Local Structure and Crystallization Transformation of Hydrous Ferric Arsenate in Acidic H2O-Fe(III)-As(V)-SO42- Systems: Implications for Acid Mine Drainage and Arsenic Geochemical Cycling

Hydrous ferric arsenate (HFA) is a common thermodynamically metastable phase in acid mine drainage (AMD). However, little is known regarding the structural forms and transformation mechanism of HFA. We investigated the local atomic structures and the crystallization transformation of HFA at various Fe(III)/As(V) ratios (2, 1, 0.5, 0.33, and 0.25) in acidic solutions (pH 1.2 and 1.8). The results show that the Fe(III)/As(V) in HFA decreases with decreasing initial Fe(III)/As(V) at acidic pHs. The degree of protonation of As(V) in HFA increases with increasing As(V) concentrations. The Fe K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure and X-ray absorption near-edge structure results reveal that each FeO6 is linked to more than two AsO4 in HFA precipitated at Fe(III)/As(V) < 1. Furthermore, the formation of scorodite (FeAsO4·2H2O) is greatly accelerated by decreasing the initial Fe(III)/As(V). The release of As(V) from HFA is observed during its crystallization transformation process to scorodite at Fe(III)/As(V) < 1, which is different from that at Fe(III)/As(V) ≥ 1. Scanning electron microscopy results show that Oswald ripening is responsible for the coarsening of scorodite regardless of the initial Fe(III)/As(V) or pH. Moreover, the formation of crystalline ferric dihydrogen arsenate as an intermediate phase at Fe(III)/As(V) < 1 is responsible for the enhanced transformation rate from HFA to scorodite. This work provides new insights into the local atomic structure of HFA and its crystallization transformation that may occur in AMD and has important implications for arsenic geochemical cycling.

Rev-erbα attenuates refractory periapical periodontitis via M1 polarization: An in vitro and in vivo study

AIM

Rev-erbα has been reported to regulate the healing of inflammatory lesions through its effect on the immune system in a variety of inflammatory disease. Moreover, the balance of macrophages polarization plays a crucial role in immune response and inflammatory progression. However, in refractory periapical periodontitis (RAP), the role of Rev-erbα in inflammatory response and bone resorption by regulating macrophage polarization remains unclarified. The aims of the present study were to investigate the expression of Rev-erbα in experimental RAP and to explore the relationship between Rev-erbα and macrophage polarization through the application of its pharmacological agonist SR9009 into the in vivo and in vitro experiments.

METHODOLOGY

Enterococcus faecalis-induced RAP models were established in SD rats. Histological staining and micro-computed tomography scanning were used to evaluate osteoclastogenesis and alveolar bone resorption. The expression of Rev-erbα and macrophage polarization were detected in the periapical tissues from rats by immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and western blots. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were performed to explore the relationship between Rev-erbα and inflammatory cytokines related to macrophage polarization.

RESULT

Compared to healthy periapical tissue, the expression of Rev-erbα was significantly down-regulated in macrophages from inflammatory periapical area, especially in Enterococcus faecalis-induced periapical lesions, with obvious type-1 macrophage (M1)-like dominance and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, Rev-erbα activation by SR9009 could induce type-2 macrophage (M2)-like polarization in periapical tissue and THP1 cell line, followed by increased secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β. Furthermore, intracanal application of SR9009 reduced the lesion size and promoted the repair of RAP by decreasing the number of osteoclasts and enhancing the formation of mineralized tissue in periapical inflammatory lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

Rev-erbα played an essential role in the pathogenesis of RAP through its effect on macrophage polarization. Targeting Rev-erbα might be a promising and prospective therapy method for the prevention and management of RAP.

[Discovery and distribution of and response to arbovirus in China over the past seven decades]

Arbovirus is a group of virus transmitted by blood-sucking arthropod bites, which infects both arthropods and vertebrates. More than 600 arboviruses have been characterized worldwide until now, including 65 highly pathogenic viruses, which pose a high threat to public health. The risk of arbovirus transmission is increasing due to climate change, international trade and urbanization. The review summarizes the discovery and distribution of emerging and reemerging arboviruses and novel arboviruses with potential pathogenic risks, and proposes responses to the arbovirus transmission risk, so as to provide insights into the research and management of arboviruses and arthropod-borne infectious diseases in China.

Observation of the short-term curative effect of using SuperPATH approach to treat elderly femoral neck fractures with schizophrenia

As China enters an aging society, the incidence of femoral neck fractures is increasing year by year. For some patients, total hip arthroplasty (THA) is the treatment of choice for displaced femoral neck fractures. Schizophrenia is a common combination of elderly patients with femoral neck fractures, and there are few reports on the treatment. This study describes the short-term efficacy of the supercapsular percutaneously assisted (SuperPATH) approach in the treatment of patients suffered with displaced femoral neck fractures combined with schizophrenia. A retrospective analysis of 20 elderly patients with displaced femoral neck fractures combined with schizophrenia who underwent THA using the SuperPATH approach. Record demographic data, postoperative reexamination of X-ray film to observe the position and the loosening condition of the prosthesis, the length of hospitalization, complications in the hospital and after discharge. The Harris score of hip joint function was used to evaluate postoperative hip joint function. The average age of the 20 patients was 73.1 years. All patients were followed up by outpatient clinic or telephone. The follow-up time was 3-12 months, with an average of 9.2 months. There was no incision infection, no tissue structure damage such as important nerves and blood vessels, and no complications such as early dislocation, loosening of the joint prosthesis, and deep vein thrombosis of lower extremities. The efficacy of the last follow-up was evaluated according to the Harris score of hip joint function: an average of 91 points (78-98 points); 13 cases were excellent, 5 cases were good, and 2 cases were fair. The SuperPATH approach has the advantages of less surgical damage, shorter recovery time, good surgical safety, preserving the normal tension of the muscles around the hip joint, and reducing the incidence rate of early postoperative dislocation of the joint prosthesis. The THA of the SuperPATH approach can treat patients with displaced femoral neck fractures combined with schizophrenia safely and effectively.

Direct immobilization of Se(IV) from acidic Se(IV)-rich wastewater via ferric selenite Co-precipitation

The attenuation of acidic Se(IV)-rich wastewater, including those associated with acid mine drainage (AMD) and nonferrous metallurgical wastewater (NMW), presents a serious environmental challenge. This study investigates the effects of diverse factors from pH values to Se(IV)/Fe(III) molar ratios, initial Se(IV) concentrations, and alkali neutralization agents on the direct co-precipitation of ferric selenites in AMD and NMW systems involving different orders of Fe(III) and alkali addition. Our results show that amorphous sulfate-substituted ferric (hydrogen) selenite and Se(IV)-bearing ferrihydrite-schwertmannite are the major Se(IV)-attenuation solids except that gypsum is an additional phase in the NMW system with Ca(OH)2 neutralization. Produced ferric selenites achieve 98-99.8% of Se(IV) immobilization under optimal conditions of pH 4.5, Se(IV)/Fe(III) molar ratios of 0.0625-0.5, and initial Se(IV) concentrations of 0.15-1.3 mmol·L-1. Moreover, completing FeSO4+ and FeHSeO32+/FeSeO3+ complexes as well as different ferric selenite co-precipitates are shown to collectively control aqueous Se(IV) remaining. Specifically, three distinct trends of aqueous Se(IV) concentrations separately correspond to changes in the four factors. The co-precipitation in the NMW system via pH adjustment followed by Fe(III) addition is more efficient for Se(IV) fixation than that in the AMD system because of minimal complexation, concurrent Fe(III) hydrolysis, and enhanced ferric selenite co-precipitation in the former.

Effect of artesunate on cardiovascular complications in periodontitis in a type I diabetes rat model and related mechanisms

PURPOSE

Both cardiovascular disease and periodontitis are complications of diabetes that have a great impact on human life and health. Our previous research found that artesunate can effectively improve cardiovascular disease in diabetes and has an inhibitory effect on periodontal disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the potential therapeutic possibility of artesunate in the protection against cardiovascular complications in periodontitis with type I diabetes rats and to elucidate the possible underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Sprague‒Dawley rats were randomly divided into the healthy, diabetic, periodontitis, diabetic with periodontitis, and artesunate treatment groups (10, 30, and 60 mg/kg, i.g.). After artesunate treatment, oral swabs were collected and used to determine changes in the oral flora. Micro-CT was performed to observe changes in alveolar bone. Blood samples were processed to measure various parameters, while cardiovascular tissues were evaluated by haematoxylin-eosin, Masson, Sirius red, and TUNEL staining to observe fibrosis and apoptosis. The protein and mRNA expression levels in the alveolar bone and cardiovascular tissues were detected using immunohistochemistry and RT‒PCR.

RESULTS

Diabetic rats with periodontitis and cardiovascular complications maintained heart and body weight but exhibited reduced blood glucose levels, and they were able to regulate blood lipid indicators at normal levels after artesunate treatment. The staining assays suggested that treatment with 60 mg/kg artesunate has a significant therapeutic effect on myocardial apoptotic fibrosis. The high expression of NF-κB, TLR4, VEGF, ICAM-1, p38 MAPK, TGF-β, Smad2, and MMP9 in the alveolar bone and cardiovascular tissue in the type I diabetes and type I diabetes with periodontitis rat models was reduced after treatment with artesunate in a concentration-dependent manner. Micro-CT showed that treatment with 60 mg/kg artesunate effectively alleviated alveolar bone resorption and density reduction. The sequencing results suggested that each model group of rats had vascular and oral flora dysbiosis, but artesunate treatment could correct the dysbacteriosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Periodontitis-related pathogenic bacteria cause dysbiosis of the oral and intravascular flora in type I diabetes and aggravate cardiovascular complications. The mechanism by which periodontitis aggravates cardiovascular complications involves the NF-κB pathway, which induces myocardial apoptosis, fibrosis, and vascular inflammation.

Handcrafted Radiomics, Deep Learning Radiomics in the Prediction of Radiation Pneumonitis for NSCLC Patients Treated with Immunotherapy Followed with Thoracic Radiotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Our previous study has shown that NSCLC patients previously received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) underwent thoracic intensity modulated radiotherapy have a higher risk of acute radiation pneumonitis (RP). This study aimed to establish machine learning models using handcrafted radiomics (HCR), deep learning-based radiomics (DLR) and clinical characteristics to improve the prediction of symptomatic radiation pneumonitis (RP) (grade ≥ 2) status for NSCLC patients treated with immunotherapy followed with thoracic radiotherapy.

MATERIALS/METHODS

This study retrospectively collected data of 61 NSCLC patients meeting the requirements of study enrollment. Of these 61 patients, 35 developed symptomatic graded ≥ 2 RP. We defined 3 regions of interest (ROIs) in planning CT images including gross tumor volume (GTV), planning tumor volume (PTV), PTV-GTV. We calculated the mean dose, V5, V10, V20, and V30 within TL-GTV, and the volume of GTV, PTV and total lung. A total of 516 handcrafted radiomics features and 512 deep features were extracted from each 3 ROIs. Person Correlation Analysis and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) were used to reduce the dimension of features. The HCR models, DLR models and the fusion models across different ROIs with machine learning classifiers were built and compared.

RESULTS

In multi-classifier modeling, models with PTV under logistic regression (LR) classifiers showed better prediction than other ROIs under different machine learning algorithms. Based on PTV with LR, HCR+ DLR model had better performance, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.95 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.893-1) in the training cohort and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.698-1) in the test cohort, which was higher than that of HCR model, with an AUC of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.755-0.9) in the training cohort and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.624-1) in the test cohort, the results of fusion model with HCR, DLR and 7 clinical characteristics including T, N, clinical stage, age, smoking, radiotherapy alone/combined and V30, demonstrated the best distinguishing performance, with an AUC of 0.99 (95% CI: 0.970-1) in the training cohort and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.784-1) in the test cohort.

CONCLUSION

The combination of HCR, DLR and clinical characteristic underwent machine learning algorithms can improve the prediction of symptomatic RP in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs followed with thoracic radiotherapy.

[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.

Enhanced removal of high-As(III) from Cl(-I)-diluted SO4(-II)-rich wastewater at pH 2.3 via mixed tooeleite and (Cl(-I)-free) ferric arsenite hydroxychloride formation

An advanced cost-saving method of removal of high-As(III) from SO₄(-II)-rich metallurgical wastewater has been developed by diluting the SO₄(-II) content with As(III)-Cl(-I)-rich metallurgical wastewater and then by the direct precipitation of As(III) with Fe(III) at pH 2.3. As(III) removal at various SO₄(-II)/Cl(-I) molar ratios and temperatures was investigated. The results showed that 65.2‒98.2% of As(III) immobilization into solids occurred at the SO₄(-II)/Cl(-I) molar ratios of 1:1‒32 and 15‒60 °C in 3 days, which were far higher than those in aqueous sole SO₄(-II) or Cl(-I) media at the equimolar SO₄(-II) or Cl(-I) and the same temperature. SO₄(-II)/Cl(-I) molar ratio of 1:4 and 25 °C were optimal conditions to reach the As removal maximum. Mixed aqueous SO₄(-II) and Cl(-I) played a synergetic role in the main tooeleite formation together with (Cl(-I)-free) ferric arsenite hydroxychloride (FAHC) involving the substitution of AsO₃^3- for Cl(-I) for enhanced As fixation. The competitive complexation among FeH₂AsO₃²⁺, FeSO₄⁺ and FeCl²⁺ complexes was the main mechanism for the maximum As(III) precipitation at the SO₄(-II)/Cl(-I) molar ratio of 1:4. Low As(III) immobilization at high temperature with increased Fe(III) hydrolysis was due to the formation of As(III)-bearing ferrihydrite with the relatively high Fe/As molar ratio at acidic pH.

[Current status and future prospects of robotic surgical system in radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer]

Robotic gastrectomy (RG) has always been a hot topic in the field of minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer. More and more studies have confirmed that short- and long-term outcomes of RG are similar to those of laparoscopic gastrectomy. Robotic surgical systems have more advantages in specific regional lymph node dissection. More delicate operation can reduce intraoperative blood loss and the incidence of postoperative complications. Robotic surgical systems are also more ergonomically designed. However, there are also some problems such as high surgical cost, lack of tactile feedback and prolonged total operation time. In the future, robotic surgical system may be further developed in the direction of miniaturization, intelligence and modularity. At the same time, the robotic surgical system deeply integrated with artificial intelligence technology may realize the automation of some operation steps to some extent.

Effects of nitrate and Fe/As molar ratio on direct iron(III)-arsenite precipitation in high-sulfate-chloride wastewaters

The addition of an arsenite-chloride solution into an arsenite-sulfate solution is extremely beneficial for the removal of As(III) via Fe(III) salt precipitation at pH 2.3. However, the applicability of this method to complicated high-As(III) metallurgical wastewaters still requires further verification. This work investigated the effects of nitrate and Fe/As molar ratio on As(III) immobilization using Fe(III) in three acid radical media including sulfate, chloride, and nitrate at pH 2.3. Our results indicated that 72.1‒93.5% of As(III) was precipitated, which was 5‒10% less than those obtained in the nitrate-free systems. The Fe/As molar ratio of 4 was the optimal condition with an average of 93% As(III) removal based on a broad sulfate/chloride molar ratio range (1:1‒16). However, a maximum of 96% As(III) removal was observed under the Fe/As molar ratio of 1.5 and the sulfate/chloride condition of 1:16. The negative correlation between complexation and precipitation was attributed to the enhanced initial complexation by the synergistic effect of the mononitratoiron complex and FeH₂AsO₃²⁺. The variation of Fe/As molar ratios resulted in the diverse solid species, thus further affecting the As(III) removal efficiency. Despite producing tooeleite as a major As(III) host phase, ferrihydrite and poorly crystalline ferric arsenite hydroxysulfate formed simultaneously at the Fe/As molar ratio of 4 participated in As(III) immobilization compared with the solid products at Fe/As molar ratios ≤ 2.

Iron(II)-activated phase transformation of Cd-bearing ferrihydrite: Implications for cadmium mobility and fate under anaerobic conditions

The factors and mechanisms affecting the fate of the associated Cd during the Fe(II)-activated Cd-bearing ferrihydrite transformation remain poorly understood. Herein we have conducted a series of batch reactions containing ferrihydrite with diverse pH values and initial Fe(II) and Cd concentrations coupled with chemical analyses and spectroscopic examination on the transformation products to probe the mechanisms of the Cd partitioning and the processes of Fe(II)-activated Cd-bearing ferrihydrite transformation under anaerobic conditions. Chemical analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) results show that the initial Fe(II) and Cd concentrations as well as pH values all have significant effects on the rates and pathways of ferrihydrite transformation. Increasing Cd loading enhances the inhibition of the Fe(II)-activated ferrihydrite transformation rates. High Cd loading alters the Fe(II)-activated ferrihydrite transformation pathways by hindering the recrystallization of both ferrihydrite to more stable iron minerals and the newly formed lepidocrocite to goethite. Chemical analyses show that the release of Cd to solutions during ferrihydrite transformation is accompanied by a reduction in the 0.4 M HCl extractable Cd fraction and that a significant amount of the released Cd is transformed to a 0.4 M HCl unextractable form. Moreover, enhanced Cd release during the Fe(II)-activated ferrihydrite transformation is observed by reducing the pH value or increasing the initial Cd concentration. Results from synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) confirm that the majority of the 0.4 M HCl unextractable Cd form is associated with structural incorporation into the recrystallized iron (hydr)oxides via isomorphous substitution for Fe(III). These findings not only provide molecular-level understanding on the behavior of Cd under natural anoxic environments, but also are useful in predicting the geochemical cycling of Cd and developing long-term Cd contaminant management strategies.

Long-term changes in cerebral and ocular hemodynamics after carotid endarterectomy in symptomatic patients with unilateral carotid artery stenosis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current study was to describe the alternation pattern of cerebral and ocular blood flow velocities (BFVs) in symptomatic patients with unilateral carotid stenosis after carotid endarterectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

20 symptomatic patients underwent carotid endarterectomy for ≥ 50% unilateral carotid stenosis. Cerebral and ocular hemodynamics were evaluated by Transcranial Doppler (TCD) and Color Doppler imaging (CDI), respectively, first preoperatively, then during the following several days after carotid endarterectomy before discharge, and finally two to sixteen months later.

RESULTS

Statistically significant improvements in the BFVs were recorded in the ipsilateral anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCV) and short posterior ciliary artery (SPCA) during the following several days after carotid endarterectomy. Preoperative retrograde flows of the ipsilateral ophthalmic artery (OA) in two patients returned to anterograde direction immediately following carotid endarterectomy. At the follow-up of two to sixteen months, the BFVs of the ipsilateral ACA, MCA and SPCA tended to decline and were no longer statistically significant from the preoperative values.

CONCLUSIONS

Carotid endarterectomy significantly increased the flow velocities of ipsilateral cerebral anterior circulation and OA branching artery in patients with unilateral carotid stenosis early after surgery. At the long-term follow-up, the flow velocities in the ipsilateral hemisphere had the tendency to reduce and approach the preoperative level.

Coherent Picture on the Pure Spin Transport between Ag/Bi and Ferromagnets

In a joint effort of both experiments and first-principles calculations, we resolve a hotly debated controversy and provide a coherent picture on the pure spin transport between Ag/Bi and ferromagnets. We demonstrate a strong inverse Rashba-Edelstein effect (IREE) at the interface in between Ag/Bi with a ferromagnetic metal (FM) but not with a ferromagnetic insulator. This is in sharp contrast to the previously claimed IREE at Ag/Bi interface or inverse spin Hall effect dominated spin transport. A more than one order of magnitude modulation of IREE signal is realized for different Ag/Bi-FM interfaces, casting strong tunability and a new direction for searching efficient spintronics materials.

The fate of co-existent cadmium and arsenic during Fe(II)-induced transformation of As(V)/Cd(II)-bearing ferrihydrite

Ubiquitous co-existence of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in smelting operations and mine drainage presents a major challenge to the environment. Fe(II)-induced ferrihydrite transformation into secondary, more crystalline minerals often controls the geochemical behavior of associated contaminants including arsenate (As(V)) and Cd(II) in natural and contaminated environments. However, the fate of co-existent As(V) and Cd(II) and the underlying mechanism during this transformation process remain unclear. In this contribution, ferrihydrite containing co-precipitated Cd(II) and As(V) with Fe(II) under diverse pH conditions has been investigated. Results from powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectra show that the co-existence of As(V) and Cd(II) significantly retards the transformation rates of As(V)/Cd(II)-bearing ferrihydrite to more stable iron oxides and reduces that from the newly formed lepidocrocite to goethite. Compared to Cd(II), the co-existent As(V) has stronger influence on the compositions of the transformation products. Chemical analysis shows that phosphate-unextractable As(V) and 0.4 M HCl unextractable Cd(II) both increase as the reaction proceeds during the recrystallization of As(V)/Cd(II)-bearing ferrihydrite, indicating that both As(V) and Cd(II) partially transform to a more stable phase. The co-existent Cd(II) has negligible effects on the As(V) redistribution, but the co-existent As(V) at high loadings has a significant modification in the distribution of Cd(II) during the transformation, which reduces the liberation of Cd(II) into solution, thus decreasing the mobility of Cd(II). These findings have important implications for understanding the mobility and fate of the co-existent As(V) and Cd(II) under natural anoxic environments, remediating the co-existent contaminants, and predicting the long-term behavior of As(V) and Cd(II) in natural and contaminated environments.

CARBONATED BEVERAGES AFFECT LEVELS OF ANDROGEN RECEPTOR AND TESTOSTERONE SECRETION IN MICE

Objectives

This work aimed to study the influences of carbonated beverages (CBs) on the testis growth and the expression levels of androgen receptor (AR) of mice.

Methods

Two experimental groups of 30 mice each PEP-1 and PEP-2 drank 50% and 100% Pepsi-Cola, respectively for 15 days. Other 2 experimental groups of 30 mice each COC-1 and COC-2 drank 50% and 100% Coca-Cola, respectively for 15 days. The control group (CG) of 30 mice drank water. Bilateral testes were harvested aseptically on days 0, 5, 7, 10, 13 and 15. Real-time PCR and Western blot were implemented to detect levels of androgen receptor (AR) mRNA and protein in testis tissues.

Results

Testes masses of PEP-2, COC-1 and COC-2 were greater than those of PEP-1 and CG (P < 0.05). On day 15, testis longitudinal diameter (TLD) of CBs-treated mice was increased as compared to CG. TLD, testes transverse diameters (TTD) and AR proteins levels of PEP-2 and COC-2 were increased in comparison with CG (P<0.05). Serum testosterone concentrations of PEP-2 were higher than that of COC-1 and CG (P < 0.05). Levels of AR mRNAs of four CBs-treated mice were increased by 60.18%, 67.26%, 65.93% and 78.76%.

Conclusions

A high concentration of Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola could raise TLD and TDD, enhance testosterone secretion, and increase serum EGF concentrations.

Fourfold Anisotropic Magnetoresistance of L1_{0} FePt Due to Relaxation Time Anisotropy

Experimental measurements show that the angular dependence of the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) in L1_{0} ordered FePt epitaxial films on the current orientation and magnetization direction is a superposition of the corresponding dependences of twofold and fourfold symmetries. The twofold AMR exhibits a strong dependence on the current orientation, whereas the fourfold term only depends on the magnetization direction in the crystal and is independent of the current orientation. First-principles calculations reveal that the fourfold AMR arises from the relaxation time anisotropy due to the variation of the density of states near the Fermi energy under rotation of the magnetization. This relaxation time anisotropy is a universal property in ferromagnetic metals and determines other anisotropic physical properties that are observable in experiment.

Upper Limb Lymphedema Impacts the Risk of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter-Related Thrombosis in Patients with Breast Cancer

There is little information on the risk for catheter-related thrombosis in patients with upper limb lymphedema following breast cancer treatment. We investigated the association between upper limb lymphedema and the risk of peripherally inserted central catheterrelated thrombosis (PICC-RT) occurring in the contralateral limb of patients with breast cancer. A retrospective review analyzed all patients with breast cancer who underwent PICC insertion at a cancer hospital in Hunan Province from 2015 to 2019. Upper limb lymphedema was indexed from hospital information system (HIS) before the occurrence of PICC-RT developed in the contralateral limb. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of factors with outcome. A total of 1,262 patient records were found and 50 cases of PICC-RT were identified. Forty of these occurred in patients without lymphedema (n=1,236) and 10 in patients with upper limb lymphedema (n=26). After adjustment for various co-variables, Cox regression analysis showed that upper limb lymphedema was significantly associated with increased risk of PICC-RT (hazard ratio=12.128, 95% confidence interval=5.551-26.501; P<0.001). In breast cancer patients, upper limb lymphedema may be an important predictor for PICC-RT in the contralateral limb and information should be provided to patients.

The accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging to measure the depth of invasion in oral tongue cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived depth of invasion (DOI) compared to histopathological DOI is still controversial. A meta-analysis was performed to address this controversy and further investigate the best imaging sequence to measure DOI of tongue squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). A comprehensive literature search of five electronic databases was conducted. Stata/SE was used to establish a continuous variable model to assess the consistency between MRI-derived DOI and histopathological DOI. IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 was used to evaluate the correlation between MRI-derived DOI and histopathological DOI. The meta-analysis showed that the weighted mean difference (WMD) of DOI measured by MRI had an acceptable overestimation compared with that measured by histopathology (WMD 1.64 mm; P < 0.001). In the subgroup analyses, there was no difference between T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and histopathological values (WMD 0.77 mm; P = 0.273), while T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) had a major overestimation (WMD 2.09 mm; P < 0.001). The overall inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC) between MRI-derived DOI and histopathological DOI was 0.869 (95% CI 0.837-0.895), and was 0.923 (95% CI 0.894-0.944) in the T1WI subgroup and 0.790 (95% CI 0.718-0.845) in the T2WI subgroup. MRI is an accurate modality for evaluating the DOI in oral tongue SCC, and T1WI showed relatively higher validity than T2WI for DOI measurements.

LINC00665 facilitates the progression of osteosarcoma via sponging miR-3619-5p

OBJECTIVE

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in the pathogenesis and development of multiple cancers, including osteosarcoma (OS). The present study aims to investigate the role of LINC00665 in OS progression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression levels of LINC00665 and miR-3619 were assessed by RT-qPCR. The correlation between LINC00665 and miR-3619 expression was evaluated by Pearson's correlation analysis. The interaction between LINC00665 and miR-3619 was predicted by starBase, which was further confirmed by Luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay. The viability, invasion, and migration of OS cells were analyzed by CCK-8 and transwell assays.

RESULTS

LINC00665 expression was upregulated in OS tissues and cell lines, and the high level of LINC00665 was associated with poor prognosis in OS. Moreover, LINC00665 knockdown attenuated the viability, invasion, and migration of OS cells. In addition, miR-3619 was demonstrated to be a target of LINC00665. Overexpression of miR-3619 inhibited OS progression, while this effect was abolished by the upregulation of LINC00665.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated that LINC 00665 accelerated OS development by targeting miR-3619. These findings might provide potential treatment strategies for patients with OS.

[Analysis on prediction power of HIV infection risk assessment tool in men who have sex with men in Guizhou province]

Objective: To evaluate the prediction power of HIV infection risk assessment tool and the applicability in MSM in Guizhou province. Methods: MSM were recruited through snowball sampling method. Questionnaire surveys were conducted among the MSM using HIV infection risk assessment tool, and combined with HIV serologic test results, the risk prediction power of HIV infection risk assessment tool was evaluated. Results: A total of 3 379 MSM were recruited from January 2018 to December 2019 in Guizhou. The HIV infection rate was 3.3%(111/3 379). The mean risk scores of HIV positive and HIV negative MSM were (12.15±3.08) and (12.07±3.07), respectively. The difference in risk score was significant between MSM with different HIV status (t=8.69, P<0.001). According to the principle of decision tree, individual risk scores were divided into following three categories: ≤11.96, 11.97-14.80 and >14.80, the HIV infection rate was 0.8%, 4.3% and 8.6% respectively, suggesting that the higher the individual risk score was, the higher the HIV infection rate was (trend χ²=88.18, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the higher the individual risk score was, the higher the risk of HIV infection was. Compared to the total score ≤11.96, the aOR values at total scores of 11.97-14.80 and >14.80 were 6.34 (95%CI: 3.38-11.88) and 14.07(95%CI: 7.44-26.61), respectively. The risk of HIV infection in Miao ethnic group was higher than that in Han ethnic group (aOR=1.83, 95%CI:1.04-3.21), and the risk of HIV infection in those with education level of primary school and below was higher than that in undergraduates or those with education level of junior college and above (aOR=2.50, 95%CI:1.06-5.88), and the risk of HIV infection was higher in those who had bisexual behaviors than in those who had homosexual behaviors (aOR=1.95, 95%CI:1.19-3.19). The risk of HIV infection was higher in those who had never received HIV testing (aOR=1.53, 95%CI:1.01-2.33). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under ROC (AUC) for HIV infection prediction was 0.751 (95%CI:0.710-0.792, P<0.001). The maximum Youden's index was individual risk score of 12.56, and the sensitivity of the risk assessment tool was 0.838, and its specificity was 0.412. Conclusions: The results of HIV infection risk assessment tool in Guizhou indicated that in MSM the higher the individual risk score, the higher the risk of HIV infection is. The tool can be used to evaluate the risk of HIV infection in MSM, but the specificity should be improved.

The safety and efficacy of Cyberknife® for thymic malignancy

PURPOSE

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Cyberknife® (CK) for the treatment of primary or recurring thymic tumours.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 12 patients (16 tumour lesions) with primary or recurring thymic tumours who were treated with CK between March 2008 and October 2017. Their data was stored in prospectively collected database. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival curves.

RESULTS

Five patients (41.7%), who had inoperable disease or refused surgery, were treated with CK initially, and 7 patients (58.3%) were treated with CK when they had recurrence diseases. The disease sites treated with CK were primary tumour site (5), regional lymph nodes (4), tumour bed (3), chest wall (2), pleura (1), and bone (1). The median target volume was 43.8 cm³ (range, 13.1-302.5cm³) for the 16 tumour lesions. The median follow-up time was 69.3 months (range, 9.7-124.8 months). The median survival time was 48.2 months, and the 5-year and 10-year OS rates were 68.2% and 45.5%, respectively. A high response rate for the tumour lesions irradiated with CK was obtained. Only one patient (8%) experienced in-field recurrence, and the 5-year local recurrence free survival was 90.9%. A case indicated that CK may induce the abscopal effect, which provides the potential to combine CK and immunotherapy. No severe radiation related toxicities were observed, and no treatment related death occurred.

CONCLUSION

CK treatment resulted in good outcomes, particularly local control, with minimal side effects, in highly selected patients with primary and recurring thymic tumours. More studies with larger sample are needed.

A combined abiotic oxidation-precipitation process for rapid As removal from high-As(III)-Mn(II) acid mine drainage and low As-leaching solid products

A combination process of Fenton-like and catalytic Mn(II) oxidation via molecular oxygen-induced abio-oxidation of As(III)-Mn(II)-rich acid mine drainage (AMD) is developed to rapidly and efficiently remove As and obtain low As-leaching solids in this study. The effect of pH, temperature, oxygen flow rate and neutralization reagent on As removal was investigated. The results showed that pH was important to As removal efficiency, which achieved maximum in 0.25-2 h, but decreased from ∼100 % to ∼92.6 % with the increase of pH 5-9. pH, temperature and oxygen flow rate played key roles in As(III) oxidation. The increase of As(III) oxidized from 16.8 to 67.1% to 98.6-99.0 % occurred as increasing the pH 5-9, 25-95 °C and oxygen flow rate of 0-2.4 L min^-1. NaOH or Ca(OH)₂ as base was less important to As removal. The mechanism involved Fenton-like reaction between Fe(II) and O₂ for produced Fe(III) (oxy)hydroxide association with As(III + V) and Mn(II), catalytic Mn(II) oxidation for the formation of Mn(III, IV) oxides, and further As(III) oxidation by Mn(III, IV) oxides. As-bearing six-line ferrihydrite was the main solid product for low As-leaching fixation. pH 8, 95 °C and oxygen flow rate of 1.6 L min^-1 were optimal for As removal.

Efficacy of utidelone plus capecitabine versus capecitabine for heavily pretreated, anthracycline- and taxane-refractory metastatic breast cancer: final analysis of overall survival in a phase III randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Primary analysis of the phase III trial BG01-1323L demonstrated that utidelone plus capecitabine significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR) versus capecitabine alone in heavily-pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Here, we report the final overall survival (OS) analysis and updates of other endpoints.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In total, 405 patients were randomised 2:1 to receive utidelone (30 mg/m² IV daily, days 1-5, over 90 min) plus capecitabine (1000 mg/m² orally b.i.d., days 1-14) or capecitabine alone (1250 mg/m² orally b.i.d., days 1-14) every 21 days. The secondary endpoint, OS, was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit approach at a two-sided alpha level of 0.05 after the prespecified 310 death events had been reached. Exploratory analyses of the primary endpoint, PFS, and the secondary endpoint, ORR, were also done. Safety was analysed in patients who had at least one dose of study drug.

RESULTS

At the final OS analysis, the median duration of follow-up was 19.6 months in the utidelone plus capecitabine group and 15.4 months in the capecitabine alone group. In the intention-to-treat population, 313 deaths had occurred at data cut-off, 203 of 270 patients in the combination group and 110 of 135 in the monotherapy group. Median OS in the combination group was 19.8 months compared with 16.0 months in the monotherapy group [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.75, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.59-0.94, P = 0.0142]. The updated analysis of PFS and ORR showed that the combination therapy remained superior to monotherapy. Safety results were similar to those previously reported with respect to incidence, severity and specificity. No late-emerging toxicities or new safety concerns occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

For heavily-pretreated, anthracycline- and taxane-resistant MBC patients, utidelone plus capecitabine significantly improved OS versus capecitabine alone. These results support the use of utidelone plus capecitabine as a novel therapeutic regimen for patients with MBC.

MiR-99a suppressed cell proliferation and invasion by directly targeting HOXA1 through regulation of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and EMT in ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the third frequently tumor worldwide. MicroRNA-99a (miR-99a), acting as a tumor suppressor, has been reported to be downregulated in multiple tumors. We aimed at exploring the significant roles of miR-99a in ovarian cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were applied to calculate the mRNA and protein levels of miR-99a and its target genes. Kaplan-Meier method was conducted to evaluate the overall survival of ovarian cancer patients. CCK8 and transwell assays were performed to measure the proliferative and invasive abilities.

RESULTS

miR-99a, acting as a prognosis predictor, was downregulated in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines. miR-99a mediated the expression of homeobox A1 (HOXA1) through directly targeting to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of its mRNA in ovarian cancer cell lines. miR-99a inhibited the proliferation of ovarian cancer by AKT/mTOR pathway in vitro and in vivo, and it suppressed the invasion-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through direct targeting to the 3'-UTR of HOXA1 mRNA.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-99a suppressed the proliferation through AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and the invasion-mediated EMT in ovarian cancer. The newly identified miR-99a/HOXA1/AKT/mTOR axis provides novel insight into the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer.

Intrinsic Mechanism for Anisotropic Magnetoresistance and Experimental Confirmation in Co_{x}Fe_{1-x} Single-Crystal Films

Using first-principles transport calculations, we predict that the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) of single-crystal Co_{x}Fe_{1-x} alloys is strongly dependent on the current orientation and alloy concentration. An intrinsic mechanism for AMR is found to arise from the band crossing due to magnetization-dependent symmetry protection. These special k points can be shifted towards or away from the Fermi energy by varying the alloy composition and hence the exchange splitting, thus allowing AMR tunability. The prediction is confirmed by delicate transport measurements, which further reveal a reciprocal relationship of the longitudinal and transverse resistivities along different crystal axes.

Detoxification and reclamation of hydrometallurgical arsenic- and trace metals-bearing gypsum via hydrothermal recrystallization in acid solution

Arsenic- and trace metals-bearing gypsum (As-gypsum) is one of the major hazardous solid wastes produced from metallurgical industry that poses a serious threat to the environment. However, the method for effective extraction of As and trace metals from As-gypsum is still lacking. In this study, simultaneous extraction of As and trace metals from a hydrometallurgical As-gypsum via hydrothermal recrystallization in acid solution was investigated. The effects of the type (H₂SO₄ vs HCl) and concentration of acid, and temperature on extraction efficiency were assessed. The results showed that 99% As, >92% Cu and >96% Zn could be extracted from the As-gypsum during hydrothermal treatment in 6 mol L^-1 H₂SO₄ at 90 and 120 °C, but Pb and Cd could not be extracted efficiently. The results of hydrothermal treatment in HCl solutions demonstrated that higher HCl concentration and temperature significantly enhanced the extraction efficiency and 100% As, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺ and >90% Cd were removed from the As-gypsum after treatment in 6 mol L^-1 HCl, at 120 °C, for 12 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy results revealed that dissolution-recrystallization of gypsum is the key process for the removal of the incorporated As and trace metals. Thermodynamic modelling indicated that the released HAsO₄^2-/Me²⁺ transformed into H₃AsO₄/MeCl_n^(2-n) (1 ≤ n ≤ 4) species in HCl solution, hence inhibiting their reincorporation into the recrystallization products via isomorphic substitution for SO₄^2-/Ca²⁺. This work provides a simple and effective method for detoxification and reclamation of As-gypsum.

[Survival time and related factors on HIV/AIDS patients in Guizhou province from 1995 to 2018]

Objective: To examine the survival time and related factors on HIV/AIDS patients in Guizhou province from 1995 to 2018. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the HIV/AIDS case from 1995 to 2018 in Guizhou province with data gathered from the "Chinese National Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Prevention and care Information system". Survival rate was calculated by life table and survival time was estimated by Kaplan-Meier. Related factors on survival time were analyzed by Cox regression model. Results: A total of 53 232 HIV/AIDS cases were included in the study, with the mortality rate as 8.53/100 person-years (14 210/166 679.18), median survival time as 10.20 (95%CI: 9.91-10.48) years, and survival rates of 1, 5, 10 and 20 years as 0.85, 0.68, 0.51, 0.36, 0.19 respectively. Results from the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that factors as: being male (compared with females, aHR=0.757, 95%CI: 0.727-0.788), with antiviral treatment (ART) (compared with those without ART, aHR=0.173, 95%CI: 0.165-0.181), CD(4)<200 cells/μl[compared with CD(4)(+)T cells (CD(4)) ≥200 cells/μl, aHR=0.410, 95%CI: 0.387-0.435], age ≥45 (compared with age<45, aHR=1.506, 95%CI: 1.193-1.901), illiterate (compared with having high school education or above, aHR=0.904, 95%CI: 0.832-0.982), unmarried (compared with divorced or widowed, aHR=0.896, 95%CI: 0.848-0.946), through heterosexual transmission (compared with homosexual transmission, aHR=0.555, 95%CI: 0.487-0.632), ethnic minorities (compared with Hans, aHR=1.185, 95%CI: 1.114-1.262), and farmers/migrant workers (compared with domestic/unemployed,aHR=0.874, 95%CI: 0.834-0.916,) etc., were related to the survival time of HIV/AIDS, in Guizhou province. Conclusions: The mortality rate of HIV/AIDS in Guizhou province appeared relatively high, but with no obvious downward trend seen in the last years. Factors as being male, age ≥45, low education level, ethnic minorities, CD(4)<200 cells/μl were identified as related to the HIV/AIDS survival time. We would suggest that treatment and follow-up management programs should be strengthened to improve the quality of life among these patients.

Alternative Method for the Treatment of Hydrometallurgical Arsenic-Calcium Residues: The Immobilization of Arsenic as Scorodite

Arsenic-calcium residue (ACR) is one of the major hazardous solid wastes produced by the metallurgical industry that poses a serious threat to the environment. However, a suitable method for the effective treatment of ACR is still lacking. In this study, an alternative treatment method for ACRs via the immobilization of As as scorodite was proposed with the use of two types of ACRs (ACR_real directly collected from a Pb refinery and ACR_lab precipitated from waste sulfuric acid in the lab). The treatment of ACR included preparing the As-enriched solution via H₂SO₄ dissolution-neutralization of ACR at pH < 2, As(III) was oxidized by H₂O₂, and As(V) was immobilized as scorodite. The results showed that gypsum produced from ACR_lab in the dissolution-neutralization process contained 68 mg/kg of As, far below the Chinese national standard for hazardous solid wastes (<0.1 wt %, GB5085.62007). The gypsum produced from ACR_real contained 5400 mg/kg of As due to the presence of original high-As gypsum (1.6 wt %) in ACR_real. These results showed that the preliminary removal of SO₄ ^2- from waste sulfuric acid by lime neutralization-precipitation at pH ∼ 2 could produce pure-phase gypsum by avoiding the HAsO₄ ^2- isomorphic substitution for SO₄ ^2-. The scorodite produced from both ACRs displayed good As stability at pH 4.95 (0.9 and 0.5 mg/L) via the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) method and at pH 3-7 (0.4-3.0 mg/L) via a 15 day short-term stability test.

Association study of SNCA gene polymorphisms with schizophrenia in a Chinese North Han population

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies suggested that the alpha-synapse protein (SNCA) gene and its coding product α-synuclein (α-Syn) may play a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The mutation of SNCA can influence the formation of nerve fibers and the function of dopaminergic neurons, and that may be related to addictive behavior, such as alcohol dependence. SNCA may overlap with the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease or alcohol dependence associated with the dopamine pathway. The aim was to determine the association between three SNCA SNPs (rs3822086C/T, rs11931074G/T, and rs356219A/G) and schizophrenia in a Chinese North Han population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 878 subjects, with or without schizophrenia, were included in our study. DNA purification, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification, and subsequent restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis were manipulated to determine genotypes.

RESULTS

Between the schizophrenia group and healthy group, neither the genotype nor allele frequencies of rs3822086C/T, rs11931074G/T, or rs356219A/G differed significantly in either the total sample or the subgroups. In the haplotype analysis, the ATT and GTT haplotype frequencies differed significantly between the patients and controls in the total sample (χ2=6.052, p=0.0139; χ2=4.508, p=0.0337). In the female subgroup, the ATT haplotype frequency differed significantly between the patients and controls (χ2=4.219, p=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no association between SNCA polymorphisms and schizophrenia in the North Han Chinese population, and the ATT haplotype may be a susceptibility factor for schizophrenia.

Characterization of Fe5(AsO3)3Cl2(OH)4·5H2O, a new ferric arsenite hydroxychloride precipitated from FeCl3-As2O3-HCl solutions relevant to arsenic immobilization

Tooeleite (Fe₆(AsO₃)₄SO₄(OH)₄·4H₂O) is widely precipitated for direct As(III) removal from sulfate-rich industrial effluents. However, whether or not Fe(III)-As(III)-Cl(-I) precipitate is produced in chloridizing leaching media for As immobilization is almost unknown. This work founded the existence of ferric arsenite (hydroxy)chloride as a new mineral for As(III) removal. Its chemical composition and solid characterization were subsequently studied by using scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric (TG) curve. The results showed the formation of a yellow precipitate after 3-days reaction of Fe(III)/As(III) with molar ratio ≈ 1.7 in chloride solution at pH 2.3 neutralized with NaOH. Compared with tooeleite, chemical analysis and solid characterization indicated that Cl(-I) replaces SO₄(-II) producing ferric arsenite hydroxychloride with formula Fe₅(AsO₃)₃Cl₂(OH)₄·5H₂O. This new plate shaped solid showed better crytallinity than tooeleite, although it has similar morphology and characteristic bands to tooeleite. The FT-IR bands at 628, 964 cm^-1 and the Raman bands at 448, 610, 961 cm^-1 were assigned to Fe-O or As(III)-O-Fe or As(III)-O bending/stretching vibration, indicating that both arsenite and chloride substituted for the position of sulfate for ferric arsenite hydroxychloride produced due to the lack of the SO₄^2- vibrations. Cl-(I) also contributed to increase As removal efficiency in aqueous sulfate media under acidic pH conditions via the probable formation of sulfate-chloride ferric arsenite.

Towed Overhauser marine magnetometer for weak magnetic anomaly detection in severe ocean conditions

A towed Overhauser marine geomagnetic magnetometer used for weak magnetic anomaly detection in severe ocean conditions is studied to investigate means to reduce the negative effect of dynamic behavior and magnetic noise associated with ocean waves. For the dynamic effect, a continuous polarization workflow is proposed to enhance the free-induction-decay signal, and then, a multi-angle pickup coil and a self-tracking programmable amplifier are used to further reduce the adverse effect caused by uncontrollable changes in the towfish attitude on the signal quality. Furthermore, to achieve adaptive suppression of magnetic noise in different ocean conditions and areas, a modified adaptive Kalman algorithm is assessed. In addition, an optimized Overhauser sensor and a towfish were developed. Overall, the experimental results show that the sensor can effectively suppress the dynamic effect and magnetic noise. Regarding the magnetic sensitivity, uncertainty and range are 12 pT/Hz^1/2@1Hz and 0.21 nT and 20 000 nT-100 000 nT, respectively. Moreover, underwater testing was performed to verify the function and the detection of the magnetic anomaly.

Divergent synthesis of oxazolidines and morpholines via PhI(OAc)2-mediated difunctionalization of alkenes

Herein we describe the PhI(OAc)₂-mediated 1,1- and 1,2-difunctionalization of alkenes with N-tosyl amino alcohols to form oxazolidine and morpholine derivatives.

LncRNA HOTAIR participates in the development and progression of adrenocortical carcinoma via regulating cell cycle

OBJECTIVE

To explore the role of HOTAIR in the pathogenesis of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) and its underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Differentially expressed lncRNA (HOTAIR) in ACC was screened out from the GEO database. The survival analysis and ROC curve were performed according to HOTAIR expressions in ACC patients. The correlation between HOTAIR expression and clinical information of ACC patients was analyzed by chi-square test. The univariate and multivariate COX regression analysis was carried out to analyze the relationship between HOTAIR expression, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of ACC patients. We then detected HOTAIR expression in 77 ACC tissues and 30 normal tissues by qRT-PCR (quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction). ACC cell lines were further screened out for the following in vitro experiments. After altering HOTAIR expression in ACC cells by plasmid transfection, proliferation and cell cycle were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assay, respectively. Finally, Western blot was utilized to detect expressions of cell cycle-related genes in ACC cells.

RESULTS

HOTAIR was overexpressed in ACC tissues than that of normal tissues. HOTAIR expression was remarkably increased in ACC with T3 and T4 stage than that of T1 and T2 stage. Moreover, HOTAIR expression was remarkably increased in ACC with stage III and IV than that of stage I and II. HOTAIR was an independent prognostic factor for DFS and OS of ACC patients. For in vitro experiments, inhibited proliferation and arrested cell cycle were observed in H295R cells transfected with si-HOTAIR. Opposite results were obtained after SW-13 cells were transfected with HOTAIR overexpression plasmid. Furthermore, expressions of cell cycle-related genes, including Cyclin D1, p-Rb and p-GSK3β were remarkably decreased after HOTAIR knockdown.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated for the first time that HOTAIR is overexpressed in ACC and is a prognostic risk factor in ACC patients. HOTAIR participates in the development and progression of ACC via shortening cell cycle and promoting proliferation of ACC cells.

The use of external fixation for the management of acute and chronic Monteggia fractures in children

PURPOSE

The main objective of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of acute (AMF) and chronic Monteggia fractures (CMF) in children treated by closed or open reduction and external fixation (EF).

METHODS

This is a retrospective review of 26 patients with Monteggia fracture. Patients with AMF (time between trauma and surgery less than two weeks) were treated by closed reduction and EF of the ulna (Group A; 15 patients) while those with CMF (time between trauma and surgery more than three weeks) were managed by closed or open reduction and EF of the ulna (Group B; 11 patients). Clinical outcome was evaluated with radiography and the short version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand outcome questionnaire (Quick DASH). Complications were recorded in both groups.

RESULTS

No secondary displacement, wire migration, consolidation delays, nonunion, malunion or re-fracture was noted. However, one patient in Group A (6.7%) developed heterotopic ossification of the ulna; the final functional outcome was good (Quick DASH score: 18.2). One case of postoperative redislocation of the radial head was detected in Group B (9.1%). Two patients (7.6%) developed transient pin tract infection. Despite the fact that 16 out of 26 patients (six in Group A and ten in Group B) complained of the clinical appearance and/or had intermittent residual pain on the injured side, the results were essentially the same between the two groups of patients (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

EF is an alternative for the management of acute and chronic paediatric Monteggia fractures. It provides satisfactory radiological and clinical outcomes with relatively low rates of complications.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Identification of key pathways and genes changes in pancreatic cancer cells (BXPC-3) after cross-talk with primary pancreatic stellate cells using bioinformatics analysis

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most malignant tumors with poor prognosis, and the interaction between activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and PDAC cells plays an important role in the development of PDAC. The aim of this study was to identify gene changes in BXPC-3 after cross-talk with PSCs and reveal their potential mechanisms. The gene expression profiling analysis of BXPC-3 was completed after co-culture with primary PSCs for 48 h. The gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by Agilent GeneSpring GX software. In total, 3657 DEGs were identified in BXPC-3, including 1881 up-regulated genes and 1776 downregulated genes. GO analysis results showed that upregulated DEGs were significantly enriched in biological processes (BP), including peptide metabolic process, response to stress and electron transport chain; the downregulated DEGs were significantly enriched in biological processes, including signaling, multicellular organism development and anatomical structure development. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that 19 pathways were upregulated and 32 pathways were downregulated, and that upregulated DEGs were enriched in protein export and glutathione metabolism, while the downregulated DEGs were enriched in axon guidance and focal adhesion. The top 10 upregulated genes and the top 10 downregulated genes were identified. By constructing PPI network, we selected out 10 key genes (TP53, SRC, IL6, JUN, ISG15, CAD, STAT1, OAS3, OAS1, VIM) and significant pathways. The associated survival analysis was performed and the SRC, IL-6, ISG15, STAT1, OAS3, OAS1 and VIM were proved to be related to worse overall survival time of PDAC patients. In conclusion, the present study indicated that the identified DEGs promote our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between pancreatic cancer cells and PSCs and might be used as molecular targets in the future to study the role of tumor microenvironment in the progression of PDAC.

Identification of key pathways and genes changes in pancreatic cancer cells (BXPC-3) after cross-talked with primary pancreatic stellate cells using bioinformatics analysis

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most malignant tumors with poor prognosis, and the interaction between activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and PDAC cells plays an important role in the development of PDAC. The aim of this study was to identify gene changes in BXPC-3 after cross-talked with PSCs and reveal their potential mechanisms. The gene expression profiling analysis of BXPC-3 was completed after co-cultured with primary PSCs for 48 h. The gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by Agilent GeneSpring GX software. In total, 3657 DEGs were identified in BXPC-3, including 1881 up-regulated genes and 1776 downregulated genes. GO analysis results showed that up-regulated DEGs were significantly enriched in biological processes (BP), including peptide metabolic process, response to stress, and electron transport chain; the down-regulated DEGs were significantly enriched in biological processes, including signaling, multicellular organismal development, and anatomical structure development. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that 19 pathways were upregulated and 32 pathways were downregulated, and that up-regulated DEGs were enriched in protein export and glutathione metabolism, while the down-regulated DEGs were enriched in axon guidance and focal adhesion. The top 10 up-regulated genes, and the top 10 down-regulated genes were identified. By constructing PPI network, we selected out 10 key genes (TP53, SRC, IL6, JUN, ISG15, CAD, STAT1, OAS3, OAS1, VIM) and significant pathways. The associated survival analysis was performed and the SRC, IL-6, ISG15, STAT1, OAS3, OAS1 and VIM were proved to be related to worse overall survival time of PDAC patients. In conclusion, the present study indicated that the identified DEGs promote our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between pancreatic cancer cells and PSCs and might be used as molecular targets in the future to study the role of tumor microenvironment in the progression of PDAC.

Identification of key pathways and gene changes in primary pancreatic stellate cells after cross-talk with pancreatic cancer cells (BXPC-3) using bioinformatics analysis

It is well known that as the king of cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has relatively malignant biological behavior and poor prognosis. The interaction between pancreatic stellate cells and PDAC cells promotes the development of PDAC. The aim of this study was to describe gene characteristics in pancreatic stellate cell (PSCs) after cross-talked with BXPC-3 and unravel their underlying mechanisms. The expression profiling analysis of genes in PSCs was completed after co-cultured with primary BXPC-3 for 48h. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway (KEGG) enrichment analysis and gene ontology (GO) analysis were performed, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by Agilent GeneSpring GX program. In total, 1804 DEGs were filtered out in PSCs, including 958 up-regulated genes and 846 downregulated genes. GO analysis showed that the up-regulated DEGs were significantly enriched in biological processes (BP) such as defense response, immune system process and immune response; the down-regulated DEGs were significantly enriched in biological regulation and cytoskeleton organization. KEGG pathway analysis showed that 28 pathways were upregulated and 5 were downregulated. By constructing PPI network, we selected out 10 key genes (IL6，IL8, IL1B, BCL2, CCL2, CSF2, KIT, ICAM1, PTPRC and IGF1) and significant enriched pathways. In conclusion, the current study suggests that the filtered DEGs contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between PSCs and pancreatic cancer cells, and might be used as molecular targets to further the study the role of tumor microenvironment in the progression of PDAC.

Digestive solubilization of particle-associated arsenate by deposit-feeders: The roles of proteinaceous and surfactant materials

Solubilization of arsenate in guts of deposit-feeders is a key process for their dietary uptake of arsenate from contaminated sediments. The present study explored this digestive solubilization with in vitro extraction experiments that quantified arsenic (As) release from substrates (natural sediment and As-enriched iron oxides) in the presence of various digestive agents (proteins, amino acids and surfactants collected from gut fluid of a sipunculan worm). To investigate potential mechanisms for the influence of digestive agents, analyses determined correlations between As and Fe concentrations, the size distribution of the As bound to the digestive agents, and the adsorption of the digestive agents on the substrates. Both the digestive surfactants and proteinaceous materials increased arsenate mobilization, with the surfactants enhancing the effects of the proteinaceous materials. Arsenate reduction and reductive dissolution of iron oxides were not observed and correlations between the concentrations of released As and Fe were weak. These findings indicate that dissolution release of Fe did not appear to be the main route by which the digestive agents mobilized particle-associated As. Most of the released As (>70%) was distributed in the <10 kDa fraction of the digestive agents, showing that the As mobilization was also not caused by complexation with proteins in the digestive agents. In contrast, adsorption of the digestive agents occurred along with the release of arsenate from the arsenate-rich substrates, suggesting that competitive adsorption was the mechanism by which the digestive agents mobilized sedimentary arsenate. Our work demonstrated that the presence of digestive surfactants significantly enhances arsenate availability during deposit feeding.

Role of multi-modality functional imaging in differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose incidentaloma

PURPOSE

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of multi-modality functional imaging in differentiating malignant and benign thyroid ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) incidentaloma.

METHODS

This study included 87 patients with thyroid ¹⁸F-FDG incidentalomas detected by ¹⁸F-FDG- positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT) and diagnosed at surgery or biopsy, who received ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT, diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) and ultrasound elastography (USE). The metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and ultrasound elasticity scores of thyroid ¹⁸F-FDG incidentalomas were measured and compared in benign and malignant thyroid incidentalomas. The differences of malignant and benign thyroid incidentalomas were tested by χ² test, Fisher's exact test, t test, or Mann-Whitney U test. The diagnostic performance was evaluated and optimal cut-off values were determined in distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid incidentalomas by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

RESULTS

MTV, TLG and USE scores of malignant thyroid incidentalomas were significantly higher than benign; but ADC value was significantly lower. We defined the functional imaging parameters TLG < 2.48, ADC > 1.80 × 10^-3mm²/s, and USE score of 1 as markers of benign thyroid incidentalomas and each scored -1 point; TLG ≥ 2.48, ADC ≤ 1.80 × 10^-3mm²/s, and USE score of 4 as markers of malignancy and each scored 1 point. Combined multi-functional imaging parameters achieved the highest performance (84.6% sensitivity and 97.1% specificity) for distinguish malignant from benign thyroid incidentaloma with AUC 0.957 (95% CI 0.917, 0.997).

CONCLUSIONS

Functional imaging might help to distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid ¹⁸F-FDG incidentalomas, and combined multi-functional imaging parameters could improve it.

The stability of Fe(III)-As(V) co-precipitate in the presence of ascorbic acid: Effect of pH and Fe/As molar ratio

The potential hazards of Fe(III)-As(V) co-precipitate under reducing conditions are incompletely known. This work investigated the effect of Fe(III) reduction by ascorbic acid (AH₂) on the stability of Fe(III)-As(V) co-precipitate at different pHs and Fe/As molar ratios. The results showed that As (14-98.9%) and Fe (27.9-99.3%) were significantly released into solution by 79.9-97.5% Fe(III) reduction of the co-precipitate (Fe/As molar ratios of 3 and 5) at pH 5-9. More As release was observed with the increase of pH (6-9) or decrease in Fe/As molar ratio (from 5 to 3). This could be attributed by oxalate, the final product of AH₂ decomposition, which strongly competed with As(V) for Fe(II) at higher pH or lower Fe/As molar ratio, inhibiting parasymplesite accumulation and then causing more As mobilization. The stability of Fe(III)-As(V) co-precipitate with AH₂ upon Fe(III) reduction was lower than that in oxic environment. Compared with produced Fe(II,III) (hydr)oxides in the presence of hydroquinone (QH₂), humboldtine was formed during the long-term reactions of Fe(III)-As(V) co-precipitate with AH₂. The findings of this study implied that parasymplesite and humboldtine as secondary solid products were environmental relevant and mainly responsible for As(V) and Fe(II) immobilization.