bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of serum uric acid levels with suicide risk in female patients with major depressive disorder: a comparative cross-sectional study
Authors: Chen Jing-Xu , Feng Jun-Hui , Zhang Li-Gang , Liu Yan , Yang Fu-De , Wang Shao-Li , Tan Yun-Long , Su Yun-Ai
Published: September 2020

Background: Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) have a high suicide risk. Some evidence suggests that uric acid (UA) may be involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether serum UA levels were associated with suicide risk in MDD patients.Methods: One hundred four female patients with MDD (52 patients with suicide risk and 52 patients without suicide risk) and 52 healthy individuals were included in this study. The suicide risk was evaluated by Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.). Fasting serum levels of UA, as well as glucose, lipid and renal function indicators were measured.Results: Serum UA levels in MDD patients with suicide risk (245.01 ± 55.44 μmol/L) were significantly lower than those in MDD patients without suicide risk (274.17 ± 72.65 μmol/L) (p = 0.017) and healthy controls (271.42 ± 55.25 μmol/L) (p = 0.030). There was no difference in serum UA levels between the MDD patients without suicide risk and healthy controls (p = 0.821). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between suicide risk and decreased serum UA levels (OR = 0.989, p = 0.010) in MDD patients.Conclusion: Decreased serum UA levels were associated with suicide risk in MDD patients. Purinergic system dysfunction may be involved in the neurobiological basis of suicide risk in these patients.
Assessing intake and consumption level of spices among urban and rural households of Ludhiana district of Punjab, India
Authors: Bhathal Simranpreet Kaur , Kaur Harpreet , Bains Kiran , Mahal Amrit Kaur
Published: September 2020

Background: Spices are the esoteric food adjuncts that are used for enhancing the sensory quality of the food in Punjabi diets and add many health benefits. Estimating the intake of spices at the individual level is a challenging task as they are consumed in very small quantities as compared to other foods. The present study aimed to assess the intake and spices consumption level of spices among urban and rural households.Methods: A study was carried out among 100 households each from urban and rural areas from Ludhiana district of Punjab, India to collect the information regarding frequency of spice usage and portion sizes using a questionnaire. The information pertaining to sociodemographic characteristics of female respondents from urban and rural households were also collected. The commonly used 25 spices in Punjabi diets were selected to assess their dietary intake at the individual level among households. Results: Spice consumption frequency was more in urban households in comparison to rural households. The maximum mean consumption frequency score among urban and rural households was observed for red chilli powder (5.00) and turmeric powder (5.00). Maximum percentage (76 and 72%) of urban and rural households preferred to use the unroasted form of spices, respectively. The highest mean intake and range was observed for red chilli powder (3.19 g with range 0.35-5.23 g) among urban women and (2.41 g with range 0.25-3.75 g) for rural women. Spice intake from individual dishes showed the maximum number of portion sizes for red chilli powder that were from vegetable>dhal>curry preparations among urban and dhal>vegetable>curry preparation among rural households. Average amount of spices consumed by urban adult women was 10.04 g per day which was higher as compared to spices consumed by rural adult women per day (7.68 g).Conclusions:The study concluded that the urban households showed higher consumption of spices as compared to rural households thus assessing the quantifying intake of spices. Urban adult women consumed more spices per day as compared to rural women. Therefore, more encouragement for increased use of spices is required to reap various health benefits of spices in combating metabolic disorders.
Sleep quality and anxiety among nurses in tertiary hospitals in China and the influencing factors: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Wang Dongbo , Lian Jing-Lei , Hua Ming-Rui , Pan Yu-Da , Han De-Min
Published: September 2020

Background: The purpose of the study was to investigate to understand the situation of sleep quality and anxiety among nurses in tertiary hospitals in China, and analyze their influencing factors.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed for nurses in Beijing tertiary hospitals including Beijing Tongren hospital, Anzhen Hospital and Beijing Children Hospital. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Indes (PSQI) and Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were used to measured the sleep quality and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Survey of quality of life in nurses was measured by 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Spearman’s correlations analysis and logistic regression analysis was used to understand the influencing factors with sleep disorder, anxiety symptoms and quality of sleep. Quality of life (both PCS and MCS) were affected by influencing factors including marital status, working years, education background, income monthly, working hours, regular diet, physical exercise, sleep disorder, anxiety symptoms, felling of stress, and stress from economic, social, occupational.Results: 643 registered nurses in three tertiary hospitals were surveyed, 517 (80.4%) returned questionnaires were valid for analysis. The average PSQI score was 7.71±3.62, including 372 participants that scores were above 5 (72.0%). The average SAS score was 45.18±9.90,including 157 participants with a SAS score ＞ 50 (30.4%) that had different anxiety symptoms. The nurses’ sleep quality were affected by some factors including income monthly, working hours, regular diet, physical exercise, stress from economic, social, occupational. Education background, income monthly, working hours, regular diet and economic stress, social stress, occupational stress have significantly related to anxiety symptoms. Correlation between sleep disorder and anxiety severity was positive for nurses.Conclusions: The situation of sleep disorder and anxiety symptoms among nurses in tertiary hospitals in China were very serious. The problem has negative effect on physical and mental health in nurses which reminded hospital administrators should take preventive actions. In addition, the results of the study hinted that promotion of health lifestyle, effort-reward balance and providing social support may be significant to decrease the poor sleep quality and anxiety symptoms and increase quality of life in nurses.
NGS based expanded pilot carrier screening study in North Indian population reveals unexpected results.
Authors: Singh Kanika , Bijarnia-Mahay Sunita , Ramprasad Vedam Lakshmi , Puri Ratna Dua , Nair Sandhya , Sharda Sheetal , Saxena Renu , Kohli Sudha , Kulshreshtha Samarth , Ganguli Indrani , Gujral Kanwal , Verma Ishwar Chander
Published: September 2020

Background: To determine the carrier frequency and pathogenic variants of common genetic disorders in the north Indian population by using next generation sequencing (NGS).Methods: After pre-test counselling, 200 unrelated individuals (including 88 couples) were screened for pathogenic variants in 88 genes by NGS technology. The variants were classified as per American College of Medical Genetics criteria. Pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants were subjected to thorough literature-based curation in addition to the regular filters. Variants of unknown significance were not reported. Individuals were counselled explaining the implications of the results, and cascade screening was advised when necessary.Results: Of the 200 participants, 52 (26 %) were found to be carrier of one or more disorders. Twelve individuals were identified to be carriers for congenital deafness, giving a carrier frequency of one in 17 for one of the four genes tested (SLC26A4, GJB2, TMPRSS3 and TMC1 in decreasing order). Nine individuals were observed to be carriers for cystic fibrosis, with a frequency of one in 22. Three individuals were detected to be carriers for Pompe disease (frequency one in 67). None of the 88 couples screened were found to be carriers for the same disorder. The pathogenic variants observed in many disorders (such as deafness, cystic fibrosis, Pompe disease, Canavan disease, primary hyperoxaluria, junctional epidermolysis bullosa, galactosemia, medium chain acyl CoA deficiency etc.) were different from those commonly observed in the West.Conclusion: A higher carrier frequency for genetic deafness, cystic fibrosis and Pompe disease was unexpected, and contrary to the generally held view about their prevalence in Asian Indians. In spite of the small sample size, this study would suggest that population-based carrier screening panels for India would differ from those in the West, and need to be selected with due care. Testing should comprise the study of all the coding exons with its boundaries in the genes through NGS, as all the variants are not well characterized. Only study of entire coding regions in the genes will detect carriers with adequate efficiency, in order to reduce the burden of genetic disorders in India and other resource poor countries.
Long noncoding RNA RP11-757G1.5 sponges miR-139-5p and upregulates YAP1 thereby promoting the proliferation and liver, spleen metastasis of colorectal cancer
Authors: Zhu Xiaojian , Bu Fanqin , Tan Ting , Luo Qilin , Zhu Jingfeng , Lin Kang , Huang Jun , Luo Chen , Zhu Zhengming
Published: September 2020

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) acting as crucial regulators in tumorigenesis. However, its biological functions of lncRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been systematically clarified.Methods: An unbiased screening was performed to identify disregulated lncRNAs revealed to be implicated in CRC carcinogenesis according to an online-available data dataset. In situ hybridization (ISH), RT-qPCR and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (RNA-FISH) were applied to detect RP11-757G1.5 expression in CRC tissues and cell lines. The associations of RP11-757G1.5 with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Their effects on prognosis were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier analysis, Log-rank test, Univariate and Multivariate Cox regression analysis. The potential biological function of RP11-757G1.5 in CRC was investigated by Colony formation, Edu cell proliferation, Flow cytometry, Wound healing and Transwell assays. Bioinformatics binding site analysis, Luciferase reporter assay, Ago2 immunoprecipitation assays, RNA pull-down assay, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were utilized to demonstrate the mechanism of RP11-757G1.5 acts as a molecular sponge of miR-139-5p to regulate the expression of YAP1. Finally, we further explore the potential role of RP11-757G1.5 in CRC orthotopic xenografts in vivio.Results: We discovered a novel oncogenic lncRNA RP11-757G1.5, that was overexpressed in CRC tissues, especially in aggressive cases. Moreover, up-regulation of RP11-757G1.5 strongly correlated with poor clinical outcomes of patients with CRC. Functional analyses revealed that RP11-757G1.5 promoted cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, RP11-757G1.5 stimulated cell migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies illustrated that RP11-757G1.5 regulated the expression of YAP1 through sponging miR-139-5p and inhibiting its activity thereby promoting CRC progression and development.Conclusions: Altogether, these results reveal a novel RP11-757G1.5/miR-139-5p/YAP1 regulatory axis that participates in CRC carcinogenesis and progression.
Whole-transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed genes in the mutant and normal capitula of Chrysanthemum morifolium
Authors: Liu Hua , Luo Chang , Chen Dongliang , Wang Yaqin , Guo Shuang , Chen Xiaoxi , Bai Jingyi , Li Mingyuan , Huang Xinlei , Cheng Xi , Huang Conglin
Published: September 2020

Background Chrysanthemum morifolium is one of the most economically important and popular floricultural crops in the family Asteraceae. Chrysanthemum flowers vary considerably in terms of colors and shapes. However, the molecular mechanism controlling the development of chrysanthemum floral colors and shapes remains an enigma. We analyzed a cut-flower chrysanthemum variety that produces normal capitula composed of ray florets with normally developed pistils and purple corollas and mutant capitula comprising ray florets with green corollas and vegetative buds instead of pistils. Results We conducted a whole-transcriptome analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the mutant and normal capitula using third-generation and second-generation sequencing techniques. We identified the DEGs between the mutant and normal capitula to reveal important regulators underlying the differential development. Many transcription factors and genes related to the photoperiod and GA pathways, floral organ identity, and the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway were differentially expressed between the normal and mutant capitula. A qualitative analysis of the pigments in the florets of normal and mutant capitula indicated anthocyanins were synthesized and accumulated in the florets of normal capitula, but not in the florets of mutant capitula. These results provide clues regarding the molecular basis of the replacement of Chrysanthemum morifolium ray florets with normally developed pistils and purple corollas with mutant ray florets with green corollas and vegetative buds . Additionally, the study findings will help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying floral organ development and contribute to the development of techniques for studying the regulation of flower shape and color, which may enhance chrysanthemum breeding. Conclusions The whole-transcriptome analysis of DEGs in mutant and normal C. morifolium capitula described herein indicates the anthocyanin deficiency of the mutant capitula may be related to the mutation that replaces ray floret pistils with vegetative buds. Moreover, pistils may be required for the anthocyanin biosynthesis in the corollas of chrysanthemum ray florets.
Hair cortisol-a method to detect chronic cortisol levels in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome
Authors: Shukur Hasanain Hamid , de Rijke Yolanda B , Rossum Elisabeth FC van , Hussain-Alkhateeb Laith , Höybye Charlotte
Published: September 2020

Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a multisymptomatic, rare, genetic, neurodevelopmental disorder in adults mainly characterized by hyperphagia, cognitive dysfunction, behavioral problems and risk of morbid obesity. Although endocrine insufficiencies are common, hypocortisolism is rare and knowledge on long-term cortisol concentrations is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term cortisol levels in PWS by measurements of hair cortisol. Methods: Twenty-nine adults with PWS, 15 men and 14 women, median age 29 years, median BMI 27 kg/m2, were included. Scalp hair samples were analyzed for cortisol content using liquid-chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry. In addition, a questionnaire on auxology, medication and stress were included. For comparison, 105 age- and sex-matched participants from the population-based Lifelines Cohort study were included as controls. The mean hair cortisol between the groups were compared and associations between BMI and stress were assessed by a generalized linear regression model. Results: In the PWS group large variations in hair cortisol was seen. Mean hair cortisol was 12.8±25.4 pg/mg compared to 3.8±7.3 pg/mg in controls (p=0.001). The linear regression model similarly showed higher cortisol levels in patients with PWS, which remained consistent after adjusting for BMI and stress (p=0.023). Furthermore, hair cortisol increased with BMI (p=0.012) and reported stress (p=0.014). Conclusion: Long-term cortisol concentrations were higher in patients with PWS compared to controls and increased with BMI and stress, suggesting an adequate cortisol response to chronic stress. Hair cortisol demonstrate promising applications in the context of PWS treatment and disease management.
Silencing of KNTC1 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cells progression via suppressing PI3K/Akt pathway
Authors: Tong Hui , Xie Junjie , Liu Xiaohui , Peng Chenghong , Shen Baiyong , Zhu Zhecheng
Published: September 2020

Background: Kinetochore associated 1 (KNTC1) encodes a kinetochore component in Rod-Zwilch-ZW10 (RZZ) complex which is essential for the segregation of sister chromatids during mitosis and participates in the spindle checkpoint. Recent research demonstrated that kinetochore proteins may be potential biomarkers and may contribute to the development of human malignancies. Here, we sought to identify the biological significances of KNTC1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods: KNTC1 expression was studied in HCC tissues by immunohistochemistry. Lentivirus delivered short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was performed to generate KNTC1 knockdown HCC cell lines. The effects of KNTC1 on HCC cells proliferation, migration, apoptosis and tumor formation was analyzed by MTT assay, colony formation assay, wound-healing assay, transwell migration assay, annexin V assay in vitro and in nude mouse models in vivo.Results: Our immunohistochemistry experiment showed that KNTC1 was highly expressed in HCC tissues and correlated with terrible prognosis, indicating that KNTC1 acts a pivotal role in HCC development. Furthermore, shRNA KNTC1 (Lv‑shKNTC1) was applied to infect BEL-7404 and SK-HEP-1 to identify roles of KNTC1 on HCC. Lv‑shKNTC1 cells showed reduced proliferation ability, increased apoptosis and decreased migration ability. In vivo experiments suggested that xenografts grow significantly slower upon the silencing of KNTC1. Mechanistically, the protein levels of PIK3CA, p-Akt, CCND1, CDK6 are all down-regulated in Lv-KNTC1 SK-HEP-1 cells. Therefore, KNTC1 may affect the biological activity of HCC cells through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusions: In summary, the key finding of this report highlighted the significance of KNTC1 in tumor regression of HCC, demonstrating KNTC1 as an innovative target for adjuvant treatment of HCC.
Laparoscopic versus open feeding jejunostomy insertion in oesophagogastric cancer
Authors: Mastoridis Sotiris , Bracalente Giada , Hanganu Chistine-Bianca , Neccia Michela , Giuliani Antonio , Gillies Richard , Marshall Robert , Maynard Nicholas , Sgromo Bruno
Published: September 2020

Background: Jejunal feeding is an invaluable method by which to improve the nutritional status of patients undergoing neoadjuvant and surgical treatment of oesophageal malignancies. However, the insertion of a feeding jejunostomy can cause significant postoperative morbidity. The aim of this study is to compare the outcomes of patients undergoing placement of feeding jejunostomy by conventional laparotomy with an alternative laparoscopic approach. Methods: A retrospective review of data prospectively collected at the Oxford Oesophagogastric Centre between August 2017 and July 2019 was performed including consecutive patients undergoing feeding jejunostomy insertion. Results: In the study period, 157 patients underwent jejunostomy insertion in the context of oesophageal cancer therapy, 126 (80%) by open technique and 31 (20%) laparoscopic. Pre-operative demographic and nutritional characteristics were broadly similar between groups. In the early postoperative period jejunostomy-associated complications were noted in 54 cases (34.4%) and were significantly more common among those undergoing open as compared with laparoscopic insertion (38.1% vs 19.3%, P = 0.049). Furthermore, major complications were more common among those undergoing open insertion, whether as a stand-alone procedure or in conjunction with laparoscopic staging (n = 11/71), as compared with insertion at the time of oesophagectomy (n = 3/86, P = 0.011). Conclusions: This report represents the largest to our knowledge single-centre comparison of open versus laparoscopic jejunostomy insertion in patients undergoing oesophagectomy in the treatment of gastroesophageal malignancy. We conclude that the laparoscopic jejunostomy insertion technique described represents a safe and effective approach to enteral access which may offer superior outcomes to conventional open procedures.
Identification and Functional Validation of Differentially Expressed microRNAs in Ascites-derived Ovarian Cancer Cells Compared With Primary Tumour Tissue
Authors: Jiang Yahui , Lyu Tianjiao , Liu Hua , Shen Lifei , Shi Yiwen , Zhou Tianyu , Feng Weiwei
Published: September 2020

Purpose: Ovarian cancer, manifested by malignant ascites, is the most lethal gynaecological cancer. Suspended ascites-derived spheroids may contribute to ovarian cancer metastasis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are also associated with ovarian cancer metastasis. Here, we aimed to investigate the differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) in ascites-derived spheroids compared with primary tumour tissue, which may regulate ovarian cancer metastasis. Methods: The DE-miRNAs between ovarian cancer primary tumour tissues and ascites-derived spheroids were identified by GEO2R screening in dataset GSE65819. We used MiRTarBase, TargetScanHuman7.2 and STRING to predict the target hub genes of DE-miRNAs and DAVID to perform functional analysis of hub genes. ALGGEN PROMO and TransmiR v2.0 were used to predict the common transcription factors (TFs) that potentially regulate DE-miRNAs expression. The observed differences in DE-miRNAs expression were validated with human ovarian cancer samples and ovarian cancer cell lines using PCR. The functions of DE-miRNAs on ovarian cancer progression were verified by transwell and angiogenesis assays. Results: Through bioinformatics screening and experimental validation, miR-199a-3p, miR-199b-3p, miR-199a-5p, miR-126-3p and miR-145-5p were identified as being significantly downregulated in ascites-derived spheroids compared with primary tumour tissues. In addition, TFAP2A was identified as a potentially common upstream TF regulating the expression of the abovementioned DE-miRNAs. The overexpression of miR-199a-3p, miR-199b-3p, miR-199a-5p could inhibit ovarian cancer invasion, and the overexpression of miR-145-5p could inhibit angiogenesis. Conclusion: The downregulated expression of miR-199a-3p, miR-199b-3p, miR-199a-5p, miR-126-3p and miR-145-5p in ascites-derived spheroids plays a key role in promoting ovarian cancer progression, which may represent novel molecules for targeted therapy for ovarian cancer.
Analysis of The Distribution Characteristics of Thoracolumbar Compression Fractures
Authors: Che Ming-Xue , Liu Ming-Xi , Zhang Shao-Kun , Lv Zhen-Shan , Jin Yuan-Zhe , Zhao Yao
Published: September 2020

Background : Vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is the most common osteoporotic fracture which significantly decreases patient’s quality of life and high risk of subsequent osteoporotic fracture. VCFs also result in substantial financial burden on the public health system. Studying the characteristics of VCFs with analyzing the distributional differences by age and sex is meaningful for us to prevent and treat the VCFs.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the patients with thoracolumbar VCF from December 2012 to June 2018 in our department. A total of 675 cases met the study inclusion criteria for analysis. We divided the patients into four groups by age with every 10 years from 50 to 89 years old. Morbidity in each sex, the occurrence of single- or multisegment fractures and the distribution of fractures from T7 to L5 was calculated for every group. All the data was tested by SPSS.Results: The highest proportion of male patients was in Group 4 (80-89 years old), and the lowest was in Group 2 (60-69 years old). The highest and lowest proportion of female patients was in Group 2 and Group 4, P value < 0.05.The highest proportion of multisegment fractures was in Group 3 (70-79 years old), and the lowest was in Group 1 (50-59 years old). The highest proportion of single-segment fractures was in Group 1, and the lowest was in Group 3, P > 0.05.Compared with the other vertebral fractures, L4 had P <0.05; others were all >0.05.Conclusions: As affected by individualized stress mechanisms of different vertebras and degree of osteoporosis, thoracolumbar VCFs have different characteristics that could assist physicians in carefully selecting treatment regimens to reduce pain and complications and improve the quality of life of patients.
Immune transcriptomes of highly exposed SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic seropositive versus seronegative individuals from the Ischgl community
Authors: Lee Hye Kyung , Knabl Ludwig , Pipperger Lisa , Volland Andre , Furth Priscilla , Kang Keunsoo , Smith Harold , Knabl Ludwig , Bellmann Romuald , Bernhard Christina , Kaiser Norbert , Gänzer Hannes , Ströhle Mathias , Walser Andreas , Laer Dorothee Von , Hennighausen Lothar
Published: September 2020

To investigate prevalence of ongoing activation of inflammation following asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection we characterized immune cell transcriptomes from 43 asymptomatic seropositive and 52 highly exposed seronegative individuals with few underlying health issues following a community superspreading event. Four mildly symptomatic seropositive individuals examined three weeks after infection as positive controls demonstrated immunological activation. Approximately four to six weeks following the event, the two asymptomatic groups showed no significant differences. Two seropositive patients with underlying genetic disease impacting immunological activation were included (Cystic Fibrosis (CF), Nuclear factor-kappa B Essential Modulator (NEMO) deficiency). CF, but not NEMO, associated with significant immune transcriptome differences including some associated with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection (IL1B, IL17A, respective receptors). All subjects remained in their usual state of health from event through five-month follow-up. Here, asymptomatic infection resolved without evidence of prolonged immunological activation. Inclusion of subjects with underlying genetic disease illustrated the pathophysiological importance of context on impact of immunological response.
Sacrum morphology supports taxonomic heterogeneity of Australopithecus africanus at Sterkfontein Member 4
Authors: Fornai Cinzia , Krenn Viktoria , Mitteröcker Philipp , Webb Nicole , Haeusler Martin
Published: September 2020

The presence of multiple Australopithecus species at Sterkfontein Member 4, South Africa (2.07 to 2.61 Ma) is highly contentious. Quantitative assessments of craniodental and postcranial variability remain inconclusive. Using geometric morphometrics, we compared the sacrum of the small-bodied, presumed female subadult Australopithecus africanus skeleton Sts 14 and the large, alleged male adult StW 431 against a geographically diverse sample of modern humans, and two species for each of the genera Gorilla, Pan and Pongo. The probabilities of sampling morphologies as distinct as Sts 14 and StW 431 from a single species ranged from 1.3 to 2.5% for the human sample, and from 0.0 to 4.5% for the ape sample, depending on the analysis performed. Neither differences in developmental or geologic age nor sexual dimorphism could account for the differences between StW 431 and Sts 14 sacra. These findings support earlier claims of taxonomic heterogeneity at Sterkfontein Member 4.
Dynamics and Heterogeneity of Microbial Communities in Urban Water Environments
Authors: Lian Yanqing , Zhen Lisha , Chen Xi , Li Yang , Li Xiaona
Published: September 2020

Water samples for the 16S rRNA gene and water quality analyses were collected from around 155 kilometers of river segments surrounding the urban areas in Xi’an of China. Multiple statistical analyses showed the temporal dynamics of microbial communities and heterogeneity in their spatial distributions. The dynamic shifts of microbial communities in the Chan, Ba, and Feng Rivers from the Spring to the Summer seasons were apparent, but little in the Zao River. The heterogeneity of microbial distributions was more due to the influence of hydrologic conditions and various sources of inflows in the rivers. The LEfSe analysis showed the Chan and Zao Rivers, both were more impacted by the sewage effluents, were more differentially abundant with bacteria related to polluted water, but the Ba and Feng Rivers, both on the outer side of the city, were more abundant with microbial communities in soil and freshwater environments in August. Multiple statistical analyses indicated that environmental variables had a significant impact on microbial communities. The GIS-based spatial analysis not only showed heterogeneity of microbial community distributions along the rivers, more importantly, could help identify locations where pathogenic bacteria presented.
Nanoscale Investigation and Control of Photothermal Action of Gold Nanostructure-coated Surfaces
Authors: Jenkins Samir V , Jung Seunghyun , Shah Shruti , Millett Paul C , Dings Ruud P.M. , Borrelli Michael J. , Griffin Robert J.
Published: September 2020

Background: The combination of biological variation and nanomaterial heterogeneity makes elucidating the mechanisms of interactions between cells and nanoparticles extremely complicated. Accurate nanoparticle quantification can be extremely challenging, and cellular response can change based on the location of the nanoparticle and the cell type under investigation. These complications are only augmented by the additional of external stimuli. These limitations have yielded a wide range of studies that show effects, but often provide little mechanistic insight. Results: Gold nanomaterials were stably immobilized onto glass coverslips treated with mercaptosilane to control both the average number of nanoparticles that interact with cells and their spatial orientation relative to the cell membrane. Surfaces were characterized optically and by electron microscopy to confirm their surface density and uniformity. The thermal response of Au nanocage-coated surfaces to near infrared laser irradiation was measured in cell culture medium and modelled computationally. The modelling showed a vastly higher thermal dose than would be predicted by bulk temperature measurements. Adherent or non-adherent cell lines were cultured directly on the nanocage-coated surface or in the medium, respectively, in culture wells and laser irradiation was applied. Survival of cells growing in suspension correlated with the bulk temperature increase in the culture medium, as measured by viability assay. Conversely, adherent cells exhibited a much greater susceptibility than expected from the bulk temperature measurement, which is ostensibly related to the close interaction with the nanoparticles on their growth substrate and induction of substantially greater thermal dose upon laser exposure. Conclusions: This platform is designed to be a new tool to determine how many particles need to be in contact with a cell to induce desired physical or biological effects. Here we demonstrate the delivery of precise thermal doses following laser irradiation. The anticipated biological effects based on bulk measurements vastly underestimated the effects that were observed, which is ascribed to the proximity of the nanoparticle to the cell and the extraordinary high surface temperature of the particle. This platform could be expanded to a variety of nanoparticles, external stimuli, and cell types to enable more deliberate and optimized application of nanomedicine.
Investigating Social Pressure, Altruism, Free-Riding, and Non-Compliance in Mask Wearing by U.S. Residents in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Bir Courtney , Widmar Nicole
Published: September 2020

Human behavior, including making decisions about personal protective behaviors such as wearing a mask in public, impacts the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated reopening/recovery efforts. A nationally representative survey of 1,198 U.S. residents was used to study demographics, perceptions, and stated beliefs of residents who indicated they believes that masks have a role in society in response to COVID-19 and whether they self-reported wearing masks in the seven public locations studied. Of those who believed masks had a role, a lower percentage of respondents voluntarily wore a mask in their workplace (42%) or gym (49%) when compared to other locations studied. A higher percentage of women who believed masks have a role in society voluntarily wore a mask at a big box or specialty grocery store, home improvement store, school, clothing retailer or other retailer when compared to the percentage of men. Individuals who believed that wearing masks protected others were more likely to report voluntarily wearing them, showing evidence of altruism. Social pressure was found to negatively impact the probability of voluntary mask wearing amongst those who believed masks have a role. This suggests that social shaming won’t increase compliance among these individuals and that bandwagoning was not evident in encouraging mask wearing behavior, for at least some segments of the population. Free-riding is one possible explanation for why an individual respondent may self-report belief that mask wearing has a role in society and simultaneously self-report not voluntarily wearing a mask in public locations, although it is admittedly not the only plausible explanation. Promotion of altruism, rather than social shaming, is likely to increase mask wearing based on the data collected in June of 2020. Tactics to improve public health initiative compliance and participation may change as the duration of the pandemic’s impacts increase and/or may differ in segments of the population prone to greater levels of individualism or with varying levels of knowledge about viral disease spread.
Significance of Immune-related Genes in the Diagnosis and Subtype Classification of Childhood Asthma
Authors: Dai Bing , Sun Feifei , Cai Xuxu , Li Chunlu , Liu Henan , Shang Yunxiao
Published: September 2020

Background Childhood asthma is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in children, causing huge economic losses worldwide. The immune system was closely linked to the occurrence and development of childhood asthma. The main purpose of this research is to explore the role of immune-related genes in the occurrence and treatment of childhood asthma.Methods GSE40732 dataset and GSE40888 dataset were respectively regarded as training dataset and texting dataset in this article. We performed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to select immune-related genes associated with the occurrence of childhood asthma based on the training dataset. Random forest (RF) model was established to screen the optimal variables to predict the occurrence of childhood asthma among these significant immune-related genes. Childhood asthma patients were grouped by the consensus clustering method based on the optimal variables. The grouping results were validated in the texting dataset. Results 69 significant immune-related genes associated with the occurrence of childhood asthma were screened through WGCNA. RF model indicated that 10 optimal variables among these significant immune-related genes can reasonably distinguish normal children and childhood asthma. Childhood asthma patients were classified into two molecular subtypes (Sub1 and Sub2) based on the 10 optimal variables using consensus clustering analysis. More interestingly, childhood asthma patients in Sub1 have higher inflammatory response than Sub2.Conclusions Our research selected 10 significant immune-related genes related to the occurrence of childhood asthma. We classified childhood asthma patients into two molecular subtypes with different immune cell infiltration based on the 10 significant immune-related genes, which may provide the basis for individualized treatment.
Mutation Of p53 And Its Clinical Significance In Muscle-Invasive Bladder Tumor
Authors: Lin Panpan
Published: September 2020

Background: Previous studies have shown that p53 gene is expressed in muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) , but the relationship between p53 gene and prognosis of muscle invasive bladder tumor is controversial. Methods: Download p53 gene expression profiles and clinical data of 412 cases bladder cancer from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database on c-BioPortal website, and analyze their relationship. Carrying on mutation and survival analysis with c-BioPortal tools. Results: ① Among 412 cases, 207 cases had mutations, including 161 cases missense mutations and 68 cases truncation mutations. Among them, 22 cases had both missense and truncation mutations, and 1 case had frameshift mutation, with high incidence of mutations.② Expression of p53 was negatively correlated with TNM stage, distant metastasis, lymph node metastasis and clinical stage for studying objects (P<0.05) , and positively correlated with lymphatic infiltration and pathological stage (P<0.05) .There was no correlation between p53 expression and mutation (P>0.05) . ③ There was no significant difference between expression and mutation of p53 and total survival and disease-free survival of bladder cancer patients (P>0.05) . ④ Cox multivariate analysis of p53 expression and prognosis of bladder cancer indicated, lymph node metastasis and infiltration of bladder cancer, distant metastasis of bladder cancer was independent adverse factors of bladder cancer prognosis (P<0.05) , and p53 expression and mutation in bladder cancer was not independent factors affecting prognosis of bladder cancer. Conclusion: Although p53 has a high mutation rate in myometrial invasive bladder cancer, there is no clear difference in survival and disease-free survival period, and it can not be considered that p53 mutation can affect the prognosis of myometrial invasive bladder cancer.
HIF2α Exerts Carcinogenesis in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma by Targeting High Expression of NUDT1 to Inhibit Oxidative Stress
Authors: Shi Jian , Xiong Zhiyong , Wang Keshan , Yuan Changfei , Huang Yu , Xiao Wen , Liang Huageng , Xu Tianbo , Yang Hongmei , Chen Ke , Zhang Xiao-ping
Published: September 2020

Background: Emerging evidence highlights the important roles of HIF2α in the development and progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Recently, oxidative stress has been shown to play a vital role in an increasing number of tumor types. However, the relationship between the two factors in ccRCC is still unclear. The aim of this work is to study the role of oxidative stress in ccRCC and its relationship with HIF2α.Methods: Molecular screening and bioinformatics analysis in ccRCC based on data from the TCGA database. Regulated pathways were investigated by qRT-PCR, immunoblot analysis, luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. A series of functional analyses were conducted in cell lines and xenograft models.Results: By screening three independent oxidative stress-related gene sets and the whole transcriptome sequencing data obtained after HIF2α knockdown, NUDT1 was discovered as a bridge molecule mediating the interrelationship between HIF2α and oxidative stress. Bioinformatics and experimental studies have found that NUDT1 is upregulated in ccRCC and has significant prognostic implications. Mechanistically, HIF2α directly increases NUDT1 expression by binding to HIF2α response elements in the NUDT1 promoter region. Reducing the expression of NUDT1 can significantly increase the level of oxidative stress in ccRCC cells, resulting in the inhibition of the carcinogenic effect of HIF2α.Conclusions: Our research systematically identify the regulatory mechanisms of HIF2α and oxidative stress in ccRCC for the first time. It provides a new understanding of ccRCC and can help us creating new strategies for its treatment.
Construction of a registration and fusion of unreformed thin-sectional high-resolution sectional anatomical image (Chinese Visible Human images) and CT and MRI images based on B-spline and mutual information and its application in segmenting nasopharyngeal structures in Treatment Planning System (TPS)
Authors: Yang Jingyi , Zhang Xiaoqin , Luo Bangyu , Liu Hongjun , Xu Zhou , Wang Hongkai , Hu Xin , Sun Jianguo , Qiao Liang , Zhang Shaoxiang , Wu Yi
Published: September 2020

Background

To help radiotherapy doctors recognize and segment the nasopharyngeal organs in risk of Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and make radiotherapy plan.
Materials/Methods:

Based on the continuous thin-layer, high-precision, high-resolution and true-color sectional anatomical data (Chinese Visible Human (CVH) images),we used B-spline and mutual information to transform, register and fuse the CVH images with the patient's personalized CT images, and integrated them into the Treatment Planning System (TPS). Consequently, Three-Dimensional Visualization Treatment Planning System (3DV + TPS) was created. To verify it, 3DV + TPS was deployed to identify and segment the nasopharyngeal organs in risk of NPC, and a questionnaire was filled out by radiotherapy doctors.
Results

Result shows that 3DV + TPS can finish registration and fusion of 4 sets of sectional anatomical images and individual CT images of patients in approximately 3 minutes and 50 seconds.
Conclusion

The registered and fused images can accurately reflect the position, outline and adjacent space of the nasopharyngeal structure which is not clear in the CT images. Thus, it is helpful for recognizing and segmenting neural, muscular and glandular structures. Through automatically registering and fusing of color images and CT gray images, 3DV + TPS improves the accuracy and efficiency of recognizing nasopharyngeal structures in making radiotherapy plan, and it is useful to improve the teaching quality of tumor radiotherapy for medical students and interns as well.
Does measuring the medial gap before bone resection in total knee arthroplasty provide optimum gap adjustment and prevent bone recutting?
Authors: Tiftikçi Uğur , Serbest Sancar , Tosun Hacı Bayram , Keskinkılıç Seyyid İsa , Kılınc Cem Yalın , Fırat Ahmet
Published: September 2020

PurposeThe aim of this study was to demonstrate that measuring the medial gap before bone resection during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) provides an optimum gap adjustment in varus knees.MethodsPatients were separated into two groups, Group 1 being those whose medial joint gap was measured prior to bone resection and Group 2 comprising those who underwent conventional measured resection technique without measuring. The medial joint gap was measured with a custom-made gap measuring device up to the point that the knee was corrected and aligned along its mechanical axis. Medial joint gap distances, distal medial femoral bone cut thicknesses, amounts of tibial resection calculated, gap internal distances measured after cutting, and the thicknesses of the trial inserts were recorded. A comparison was made between the groups in terms of the number of patients requiring an additional tibial bone cut and the distribution of insert thicknesses.ResultsExtra tibial bone resections performed in two (5.7%) patients in Group 1 and in 10 (28.6%) patients in Group 2. In Group 1, where the medial joint gap was measured, the need for an additional bone resection was statistically less. (p=0.018). In the comparison of distribution of insert size by group, the number of patients on whom an 8 mm insert had been used was significantly greater in Group 1 (p=0.024). ConclusionMeasuring the medial joint gap prior to bone resection in total knee arthroplasty may prevent repeated bone recutting and additional bone resections. Furthermore, we can use this method to avoid the disadvantages of the measured resection technique.
Cytoplasmic APE1 promotes lung cancer aggressiveness and cisplatin resistance via the COX-2/Akt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Zhang Zhimin , Lian Xiaojuan , Su Xiaona , Liao Maojun , Chen Chuan , Wang Ge
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin is commonly used in lung cancer therapy, but cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cells remains an unsolved problem. Here, we report that cytoplasmic APE1 contributes to cisplatin resistance, cell proliferation and migration in lung cancer cells.
METHODS

Immunofluorescence, western blot analysis, lentivirus transfection and scratch assays, and transwell migration and invasion assays were carried out on the cell lines A549 and Calu-1. A total of 124 samples of lung cancer tissues were evaluated to determine the clinical effects of cytoplasmic APE1 and COX-2.
RESULTS

We found that cytoplasmic APE1 expression was lower in cisplatin sensitive cells than in cisplatin-resistant cells, and the upregulation of cytoplasmic APE1 significantly reduced cisplatin sensitivity in lung cancer cells. Gain-of-function studies demonstrated that cytoplasmic APE1 promoted lung cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo, which were inhibited after cisplatin treatment. In patient samples, cytoplasmic APE1 in lung cancer tissues was an independent indicator of overall survive (OS) for lung cancer patients (P < 0.001). Mechanistic studies revealed that cytoplasmic APE1 promotes lung cancer malignancy by activating the COX-2/Akt/β-catenin pathway. Furthermore, the mutation of the APE1-C65 site caused upregulation of cytoplasmic APE1 and inhibited cell growth, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells.
CONCLUSION

We suggest that modulating cytoplasmic APE1 in lung cancer is a promising novel strategy for overcoming cisplatin resistance.
Elevated Serum Total Bile Acid Level at Second Trimester Increases the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Adverse Perinatal Outcomes in Chinese Pregnant Women
Authors: Liu Yao , Li Yan , Chen Hengying , Sun Ruifang , Wei Yuanhuan , Wang Nuoya , Deng Guifang , Zhang Zheqing
Published: September 2020

BackgroudBile acid metabolism is reported to be closely involved in glycolipid metabolism. We investigated the association of the total bile acid (TBA) levels at the second trimester with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and adverse perinatal outcomes.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study in 2773 Chinese pregnant women. Serum TBA level was measured by a biochemistry automatic analyzer. Logistic regression models with or without restricted cubic splines were performed.Results652 of 2773 pregnant women developed GDM. Women with GDM had higher serum TBA levels at the second trimester than that of healthy women (P < 0.001). Elevated serum TBA levels at the second trimester were associated with an increased risk of GDM in a dose-response manner. After the adjustment of age, BMI, smoking and drinking status, education background, lipid profiles, blood pressure, liver function, uric acid, bilirubin, urea nitrogen and creatinine, the odds ratios (ORs) of GDM for the highest (vs. the lowest) quartile were 1.83 (95% CI 1.10–3.38) in women. The inclusion of TBA levels at the second trimester in the model increased the area under the curve from 0.68 to 0.72 (95% CI: 0.68–0.76) (P < 0.05). Additionally, a higher serum TBA level was associated with higher odds of preterm birth (the highest quartile vs. the lowest quartile, AOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.26–2.98, P-trend = 0.017) and preeclampsia (the highest quartile vs. the lowest quartile, AOR 2.07, 95% CI 1.19–3.63, P-trend = 0.002). Furthermore, the U-shaped relationship was observed between TBA levels and the risk of premature rupture of membranes, with the lowest risk in the TBA concentration of 3.14 µmol/L.ConclusionWomen with higher fasting serum TBA levels at the second trimester have higher risk for development of GDM, preterm birth and preeclampsia.