Globular adiponectin induces esophageal adenocarcinoma cell pyroptosis via the miR-378a-3p/UHRF1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Antiapoptosis is a major factor in the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thus, activation of cell pyroptosis may be an effective option to deal with antiapoptotic cancers such as esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). METHODS: Differential expression of ubiquitin-like versus PHD and ring finger structural domain 1 (UHRF1) in EAC and near normal tissues was analyzed, as well as the prognostic impact on survival in EAC. Also, the same study was done for globular adiponectin (gAD). Simultaneously, the mRNA expression of UHRF1 was observed in different EAC cell lines. Real time cellular analysis (RTCA) was used to detect cell proliferation, and flow cytometry and inverted fluorescence microscopy were used to detect pyroptosis. Biocredit analysis was conducted to observe the correlation between UHRF1 and key pyroptosis proteins. OD values and CCK8 assay were used to determine the effect of miR-378a-3p on EAC cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to detect the correlation between UHRF1, gAD, and miR-378a-3p in EAC cells. Moreover, in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to detect the relevant effects on tumor migration and invasion after inhibiting UHRF1 expression. RESULTS: UHRF1 was negatively correlated with the survival of patients with EAC, while miR-378a-3p showed the opposite effect. Additionally, gAD promoted EAC cell pyroptosis, upregulated miR-378a-3p, and significantly inhibited the proliferation of EAC cells. gAD directly reduced UHRF1 expression in EAC cells by upregulating miR-378a-3p. In cell migration and invasion assays, inhibition of UHRF1 expression significantly suppressed EAC cell metastasis. In animal experiments, we again demonstrated that gAD induced pyroptosis in EAC cells by inhibiting the expression of UHRF1. CONCLUSION: gAD-induced upregulation of miR-378a-3p significantly inhibited the proliferation of EAC by targeting UHRF1. Therefore, gAD may serve as an alternative therapy for chemotherapy- and radiation-refractory EAC or other cancers with the same mechanism of pyroptosis action.

Bioinformatics identify the role of chordin-like 1 in thyroid cancer.

The abnormal expression of chordin-like 1 (CHRDL1) is identified in many cancers, while the effect of CHRDL1 in thyroid cancer (THCA) remains unclear. The University of California Santa Cruz, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer, and Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE33570, GSE33630, and GSE60542) were used for determining the mRNA and methylation expression of CHRDL1 in tumor and normal tissues. Human Protein Atlas was used for exploring the protein expression level of CHRDL1. The genes correlated to CHRDL1 were assessed by cBioPortal database. The prognostic value of CHRDL1 was evaluated through Kaplan-Meier method, cox regression, and nomogram analysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, Gene Ontology, and gene set enrichment analysis were used for predicting potential function of CHRDL1. The relationship between CHRDL1 and immune cell infiltration was determined by Pearson method. The downregulated mRNA and protein expressions of CHRDL1 were identified in THCA through the analysis of data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus, and Human Protein Atlas database. The survival analysis showed that the CHRDL1 expression significantly affected disease-free interval (DFI) and progression-free interval, and CHRDL1 was an independent predictor of DFI. Besides, we found that C-C motif chemokine ligand 21 could significantly affect DFI time when it was co-expressed with CHRDL1. Additionally, the function of CHRDL1 was enriched in cell migration, apoptosis, and immune cell receptor. The downregulated expression of CHRDL1 was observed in THCA and caused poor prognosis. CHRDL1 may be involved in signal pathway related to cancer development and immune response, which suggested it could be a potential biomarker.

Evaluation and identification of morphological characters suitable for delimitation of Taraxacum species distributed in northeastern China.

Taraxacum germplasm resources in northeastern China are not current and do not accurately reflect the actual distribution of the species. The objective of this study was to investigate the morphological traits of Taraxacum species distributed in northeastern China and identify those that will facilitate their classification in this region. Leaf, flower, and achene characteristics of 18 species were used for morphological classification. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine pollen morphology. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences were analyzed to determine sequence differences among the species and their utility in delimitation. Taxa were classified into groups based on their morphology. The ITS sequence analysis supported the taxon classification, but the genetic distances among the taxa did not reflect morphological differences. Phylogenetic analysis was used to divide the 18 species into three groups. Group I: T. coreanum (which has white flowers). Group Ⅱ: T. heterolepis, T. sinomongolicum, T. variegatum, T. asiaticum var. lonchophyllum, T. falcilobum, T. brassicaefolium, and T. erythropodium (outer involucre bracts, narrow membranous or nonmembranous). Group Ⅲ: T. formosanum, T. liaotungense, T. mongolicum, T. borealisinense, T. ohwianum, T. platypecidum, T. urbanum, T. antungense, T. asiaticum, and T. junpeianum (outer involucre bracts, broad membranous). The main taxonomic characteristics of Taraxacum floral organs and achene morphology.

Circular RNA NF1-419 Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis by Regulating Lipid Metabolism in Astroglioma Cells.

BACKGROUND: Astroglioma is the most common primary tumor of the central nervous system. Currently, there is no effective treatment for astroglioma. In the present study, the extract (L3) from Ganoderma Lucidum (G. lucidum) was found to inhibit the growth of astroglioma U87 cells and change the expression of circular RNAs (circRNAs). One of these, including the circular NF1-419 (circNF1-419), was of interest because NF1 gene is a classic tumor suppressor gene. OBJECTIVES: The functional role of circ-NF1-419 in the inhibition of astroglioma cells remains unknown. This study focuses on the role of circNF1-419 in functional abnormalities of U87 astroglioma cells and aims to elaborate on its regulatory mechanism. METHODS: The circNF1-419 overexpressing U87 (U87-NF1-419) cells were constructed. We generated U87-NF1-419 to evaluate the role of circNF1-419 on cell cycle, apoptosis, proliferation, tumor growth and metabolic regulation. Finally, we used docking screening to identify compounds in G. lucidum extracts that target circ-419. RESULTS: U87-NF1-419 can promote cell apoptosis and regulate lipid metabolism through glycerophospholipid metabolism and retrograde endocannabinoid signaling. Further examinations revealed that the expression of metabolic regulators, such as L-type voltage-operated calcium channels (L-VOCC), phospholipase C-ß3 (PLCß3), Mucin1, cationic amino acid transporter 4 (CAT4), cationic amino acid transporter 1 (CAT1) and a kinase (PRKA) anchor protein 4 (AKAP4) was inhibited, while phosphatidylserine synthase 1 (PTDSS1) was enhanced in U87-NF1-419 cells. In vivo experiments showed that circNF1-419 inhibits tumor growth in BALB/C nude mice, and enhanced AKAP4 and PTDSS1 in tumor tissues. The virtual docking screening results supported that ganosporeric acid A, ganodermatriol, ganoderic acid B and α-D-Arabinofuranosyladenine in L3 could activate circNF1-419 in astroglioma treatment. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that circNF1-419 could be a therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of astroglioma. L3 from Ganoderma Lucidum (G. lucidum) could inhibit astroglioma growth by activating circNF1-419.

Characterization and Developmental Expression Patterns of Four Hexamerin Genes in the Bumble Bee, Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Hexamerins are members of the hemocyanin superfamily and play essential roles in providing amino acids and energy for the nonfeeding stages of insects. In this study, we cloned and analyzed the expression patterns of four hexamerin genes (hex 70a, hex 70b, hex 70c, and hex 110) at different worker development stages and queen diapause statuses in the bumble bee, Bombus terrestris. The results of this study showed that hex 110 has the longest open reading frame (ORF; 3,297 bp) compared to the ORFs of hex 70a (2,034 bp), hex 70b (2,067 bp), and hex 70c (2,055 bp). The putative translation product of Hex 70a, Hex 70b, Hex70c, and Hex 110 has 677, 688, 684, and 1,098aa with predicted molecular mass of 81.13, 79.69, 81.58, and 119 kDa. In the development stages of workers, the expression levels of hex 70a, hex 70b, and hex 70c increased gradually from the larval stage and exhibited high expression levels at the pink eyed and brown eyed pupae stage, whereas hex 110 exhibited the highest expression level at the larval period. Four hexamerin genes were highly expressed at the prediapause status of queen (P < 0.05), and compared to the eclosion queen, the lowest upregulation was 3.7-fold, and the highest upregulation was 1,742-fold. The expression levels of hex 70b, hex 70c, and hex 110 at diapause were significantly higher than those at postdiapause (P < 0.05). In conclusion, hexamerins may play important roles in queen diapause and metamorphosis of larval and pupal stages.

A case of human rabies with a long incubation period in Wuhan.

Rabies remains endemic in China and continues to pose a major threat to public health with a nearly 100 % case fatality rate in humans. We confirmed a case of human rabies in Wuhan, in May 2018. The patient had got a dog bite wound 3 years before symptoms of confusion, hydrophobia, and photophobia onset. On May 14, our laboratory confirmed that the patient was infected with a rabies virus that circulates in dogs in China and died on May 24, two weeks later after admission. Complete glycoprotein gene sequences determined for this isolate indicated the source of a RABV infection was dog-related RABV variants.

Hydration process and microstructure of magnesium potassium phosphate cement with nitrate solution.

Magnesium phosphate potassium cement (MKPC) can be potentially used for solidification/stabilization (S/S) treatment of hazardous wastes. The influence of inorganic salts on the hydration process and microstructure of cementitious materials must be considered, especially to assess the performance of the S/S treatment of wastes with a high nitrate content. Hence, in this study, the hydration process and microstructure of MKPC specimens were investigated, along with their variations in compressive strength setting time, pH, and conductivity. The pore structure, phases composition, and elemental composition of the specimens were investigated using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results showed that although the potassium nitrate (KNO3) solution did not affect the formation of struvite-K, it affected the crystallization degree of struvite-K, where its microstructure changed from dense, plate-like and prismatic crystals into loose, cluster-like crystals at higher amounts of nitrate. Furthermore, the addition of nitrate delayed the setting time and slowed the pH growth during the hydration process of the MKPC. The nitrate solution hindered the hydration process of the MKPC specimens and increased their porosity. When the amount of nitrate was less than 5 wt%, the effect of nitrate on the hydration and hardening of the MKPC was small. However, at higher amounts of nitrate, the nitrate ions had a negative effect on the compressive strength development of the MKPC and the hydration process was delayed.

Do Statins Have a Positive Impact on Patients with Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction on Long-Term Clinical Outcome? A Large Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of statins on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMVD). PARTICIPANTS: 23,494 patients who received coronary angiography (CAG) were included. Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction, Myocardial Perfusion Grading (TMPG), a useful angiographic method, was used to evaluate CMVD. RESULTS: Using multivariate analysis, NYHA III/IV (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.03-2.01; P=0.031), PCI history (HR, 3.69; 95% CI, 2.57-5.31; P<0.001), TG (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.06-1.26; P=0.001), creatinine (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 1.00-1.01; P<0.001), cTnT (HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99; P<0.001), heart rate (HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-0.99; P=0.001), ß-blocker (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.51-0.91; P=0.008), aspirin (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.24-0.61; P<0.001), and statins (HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.19-0.60; P<0.001) significantly correlated with reduced MACE in CMVD patients. In subgroups analysis, statins decreased MACE overall (HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.19-0.59; P<0.001) and in CMVD patients with smoking history (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43-0.93; P=0.014), diabetes (HR,0.27; 95% CI,0.12-0.61; P=0.002), hypertension (HR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.03-0.36; P=0.001), and hypertension and diabetes (HR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.014-0.53; P=0.008). CONCLUSION: Statins could reduce MACE in patients with CMVD.

In situ analysis of deformation twins within a magnesium polycrystal: (II) twin growth.

The process of twin growth is difficult to be captured instantaneously. Synchrotron polychromatic X-ray microdiffraction (micro-XRD) is applied to in situ study twin growth in extruded Mg-3Al-1Zn polycrystal subjected to uniaxial tension. The micro-XRD data is used to map an area of 396 × 200 µm2 under the loading levels from 12 MPa to 73 MPa. The orientations of seven parents and ten resultant twins are determined by indexing Laue patterns, while their morphologies are mapped by the integrated intensities of particular reflections. {101¯2} twins are detected at 64 MPa. The maximum SF criterion for twin variant selection is invalid here. Twin growth rates are deduced from the variation of integrated intensities between 64 MPa and 68 MPa. It is found that twin growth rates in the HCP material are not proportional to active twin's SF values, though the SF value is related to the magnitude of driving resource. Twin growth rate exhibits obvious anisotropy, either for lengthwise growth rate or thickness growth rate. When two twins within a parent belong to the same twin variant, they exhibit similar growth rates. Meanwhile, when two twins within a parent come across, one can block the other and the latter occur shrinking.

Association of Helicobacter pylori infection with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

OBJECTIVE: Many studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori ( Hp) is negatively correlated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Moreover, some studies deny that eradication of Hp increases the incidence of GERD. Therefore, we investigated the association of Hp infection with GERD. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, patients with peptic ulcers were used as a blank control group. We used logistic regression to analyze the relationship between Hp infection and GERD. We analyzed 953 patients with peptic ulcers, 180 patients with both peptic ulcers and GERD, and 298 patients with GERD. RESULTS: Among the patients with GERD, 75.6% (136/180) and 36.2% (108/298) of those with and without peptic ulcers, respectively, had Hp infection, and the difference was statistically significant. Among patients with peptic ulcers, 75.6% (136/180) and 67.4% (642/953) of those with and without GERD, respectively, had Hp infection. The incidence of GERD in patients with Hp-positive and -negative peptic ulcers was 17.5% (136/778) and 12.4% (44/355), respectively. These differences were also statistically significant. CONCLUSION: In the analysis of patients with GERD, the prevalence of Hp infection was higher among patients with than without peptic ulcers.

One-pot synthesis of nickel-cobalt hydroxyfluorides nanowires with ultrahigh energy density for an asymmetric supercapacitor.

A novel and unique nickel-cobalt hydroxyfluorides (NiCo-HF) nanowires material is fabricated by one-pot solvothermal synthesis method for asymmetric supercapacitor. The synthesis mechanism and factors that influence the formation of the NiCo-HF nanowires have been further discussed. The as-prepared NiCo-HF electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 3,372.6 F g-1, and the capacitance retention of 94.3% can be achieved at a high current density of 20 A g-1 after 10,000 cycles. The outstanding electrochemical performance of the electrode can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the nanowires morphology and complicated redox process of active material. Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with NiCo-HF nanowires as positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode shows an ultrahigh energy density of 83.6 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 379.4 W kg-1 and an excellent cycling stability with 86.3% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles, indicating that this novel material has great promise for potential application in energy storage device.

Chinese Sacbrood virus infection in Asian honey bees (Apis cerana cerana) and host immune responses to the virus infection.

Chinese Sacbrood virus (CSBV) is a positive-stranded RNAvirus that infects both the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) and the Asian honey bee (A. cerana). However, CSBV has much more devastating effects on Asian honey bees than on European honey bees, posing a serious threat to the agricultural and natural ecosystems that rely on A. cerana for pollination service. Using quantitative RT-PCR method, we conducted studies to examine the CSBV infection in Asian honey bee colonies and immune responses of individual bees in response to CSBV infection. Our study showed that CSBV could cause infection in different developmental stages of workers including eggs, larvae, pupae, newly emerged workers, and foraging workers. In addition, evaluating the tissue tropism and transmission of CSBV in infected bees showed that CSBV was detected in the ovaries, spermatheca, and feces of queens as well as semen of drones of the same colonies, suggesting an existence of vertical transmission of CSBV in Asian honey bees. Further, the detection of CSBV in colony food suggests that healthy bees could pick the infection by the virus-contaminated food, and therefore, a possible existence of a food-borne transmission pathway of CSBV in Asian bee colonies. The expression analysis of transcripts (defensin, abaecin, apidaecin, and hymenoptaecin) involving innate antiviral immune pathways showed that CSBV infection could induce significant immune responses in infected bees. However, the immune responses to CSBV infection varied among different development stages with eggs exhibiting the lowest level of immune expression and forager workers exhibiting the highest level of immune gene expression. The results obtained in the study yield important insights into the mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis of CSBV infections in Asian honey bees and provide valuable information for a rational design of disease control measures.

Non-singular terminal dynamic surface control based integrated guidance and control design and simulation.

In this paper, a novel cascade type design model is transformed from the simulation model, which has a broader scope of application, for integrated guidance and control (IGC). A novel non-singular terminal dynamic surface control based IGC method is proposed. It can guarantee the missile with multiple disturbances fast hits the target with high accuracy, while considering the terminal impact angular constraint commendably. And the stability of the closed-loop system is strictly proved. The essence of integrated guidance and control design philosophy is reached that establishing a direct relation between guidance and attitude equations by "intermediate states" and then designing an IGC law for the obtained integrated cascade design model. Finally, a series of simulations and comparisons with a 6-DOF nonlinear missile that includes all aerodynamic effects are demonstrated to illustrate the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed IGC method.

Associations Between Women's Perception of Their Husbands'/Partners' Social Support and Pap Screening in Pacific Islander Communities.

Pacific Islanders experience high rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality. This cross-sectional study examined the extent to which Samoan, Chamorro, and Tongan women's perceived receipt of social support from their husbands or male partners was associated with rates of routine cancer screening- specifically Pap testing. A total of 585 Pacific Islander women who live in the United States completed a self-report survey. Women who reported having a Pap test within the past 3 years had significantly higher scores on support from their husbands/male partners. Furthermore, the relationship of emotional support and informational support with increased Pap testing was significantly stronger for Tongan women. The findings suggest that men play an important role in promoting women's cancer prevention behaviors in Pacific Islander and potentially other collectivistic populations. Incorporating social support messages into interventions may be a simple yet effective strategy to increase women's Pap testing.

Emotional social support and access to care among older people living with HIV in rural China.

OBJECTIVES: Globally, the number of older people living with HIV (PLH) is growing. Additionally, older PLH are facing particular challenges related to accessing health care. The objective of this study is to investigate the older PLH's access to care and its relationship to emotional and tangible social support. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 225 PLH who were 50 years of age or older in Anhui, China. A computer-assisted personal interview was used to collect the participants' demographic characteristics, perceived health status, and access to care. The following two dimensions of social support were measured: emotional support and tangible support. The association between emotional/tangible support and access to care was calculated using Pearson's/point-biserial correlations and with multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Higher tangible support was reported by the participants who were married or living with a partner, those who had higher annual income levels, and those with better perceived health status. Emotional support was correlated with higher education, higher income, and better perceived health status. Multiple regression analyses showed that access to care was significantly associated with emotional support (ß = 0.2807, p < 0.0001) but not with tangible support (ß = -0.0183, p = 0.7922). CONCLUSIONS: The study findings point to the importance of providing emotional support for older PLH. It is suggested that emotional support should be provided for older PLH in addition to tangible assistance, in order to engage them in treatment and care.

A qualitative exploration of barriers to condom use among female sex workers in China.

BACKGROUND: Sex workers in China continue to engage in unprotected sex acts that put them at risk for contracting HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and other STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections). The purpose of this study was to explore women's work history, the context of sex work, condom use, HIV testing services, and potential barriers to condom use in a sample of FSWs (female sex workers) in Guangzhou, China. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In-depth, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 24 FSWs in Guangzhou, China. Informants were recruited using a purposive sampling technique. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using NVivo 8.0. The majority of respondents were internal economic migrants who had entered the sex industry in pursuit of greater financial reward. Most women in the study were married or had steady boyfriends, and were young, with secondary education and limited knowledge about HIV and STIs. Most were not satisfied with their current living conditions and expressed a desire to leave the sex industry. Women reported that they were more likely to use condoms during sex acts with commercial partners than with non-commercial partners. The potential stigma of being seen as a sex worker prevented many from accessing HIV testing. Three key factors put these FSWs at risk for HIV and STIs: unreasonable trust toward clients, stereotypes and assumptions about customers, and financial incentives. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that social and economic factors play an important role in shaping sexual decision-making among female sex workers in Guangzhou. We argue that greater insight into and attention to these factors could enhance the success of HIV prevention efforts.

A syndemic of psychosocial problems places the MSM (men who have sex with men) population at greater risk of HIV infection.

BACKGROUND: The MSM (Men who have sex with men) population suffers from very high rates of concurrent psychosocial problems. Together, these problems comprise a syndemic that increases the risk of HIV infection for this community. The precise mechanisms through which this syndemic can raise the likelihood of HIV infection warrant further exploration. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A total of 522 MSM were enrolled via a multiframe sampling approach and were asked to report psychosocial problems, risky sexual behaviors and HIV test results. A count of psychosocial health problems was calculated to test the additive relationship of these factors on HIV risk. Adjusting analysis and restriction analysis were used to determine a proposed intermediate pathway. Psychosocial health problems are highly concurrent and intercorrelated among urban MSM. Greater numbers of health problems are significantly and positively associated with HIV infection, which is mediated, at least partially, by risky sexual behaviors. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: MSM experience concurrent psychosocial health problems that correlate with HIV infection in this community. We recommend the development of coping strategies for this population to deal with these psychosocial problems, both in prevention research and health policy.

Era of vaccination heralds a decline in incidence of hepatitis A in high-risk groups in China.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis A was ranked first among all of the different types of viral hepatitis in China, which occurred an average of 500,000 cases annually during the 1980's. A live attenuated hepatitis A vaccine was applied in preventing of the disease in 1992, large scale used in vaccination program in 1995, and incorporated in the Expanded Program of Immunization in 2008 in China. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether, and to what extent, the decline in the incidence of hepatitis A in China was the result of hepatitis A (HA) vaccination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Official documents and longitudinal serological follow-up studies were reviewed to compare the incidence of HA before and after the introduction of the vaccine. RESULTS: National trends in the incidence of HA in China saw rates decrease by 92.7% in 2009, compared to the levels seen in 1992. A mass vaccination program was carried out in 3-18 year old children (Wuhan City, China), and its protective efficacy was 85.4%. In a mass vaccination program of an entire population (Shenshi County, China), the annual HA incidence decreased from 359.7/100,000 to 17.7/100,000 (almost 20.3 times). There was a significant relationship found between vaccine coverage and the incidence of HA, the correlation of the negative regression was significant at the 1% (Kendall rank correlation, significant level P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this study highlights the important role of implementing a vaccination program in decreasing the incidence of HA, and the large protective efficacy of such a strategy, as demonstrated in China.

Effects of nasal immunization of multi-target preventive vaccines on atherosclerosis.

Previous investigations have demonstrated that anti-inflammatory or lipid-lowering treatments could be useful for alleviating morbidity and mortality of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. However, whether a vaccine designed to target inflammation and lipid simultaneously is more powerful to control the process of atherosclerosis remain to be unknown. Here, a vaccine was designed to target heat shock protein-65(Hsp65) and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) simultaneously and the effects of nasal immunization of multi-target vaccine on high-cholesterol-diet-driven rabbit atherosclerosis lesions were evaluated. Sera, nasal lavages and lung washes were used to ELISA assay for the analysis of IgG and IgA against Hsp65 and CETP. Sera were also used to the analysis of the avidity of combination of anti-Hsp65 and anti-CETP IgG antibodies with corresponding antigen, cytokines IL-10 and IFN-γ, and lipoproteins. In addition, aortas were harvested for analysis of atherosclerotic lesions. The results showed that lower and lasting specific anti-Hsp65 IgG and high anti-CETP IgG in sera and protective anti-Hsp65 and anti-CETP IgA in nasal cavity and lung were induced, the avidity of combination of anti-Hsp65 and anti-CETP IgG with antigen were higher, and more protective IL-10 and less adverse IFN-γ were produced. In addition, sera TC, and LDL-C were decreased. As a result, the size of aorta atherosclerotic plaques was significantly reduced. We conclude that multifaceted vaccine combining lipid-regulating with anti-inflammation was a potential remedy, especially for atherosclerosis with complicated etiology.

Substance use and its relationship to family functioning and self-image in adolescents.

This study examined associations between substance use, family functioning, and self-image among four ethnic adolescent groups. Three thousand three hundred and fifteen 8th and 9th grade students were recruited from 10 schools in Los Angeles County. Participants completed a paper-and-pencil survey regarding their alcohol and marijuana use, along with their perceived family functioning and self-image and other demographic variables. Ordinal logistic regression was performed to examine associations. Results indicated that both family functioning and self-image were significantly associated with alcohol and marijuana use. Those who scored lower on family functioning and self-image were at increased risk for substance use. Furthermore, students who scored low in both family functioning and self-image were about twice as likely to report using alcohol.