect was largely abrogated by macrophage deletion in Tmem106a^-/- mice. Therefore, deficiency of Tmem106a in macrophages may enhance the M1 polarization in mice, resulting in inflammation. This suggests that TMEM106A plays an important regulatory role in maintaining macrophage homeostasis.

Randomised comparison of techniques for control of the dorsal venous complex during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively compare the effects of endoscopic stapling, division and suture ligation, and suture ligation with suspension of the dorsal venous complex (DVC) on continence during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 300 consecutive patients undergoing RARP by a single surgeon were randomised to three groups: endoscopic stapling, cut and suture ligation, and suture ligation with suspension. The only difference between the groups was the technique to control the DVC. Pad-free continence (PFC) and overall continence (0 pads/day with or without security pad) were assessed with patient reported pad usage records and validated questionnaires (Expanded Prostate Cancer Index) at 3, 12, and 15 months. Secondary endpoints were erectile function (EF) recovery (defined as erections sufficient for sexual activity) and the rate of apical surgical margins. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine predictors for recovery of both urinary continence and EF.

RESULTS

The three groups were comparable in terms of age, body mass index, prostate size, American Urological Association symptom score, Sexual Health Inventory for Men, and clinical stage. There were no differences found in terms of operative times, estimated blood loss, pathological stage, and positive apical margin. There was no difference between the three groups with regard to overall continence or PFC at 3 months. However, overall continence at 15 months for ligation and suspension was 99% and was superior to stapler (88%) (P = 0.002) and cut and suture ligation (88%) (P = 0.002). Additionally, PFC at 15 months was superior for ligation and suspension (87%) as compared to stapler (73%) and cut and suture ligation (75%) (P = 0.045). The technique of DVC control did not impact EF. Men with nerve sparing had better continence compared to no nerve sparing at 3 months (62% vs 42%, P = 0.045), but not at 15 months. The median time to continence was 2 months for patients receiving nerve sparing compared to 4.5 months for non-nerve sparing (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Suture suspension of the DVC during RARP contributes to higher overall continence rates compared to stapling and cut and suture. Nerve sparing contributes to earlier return of continence than non-nerve sparing.

Asian Race and Risk of Prostate Cancer: Results from the REDUCE Study

BACKGROUND

Global prostate cancer incidence rates are lower in Asian men than Caucasian men. Whether this is the result of less screening in Asian men remains to be determined. We examined whether Asian race was associated with prostate cancer diagnosis in the Reduction by Dutasteride of Cancer Events (REDUCE) study.

METHODS

REDUCE was a 4-year, multicenter, randomized trial of dutasteride versus placebo for prostate cancer prevention among men who underwent prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-independent biopsies at 2 and 4 years. Eligible men were ages 50 to 75 years, had PSA between 2.5 and 10 ng/mL, and a negative prestudy prostate biopsy. We tested the association between Asian and Caucasian race and prostate cancer diagnosis using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of 8,122 men in REDUCE, 5,755 (71%) were Caucasian and 105 (1.8%) were Asian. Asians had lower body mass index (24.8 vs. 26.9 kg/m², P < 0.001), had smaller prostate volume (35.0 vs. 43.5 cc, P < 0.001), and were less likely to have abnormal digital rectal exams (P = 0.048), but were similar in baseline age, PSA, family history of prostate cancer, and smoking status compared with Caucasian men (all P ≥ 0.164). Asian men were equally likely to receive any on-study biopsy compared with Caucasian men (P = 0.634). After adjusting for potential confounders, Asian men were less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer during the 4-year study (OR = 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.28-0.88; P = 0.016), compared with Caucasian men.

CONCLUSIONS

In REDUCE, where all men underwent biopsies largely independent of PSA, Asian race was associated with lower prostate cancer diagnosis.

IMPACT

These findings suggest that lower prostate cancer risk in Asian men may be due to biological, genetic, and/or lifestyle factors.

Effects of N-carbamylglutamate and L-arginine on gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene expression and secretion in GT1-7 cells

Recent studies have shown that N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) and arginine (ARG) supplementation improves reproductive performance in livestock. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effects of NCG and ARG on GT1-7 cell gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion, gene expression and cell proliferation. GT1-7 cells were treated in vitro with different concentrations of NCG (0-1.0mM) or ARG (0-4.0mM) in serum-free medium for 12 or 24h. For GnRH secretion and cell proliferation, GT1-7 cells were more sensitive to NCG than ARG. NCG treatment after 12h increased cell numbers and inhibited GnRH secretion in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05), although there was no significant effect of NCG on these parameters after 24h culture. ARG treatment decreased GnRH secretion after 24h (P<0.05), whereas it had no effect after 12h. GT1-7 cells express GnRH, Kiss-1 metastasis-suppressor (Kiss1), G-protein coupled receptor 54 (GPR54), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and estrogen receptor α (ERα) genes. High concentrations of NCG (1.0mM) and ARG (4.0mM) inhibited (P<0.05) GnRH and nNOS mRNA abundance in GT1-7 cells. ARG treatment decreased Kiss1 and increased ERα mRNA abundance. Thus, high concentrations of NCG (1.0mM) and ARG (4.0mM) may act both directly and indirectly to regulate GnRH neuron function by downregulating genes related to GnRH synthesis and secretion to slow GnRH production while stimulating GT1-7 cell proliferation.

Effects of N-carbamylglutamate and arginine on steroidogenesis and proliferation of pig granulosa cells in vitro

Results of in vivo studies indicate dietary N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) and arginine (ARG) can enhance reproductive performance in gilts. It was hypothesized that both NCG and ARG will alter hormone-induced estradiol (E2) production by granulosa cells (GC), explaining why these compounds could improve reproductive performance in pigs. The objective of these studies, therefore, was to evaluate the direct effects of NCG and ARG on porcine GC proliferation and steroidogenesis, using an in vitro cell culture system. The GC from small (SM; 1-5 mm) and large (LG; >5 mm) pig follicles were cultured for 2 days in 5% fetal bovine serum and 5% porcine serum-containing medium followed by 2 days in serum-free medium containing 500 ng/mL of testosterone (as an E2 precursor), and NCG or ARG at various doses in the presence of either follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH; 30 ng/mL), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1; 30 ng/mL), or both. Numbers of GC were determined at the end of the experiment and concentrations of progesterone (P4) and E2 in culture medium were determined. Results indicated that LG-follicle GC were more responsive to NCG and ARG than SM-follicle GC. Specifically, in LG-follicle GC, NCG inhibited (P <  0.05) basal and FSH-induced P4 and E2 production but stimulated cell numbers; whereas ARG inhibited FSH-induced E2 production and cell numbers. In SM-follicle GC, treatment with NCG and ARG decreased IGF1 plus FSH induced P4 production, but E2 production and cell proliferation were not affected. These studies indicate that NCG and ARG may directly affect follicular function in pigs.

[Genetic variation in DNA polymerase kappa gene is associated with the prognosis after platinum-based chemotherapy in small cell lung cancer patients]

Objective: To investigate the associations between genetic variations of DNA polymerase kappa (POLK) and treatment response to platinum-based chemotherapy of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and to analyze the influencing factors on survival. Methods: Five haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNPs) of POLK were genotyped by Sequenom MassARRAY methods in 1 030 SCLC patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy, and had different response and survival time. The associations between SNPs and treatment response were analyzed by computing the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from logistic regression model. Cox regression was used for survival analysis between SNPs and overall survival by computing the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. Results: Among 1 030 cases, 558 (54.2%) cases received cis-platinum and etoposide treatment while others treated with carboplatin and etoposide. Seven hundred and eighty eight patients were chemotherapy responders in the study with a response rate of 76.5%. The median follow-up time of these patients was 22.0 months. Patients were followed up to get their survival information. The median survival time of these patients was 22.5 months. Six hundred and seventy three patients (65.3%) had died by the last date of follow-up to get their survival information (Dec 21, 2017). Five htSNPs of POLK were not associated with the chemotherapy response of SCLC patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy (all P>0.05). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis showed that, rs73120833 of POLK was significantly associated with the overall survival (OS) of SCLC patients, compared with POLK rs73120833 T allele, C allele can prolong OS (adjusted HR=0.87, 95% CI=0.77-0.97, P=0.021). The remaining 4 SNPS, including rs10077427, rs3756558, rs4549504 and rs5744545, were not significantly associated with overall survival. Age≤56, KPS> 80, limited-stage, chemotherapy response and radiation therapy can remarkably prolong OS (all P<0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that POLK genetic polymorphism rs73120833 plays an important role on the prognosis of SCLC patients, which can be potential genetic biomarker for SCLC personalized treatment.

Modifying the transition temperature, 120 K ≤ Tc ≤ 1150 K, of amorphous Fe90-xCoxSc10 with simultaneous alteration of fluctuation of exchange integral up to zero

Amorphous (a-) Fe_90−xCo_xSc₁₀ alloys have been produced by rapid quenching from the melt. The Curie temperature, T_C, was determined using both mean field theory and Landau’s theory of second-order phase transitions in zero and non-zero external fields. The dependence of T_C on the atomic spacing can be explained by the empirical Bethe-Slater curve. The value of T_C of a- Fe₅Co₈₅Sc₁₀, determined by the above theoretical approaches is 1150 K, which is the highest T_C ever measured for amorphous alloys. The flattening of the measured normalized magnetization, M(T)/M(0), as a function of the reduced temperature, T/T_C, is explained within the framework of the Handrich- Kobe model. According to this model the fluctuation of the exchange integral is the main reason for the flattening of M(T)/M(0). In the case of a-Fe₉₀Sc₁₀ without Co, however, the fluctuation of the exchange integral is dominant only at zero external field, B_ex = 0. At B_ex = 9 T, however, the fluctuation of the exchange integral has no conspicuous effect on the reduction of the magnetization. It is shown that at B_ex = 9 T the frozen magnetic clusters control the behaviour of the reduced magnetization as function of T/T_C. In contrast to other ferromagnetic alloys, where the flattening of M(T)/M(0) is characteristic for an amorphous structure, the a- Fe₅Co₈₅Sc₁₀ does not exhibit any trace of the fluctuation of the exchange integral.

Wave nature of conduction electrons in amorphous Co90Sc10 and Fe90Sc10 alloys

The resistivity of amorphous Fe₉₀Sc₁₀ and Co₉₀Sc₁₀ alloys can be described well in terms of a simple model based on the wave character of electrons and their associated tunnelling over the temperature ranges ~1.9 K to 135 K and ~1.9 K to 12 K respectively. The extended range of agreement between experiment and theory for amorphous Fe₉₀Sc₁₀ is linked with its relatively small mean free path of [Formula: see text]  =  0.32 nm, thus allowing electron waves to tunnel between clusters. On the other hand the restricted region of tunnelling of electron waves for amorphous Co₉₀Sc₁₀ alloys is linked with its relatively large mean free path of [Formula: see text]  =  0.48 nm which restricts the ability for tunnelling between clusters while enabling electron waves to tunnel between different regions with a cluster.

Diabetes mellitus, blood glucose and the risk of heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The strength of the association between diabetes and risk of heart failure has differed between previous studies and the available studies have not been summarized in a meta-analysis. We therefore quantified the association between diabetes and blood glucose and heart failure in a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

PubMed and Embase databases were searched up to May 3rd 2018. Prospective studies on diabetes mellitus or blood glucose and heart failure risk were included. A random effects model was used to calculate summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Seventy seven studies were included. Among the population-based prospective studies, the summary RR for individuals with diabetes vs. no diabetes was 2.06 (95% CIs: 1.73-2.46, I² = 99.8%, n = 30 studies, 401495 cases, 21416780 participants). The summary RR was 1.23 (95% CI: 1.15-1.32, I² = 78.2%, n = 10, 5344 cases, 91758 participants) per 20 mg/dl increase in blood glucose and there was evidence of a J-shaped association with nadir around 90 mg/dl and increased risk even within the pre-diabetic blood glucose range. Among the patient-based studies the summary RR was 1.69 (95% CI: 1.57-1.81, I² = 85.5%, p_{heterogeneity}<0.0001) for diabetes vs. no diabetes (n = 41, 100284 cases and >613925 participants) and 1.25 (95% CI: 0.89-1.75, I² = 95.6%, p_{heterogeneity}<0.0001) per 20 mg/dl increase in blood glucose (1016 cases, 34309 participants, n = 2). In the analyses of diabetes and heart failure there was low or no heterogeneity among the population-based studies that adjusted for alcohol intake and physical activity and among the patient-based studies there was no heterogeneity among studies with ≥10 years follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that individuals with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing heart failure and there is evidence of increased risk even within the pre-diabetic range of blood glucose.

Comparison of Single Piece of Dandruff DNA Extraction under Microscope and EZ-tape Method

OBJECTIVES

To collect single piece of dandruff with microscopes to improve the regular EZ-tape method for DNA extraction and genotyping, increase the utilization of samples, reduce the miss rate as well as the proportion of genotyping results of mixed stains.

METHODS

The insides of the hats worn by two volunteers were stuck by EZ-tape and scotch tape respectively. DNA on EZ-tape was directly extracted using traditional method. Single piece of dandruff was collected from the scotch tapes under microscope. The two kinds of methods were both performed under continuous oscillation and standing digestion, respectively. DNA was extracted through Chelex-100 method, and STR genotypes were obtained after amplification and electrophoresis. The results of STR genotypes obtained by EZ-tape method and single piece of dandruff analytical method were compared.

RESULTS

Miss detections happened in 11 samples （45.8%） by EZ-tape method and only single-source typing results were obtained. Ten samples （41.7%） showed the genotype results of mixed stain and six of which showed allele insertions and deletions. The genotype results were obtained successfully using the single piece of dandruff analytical method, and two samples showed mixed stain genotype. The number of exact typing processed by oscillation was higher than that by standing digestion （ P<0.05）.

CONCLUSIONS

The oscillation during the DNA extraction process is in favour of the DNA releasing. Single piece of dandruff analytical method can be used to obtain single-source STR genotype with high successful ratio and low miss rate. This method can be a collection method of special samples such as dandruff in forensic practice.

[Genetic variations in MLH3 and MSH2 genes are associated with the sensitivity and prognosis in locally advanced rectal cancer patients receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy]

Objective: To investigate the associations between genetic variations in DNA mismatch repair genes and sensitivity as well as prognosis to preoperative chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Methods: Fourteen haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNPs) of MLH1, MLH3 and MSH2 genes were genotyped by Sequenom MassARRAY method in 146 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received preoperative chemoradiotherapy. The associations between genotypes and response to capecitabine-based neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) were measured by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for sex, age, clinical stages and karnofsky performance score (KPS) by unconditional logistic regression model. The survival analyses were performed by the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs by Cox proportional regression model. Results: Among 146 cases, 64 patients were nCRT responders with a response rate of 43.8%. MLH3 rs175057 C>T and MSH2 rs13019654 G>T loci were associated with the sensitivity to preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Compared with the rs175057 CC genotype, the adjusted OR for patients with CT and TT genotypes was 0.42 (95% CI: 0.19-0.91; P=0.029). Moreover, for rs13019654, the adjusted OR for patients with the GT or TT genotypes was 0.49 (95% CI: 0.24-0.98; P=0.047) than those with GG genotype. The remaining 12 SNPs, including rs1540354, rs4026175, rs1981929, rs2042649, rs2303428, rs3771273, rs4608577, rs4952887, rs6544991, rs6544997, rs10188090 and rs10191478, were not significantly associated with therapeutic response to preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Meanwhile, MLH3 rs175057 C>T locus was also associated with longer overall survival time in locally advanced rectal cancer (HR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.20-0.96, P=0.038), whereas MSH2 rs3771273 T>A, rs10188090 A>G and rs10191478 T>G loci were associated with shorter overall survival time (HR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.06-2.84, P=0.028; HR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.01-2.66, P=0.046; HR=1.71, 95% CI: 1.01-2.91, P=0.047, respectively). The remaining 10 SNPs, including rs1540354, rs4026175, rs1981929, rs2042649, rs2303428, rs4608577, rs4952887, rs6544991, rs6544997 and rs13019654, were not significantly associated with prognosis. Conclusions: Genetic polymorphisms of MLH3 rs175057 and MSH2 rs13019654 loci can predict the nCRT response, while MLH3 rs175057 as well as MSH2 rs3771273, rs10188090 and rs10191478 may predict prognosis in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Therefore, these SNPs could be used as potential genetic markers in the personalized therapy of rectal cancer.

N-octanoylated ghrelin peptide inhibits bovine oocyte meiotic resumption

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that ghrelin plays an important role in the mammalian reproductive system, including the central, gonadal levels, and also during in vitro maturation of oocytes; however, the functions of ghrelin in bovine oocyte meiosis require further investigation.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the effects of an n-octanoylated ghrelin peptide on oocyte meiotic resumption and the developmental competence of mature oocytes in vitro.

EXPERIMENTAL

design: The expression of GHRL (encoding ghrelin) mRNA and its receptor (the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHSR) in the cumulus-oocyte complex (COCs), denuded oocytes (DOs), and cumulus cells (CCs) was assessed using quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), and the effects of the n-octanoylated ghrelin peptide on meiotic resumption were studied at four different doses (0, 10, 50, and 100 ng/mL) in a 6 h culture system.

RESULTS

qRT-PCR analysis showed that GHRL and GHSR mRNAs were expressed in all tested samples; however, GHRL was predominantly expressed in DOs, and GHSR was predominantly expressed in CCs. Germinal vesicle breakdown was inhibited significantly by 50 ng/mL ghrelin compared with that in the negative control (P < 0.05). Further studies showed that n-octanoylated ghrelin increased the levels of cAMP and cGMP in the CCs and DOs, which inhibited the meiotic resumption of bovine oocytes. And the inhibitory role in the developmental competence of mature oocytes were also included, ghrelin could significantly improve the cleavage rate (P < 0.05) and blastocyst rate (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

N-octanoylated ghrelin maintained bovine oocytes meiotic arrest and further improved their developmental competence; therefore, n-octanoylated ghrelin could be considered as a potential pharmaceutical inhibitor of meiosis for the in vitro maturation of bovine oocytes.

PSA predicts development of incident lower urinary tract symptoms: results from the REDUCE study

BACKGROUND

The relationship between baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and development of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic men is unclear. We sought to determine if PSA predicts incident LUTS in these men.

METHODS

A post-hoc analysis of the 4-year REDUCE study was performed to assess for incident LUTS in 1534 men with mild to no LUTS at baseline. The primary aim was to determine whether PSA independently predicted incident LUTS after adjusting for the key clinical variables of age, prostate size, and baseline International prostate symptom score (IPSS). Incident LUTS was defined as the first report of medical treatment, surgery, or sustained clinically significant symptoms (two IPSS >14). Cox proportional hazards, cumulative incidence curves, and the log-rank test were used to test our hypothesis.

RESULTS

A total of 1534 men with baseline IPSS <8 were included in the study cohort. At baseline, there were 335 men with PSA 2.5-4 ng/mL, 589 with PSA 4.1-6 ng/mL, and 610 with PSA 6-10 ng/mL. During the 4-year study, 196 men progressed to incident LUTS (50.5% medical treatment, 9% surgery, and 40.5% new symptoms). As a continuous variable, higher PSA was associated with increased incident LUTS on univariable (HR 1.09, p = 0.019) and multivariable (HR 1.08, p = 0.040) analysis. Likewise, baseline PSA 6-10 ng/mL was associated with increased incident LUTS vs. PSA 2.5-4 ng/mL in adjusted models (HR 1.68, p = 0.016). This association was also observed in men with PSA 4.1-6 ng/mL vs. PSA 2.5-4 ng/mL (HR 1.60, p = 0.032).

CONCLUSIONS

Men with mild to no LUTS but increased baseline PSA are at increased risk of developing incident LUTS presumed due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Electrical resistivity and wave character of free electrons in amorphous and nanoglass Sc75Fe25

The residual electrical resistivity of metallic amorphous alloys, ρ ₀, is typically in the range 50 µΩ cm  <  ρ ₀  <  310 µΩ cm corresponding to a mean free path of conduction electrons of order a few interatomic distances. In crystalline metals with low defect levels such as Cu however, the residual electrical resistivity is about ρ ₀  ≈  1.54  ×  10^-2 µΩ cm, leading to extensive progression of free electrons through the crystalline material, of typically up to 4  ×  10⁶ nm. The relatively 'high' values for the electrical resistivity of distorted Sc₇₅Fe₂₅ alloys are discussed here within the framework of the wave character of electrons. The present investigation of amorphous and nanoglass Sc₇₅Fe₂₅ over the temperature range 1.9-320 K, focuses on clarification of the temperature dependence of the resistivity, ρ(T). These alloys systems, which show a range of behaviours for temperature dependent resistivity-including temperature independent residual resistivity, as well as positive and negative polarities for the slope dρ(T)/dT-are examined in detail.

Effect of melatonin on bovine theca cells in vitro

Melatonin affects granulosa cell function in several species but its function in theca cells is less clear, particularly in monotocous animals. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine the effects of melatonin on theca cell steroidogenesis, gene expression and cell proliferation in a monotocous species, namely cattle. Ovaries were collected from a local bovine abattoir, from which theca cells were isolated from large (8–22 mm) follicles and treated with various hormones in serum-free medium for 24 h or 48 h. Melatonin caused a dose-dependent inhibition (P < 0.05) of LH+insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1)-induced androstenedione and progesterone production. Also, melatonin inhibited (P < 0.05) LH+IGF1-induced expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mRNA (via real-time polymerase chain reaction) in theca cells, but it had no effect (P > 0.10) on cytochrome P450 11A1 (CYP11A1) and cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1) mRNA abundance. In LH+IGF1-treated theca cells, melatonin decreased caspase 3 (CASP3) mRNA to levels similar to those observed in LH-treated theca cells. In contrast, melatonin increased (P < 0.05) the number of bovine theca cells in both LH- and LH+IGF1-treated cultures. In conclusion, melatonin may act as an endocrine regulator of ovarian function in cattle by stimulating theca cell proliferation and inhibiting differentiation via inhibition of hormone-induced steroidogenesis.

Effects of N-carbamylglutamate and L-arginine on steroidogenesis and gene expression in bovine granulosa cells

Feeding N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) and arginine (ARG) improves reproductive measures in pigs and reduces systemic steroid levels in pregnant ewes. We hypothesized that the effects of NCG and ARG on reproduction were due to direct effects on the ovary. Thus, the objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of NCG and ARG on granulosa cell (GC) steroidogenesis, gene expression, and cell proliferation in vitro. GC were collected from small (1-5mm) bovine follicles and treated in vitro with NCG or ARG in serum-free medium for 24h to 48h. Both NCG and ARG inhibited (P<0.05) IGF1- and FSH-induced GC estradiol production but only NCG inhibited (P<0.05) progesterone production. In contrast, NCG and ARG increased (P<0.05) GC numbers induced by IGF1 and FSH. NCG inhibited (P<0.05) StAR, CYP11A1 and CYP19A1 mRNA abundance in small-follicle GC, whereas ARG had no effect (P>0.10) on StAR, CYP11A1 or CYP19A1 mRNA abundance. We conclude that NCG and ARG may act directly on GC and therefore may regulate ovarian function by slowing follicular differentiation via inhibiting IGF1 action, and steroid synthesis while stimulating GC proliferation in cattle.

[Correlations between genetic variations of glutathione synthetase gene and the response to platinum-based chemotherapy and prognosis of small cell lung cancer patients]

Objective: To explore the associations between genetic variations of glutathione synthetase gene (GSS) and response to platinum-based chemotherapy of small cell lung cancer(SCLC), and to analyze the influencing factors on survival. Methods: Four haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNPs) of GSS were genotyped by Sequenom MassARRAY methods in 903 SCLC patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy, and had different response and survival time. The associations between genotypes and platinum-based chemotherapy response were measured by odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for sex, age, smoking, KPS, staging and chemotherapy regiments, by unconditional logistic regression model. The hazard ratios (HR) were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: Among the 903 patients, 462(51.2%) cases received cis-platinum and etoposide treatment while others were treated with carboplatin and etoposide. 656 patients were chemotherapy responders in the study with a response rate of 72.6%. Patients were followed up to get their survival information. The median survival time (MST) of these patients was 25.0 months.We found that rs725521 located in the 3' near gene region of GSS was significantly associated with chemotherapy response. Compared with the T allele, patients with C allele had a worse chemotherapy response and an increased risk of no-responders (P=0.027). Rs7265992 and rs725521 of GSS were associated with the overall survival (OS) of SCLC patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy (HR=1.16, 95% CI=1.02-1.33, P=0.027; HR=1.17, 95% CI=1.05-1.31, P=0.006, respectively). The patients carrying 1 or 2 risk alleles and the patients carrying 3 or 4 risk alleles had worse MST than the patients without the rs7265992A and rs725521C risk alleles (24.0 and 22.0 versus 30.0 months), with the HR for death being 1.26 (95% CI=1.04-1.54) and with the HR of 1.52 (95%CI=1.18-1.97, P=0.001). Rs2025096 and rs2273684 were not associated with the OS of SCLC patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy. Age ≤ 56, KPS> 80, limited-stage, chemotherapy response and radiation therapy had a remarkably prolonged OS (all P<0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that GSS genetic polymorphism rs725521 plays an important role in the response to platinum-based chemotherapy, while rs7265992 and rs725521 have important effect on the prognosis of SCLC patients, which may be potential genetic biomarkers for personalized treatment of SCLC.

Discovery of hypothetical hetero-interpenetrated MOFs with arbitrarily dissimilar topologies and unit cell shapes

Interpenetration is a commonly observed phenomenon in metal organic frameworks (MOFs) where multiple frameworks are entangled with each other. Using a novel algorithm described here, 18 hypothetical hetero-interpenetrated MOFs were discovered.

Serum cholesterol and risk of lower urinary tract symptoms progression: Results from the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events study

OBJECTIVE

To determine if cholesterol is a risk factor for the development of lower urinary tract symptoms in asymptomatic men.

METHODS

A post-hoc analysis of the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) study was carried out in 2323 men with baseline International Prostate Symptom Score <8 and not taking benign prostatic hyperplasia or cholesterol medications. Cox proportion models were used to test the association between cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and the cholesterol : high-density lipoprotein ratio with incident lower urinary tract symptoms, defined as first report of medical treatment, surgery or two reports of an International Prostate Symptom Score >14.

RESULTS

A total of 253 men (10.9%) developed incident lower urinary tract symptoms. On crude analysis, higher high-density lipoprotein was associated with a decreased lower urinary tract symptoms risk (hazard ratio 0.89, P = 0.024), whereas total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein showed no association. After multivariable adjustment, the association between high-density lipoprotein and incident lower urinary tract symptoms remained significant (hazard ratio 0.89, P = 0.044), whereas no association was observed for low-density lipoprotein (P = 0.611). There was a trend for higher cholesterol to be linked with higher lower urinary tract symptoms risk, though this was not statistically significant (hazard ratio 1.04, P = 0.054). A higher cholesterol : high-density lipoprotein ratio was associated with increased lower urinary tract symptoms risk on crude (hazard ratio 1.11, P = 0.016) and adjusted models (hazard ratio 1.12, P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

Among asymptomatic men participating in the REDUCE study, higher cholesterol was associated with increased incident lower urinary tract symptoms risk, though the association was not significant. A higher cholesterol : high-density lipoprotein ratio was associated with increased incident lower urinary tract symptoms, whereas higher high-density lipoprotein was protective. These findings suggest dyslipidemia might play a role in lower urinary tract symptoms progression.

[The distribution characteristics of etiology of chronic cough in Lanzhou]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the distribution characteristics of etiology and clinical feature of chronic cough in Lanzhou.

METHODS

Based on the guidelines of the diagnostic process of chronic cough in China, data of medical history and physical examinations were collected, and chest X-ray, pulmonary function plus airway hyperresponsiveness, induced sputum eosinophils, sinus X-ray or CT, 24 h esophageal pH monitoring, chest high-resolution CT and bronchoscopy were performed accordingly for outpatients with chronic cough. The cause of chronic cough was identified by the test results and treatment response. The results were compared with those reported previously in other areas of China.

RESULTS

A total of 173 patients with completed data were collected, including 90 males and 83 females.The causes were as follows: 45 cases (26.01%) of cough variant asthma, 35 (20.23%) upper airway cough syndrome, 20 (11.56%) allergic cough, 17 (9.83%) chronic pharyngitis, 14 (8.09%) gastroesophageal reflux, 14 (8.09%)postinfectious, 13 (7.51%) eosinophilic bronchitis, 8 (4.62%) chronic bronchitis, 4 (2.31%) cough associated with ACEI, 3 (1.73%) bronchial tuberculosis, 2 (1.16%) pulmonary fibrosis and bronchiectasis repectively. The causes of the remaining 14 patients (8.09%)were unknown. The causes of chronic cough were identified in 159 patients (91.91%), of which 141 (88.68%) with a single cause and 18(11.32%)with more than 2 etiological factors.The percentage of cough variant asthma in our series was significantly higher than that reported in Guangzhou (13.6%, χ(2)=5.60, P=0.018, P<0.05), but lower than that reported in Shenyang (39.4%, χ(2)=7.91, P=0, 004, P<0.01). The percentage of allergic cough was higher than that reported in Beijing (3.3%, χ(2)=6.66, P=0.010, P<0.05), and that of eosinophilic bronchitis was lower than those reported in Guangzhou(22.4%, χ(2)=22.38, P=0.000, P<0.01) and Shenyang (12.5%, χ(2)=8.09, P=0.005, P<0.01). The percentage of esophageal reflux cough was lower than that reported in Beijing (20.3%, χ(2)=9.40, P=0.002, P<0.01) but higher than that reported in Shenyang (1.9%, χ(2)=3.98, P=0.036, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

In Lanzhou, cough variant asthma, upper airway cough syndrome, allergic cough, chronic pharyngitis and gastroesophageal reflux were the main causes of chronic cough, and the etiological distribution was different from Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenyang and other areas.

Chemical Composition and Some Rheological Properties of Mesona Blumes Gum

A gum was extracted from the leaves of Liangfen Cao ( Mesona Blumes), the extraction yield was 29.36%. The crude gum contains 9.74% protein, 30.89% ash, 2.98% crude fibre and 42.19% total sugar (w/w). Monosaccharide components of the gum were mainly galactose, glucose, arabinose and uronic acid with mole ratios of 3.1:2.3:2.3:1.4, respectively. Minerals in the ash were mainly 40.26mg/g sodium, 10.57mg/g potassium, 1.42mg/g magnesium and 2.81mg/g calcium. Molecular weight of the two fractions of the gum were 16,264 and 7,372 Da, respectively. The intrinsic viscosity of the gum was 91.01 mL/g in distilled water at 25°C. Its rheological properties were dependent on shear rate, gum concentration, sugar, temperature, pH, and salt. The gum exhibited pseudoplastic behaviour with shear rate increment. The apparent viscosity increased with the increase of the gum concentration, also increased with the sugar addition and varied according to pH, the highest viscosity was reached at pH 10.0 and the lowest at pH 6.0. Decrease of apparent viscosity was observed with increase of temperature. The activation energy of 10% (w/w) gum was 17.58kJ/mol. The apparent viscosity decreased with Na+ addition and also with the addition of [Ca++]<1%, while it increased with the addition of [Ca++]> 1% (w/w).

Pneumonia due to Chlamydia pecorum in a Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

Chlamydiosis is a common infectious disease of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), but Chlamydia spp. have not yet been demonstrated to cause pneumonia in these animals. A juvenile male koala died following an episode of respiratory disease. At necropsy examination, the lung tissue was consolidated. Microscopical lesions in the lung included pyogranulomatous bronchopneumonia, proliferation of bronchiolar and alveolar epithelium and interstitial fibrosis. Hyperplastic bronchiolar epithelial cells contained aggregates of small basophilic punctate organisms, which were confirmed as chlamydiae by transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Real-time polymerase chain reaction identified these as Chlamydia pecorum. This report provides the best evidence to date of chlamydial infection causing pneumonia in a koala, and the first evidence that C. pecorum is capable of infecting the bronchiolar epithelium of the koala.

Genetic variation in WDR1 is associated with gout risk and gout-related metabolic indices in the Han Chinese population

Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis affecting men, and current evidence suggests that genetic factors contribute to its progression. As a previous study identified that WD40 repeat protein 1 (WDR1) is associated with gout in populations of European descent, we sought to investigate its relationship with this disease in the Han Chinese population. We genotyped six WDR1 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 143 gout cases and 310 controls using Sequenom MassARRAY technology. The SPSS 16.0 software was used to perform statistical analyses. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by unconditional logistic regression, with adjustments for age and gender. In an analysis using an allelic model, we identified that the minor alleles of rs3756230 (OR = 0.64, 95%CI = 0.450-0.911, P = 0.013) and rs12498927 (OR = 1.377, 95%CI = 1.037-1.831, P = 0.027) were associated with gout risk. In addition, we found that the "A/A" genotype of rs12498927 was associated with increased risk of gout under codominant (OR = 2.22, 95%CI = 1.12- 4.40, P = 0.042) and recessive models (OR = 2.24, 95%CI = 1.20-4.17, P = 0.012). We also determined the "A/G" genotype of rs12498927 to be significantly associated with higher urea levels in gout patients (P = 0.017). Our data shed new light on the association between genetic variations in the WDR1 gene and gout susceptibility in the Han Chinese population.