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Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an option for treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high risk for death with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). It is unknown whether TAVI can be safely introduced to intermediate- and low-risk patients. Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of TAVI and SAVR in patients with intermediate- and low-surgical risk. Data sources: Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to April 15, 2019. Study selection: We included randomized controlled trials comparing TAVI with SAVR in patients with intermediate- and low-surgical risk. Data extraction: Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models to calculate risk ratios (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Two independent reviewers completed citation screening, data abstraction, and risk assessment. Primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 12 months. Data Synthesis: A total of 5 trials randomizing 6390 patients were included. In patients with low risk, TAVI was associated with a significant reduction in the composite of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke compared with SAVR (RR, 0.56; 95%CI, 0.40–0.79; I2 = 0%). This benefit was not replicated in patients with intermediate risk (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.80–1.15; I2 = 0%). Similar results were seen separately in all-cause mortality and disabling stroke when TAVI was compared with SAVR. Conclusion: For patients with severe aortic stenosis who were at low risk for death from surgery, TAVI achieved superior clinical outcomes compared to SAVR; however, these benefits were not seen in those with intermediate risk. This information may inform discussions about deciding between SAVR and TAVI for patients with low to intermediate risk separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypochondriac symptoms are commonly reported in health science students. With their incomplete medical knowledge, they may compare their own bodily symptoms with disease symptoms during the process of learning, which can lead to mental distress and the need for repeated medical reassurance. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of hypochondriac symptoms in Chinese health science students. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine disc, and Wanfang Data on July 1, 2018. Additionally, the references of the retrieved papers were searched. Cross-sectional studies published in either English or Chinese that reported the prevalence of hypochondriac symptoms in health science students were included. The selection process was executed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis, and study quality was assessed with the checklist recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for cross-sectional studies. A random-effects model according to the DerSimonian-Laird method was used to calculate the pooled prevalence. Results: Seven cross-sectional studies involving 6,217 Chinese health science students were included. The pooled prevalence of hypochondriac symptoms among health science students was 28.0% (95% CI = 19.0%–38.0%). The symptoms were a little more common in females (30.0%, 95% CI = 19.0%–42.0%) than in males (29.0%, 95% CI = 16.0%–42.0%), but the difference was not significant. No significant differences were found between participants grouped by study year. Only three studies explored the coping styles of students with hypochondriasis, and these revealed a high tendency toward help-seeking behaviors. Conclusion: Our systematic review and meta-analysis showed a high prevalence of hypochondriac symptoms among health science students, indicating that it is a noteworthy phenomenon. We suggest that counseling and other support services are necessary for health science students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crowdfunding is gradually becoming a modern marketing pattern. By noting that the success of crowdfunding depends on network externalities, our research aims to utilize these network externalities to provide an applicable referral mechanism in a crowdfunding-based marketing pattern. In the context of network externalities, measuring the value of leading customers is chosen as the key to coping with the research problem, as the leading customers are considered to be critical in forming a referral network. Accordingly, two sequential-move game models (i.e., the basic model and the extended model) were established to measure the value of leading customers, and a matrix transformation process was adopted to solve the model by transforming a complicated multisequence game into a simple simultaneous-move game. Based on the defined value of leading customers, a network-based referral mechanism was proposed that explores exactly how many awards should be allocated along the customer sequence to encourage the leading customers to provide a successful recommendation, and this demonstrates two general rules of awarding the referrals in our model setting. Moreover, the proposed solution approach helps to deepen the understanding of the effect of the leading position, which is meaningful for designing a greater number of referral approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steroid receptor coactivator 1 (Src-1) and Twist1 are aberrantly upregulated in a variety of tumors and play an important role in tumor progression. However, the exact role of Src-1 and Twist1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is uncertain. In this study, we investigated the possible prognostic value and biological effect of Src-1 and Twist1 in NPC. Src-1 and Twist1 expression was detected in a cohort of NPC patients (n = 134) by qRT-PCR. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used comparing overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model. Biologic effect of Src-1 and Twist1 in NPC cell lines was evaluated by western blot, colony formation assay, soft agar assay, scratch wound healing assay, transwell invasion assay and tumor xenografts growth. We have found that Src-1 and Twist1 were aberrantly upregulated in human NPC tissues, and associated with advanced tumor stage, distant metastasis and unfavorable prognosis. Knockdown of Src-1 or Twist1 in human NPC cell line CNE-1 suppressed colony formation, anchorage-independent growth, cell migration, invasion and tumor xenografts growth, while enforced expression of Src-1 or Twist1 in human NPC cell line HNE-2 promotes anchorage-independent growth, cell migration and invasion. In addition, Src-1 and Twist1 could suppress E-cadherin expression and increase Vimentin expression, thus suggested that Src-1 and Twist1 enhanced the malignant behaviors of NPC cells via inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our data indicated that Src-1 and Twist1 could be possible prognostic biomarkers and potential therapy targets for patients with NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvia splendens is a perennial, ornamental herbaceous flower that is widely cultivated as a bedding plant in gardens. The development of novel S. splendens cultivars and investigating the relevant molecular mechanisms are of great significance. In this study, RNA-sequencing and real-time PCR methods were used to analyze the possible molecular mechanism of S. splendens mutant, SX919M. From the wild-type S. splendens 919CK, we firstly selected a natural mutant, SX919M, which displayed multiple branches, clustered spheroids, and radial symmetrical inflorescence with higher numbers of calyces, ovules, stamens, and perianth tubes. Further, the RNA-seq was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the mutant which included a total of 3568 upregulated and 3290 downregulated unigenes. We further observed that the indole alkaloid biosynthesis pathway showed the highest DEG enrichment, which was supported by a significant increase in the IAA content in mutant SX919M. In addition, we validated three DEGs, namely, CL2200.Contig2_All encoding methyl IAA esterase, CL12462.Contig1_All and CL12462.Contig2_All, which encoded strictosidine synthase, upregulated in mutant SX919M. We selected a novel S. splendens germplasm SX919M with a high ornamental value and determined that the upregulation of IAA biogenesis may be associated with its development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma gallisepticum is a causative agent of chronic respiratory disease in chickens, typically causing great economic losses. Cytoadherence is the critical stage for mycoplasma infection, and the associated proteins are important for mycoplasma pathogenesis. Many glycolytic enzymes are localized on the cell surface and can bind the extracellular matrix of host cells. In this study, the M. gallisepticum pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 alpha subunit (PDHA) and beta subunit (PDHB) were expressed in Escherichia coli, and their enzymatic activities were identified based on 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol reduction. When recombinant PDHA (rPDHA) and recombinant PDHB (rPDHB) were mixed at a 1:1 molar ratio, they exhibited strong enzymatic activity. Alone, rPDHA and rPDHB exhibited no or weak enzymatic activity. Further experiments indicated that both PDHA and PDHB were surface-exposed immunogenic proteins of M. gallisepticum. Bactericidal assays showed that the mouse anti-rPDHA and anti-rPDHB sera killed 48.0% and 75.1% of mycoplasmas respectively. A combination of rPDHA and rPDHB antisera had a mean bactericidal rate of 65.2%, indicating that rPDHA and rPDHB were protective antigens, and combining the two sera did not interfere with bactericidal activity. Indirect immunofluorescence and surface display assays showed that both PDHA and PDHB adhered to DF-1 chicken embryo fibroblast cells and adherence was significantly inhibited by antisera against PDHA and PDHB. Adherence inhibition of M. gallisepticum to DF-1 chicken embryo fibroblast cells was 30.2% for mouse anti-rPDHA serum, 45.1% for mouse anti-rPDHB serum and 72.5% for a combination of rPDHA and rPDHB antisera, suggesting that rPDHA and rPDHB antisera may have synergistically interfered with M. gallisepticum cytoadherence. Plasminogen (Plg)-binding assays further demonstrated that both PDHA and PDHB were Plg-binding proteins, which may have contributed to bacterial colonization. Our results clarified the enzymatic activity of M. gallisepticum PDHA and PDHB and demonstrated these compounds as Plg-binding proteins involved in cytoadherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Host plants, pathogens and their herbivore vectors systems have complex relationships via direct and indirect interactions. Although there are substantial gaps in understanding these systems, the dynamics of the relationships may influence the processes of virus transmission and plant disease epidemics. Rice dwarf virus (RDV) is mainly vectored by green rice leafhoppers (GRLHs), Nephotettix cincticeps (Uhler) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in a persistently circulative manner. In this study, host plant selection preferences of non-viruliferous and viruliferous (carrying RDV) GRLHs between RDV-free and RDV-infected plants were tested. Non-viruliferous GRLHs preferred RDV-infected rice plants over RDV-free rice plants, and viruliferous GRLHs preferred RDV-free rice plants over RDV-infected rice plants. In odor selection preference bioassay using a four-field olfactometer, non-viruliferous GRLHs preferred odors of RDV-infected rice plants over healthy rice and viruliferous GRLHs preferred odors of RDV-free rice plants over RDV-infected ones. In 6 h plant penetration behavior bioassay using electrical penetration graphs, non-viruliferous GRLHs spent shorter time in non-penetration and much longer time in xylem feeding on RDV-infected, compared to RDV-free rice plants. Viruliferous GRLHs exhibited more salivation and stylet movement on RDV-free rice plants than on RDV-infected rice plants. We infer from these findings that RDV influences these vector behaviors by altering host plant physiology to promote viral transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a novel object tracking algorithm by using high-dimensional particle filter and combined features. Firstly, the refined two-dimensional principal component analysis and the tendency are combined to represent an object. Secondly, we present a framework using high-order Monte Carlo Markov Chain which considers more information and performs more discriminative and efficient on moving objects than the traditional first-order particle filtering. Finally, an advanced sequential importance resampling is applied to estimate the posterior density and obtains the high-quality particles. To further gain the better samples, K-means clustering is used to select more typical particles, which reduces the computational cost. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluations on challenging image sequences demonstrate that the performance of our proposed algorithm is superior to the state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiotensin II (AngII), a vasoactive peptide that elevates arterial blood pressure and results in hypertension, has been reported to directly induce vascular endothelial cell apoptosis. Recent work has demonstrated that propofol pre-treatment attenuates angiotensin II-induced apoptosis in human coronary artery endothelial cells. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) subjected to angiotensin II-induced apoptosis in the presence or absence of propofol treatment and found that angiotensin II-induced apoptosis was attenuated by propofol in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, ELISA assays demonstrated that the ratio of angiotensin (1–7) (Ang (1–7)) to Ang II was increased after propofol treatment. We examined the expression of ACE2, Ang (1–7) and Mas and found that the ACE2-Ang (1–7)-Mas axis was up-regulated by propofol, while ACE2 overexpression increased phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (phosphorylated eNOS) expression and siACE2 resulted in the repression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation. In conclusion, our study revealed that propofol can inhibit endothelial cell apoptosis induced by Ang II by activating the ACE2-Ang (1–7)-Mas axis and further up-regulating the expression and phosphorylation of eNOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life in the modern world depends on multiple critical services provided by infrastructure systems which are interdependent at multiple levels. To effectively respond to infrastructure failures, this paper proposes a model for developing optimal joint restoration strategy for interdependent infrastructure systems following a disruptive event. First, models for (i) describing structure of interdependent infrastructure system and (ii) their interaction process, are presented. Both models are considering the failure types, infrastructure operating rules and interdependencies among systems. Second, an optimization model for determining an optimal joint restoration strategy at infrastructure component level by minimizing the economic loss from the infrastructure failures, is proposed. The utility of the model is illustrated using a case study of electric-water systems. Results show that a small number of failed infrastructure components can trigger high level failures in interdependent systems; the optimal joint restoration strategy varies with failure occurrence time. The proposed models can help decision makers to understand the mechanisms of infrastructure interactions and search for optimal joint restoration strategy, which can significantly enhance safety of infrastructure systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed at identifying genes related to hereditary type 2 diabetes expressed in the liver and the adipose tissue of spontaneous diabetic gerbils using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) screening. Methods: Two gerbil littermates, one with high and the other with normal blood glucose level, from our previously bred spontaneous diabetic gerbil strain were used in this study. To identify differentially expressed genes in the liver and the adipose tissue, mRNA from these tissues was extracted and SSH libraries were constructed for screening. After sequencing and BLAST analyzing, up or down-regulated genes possibly involved in metabolism and diabetes were selected, and their expression levels in diabetic gerbils and normal controls were analyzed using quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results: A total of 4 SSH libraries were prepared from the liver and the adipose tissue of gerbils. There are 95 up or down-regulated genes were identified to be involved in metabolism, oxidoreduction, RNA binding, cell proliferation, and differentiation or other function. Expression of 17 genes most possibly associated with diabetes was analyzed and seven genes (Sardh, Slc39a7, Pfn1, Arg1, Cth, Sod1 and P4hb) in the liver and one gene (Fabp4) in the adipose tissue were identified that were significantly differentially expressed between diabetic gerbils and control animals. Conclusions: We identified eight genes associated with type 2 diabetes from the liver and the adipose tissue of gerbils via SSH screening. These findings provide further insights into the molecular mechanisms of diabetes and imply the value of our spontaneous diabetic gerbil strain as a diabetes model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have discussed the liver stiffness measurement (LSM) performance on predicting liver-related surgical outcomes for patients of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) under hepatic resection, yet there is much variation in reporting and consistency of findings. Therefore, we report a meta-analysis on this issue. Methods: We comprehensively searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of science to find the eligible cohort studies. The pooled Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate effect. The weighted mean LSM value was calculated as the optimal LSM cut-off value among studies. Results: 12 prospective cohort studies and one retrospective cohort study, including a total of 1942 cases were identified. The pooled results showed that preoperative LSM is significantly associated with the occurrence of overall postoperative complications (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.46–2.11). In addition, a weighted mean LSM value of 14.2 kPa and 11.3KPa were suggested as the optimal LSM cut-off value reference using transient elastoqraphy (TE) for predicting overall postoperative complications in Asia countries and European countries, respectively. Conclusions: Preoperative LSM should be taken into account cautiously in the management of patients undergoing hepatectomy of HCC. Future studies could focus on setting a prognostic model integrated with LSM in predicting post-hepatectomy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determinate cucumber is a type of short vines, fewer nodes, and terminal flowers, it is suitable for high-density planting and available harvesting in field cultivation, whereas the indeterminate cucumber is preferred to cultivate in greenhouses. However, many biotic or abiotic stresses could lead indeterminate cucumber to be determinate in greenhouse cultivation, which may decrease yield and fruit quality. Therefore, it is urgent and essential to investigate the key factors forming determinate and terminal flowering in cucumber. In this study, two close background inbred lines were selected and conducted the miRNA and mRNA high throughput sequencing. Interestingly, ethylene-associated miRNAs and mRNAs were intensively obtained, indicating that the plant hormone ethylene is a key factor impacting determinate and terminal flowering in cucumber. The ethylene metabolites analysis showed that significant higher ethylene was observed in determinate line than that in the indeterminate line. The RT-qPCR validation of ethylene related miRNAs Cas-miR172, Cas-miR396, and Cas-miR414 and their target mRNAs showed a significant negative correlation. These data suggested that ethylene-associated miRNAs might affect determinate and terminal flower phenotypes by regulating their target genes expression. This study not only provides a potential molecular mechanism for determinate formation in cucumber but also establishes a method to demonstrate important physiological processes through the comprehensive association of miRNA and mRNA high-throughput sequencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis continues to be a major problem for hospitalized patients. Opioids are widely used medications for pain management despite recent evidence revealing their adverse effects. The present study evaluates survival differences between opioid-treated patients and non-opioid-treated patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of sepsis. Clinical data was extracted from the University of Minnesota’s Clinical Data Repository, which includes Electronic Health Records (EHRs) of the patients seen at 8 hospitals. Among 5,994 patients diagnosed with sepsis, 4,540 opioid-treated patients and 1,454 non-opioid patients were included based on whether they are exposed to prescription opioids during their hospitalization. Cox proportional hazards regression showed that after adjustments for demographics, clinical comorbidities, severity of illness, and types of infection, opioid-treated patients had a significantly higher risk of death at 28 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA binding protein polypyrimidine tract binding protein 2 (Ptbp2) as a key alternative splicing regulator for male germ cell development is well established. However, its expression levels and role in cryptorchidism testes tissues has not been explored. Additionally, the molecular mechanism of heat stress impacts the correct proliferation and differentiation of germ cells is unclear. To investigate whether changes in Ptbp2 expression are correlated with heat stress-induced germ cell injury in testicular tissue, we used a murine model of intraperitoneal cryptorchidism with surgical operation. Here we present compelling evidence that germ cells are severely damaged in mice with unilateral cryptorchidism, with non-obstructive azoospermia. And the Ptbp2 and Pgk2 mRNA levels were significantly decreased in parallel, leading us to conclude that the negative correlation between Ptbp2 levels and germ cell injury in unilateral cryptorchidism murine model. We hypothesize that Ptbp2 is susceptible to heat stress and its disruption has resulted in stability decline of germ cell transcripts Pgk2 mRNA, which consequently lead to germ cell injury in cryptorchidism testes. Thus, we confirm that Ptbp2 is an essential factor in heat stress-induced sperm cell injury and non-obstructive azoospermia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A promising approach for brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) employs the steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) for extracting control information. Main advantages of these SSVEP BCIs are a simple and low-cost setup, little effort to adjust the system parameters to the user and comparatively high information transfer rates (ITR). However, traditional frequency-coded SSVEP BCIs require the user to gaze directly at the selected flicker stimulus, which is liable to cause fatigue or even photic epileptic seizures. The spatially coded SSVEP BCI we present in this article addresses this issue. It uses a single flicker stimulus that appears always in the extrafoveal field of view, yet it allows the user to control four control channels. We demonstrate the embedding of this novel SSVEP stimulation paradigm in the user interface of an online BCI for navigating a 2-dimensional computer game. Offline analysis of the training data reveals an average classification accuracy of 96.9±1.64%, corresponding to an information transfer rate of 30.1±1.8 bits/min. In online mode, the average classification accuracy reached 87.9±11.4%, which resulted in an ITR of 23.8±6.75 bits/min. We did not observe a strong relation between a subject’s offline and online performance. Analysis of the online performance over time shows that users can reliably control the new BCI paradigm with stable performance over at least 30 minutes of continuous operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension is a leading cause of global disease, mortality, and disability. While individuals of African descent suffer a disproportionate burden of hypertension and its complications, they have been underrepresented in genetic studies. To identify novel susceptibility loci for blood pressure and hypertension in people of African ancestry, we performed both single and multiple-trait genome-wide association analyses. We analyzed 21 genome-wide association studies comprised of 31,968 individuals of African ancestry, and validated our results with additional 54,395 individuals from multi-ethnic studies. These analyses identified nine loci with eleven independent variants which reached genome-wide significance (P < 1.25×10−8) for either systolic and diastolic blood pressure, hypertension, or for combined traits. Single-trait analyses identified two loci (TARID/TCF21 and LLPH/TMBIM4) and multiple-trait analyses identified one novel locus (FRMD3) for blood pressure. At these three loci, as well as at GRP20/CDH17, associated variants had alleles common only in African-ancestry populations. Functional annotation showed enrichment for genes expressed in immune and kidney cells, as well as in heart and vascular cells/tissues. Experiments driven by these findings and using angiotensin-II induced hypertension in mice showed altered kidney mRNA expression of six genes, suggesting their potential role in hypertension. Our study provides new evidence for genes related to hypertension susceptibility, and the need to study African-ancestry populations in order to identify biologic factors contributing to hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study is to clarify the associations between IL-1B31C/T, IL-1B-511C/T, IL-8-251T/A gene polymorphisms and the risk of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection together with H. pylori-related gastric cancer (GC), peptic ulcer disease (PUD). Methods: All eligible literature published up to July 2016 were identified by searching Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and CNKI. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated using a fixed or random effects model. Results: 29 case-control studies were eligible, and each of them may focus on more than one gene polymorphism. Ultimately, there were 21 studies (3159 cases and 2816 controls) for IL-1B-31C/T, 16 studies (2486 cases and 1989 controls) for IL-1B-511C/T polymorphisms, 9 studies (1963 cases and 1205 controls) for IL-8-251T/A polymorphisms. Overall, an increased risk of H. pylori infection was found for IL-1B-31C/T polymorphisms in total population [OR = 1.134, 95%CI = 1.008–1.275 for recessive model; OR = 1.145, 95%CI = 1.007–1.301 for TT vs CC model]. While, for IL-1B-511C/T and IL8-251T/A polymorphisms, no evidence indicated that they were associated with the risk of H. pylori infection in all genetic models. Furthermore, we found an increased risk of H. pylori-related GC with IL-1B-511C/T polymorphisms [OR = 1.784, 95%CI = 1.289–2.469 for recessive model; OR = 1.772, 95%CI = 1.210–2.594 for TT vs CC model] and IL8-251A/T polymorphisms [OR = 1.810, 95%CI = 1.229–2.667 for recessive model; OR = 1.717, 95%CI = 1.143–2.580 for TT vs AA model], an increased risk of H. pylori-related PUD with IL8-251T/A polymorphisms [OR = 1.364, 95%CI = 1.010–1.843 for recessive model; OR = 1.427, 95%CI = 1.039–1.959 for AA vs TT model]. Conclusions: IL-1B-31C/T gene polymorphisms might increase H. pylori infection risk. IL-1B-511-C/T and IL-8-251T/A gene polymorphisms might act as a risk factor to H. pylori-related diseases including GC or PUD [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing environmental calcium (Ca) and rising cyanobacterial blooms in lake habitats could strongly reduce Daphnia growth and survival. Here, we assessed the effects of maternal Ca in Daphnia on transfer of resistance to their offspring against Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7806 (M. aeruginosa). Laboratory microcosm experiments were performed to examine effects in Daphnia carinata (D. carinata) and Daphnia pulex (D. pulex), and that how Ca induce responses in their offspring. The results showed that growth and survival were increased in offspring from exposed Daphnia as compared to unexposed, when raised in high Ca and increasing M. aeruginosa concentration. Among exposed Daphnia, offspring from high Ca mothers, produced more neonates with large size and higher survival as compared to offspring from low maternal Ca. Exposed D. carinata and D. pulex offspring, when reared in Ca deficient medium and increasing M. aeruginosa concentration, time to first brood increased, size become large and total offspring decreased subsequently in three alternative broods in offspring from low maternal Ca. In contrast, growth and reproduction in offspring from high Ca exposed mothers were consistent in three alternative broods. Despite species specific responses in growth, survival and variant life history traits in two Daphnia species, our results not only show maternal induction in Daphnia but also highlight that offspring response to M. aeruginosa varies with maternal Ca. This study demonstrates that Ca have role in Daphnia maternal induction against Microcystis, and recent Ca decline and increasing Microcystis concentration in lakes may decrease Daphnia growth and survival. Our data provide insights into the interactive effect of maternal Ca and Microcystis exposure on Daphnia and their outcome on offspring life history traits and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principal target organ of duck hepatitis A virus type 1 (DHAV-1) is duckling liver, which is an energy-intensive organ and plays important roles in body’s energy metabolism and conversion. As the “power house” of the hepatocytes, mitochondria provide more than 90% of the energy. However, mitochondria are much vulnerable to the oxidative stress for their rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Although previous researches have demonstrated that DHAV-1 could induce the oxidative stress in the serum of the infected ducklings, no related study on the mitochondria during the pathological process of DVH has been reported by far. To address this issue, we examined the HE stained tissue pathological slices, detected the hepatic SOD, CAT and GPX activities and MDA contents and analyzed the ATP content, mitochondrial ultrastructure and the mitochondrial SOD, GPX activities and MDA content in the liver tissues. The results showed that the hepatic redox status was significantly disturbed so that causing the mitochondrial dysfunction, ATP depletion and mitochondrial oxidative stress during the process of the DHAV-1 infection, and a prescription formulated with Hypericum japonicum flavone, Radix Rehmanniae Recens polysaccharide and Salvia plebeia flavone (HRS), which had been demonstrated with good anti-oxidative activity in serum, could effectively alleviate the hepatic injury and the oxidative stress in liver tissue induced by DHAV-1 thus alleviating the mitochondrial injury and oxidative stress. In a word, this research discovers the oxidative stress induced mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress during the DVH pathological process and demonstrates HRS exerts good anti-oxidative activity in liver tissue to protect mitochondria against reactive oxygen species (ROS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preterm birth (PTB) affects ~12% of pregnancies in the US. Despite its high mortality and morbidity, the molecular etiology underlying PTB has been unclear. Numerous studies have been devoted to identifying genetic factors in maternal and fetal genomes, but so far few genomic loci have been associated with PTB. By analyzing whole-genome sequencing data from 816 trio families, for the first time, we observed the role of fetal de novo mutations in PTB. We observed a significant increase in de novo mutation burden in PTB fetal genomes. Our genomic analyses further revealed that affected genes by PTB de novo mutations were dosage sensitive, intolerant to genomic deletions, and their mouse orthologs were likely developmentally essential. These genes were significantly involved in early fetal brain development, which was further supported by our analysis of copy number variants identified from an independent PTB cohort. Our study indicates a new mechanism in PTB occurrence independently contributed from fetal genomes, and thus opens a new avenue for future PTB research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Claudins play an important role in regulating the permeability of epithelial and endothelial cells and in the maintenance of cell polarity. We aimed to investigate expression of claudin-11, -23 in different gastric tissues and its relationship with clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis of gastric cancer. We compared their expression levels in the paired cancerous tissues versus those in the adjacent noncancerous tissues by real-time PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the expression of claudin-11, -23 was greatly increased in paracancerous gastric tissue compared with cancerous tissue. We also compared their expression levels of tissues from gastric cancer, superficial gastritis, and atrophic gastritis by immunohistochemistry. The results indicated that the expression of claudin-11 and 23 was significantly higher in superficial gastritis than that in atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer. The expression of claudin-23 was significantly lower in atrophic gastritis than that in gastric cancer, but no obviously difference was observed for claudin-11. As for analysis of clinicopathologic parameters of gastric cancer, logistic multiple regression indicated that claudin-11 was significantly associated with sex, smoking, alcohol, H. pylori infection and Borrmann classification while claudin-23 was significantly associated with vessel cancer embolus. Cox multivariate survival analysis indicated that gastric cancer patients with negative claudin-23 expression had significantly longer overall survival. In conclusion, the expression of claudin-11, -23 was remarkably downregulated in gastric cancer. Abnormal expression of these proteins was significantly correlated with some clinicopathologic parameters. In particular, claudin-23 positive expression was associated with poor prognostic outcomes of gastric cancer patients and may therefore serve as an independent prognosticator of patient survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five strains of bacteria, namely, Exiguobacterium sp. ASW-1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain ASW-2, Alcaligenes sp. ASW-3, Alcaligenes sp. ASS-1, and Bacillus sp. ASS-2, were isolated from the Zhejiang coast in China. The mixed flora of the five strains performed well with degrading 75.1% crude oil (1%, w/v) in 7 days. The calcium alginate—activated carbon embedding carrier was used to immobilize bacterial consortium. Immobilized cells performed better than free ones in variations of environmental factors containing incubated temperature, initial pH, salinity of the medium and crude oil concentration. The degradation process of crude oil by immobilized bacteria was accelerated compared with that of the free ones. Bacterial consortium showed better performance on biodegradation of normal alkanes than that of PAHs. Improvement of immobilization on the biodegradation efficiency of normal alkanes (31.9%) was apparently high than that of PAHs (1.9%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The nasal mucosa is equipped with abundant lymphatic tissues, serving as the first line of defense against invasion by microorganisms. In this study, we characterized the features of the nasal mucosa of Bama minipigs (Sus scrofa domestica) via histological analysis. Methods: Five cross sections (I, II, III, IV, and V) were obtained from the distal end of the nasal cavity toward the pharynx (along the cavity axis) and examined. Specifically, CD3+ T cells, immunoglobulin A (IgA)+ cells, and M cells were detected by immunohistochemistry, while dendritic cells (DCs) were detected by immunofluorescence. The distribution of goblet cells was determined by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Results: The nasal cavity of Bama minipigs can be divided into three parts: the regio vestibularis (I, II), regio respiratoria (III, IV), and regio olfactoria (V). Lymphoid tissue was present at random locations in the nasal cavity. Abundant lymphoid tissue was located in the roof of the nasopharyngeal meatus and was continuous with the lymphoid tissue of the pharynx. The distribution of CD3+ T cells, IgA+ cells, M cells, and DCs increased distally in the nasal cavity. Conclusions: The present work comprises a histological study of the nasal cavity of Bama minipigs, and will be beneficial for understanding the mechanisms of immunity in these animals after nasal vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ebola (EBOV) and Marburg (MARV) viruses are members of the Filoviridae family which cause outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever. The filovirus VP40 matrix protein is essential for virus assembly and budding, and its PPxY L-domain motif interacts with WW-domains of specific host proteins, such as Nedd4 and ITCH, to facilitate the late stage of virus-cell separation. To identify additional WW-domain-bearing host proteins that interact with VP40, we used an EBOV PPxY-containing peptide to screen an array of 115 mammalian WW-domain-bearing proteins. Using this unbiased approach, we identified BCL2 Associated Athanogene 3 (BAG3), a member of the BAG family of molecular chaperone proteins, as a specific VP40 PPxY interactor. Here, we demonstrate that the WW-domain of BAG3 interacts with the PPxY motif of both EBOV and MARV VP40 and, unexpectedly, inhibits budding of both eVP40 and mVP40 virus-like particles (VLPs), as well as infectious VSV-EBOV recombinants. BAG3 is a stress induced protein that regulates cellular protein homeostasis and cell survival through chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). Interestingly, our results show that BAG3 alters the intracellular localization of VP40 by sequestering VP40 away from the plasma membrane. As BAG3 is the first WW-domain interactor identified that negatively regulates budding of VP40 VLPs and infectious virus, we propose that the chaperone-mediated autophagy function of BAG3 represents a specific host defense strategy to counteract the function of VP40 in promoting efficient egress and spread of virus particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is the most common complication that causes visual decrease after extracapsular cataract surgery. The primary cause of PCO formation is the proliferation of the residual lens epithelial cells (LECs). The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays an important role in the growth and migration of LECs. In the current study, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) to specifically attenuate mTOR in human lens epithelial B3 cells (HLE B3). We aimed to examine the effect of mTOR-siRNA on the proliferation, migration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HLE B3 cells and explore the underlying mechanisms. The mTOR-siRNA was transfected into HLE B3 cells using lipofectamine 2000. The mRNA and protein levels of mTOR were examined to confirm the efficiency of mTOR-siRNA. The levels of mRNA and protein as well as the activity of mTOR down-stream effectors p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K) and protein kinase B (PKB, AKT) were examined using real-time PCR or Western blot, respectively. The cell proliferation was determined using cell counting kit (CCK) 8 and cell growth curve assay. The cell migration was examined using Transwell system and Scratch assay. MTOR-siRNA effectively eliminated mTOR mRNA and protein. The proliferation and migration were significantly suppressed by mTOR-siRNA transfection. mTOR-siRNA reduced the mRNA of p70S6K and AKT in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of p70S6K and AKT was decreased by mTOR-siRNA. MTOR-siRNA also eliminated the formation of mTORC1 and mTORC2 protein complex and blocked the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-induced EMT. Our results suggested that mTOR-siRNA could effectively inhibit the proliferation, migration and EMT of HLE B3 cells through the inhibition of p70S6K and AKT. These results indicated that mTOR-siRNA might be an effective agent inhibiting HLE cells growth and EMT following cataract surgery and provide an alternative therapy for preventing PCO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased APOBEC3B mRNA levels are associated with a hypermutator phenotype and poor prognosis in ER-positive breast cancer patients. In addition, a 29.5 kb deletion polymorphism of APOBEC3B, resulting in an APOBEC3A-B hybrid transcript, has been associated with an increased breast cancer risk and the hypermutator phenotype. Here we evaluated whether the APOBEC3B deletion polymorphism also associates with clinical outcome of breast cancer. Copy number analysis was performed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) in primary tumors of 1,756 Dutch breast cancer patients. The APOBEC3B deletion was found in 187 patients of whom 16 carried a two-copy deletion and 171 carried a one-copy deletion. The prognostic value of the APOBEC3B deletion for the natural course of the disease was evaluated among 1,076 lymph-node negative (LNN) patients who did not receive adjuvant systemic treatment. No association was found between APOBEC3B copy number values and the length of metastasis-free survival (MFS; hazard ratio (HR) = 1.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.90–1.11, P = 0.96). Subgroup analysis by ER status also did not reveal an association between APOBEC3B copy number values and the length of MFS. The predictive value of the APOBEC3B deletion was assessed among 329 ER-positive breast cancer patients who received tamoxifen as the first-line therapy for recurrent disease and 226 breast cancer patients who received first-line chemotherapy for recurrent disease. No association between APOBEC3B copy number values and the overall response rate (ORR) to either tamoxifen (odds ratio (OR) = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.69–1.13, P = 0.31) or chemotherapy (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.71–1.33, P = 0.87) was found. Thus, in contrast to APOBEC3B mRNA levels, the APOBEC3B deletion polymorphism has neither a prognostic nor a predictive value for breast cancer patients. Although a correlation exists between APOBEC3B copy number and mRNA expression, it is relatively weak. This suggests that other mechanisms exist that may affect and therefore determine the prognostic value of APOBEC3B mRNA levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One class I Newcastle disease virus (NDV), designated as duck/Guangxi/1261/2015 (GX1261), was isolated from asymptomatic ducks in live bird markets (LBM) from southern China during the national active surveillance for NDVs in 2015. The complete genome length of GX1261 isolate was 15,198 nucleotides with the gene order of 3’-NP-P-M-F-HN-L-5’. The motif at the cleavage site of F protein was 112ERQER/L117, which was typical of low virulence NDV. Several mutations were identified in the functional domains of F and HN proteins, including fusion peptide, heptad repeat region, transmembrane domains and neutralizing epitopes. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete F gene revealed that the isolate was clustered into sub-genotype 1c in class I, and showed a high level of similarity with the strains isolated from waterfowl in the United States of America. This is the first report of this kind of virus in the mainland of China. These results demonstrated that GX1261-like viruses might exist in asymptomatic waterfowl, and remain undetected or unidentified. Thus, more investigation needs to be done in order to identify the source of the virus. This study revealed the genetic and phylogenetic characteristics of GX1261 isolate and could help us to better understand the epidemiological context of class I NDV in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhengdan958 and Anyu5 are two elite maize hybrids of China, which manifest similar paternal lines (Chang7-2) but different maternal lines (Zheng58 and Ye478). Zhengdan958 has a 10–15% yield advantage over Anyu5. In this study, we applied digital gene expression technology to analyze transcriptomes of mature embryos from the two hybrids and their parents, aimed to investigate molecular mechanism of heterosis and genetic effects of maternal lines. Results showed that 71.66% and 49.70% of differentially expressed genes exhibited non-additive expression in Zhengdan958 and Anyu5, respectively. The number of non-additive genes involved in abiotic and biotic stress responses in Zhengdan958 was higher than that in Anyu5, which was in agreement with their phenotypic performance. Furthermore, common over-dominance and under-dominance genes (137 and 162, respectively) between the two hybrids focused on plant development and abiotic stress response. Zhengdan958 contained 97 maternal expression-level dominance (maternal-ELD) genes, and the number was higher than that of Anyu5 (45). Common up-regulated maternal-ELD genes were significantly enriched in meristem and shoot development while common down-regulated maternal-ELD genes were involved in pyruvate metabolic process, negative regulation of catalytic activity and response to stress. Therefore, non-additive genes mainly contribute to heterosis in Zhengdan958, including many genes for plant development, abiotic and biotic stress responses. Maternal effects may play important roles in maize heterosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the parametric characteristics of diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) in the brain development of healthy preterm infants. Materials and Methods: Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DKI were performed in 35 preterm (29 to 36 weeks gestational age [GA]; scanned at 33 to 44 weeks postmenstrual age [PMA]) and 10 term infants (37.4 to 40.7 weeks GA; scanned at 38.3 to 42.9 weeks PMA). Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and mean kurtosis (MK) values from 8 regions of interest, including both white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM), were obtained. Results: MK and FA values were positively correlated with PMA in most selected WM regions, such as the posterior limbs of the internal capsule (PLIC) and the splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC). The positive correlation between MK value and PMA in the deep GM region was higher than that between FA and PMA. The MK value gradually decreased from the PLIC to the cerebral lobe. In addition, DKI parameters exhibited subtle differences in the parietal WM between the preterm and term control groups. Conclusions: MK may serve as a more reliable imaging marker of the normal myelination process and provide a more robust characterization of deep GM maturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysfunction of histone acetylation inhibits topoisomerase IIα (Topo IIα), which is implicated in benzene-induced hematotoxicity in patients with chronic benzene exposure. Whether histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors can relieve benzene-induced hematotoxicity remains unclear. Here we showed that hydroquinone, a main metabolite of benzene, increased the HDAC activity, decreased the Topo IIα expression and induced apoptosis in human bone marrow mononuclear cells in vitro, and treatment with two HDAC inhibitors, namely trichostatin A (TSA) or a mixture of ribosome-inactivating proteins MCP30, almost completely reversed these effects. We further established a benzene poisoning murine model by inhaling benzene vapor in a container and found that benzene poisoning decreased the expression and activity of Topo IIα, and impaired acetylation of histone H4 and H3. The analysis of regulatory factors of Topo IIα promoter found that benzene poisoning decreased the mRNA levels of SP1 and C-MYB, and increased the mRNA level of SP3. Both TSA and MCP30 significantly enhanced the acetylation of histone H3 and H4 in Topo IIα promoter and increased the expression and activity of Topo IIα in benzene poisoning mice, which contributed to relieve the symptoms of hematotoxicity. Thus, treatment with HDAC inhibitors represents an attractive approach to reduce benzene-induced hematotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the effects of fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus on concanavalin A (ConA)-induced acute liver injury in mice. Pretreatment with fucoidan protected liver function indicated by ALT, AST and histopathological changes by suppressing inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ). In addition, intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis mediated by Bax, Bid, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Caspase 3, 8, and 9 were inhibited by fucoidan and the action was associated with the TRADD/TRAF2 and JAK2/STAT1 signal pathways. Our results demonstrated that fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus alleviated ConA-induced acute liver injury via the inhibition of intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis mediated by the TRADD/TRAF2 and JAK2/STAT1 pathways which were activated by TNF-α and IFN-γ. These findings could provide a potential powerful therapy for T cell-related hepatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver cirrhosis is a leading cause of death in Hispanics and Hispanics who live in South Texas have the highest incidence of liver cancer in the United States. We aimed at determining the prevalence and associated risk factors of cirrhosis in this population. Clinical and demographic variables were extracted for 2466 participants in the community-based Cameron County Hispanic Cohort in South Texas. Aspartate transaminase to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI) was used to predict cirrhosis in Cameron County Hispanic Cohort. The prevalence of cirrhosis using APRI≥2 was 0.94%, which is nearly 4-fold higher than the national prevalence. Using APRI≥1, the overall prevalence of cirrhosis/advanced fibrosis was 3.54%. In both analyses, highest prevalence was observed in males, specifically in the 25–34 age group. Risk factors independently associated with APRI≥2 and APRI≥1 included hepatitis C, diabetes and central obesity with a remarkable population attributable fraction of 52.5% and 65.3% from central obesity, respectively. Excess alcohol consumption was also independently associated with APRI≥2. The presence of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing-3 gene variants was independently associated with APRI≥1 in participants >50 years old. Males with both central obesity and excess alcohol consumption presented with cirrhosis/advanced fibrosis at a young age. Alarmingly high prevalence of cirrhosis and advanced fibrosis was identified in Hispanics in South Texas, affecting young males in particular. Central obesity was identified as the major risk factor. Public health efforts are urgently needed to increase awareness and diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis in Hispanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the mechanisms that regulate pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is important to ensure their safe clinical use. CHIR99021 (CHIR)-induced activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotes self-renewal in mouse ESCs (mESCs). β-catenin functions individually or cooperates with transcription factors to activate stemness factors such as c-Myc, Esrrb, Pou5f1, and Nanog. However the relationship between the core pluripotent factor, Kruppel-like factor 4 (also known as GKLF or EZF) and Wnt/β-catenin signaling, remains ambiguous in J1 mESCs. DNA microarray analysis revealed that CHIR-treatment promoted pluripotency-maintaining transcription factors and repressed germ layer specification markers. CHIR also promoted genes related to the development of extracellular regions and the plasma membrane to maintain pluripotency of J1 mESCs. Among the CHIR-regulated genes, Klf4 has not been reported previously. We identified a novel cis element in the Klf4 gene that was activated by β-catenin in J1 mESCs. We determined that β-catenin interacted with this cis element, identifying Klf4 as a β-catenin target gene in this context. Moreover, several microRNAs that targeted the 3′-UTR of Klf4 mRNA were identified, with miR-7a being down-regulated by CHIR in a β-catenin-independent manner in J1 mESCs. These data collectively suggest that CHIR enhances Klf4 expression by repressing miR-7a expression or canonical Wnt pathway activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective and robust separation of biomolecules of interest from patient samples is an essential step in diagnostic applications. We present a platform for the fast extraction of nucleic acids from clinical specimens utilizing paramagnetic PMPs, an oil-water interface, a small permanent magnet and a microfluidic channel to separate and purify captured nucleic acids from lysate in less than one minute, circumventing the need for multiple washing steps and greatly simplifying and expediting the purification procedure. Our device was able to isolate influenza RNA from clinical nasopharyngeal swab samples with high efficiency when compared to the Ambion® MagMAXTM Viral RNA Isolation it, sufficiently separating nucleic acid analytes from PCR-inhibiting contaminants within the lysate while also critically maintaining high integrity of the viral genome. We find that this design has great potential for rapid, efficient and sensitive nucleic acid separation from patient sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac hypertrophy is a key pathological process of many cardiac diseases. However, early detection of cardiac hypertrophy is difficult by the currently used non-invasive method and new approaches are in urgent need for efficient diagnosis of cardiac malfunction. Here we report that speckle tracking-based strain analysis is more sensitive than conventional echocardiography for early detection of pathological cardiac hypertrophy in the isoproterenol (ISO) mouse model. Pathological hypertrophy was induced by a single subcutaneous injection of ISO. Physiological cardiac hypertrophy was established by daily treadmill exercise for six weeks. Strain analysis, including radial strain (RS), radial strain rate (RSR) and longitudinal strain (LS), showed marked decrease as early as 3 days after ISO injection. Moreover, unlike the regional changes in cardiac infarction, strain analysis revealed global cardiac dysfunction that affects the entire heart in ISO-induced hypertrophy. In contrast, conventional echocardiography, only detected altered E/E’, an index reflecting cardiac diastolic function, at 7 days after ISO injection. No change was detected on fractional shortening (FS), E/A and E’/A’ at 3 days or 7 days after ISO injection. Interestingly, strain analysis revealed cardiac dysfunction only in ISO-induced pathological hypertrophy but not the physiological hypertrophy induced by exercise. Taken together, our study indicates that strain analysis offers a more sensitive approach for early detection of cardiac dysfunction than conventional echocardiography. Moreover, multiple strain readouts distinguish pathological cardiac hypertrophy from physiological hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Age, hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes are common cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) that contribute to the development of atherosclerosis in cardiovascular system including carotid artery disease. However, the impact of these risk factors on the increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and degree of carotid severity remains to be further clarified. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between CVRFs and degree of carotid severity and cIMT in high-risk subjects. Methods: Four thousand and three hundred ninety-four subjects with one or more risk factors were retrospectively reviewed in this study. Patients were divided into different groups based on age, the type and quantity of CVRFs. cIMT and degree of carotid artery stenosis were measured and analyzed based on carotid ultrasound imaging with findings compared to the CVRFs to determine the correlation between these variables. Results: Aging was significantly associated with degree of severity (P < 0.05) and cIMT was significantly increased with age (P < 0.05). Individual CVRF analysis shows that hypertension was more related to the degree of severity than dyslipidemia and diabetes with corresponding abnormal cIMT rates being 79.39%, 72.98% and 32.37%, respectively. The prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis were 20.06%, 22.88% and 28.63%, respectively corresponding to patients with zero, one and more than one chronic diseases. The percentage of abnormal cIMT in hypertensive patient group with dyslipidemia is significantly higher than the other groups (P< 0.05). Conclusions: This study shows a direct correlation between the degree of carotid severity and cIMT and cardiovascular risk factors, especially with age and hypertension. Carotid atherosclerosis is closely related to the number of cardiovascular risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Whether the orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction and maximum anchorage in adults will lead to a narrowed upper airway remains under debated. The study aims to investigate the airway changes after orthodontic extraction treatment in adult patients with Class II and hyperdivergent skeletal malocclusion. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 18 adults with Class II and hyperdivergent skeletal malocclusion (5 males and 13 females, 24.1 ± 3.8 years of age, BMI 20.33 ± 1.77 kg/m2). And 18 untreated controls were matched 1:1 with the treated patients for age, sex, BMI, and skeletal pattern. CBCT images before and after treatment were obtained. DOLPHIN 11.7 software was used to reconstruct and measure the airway size, hyoid position, and craniofacial structures. Changes in the airway and craniofacial parameters from pre to post treatment were assessed by Wilcoxon signed rank test. Mann-Whitney U test was used in comparisons of the airway parameters between the treated patients and the untreated controls. Significant level was set at 0.05. Results: The upper and lower incisors retracted 7.87 mm and 6.10 mm based on the measurement of U1-VRL and L1-VRL (P < 0.01), while the positions of the upper and lower molars (U6-VRL, and L6-VRL) remained stable. Volume, height, and cross-sectional area of the airway were not significantly changed after treatment, while the sagittal dimensions of SPP-SPPW, U-MPW, PAS, and V-LPW were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and the morphology of the cross sections passing through SPP-SPPW, U-MPW, PAS, and V-LPW became anteroposteriorly compressed (P <0.001). No significant differences in the airway volume, height, and cross-sectional area were found between the treated patients and untreated controls. Conclusions: The airway changes after orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction and maximum anchorage in adults are mainly morphological changes with anteroposterior dimension compressed in airway cross sections, rather than a decrease in size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short, non-coding RNA that play regulatory roles in a wide variety of biological processes, such as plant growth and abiotic stress responses. Although several computational tools have been developed to identify primary miRNAs and precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs), very few provide the functionality of locating mature miRNAs within plant pre-miRNAs. This manuscript introduces a novel algorithm for predicting miRNAs named miRLocator, which isbased on machine learning techniques and sequence and structural features extracted from miRNA:miRNA* duplexes. To address the class imbalance problem (few real miRNAs and a large number of pseudo miRNAs), the prediction models in miRLocator were optimized by considering critical (and often ignored) factors that can markedly affect the prediction accuracy of mature miRNAs, including the machine learning algorithm and the ratio between training positive and negative samples. Ten-fold cross-validation on 5854 experimentally validated miRNAs from 19 plant species showed that miRLocator performed better than the state-of-art miRNA predictor miRdup in locating mature miRNAs within plant pre-miRNAs. miRLocator will aid researchers interested in discovering miRNAs from model and non-model plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of 6 years of hospitalization charts from Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC) revealed that congenital cataracts (CC) accounted for 2.39% of all cataract in-patient cases and that the age at surgery was decreasing before the establishment of the Childhood Cataract Program of the Chinese Ministry of Health (CCPMOH) in December 2010. We aimed to investigate data from the 4 years (January 2011 to December 2014) following the establishment of the CCPMOH, compared, and combined with data from the previous study period (January 2005 to December 2010) to generate a 10-year overview of the hospital-based prevalence and treatment of CC. In the 4-year period after CCPMOH establishment, the prevalence of CC was 2.01% in all hospitalizations, and was 2.78% in all cataract in-patients. Most of the eligible CC in-patients (71%) lived in south China. The ratio of boys to girls was 1.42:1. Nearly 2/3 of the patients underwent cataract extraction with primary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation at a mean age of 78.40±51.45 months, and cataract extraction surgeries without IOL implantation were performed in the remaining 1/3 of patients at a mean age of 10.03±15.92 months. After CCPMOH establishment, an increased incidence of CC was revealed, and the CC in-patients were younger than the patients in the previous period. The 10-year overview (2421 CC in-patients from 206630 hospitalizations) revealed upward trends in both the number and the prevalence of CC and a further reduction in age at surgery. In conclusion, the data from 4-year period after CCPMOH establishment and the 10-year overview showed upward trends in the hospital-based prevalence of CC cases and a further reduction in age at surgery, likely reflecting the effects of the CCPMOH establishment and providing useful information for further CC studies and a valuable foundation for the prevention and treatment of this cause of childhood blindness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of signals across modalities can facilitate sensory perception. The audiovisual facilitative effect strongly depends on the features of the stimulus. Here, we investigated how sound frequency, which is one of basic features of an auditory signal, modulates audiovisual integration. In this study, the task of the participant was to respond to a visual target stimulus by pressing a key while ignoring auditory stimuli, comprising of tones of different frequencies (0.5, 1, 2.5 and 5 kHz). A significant facilitation of reaction times was obtained following audiovisual stimulation, irrespective of whether the task-irrelevant sounds were low or high frequency. Using event-related potential (ERP), audiovisual integration was found over the occipital area for 0.5 kHz auditory stimuli from 190–210 ms, for 1 kHz stimuli from 170–200 ms, for 2.5 kHz stimuli from 140–200 ms, 5 kHz stimuli from 100–200 ms. These findings suggest that a higher frequency sound signal paired with visual stimuli might be early processed or integrated despite the auditory stimuli being task-irrelevant information. Furthermore, audiovisual integration in late latency (300–340 ms) ERPs with fronto-central topography was found for auditory stimuli of lower frequencies (0.5, 1 and 2.5 kHz). Our results confirmed that audiovisual integration is affected by the frequency of an auditory stimulus. Taken together, the neurophysiological results provide unique insight into how the brain processes a multisensory visual signal and auditory stimuli of different frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common complication after surgery, especially for elderly patients. Administration of RNase has been reported to exhibit neuroprotective effects in acute stroke. However, the potential role of RNase on POCD is unknown. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether RNase treatment could mitigate unilateral nephrectomy induced-cognitive deficit in aged mice. In the present study, twelve-month-old mice were administered RNase or an equal amount of normal saline perioperatively. All mice underwent Morris Water Maze (MWM) training 3 times per day for 7 days to acclimatize them to the water maze before surgical operation, and testing on days 1, 3 and 7 after surgery. We found that perioperative administration of RNase: 1) attenuated unilateral nephrectomy-induced cognitive impairment at day 3 after surgery; 2) reduced the hippocampal cytokines mRNA production and serum cytokines protein production at day 1 and day 7 (for MCP-1) after surgery, and; 3) inhibited hippocampal apoptosis as indicated by cleaved caspase-3 western blot and TUNEL staining at day 1 after surgery. In addition, a trend decrease of total serum RNA levels was detected in the RNase treated group after surgery compared with the untreated group. Further, our protocol of RNase administration had no impact on the arterial blood gas analysis right after surgery, kidney function and mortality rate at the observed days postoperatively. In conclusion, perioperative RNase treatment attenuated unilateral nephrectomy-induced cognitive impairment in aged mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is a rare complication of wasp stings. Currently, there is no standardized treatment for MODS secondary to multiple wasp stings, although blood purification techniques are often used. This study aimed to analyze our experiences of using intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) with or without high-volume hemofiltration (HVHF) for treating acute wasp stings complicated by MODS. In this retrospective study, 36 patients with wasp stings complicated by MODS received either IHD combined with hemoperfusion, or HVHF (ultrafiltration flow rate, 70 mL/kg/h) combined with hemoperfusion for 5 days followed by IHD. Clinical symptoms, blood biochemical parameters, duration of mechanical ventilation, use of vasoactive agents, duration of hospital stay and survival rate were recorded, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and multiple organ dysfunction (MOD) scores estimated. Patients treated with HVHF followed by IHD appeared to exhibit a faster recovery than those receiving IHD alone, as evidenced by superior improvements in MOD (4.29±1.08 vs. 2.27±1.07) and APACHE II (7.09±2.62 vs. 4.20±1.69) scores (P < 0.05). Patients treated with HVHF had significantly lower myoglobin, creatine kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin and creatinine levels than patients treated with IHD alone. In addition, the durations of hospital stay (13.15±2.77 vs. 27.92±3.18 days), vasopressor use (1.76±0.24 vs. 3.43 ± 1.01 days), mechanical ventilation (3.02±1.63 vs. 5.94 ± 2.11 days) and oliguria (6.57±2.45 vs. 15.29 ± 3.51 days) were reduced, and renal function more often recovered (85.1% vs. 53.1%), in the HVHF group compared with the IHD group (P < 0.05). These results raise the possibility that HVHF plus IHD may be superior to IHD alone for the treatment of acute wasp stings complicated by MODS; additional prospective studies are merited to explore this further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the potential effects of irreversible electroporation ablation on the Achilles tendon in a rabbit model and to compare the histopathological and biomechanical changes between specimens following electroporation ablation and radiofrequency ablation. Methods: A total of 140 six-month-old male New Zealand rabbits were used. The animals were randomly divided into two groups, 70 in the radiofrequency ablation group and 70 in the electroporation group. In situ ablations were applied directly to the Achilles tendons of rabbits using typical electroporation (1800 V/cm, 90 pulses) and radiofrequency ablation (power control mode) protocols. Histopathological and biomechanical evaluations were performed to examine the effects of electroporation ablation and radiofrequency ablation over time. Results: Both electroporation and radiofrequency ablation produced complete cell ablation in the target region. Thermal damage resulted in tendon rupture 3 days post radiofrequency ablation. In contrast, electroporation-ablated Achilles tendons preserved their biomechanical properties and showed no detectable rupture at this time point. The electroporation-ablated tendons exhibited signs of recovery, including tenoblast regeneration and angiogenesis within 2 weeks, and the restoration of their integral structure was evident within 12 weeks. Conclusions: When applying electroporation to ablate solid tumors, major advantage could be that collateral damage to adjacent tendons or ligaments is minimized due to the unique ability of electroporation ablation to target the cell membrane. This advantage could have a significant impact on the field of tumor ablation near vital tendons or ligaments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) for the treatment of keratoconus. Methods: We performed a literature search for randomized controlled trials that assessed the effect of CXL in slowing progression of keratoconus. The primary outcome measures included changes of topographic parameters, visual acuity, and refraction. Efficacy estimates were evaluated by weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for absolute changes of the interested outcomes. Results: Significant decrease in mean keratometry value, maximum keratometry value and minimum keratometry value were demonstrated in the CXL group compared with the control group (WMD = -1.65; 95% CI: -2.51 to -0.80; P < 0.00001; WMD = -2.05; 95% CI: -3.10 to -1.00; P < 0.00001; WMD = -1.94; 95% CI: -2.63 to -1.26; P < 0.00001; respectively). Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity improved significantly in CXL group (WMD = -0.10; 95% CI: -0.15 to -0.05; P < 0.00001), whereas uncorrected visual acuity did not differ statistically. Manifest cylinder error decreased significantly in patients undergoing CXL procedure compared with control patients in sensitivity analysis (WMD = -0.388; 95% CI: -0.757 to -0. 019; P = 0.04). The changes in central corneal thickness and intraocular pressure were not statistically significant. Conclusion: CXL may be an effective option in stabilizing keratoconus. Further long-term follow-up studies will be necessary to assess the persistence of CXL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon (C) sequestration potential of biochar should be considered together with emission of greenhouse gases when applied to soils. In this study, we investigated CO2 and N2O emissions following the application of rice husk biochars to cultivated grassland soils and related gas emissions tos oil C and nitrogen (N) dynamics. Treatments included biochar addition (CHAR, NO CHAR) and amendment (COMPOST, UREA, NO FERT). The biochar application rate was 0.3% by weight. The temporal pattern of CO2 emissions differed according to biochar addition and amendments. CO2 emissions from the COMPOST soils were significantly higher than those from the UREA and NO FERT soils and less CO2 emission was observed when biochar and compost were applied together during the summer. Overall N2O emission was significantly influenced by the interaction between biochar and amendments. In UREA soil, biochar addition increased N2O emission by 49% compared to the control, while in the COMPOST and NO FERT soils, biochar did not have an effect on N2O emission. Two possible mechanisms were proposed to explain the higher N2O emissions upon biochar addition to UREA soil than other soils. Labile C in the biochar may have stimulated microbial N mineralization in the C-limited soil used in our study, resulting in an increase in N2O emission. Biochar may also have provided the soil with the ability to retain mineral N, leading to increased N2O emission. The overall results imply that biochar addition can increase C sequestration when applied together with compost, and might stimulate N2O emission when applied to soil amended with urea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental challenge for developing an effective and safe HIV-1 vaccine is to identify vaccine immunogens that can initiate and maintain immune responses leading to elicitation of broadly neutralizing HIV-1 antibodies (bnAbs) through complex maturation pathways. We have previously found that HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Env) lack measurable binding to putative germline predecessors of known bnAbs and proposed to search for non-HIV immunogens that could initiate their somatic maturation. Using bnAb b12 as a model bnAb and yeast display technology, we isolated five (poly)peptides from plant leaves, insects, E. coli strains, and sea water microbes that bind to b12 putative germline and intermediate antibodies. Rabbit immunization with the (poly)peptides alone induced high titers of cross-reactive antibodies that neutralized HIV-1 isolates SF162 and JRFL. Priming rabbits with the (poly)peptides followed by boosts with trimeric gp140SF162 and then resurfaced Env (RSC3) induced antibodies that competed with mature b12 and neutralized tier 1 and 2 viruses from clade B, C and E, while control rabbits without (poly)peptide priming induced antibodies that did not compete with mature b12 and neutralized fewer isolates. The degree of competition with mature b12 for binding to gp140SF162 correlated with the neutralizing activity of the rabbit IgG. Reversing the order of the two boosting immunogens significantly affected the binding profile and neutralization potency of the rabbit IgG. Our study is the first to provide evidence that appears to support the concept that non-HIV immunogens may initiate immune responses leading to elicitation of cross-clade neutralizing antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Wilson’s disease (WD), also known as hepatoleticular degeneration (HLD), is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder of copper metabolism, which causes copper to accumulate in body tissues. In this study, rats fed with copper-laden diet are used to render the clinical manifestations of WD, and their copper toxicity-induced organ lesions are studied. To investigate metabolic behaviors of ‘decoppering’ process, penicillamine (PA) was used for treating copper-laden rats as this chelating agent could eliminate excess copper through the urine. To date, there has been limited metabolomics study on WD, while metabolic impacts of copper accumulation and PA administration have yet to be established. Materials and Methods: A combination of 1HNMR spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis was applied to examine the metabolic profiles of the urine and blood serum samples collected from the copper-laden rat model of WD with PA treatment. Results: Copper accumulation in the copper-laden rats is associated with increased lactate, creatinine, valine and leucine, as well as decreased levels of glucose and taurine in the blood serum. There were also significant changes in p-hydroxyphenylacetate (p-HPA), creatinine, alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG), dimethylamine, N-acetylglutamate (NAG), N-acetylglycoprotein (NAC) in the urine of these rats. Notably, the changes in p-HPA, glucose, lactate, taurine, valine, leucine, and NAG were found reversed following PA treatment. Nevertheless, there were no changes for dimethylamine, α-KG, and NAC as a result of the treatment. Compared with the controls, the concentrations of hippurate, formate, alanine, and lactate were changed when PA was applied and this is probably due to its side effect. A tool named SMPDB (Small Molecule Pathway Database) is introduced to identify the metabolic pathway influenced by the copper-laden diet. Conclusion: The study has shown the potential application of NMR-based metabolomic analysis in providing further insights into the molecular mechanism underlying disorder due to WD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a simple framework for classifying mutually exclusive behavioural states within the geospatial lifelines of animals. This method involves use of three sequentially applied statistical procedures: (1) behavioural change point analysis to partition movement trajectories into discrete bouts of same-state behaviours, based on abrupt changes in the spatio-temporal autocorrelation structure of movement parameters; (2) hierarchical multivariate cluster analysis to determine the number of different behavioural states; and (3) k-means clustering to classify inferred bouts of same-state location observations into behavioural modes. We demonstrate application of the method by analysing synthetic trajectories of known ‘artificial behaviours’ comprised of different correlated random walks, as well as real foraging trajectories of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) obtained by global-positioning-system telemetry. Our results show that the modelling procedure correctly classified 92.5% of all individual location observations in the synthetic trajectories, demonstrating reasonable ability to successfully discriminate behavioural modes. Most individual little penguins were found to exhibit three unique behavioural states (resting, commuting/active searching, area-restricted foraging), with variation in the timing and locations of observations apparently related to ambient light, bathymetry, and proximity to coastlines and river mouths. Addition of k-means clustering extends the utility of behavioural change point analysis, by providing a simple means through which the behaviours inferred for the location observations comprising individual movement trajectories can be objectively classified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genomes of six pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) isolated from symptomless pigeons in live poultry markets during the national active surveillance from 2011 to 2013 were sequenced and analyzed in this study. The complete genome lengths of all isolates were 15,192 nucleotides with the gene order of 3’-NP-P-M-F-HN-L-5’. All isolates had the same motif of 112RRQKRF117 at the cleavage site of the fusion protein, which was typical of velogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Several mutations were identified in the functional domains of F and HN proteins, including fusion peptide, heptad repeat region, transmembrane domains and neutralizing epitopes. Phylogenetic analysis based on sequences of complete genomes and six genes revealed that all isolates belonged to genotype VI in class II, but at least 2 sub-genotypes were identified. Most isolates were placed into sub-genotype VIb with the exception of pi/GX/1015/13, which was classified in sub-genotype VIa. The obvious antigenic difference between PPMV-1 isolates and La Sota strain was found based on the R-value calculated by cross hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. These results provided the evidence that PPMV-1 could be detected from healthy pigeons, and our study may be useful in designing vaccines used in pigeon, and developing molecular diagnostic tools to monitor and prevent future PPMV-1 outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]