Myositis Autoantibody Profiles and Clinical Significance in Patients with Inflammatory Myopathies in Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to analyze the distribution of myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) and myositis-associated autoantibodies (MAAs) in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) in southwest China and to explore the relevance between each subtype, each clinical feature, and to explore the relevance between the laboratory indexes. METHODS: For this study, 200 patients with IIMs were tested for myositis autoantibodies. Clinical manifestations and laboratory metrics were collected and the correlations between autoantibodies and clinical phenotypes were analyzed. RESULTS: MSAs were found in 73.5% of the patients. The most frequently MSAs were anti-MDA5 (26.8%), followed by anti-ARS (18.5%). Anti-Ro52 was the most prevalent in MAAs (46.2%). Interstitial lung disease (ILD) and arthralgia were more frequent in anti-MDA5 and anti-Jo-1 positive groups (each p < 0.05). Anti-TIF1-γ and anti-NXP2 were associated with dysphagia (each p < 0.05). Different antibody subtypes were associated with laboratory indicators of response to muscle damage and immune status. Logistic regression showed that anti-MDA5 and anti-Jo-1 were independent risk factors for ILD (OR = 4.542, p = 0.004; OR = 4.290, p = 0.018, respectively) and arthralgia (OR = 7.856, p = 0.000; OR = 5.731, p = 0.004, respectively), whereas anti-TIF1-γ and anti-NXP2 were independent risk factors for dysphagia (OR = 4.521, p = 0.009; OR = 6.889, p = 0.017, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Different antibody subtypes were associated with specific clinical features. Anti-MDA5 and anti-Jo-1 were independent risk factors for ILD and arthralgia. Anti-TIF1-γ and anti-NXP2 were independent risk factors for dysphagia.

A case of CIC-rearranged sarcoma with CIC-LEUTX gene fusion in spinal cord.

A 16-year-old male was admitted to the hospital for weakness of both lower extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intraspinal extramedullary subdural mass at the thoracic 9 level. Microscopically, the tumor cells were small to medium sized and round to ovoid in shape. They were distributed in diffuse sheets or showed nodular appearance. The nucleus of the tumor had mild-to-moderate atypia, with vesicular chromatin and prominent nucleoli. A smaller proportion of tumor cells demonstrated rhabdoid morphology. Focal myxoid stromal change was present, in which tumor cells exhibited spindle shapes. Approximately two mitoses were counted per 10 high-power fields. No necrosis was observed. The tumor cells were focal positive for CD99; multifocal positive for WT1; diffuse positive for nestin, synaptophysin, and D2-40; partial positive for GFAP; focal positive for desmin and SSTR2; and scattered positive for S-100 protein. The Ki-67 labeling index was approximately 20%. Genetic testing revealed CIC-LEUTX gene fusion. Considering the patient's history, clinical data, pathological findings and genetic findings, we rendered a rare tumor named CIC-rearranged sarcoma with CIC-LEUTX gene fusion.

Clinical significance of serum ferritin in patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical significance of serum ferritin (SF) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: The levels of SF were measured in 115 patients with SSc and 117 healthy controls (HCs). Clinical characteristics and laboratory indexes between the high ferritin SSc group and the normal ferritin SSc group were analyzed. RESULTS: The level of SF in SSc patients was significantly higher than that in HCs (319.78 [179, 554.33] ng/ml vs. 99 [49.03, 164.29] ng/ml, p < 0.01). Compared with the normal ferritin SSc group, the high ferritin SSc group was more likely to develop skin diffuse cutaneous SSc, fingertip arthralgia, and cardiac involvement. In addition, the levels of glutamine transaminase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and the positive rate of anti-Scl70 antibody in the high ferritin SSc group were significantly higher (each p < 0.05). SF was positively correlated with GGT, ALT, CK, CK-MB, LD, IgA, CRP, and ESR (each p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that cardiac involvement, ALT, and ESR were independent influencing factors of SF in SSc. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that the level of SF in patients with SSc is increased, and the elevated SF is related to abnormal liver function, myocardial involvement, inflammatory status, and production of autoantibodies in SSc. Cardiac involvement, ALT, and ESR are independent factors affecting SF in SSc.

Modeling and improving the output power of terahertz master-oscillator power-amplifier quantum cascade lasers.

A model based on carrier rate equations is proposed to evaluate the gain saturation and predict the dependence of the output power of a terahertz master-oscillator power-amplifier quantum cascade laser (THz-MOPA-QCL) on the material and structure parameters. The model reveals the design rules of the preamplifier and the power extractor to maximize the output power and the wall-plug efficiency. The correction of the model is verified by its agreement with the experiment results. The optimized MOPA devices exhibit single-mode emission at ∼ 2.6 THz with a side mode suppression ratio of 23 dB, a pulsed output power of 153 mW, a wall-plug efficiency of 0.22%, and a low divergence angle of ∼6°×16°, all measured at an operation temperature of 77 K. The model developed here is helpful for the design of MOPA devices and semiconductor optical amplifiers, in which the active region is based on intersubband transitions.

Terahertz master-oscillator power-amplifier quantum cascade laser with a grating coupler of extremely low reflectivity.

A terahertz master-oscillation power-amplifier quantum cascade laser (THz-MOPA-QCL) is demonstrated where a grating coupler is employed to efficiently extract the THz radiation. By maximizing the group velocity and eliminating the scattering of THz wave in the grating coupler, the residue reflectivity is reduced down to the order of 10-3. A buried DFB grating and a tapered preamplifier are proposed to improve the seed power and to reduce the gain saturation, respectively. The THz-MOPA-QCL exhibits single-mode emission, a single-lobed beam with a narrow divergence angle of 18° × 16°, and a pulsed output power of 136 mW at 20 K, which is 36 times that of a second-order DFB laser from the same material.

NLRC5 promotes endometrial carcinoma progression by regulating NF-κB pathway-mediated mismatch repair gene deficiency.

The innate immune molecule NLR family CARD domain-containing 5 (NLRC5) plays a significant role in endometrial carcinoma (EC) immunosurveillance. However, NLRC5 also plays a protumor role in EC cells. Mismatch repair gene deficiency (dMMR) can enable tumors to grow faster and also can exhibit high sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this study, we attempted to determine whether NLRC5-mediated protumor role in EC is via the regulation of dMMR. Our findings revealed that NLRC5 promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of EC cells and induced the dMMR status of EC in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, the mechanism underlying NLRC5 regulated dMMR was also verified. We first found NLRC5 could suppress nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway in EC cells. Then we validated that the positive effect of NLRC5 in dMMR was restricted when NF-κB was activated by lipopolysaccharides in NLRC5-overexpression EC cell lines. In conclusion, our present study confirmed the novel NLRC5/NF-κB/MMR regulatory mechanism of the protumor effect of NLRC5 on EC cells, thereby suggesting that the NLRC5-mediated protumor in EC was depend on the function of MMR.

The Clinical Value of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, the C-Reactive Protein-to-Albumin Ratio, the Systemic Inflammatory Index, and the Systemic Inflammatory Response Index in Patients with the Anti-Synthetase Syndrome.

Objective: There are no studies examining the role of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR), the systemic inflammatory index (SII), and the systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) in anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS). We aim to compare NLR, CAR, SII, and SIRI in ASS and dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM), as well as to examine potential correlations between NLR, CAR, SII, and SIRI and clinical features and laboratory parameters in ASS. Methods: Retrospective collection of data from 111 patients with ASS and 175 patients with DM/PM. A Spearman rank correlation analysis was utilized to analyze the correlation between NLR, CAR, SII, and SIRI and inflammatory indexes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the diagnostic value. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess risk factors for interstitial lung disease (ILD). Results: Compared with DM/PM, NLR, CAR, SII, and SIRI were significantly greater in ASS patients (p < 0.05). NLR, CAR, SII, and SIRI were correlated with albumin, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, white blood cell (WBC), platelets, and myositis disease activity assessment visual analog scales (MYOACT) score (p < 0.05). The ROC curves analysis showed that NLR, SII, and SIRI were all highly predictive of the occurrence of ASS. Comparisons based on clinical characteristics showed elevated levels of NLR, CAR, SII, and SIRI in ASS patients with ILD, fever, and infection (p < 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that NLR, CAR, and SII were significant risk factors for ASS-ILD (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The levels of NLR, CAR, SII, and SIRI were higher in ASS than in DM/PM and correlated with disease activity and specific clinical features. NLR, CAR, SII, and SIRI may be an aid in differentiating ASS from DM/PM and maybe promising biomarkers for ASS.

The clinical value of the monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio in primary biliary cholangitis.

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of the monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) and alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio (APPR) in the diagnosis and prognosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Clinical and laboratory data were retrospectively collected and analyzed from 92 PBC patients, 92 patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), 120 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 124 healthy controls (HCs). We compared the levels of MHR and APPR among the groups with PBC, AIH, CHB and HCs, and analyzed the correlations between MHR and APPR with laboratory indices including aspartate aminotransferase platelet ratio index, fibrosis index based on 4 factors, and Mayo score in PBC. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to analyze the diagnostic performance of MHR and APPR for PBC, AIH, and CHB, respectively. MHR and APPR were significantly increased in PBC group than that in AIH, CHB and HCs groups (each P < .05). MHR and APPR were significantly higher in Child class B|C than that in class A in PBC patients. (P < .01, P < .05, respectively). MHR and APPR were positively related to the Mayo score [R = 0.508 (P < .001), R = 0.295 (P = .008), respectively]. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of MHR and APPR in diagnosing PBC were 0.764 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.699-0.821, P < .001) and 0.952 (95% CI: 0.915-0.977, P < .001), respectively, and the area under the curve of the combination of both was 0.974 (95% CI: 0.941-0.991, P < .001). MHR and APPR may prove to be useful prognostic biomarkers for PBC, and the combination of MHR and APPR have some clinical diagnostic value of PBC.

NLRC5 potentiates anti-tumor CD8+ T cells responses by activating interferon-ß in endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVES: NLR family CARD domain containing 5 (NLRC5) could promote major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I)-dependent CD8+ T cell-mediated anticancer immunity. In this study, the immunosurveillance role and underlying mechanisms of NLRC5 in endometrial cancer (EC) were characterized. METHODS: CD8+ T cells were separated from healthy women's peripheral blood by using magnetic beads. The effect of NLRC5 and interferon-ß (IFN-ß) on immunosurveillance of EC were examined through a mouse tumor model and a CD8+ T cell-EC cell coculture system after NLRC5 overexpression and IFN-ß overexpression or depletion. The effect of NLRC5 on IFN-ß expression was examined with gain- and loss-of-function experiments. RESULTS: NLRC5 overexpression in the EC cell and CD8+ T cell coculture system inhibited EC cell proliferation and migration and promoted EC cell apoptosis and CD8+ T cell proliferation. In vivo, NLRC5 overexpression increased the proportion of CD8+ T cells and inhibited EC progression. Furthermore, IFN-ß overexpression in the EC cell and CD8+ T cell coculture system activated CD8+ T cell proliferation; however, genetic depletion of IFN-ß exerted the opposite effects. In addition, NLRC5 could negatively regulate IFN-ß expression in EC cells. Mechanistically, NLRC5 potentiated the antitumor responses of CD8+ T cells to EC by activating IFN-ß. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings demonstrated that NLRC5 potentiates anti-tumor CD8+ T cells responses by activating interferon-ß in EC, suggesting that genetically escalated NLRC5 and IFN-ß may act as potential candidates for the clinical translation of adjuvant immunotherapies to patients with EC.

Digital PCR to Measure SARS-CoV-2 RNA, Variants, and Outcomes in Youth.

BACKGROUND: The role of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in predicting contagiousness, disease severity, transmissibility, and clinical decision-making continues to be an area of great interest. However, most studies have been in adults and have evaluated SARS-CoV-2 loads using cycle thresholds (Ct) values, which are not standardized preventing consistent interpretation critical to understanding clinical impact and utility. Here, a quantitative SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcription digital PCR (RT-dPCR) assay normalized to WHO International Units was applied to children at risk of severe disease diagnosed with COVID-19 at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital between March 28, 2020, and January 31, 2022. METHODS: Demographic and clinical information from children, adolescents, and young adults treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital were abstracted from medical records. Respiratory samples underwent SARS-CoV-2 RNA quantitation by RT-dPCR targeting N1 and N2 genes, with sequencing to determine the genetic lineage of infecting virus. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty-two patients aged 0-24 years (median 11 years old) were included during the study period. Most patients were infected by the omicron variant (43.72%), followed by ancestral strain (22.29%), delta (13.20%), and alpha (2.16%). Viral load at presentation ranged from 2.49 to 9.14 log10 IU/mL, and higher viral RNA loads were associated with symptoms (OR 1.32; CI 95% 1.16-1.49) and respiratory disease (OR 1.23; CI 95% 1.07-1.41). Viral load did not differ by SARS-CoV-2 variant, vaccination status, age, or baseline diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads predict the presence of symptomatic and respiratory diseases. The use of standardized, quantitative methods is feasible, allows for replication, and comparisons across institutions, and has the potential to facilitate consensus quantitative thresholds for risk stratification and treatment.

[Ageing related changes of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity among normal glucose tolerance individuals in China].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the aging-related changes of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity among normal glucose tolerance (NGT) individuals in China. METHODS: A total of 34 293 individuals were recruited. All of them were described as NGT by 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (75 g OGTT) according to the diagnostic criterion of WHO, 1999. HOMA-ß, ΔI(30)/ΔG(30), InsAuc30/GluAuc30, InsAuc120/GluAuc120 were calculated to estimate insulin secretion; HOMA-IR and Matsuda index measured to estimate insulin sensitivity; Disposition index: DI(30) and DI(120) were used to estimate ß-cell function. RESULTS: HOMA-ß, ΔI(30)/ΔG(30), InsAuc30/GluAuc30 and InsAuc120/GluAuc120 were all lower in the elder group then the younger group (P trend < 0.05). The mean HOMA-ß dropped from 192 ± 16 (20 - 29 years) to 115 ± 7 (70 or elder) among men and from 162 ± 8 (20 - 29 years) to 120 ± 12 (70 or elder) among women. The mean ΔI(30)/ΔG(30) dropped from 20.0 ± 2.0 (20 - 29 years) to 8.6 ± 0.6 (70 or elder) among men and from 22.4 ± 1.6 (20 - 29 years) to 12.5 ± 1.7 (70 or elder) among women. The above index were negatively correlated with age in univariate linear regression (P < 0.05), the results among men and overall still existed after adjusted for BMI and waist circumference in multivariate linear regression, while the relation between HOMA-ß and age disappeared among women. Matsuda Index was positively correlated with age (ß = 0.02, P = 0.001) and HOMA-IR were negatively correlated with age (ß = -0.01, P = 0.001) among men even after adjusted for BMI and waist circumference and the above correlation between Matsuda Index/HOMA-IR and ageing was not significant until adjusted for BMI and waist circumference in multivariate linear regression. Among women HOMA-IR (ß = -0.01, P = 0.000), Matsuda index (ß = 0.03, P = 0.000). DI(30) and DI(120) were negatively correlated with age in both univariate and multivariate linear regression. CONCLUSIONS: The basal, postchallenge insulin secretion and postchallenge islet compensatory function decreases with ageing, while insulin sensitivity does not deteriorate with ageing and its related change of body composition and weight gain.

Prediction of Symptomatic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection by Quantitative Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction Normalized to International Units.

Although numerous studies have evaluated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection using cycle threshold (Ct) values as a surrogate of viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) load, few studies have used standardized, quantitative methods. We validated a quantitative SARS-CoV-2 digital polymerase chain reaction assay normalized to World Health Organization International Units and correlated viral RNA load with symptoms and disease severity.

Transposon transgenesis in Xenopus.

Transposon-mediated integration strategies in Xenopus offer simple and robust methods for the generation of germline transgenic animals. Co-injection of fertilized one-cell embryos with plasmid DNA harboring a transposon transgene and synthetic mRNA encoding the cognate transposase enzyme results in mosaic integration of the transposon at early cleavage stages that are frequently passed through the germline in the adult animal. Micro-injection of fertilized embryos is a routine procedure used by many laboratories that use Xenopus as a developmental model and, as such, the transposon transgenesis method can be performed without additional equipment or specialized methodologies. The methods for injecting Xenopus embryos are well documented in the literature so here we provide a step-by-step guide to other aspects of transposon transgenesis, including screening mosaic founders for germline transmission of the transgene and general husbandry considerations related to management of populations of transgenic frogs.

Clinical value of using ultrasound to assess calcification patterns in thyroid nodules.

BACKGROUND: Differentiating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules is important for providing appropriate treatment. In the present study we examined the clinical usefulness of ultrasound in examining calcification patterns in thyroid nodules, and thus predict malignancy. METHODS: The records of 1,498 Chinese patients who underwent thyroidectomy for nodular thyroid disease were retrospectively examined. All patients underwent thyroid ultrasound within 1 month before surgery. Calcification patterns in thyroid nodules were examined, and tissue samples were analyzed to determine a pathological diagnosis. Calcifications were defined as macrocalcifications, microcalcifications, rim calcifications, or isolated calcifications. RESULTS: A total of 2,122 thyroid nodules were examined, and 259 nodules (12.2%) were found to be malignant. Papillary carcinoma accounted for 85.3% of all malignancies. The majority of benign lesions were nodular goiters. Calcification was detected in 49.6% of malignant nodules and 15.7% of benign nodules. Microcalcifications were significantly more common in malignant nodules as compared to benign nodules (33.7 vs. 6.4%; P < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of microcalcifications for predicting malignancy were 33.7 and 93.6%, respectively, while the positive and negative likelihood ratios were 42.0 and 91.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Calcifications, as detected by ultrasonography, are evident in benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Although microcalcifications are more common in malignant thyroid nodules than in benign ones, the clinical value of using the presence of microcalcifications alone for predicting malignancy is limited.

Epidemiology and risk factors for diabetes in the suburbs of Beijing: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to detect the incidence and risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) development in the suburbs of Beijing. DESIGN: Cohort study with record linkage to incidence data. SETTING: We performed a 5-year follow-up study in a randomly selected suburban population including 1114 subjects aged ≥18 years living in the suburbs of Beijing. PARTICIPANTS: 118 subjects with T2DM at baseline according to the 1999 WHO criteria were excluded, and 895 subjects attended the follow-up assessment in 2012. The non-diabetic subjects at baseline were classified into two groups: normal glucose tolerance (NGT) group (n=673) and impaired glucose regulation (IGR) group(n=222).The incidence and risk factors of diabetes development in each group were investigated. OUTCOME MEASURES: A structured questionnaire about sociodemographic characteristics, height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, blood pressure, oral glucose tolerance test and serum lipid levels. RESULTS: Out of the 895 non-diabetic subjects, 67 developed diabetes with 29 in the NGT group and 38 in the IGR group, respectively, after a 5-year follow-up, producing an overall 5-year cumulative incidence of diabetes of 13%. The incidence of diabetes was 15.5 cases per 1000 person-years, 8.9 cases per 1000 person-years in the NGT group and 35.7 cases per 1000 person-years in the IGR group (p<0.01; RR 4.03; 95% CI 2.58 to 9.29). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for diabetes development included fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in the NGT group, and sex, the waist-to-hip ratio, FPG and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the IGR group. CONCLUSIONS: During a mean follow-up of 5.0 years, the incidence of T2DM in the suburbs of Beijing was 15.5 per 1000 person-years. Early prevention of diabetes should focus on IGR subjects. Elevated FPG predicted diabetes development for both NGT and IGR subjects. Female sex, overweight/obesity and DBP are risk factors for diabetes development in IGR subjects.

Family History of Diabetes and the Effectiveness of Lifestyle Intervention on Insulin Secretion and Insulin Resistance in Chinese Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome.

AIMS: The current study aims to explore if a family history of diabetes can influence the efficiency of lifestyle intervention on insulin secretion and study the insulin resistance in Chinese men and women with metabolic syndrome in a cohort with a 2-year follow-up. METHODS: 151 individuals (90 individuals did not have a family history of diabetes (DMFH (-)) and 61 with a family history of diabetes (DMFH (+)) with metabolic syndrome participated in the lifestyle intervention program at baseline and finished with 1-year follow-up. 124 individuals have two-year follow-up data. A family history of diabetes was ascertained by self-report. Lifestyle interventions were individual sessions on lifestyle changes. RESULTS: During the 1-year follow-up, Ln Insulinogenic index (Δbaseline-1year = 0.29 ± 0.65, P = 0.001) and 30-min glucose (Δbaseline-1year = -0.41 ± 1.71, P = 0.024) changed significantly in the DMFH(-) group; in the DMFH(+) group, Ln ISIm (Δbaseline-1year = -0.22 ± 0.60, P = 0.022) and 30-min glucose (Δbaseline-1year = 0.53 ± 1.89, P = 0.032) changed significantly, and there was no significant change of other parameters. The change of 30 min glucose during a 1-year intervention has shown a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.002). During the 2 years intervention, Ln Insulinogenic index changed significantly in the DMFH(-) group (Δbaseline-1year = 0.33 ± 0.66, P < 0.001 and Δbaseline-2year = 0.43 ± 1.17, P = 0.034). Fasting insulin (Δbaseline-2year = 2.95 ± 8.69, P = 0.034), 2 h insulin (Δbaseline-2year = 23.75 ± 44.89, P = 0.002), Ln HOMA-B (Δbaseline-2year = 0.43 ± 1.02, P = 0.009), Ln HOMA-IR (Δbaseline-2year = 0.53 ± 1.04, P = 0.002), Ln ISIm (Δbaseline-2year = 0.52 ± 0.95, P = 0.004), and Ln Insulinogenic index (Δbaseline-2year = 0.66 ± 1.18, P = 0.047) changed significantly after 2 years of intervention, compared to the baseline in the DMFH(+) group. The change of Ln ISIm (P = 0.023), fasting (P = 0.030), and 2 h insulin (P = 0.007) during the 2-year intervention has shown a significant difference between the two groups. Family history of diabetes was related with a 0.500 unit increase in 2-year ISIm (P = 0.020) modified by lifestyle intervention adjusted for age, baseline BMI, sex, and baseline waist circumference and a 0.476 unit increase in 2-year ISIm (P = 0.027) with extra adjustment for weight change. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a family history of diabetes benefit more from lifestyle intervention in regard to insulin resistance than those without a family history of diabetes adjusting for age, baseline BMI, sex, baseline waist circumference, and weight change.

Maternal and paternal histories differentially influence risks for diabetes, insulin secretion and insulin resistance in a Chinese population.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: To investigate the differential effects of maternal versus paternal history of diabetes on the risks for diabetes and prediabetes, as well as on insulin secretion and resistance in Chinese individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From the 2007 to 2008 China National Diabetes and Metabolism Disorders Study, 39,244 participants were included and divided into four categories: negative parental history, paternal history only (PH), maternal history only (MH), and both paternal and maternal history. RESULTS: The age- and sex-standardized prevalence rates of diabetes in the negative parental history, PH, MH, and both paternal and maternal history groups were 8.59, 12.56, 15.86 and 29.81%, respectively. The prevalence rates of impaired glucose metabolism were 24.13, 25.41, 31.13 and 50.80%, with the prevalence in the MH group being significantly higher than that in the PH group. Compared with that in the FH0 group, the risks of diabetes in the PH, MH, and both paternal and maternal history groups were 2.01-, 2.67- and 6.37-fold greater, and the risks of impaired glucose metabolism were 1.28-, 1.65- and 3.45-fold greater. In addition, MH had a significantly greater impact on impaired glucose metabolism than PH (PMHvsPH  = 0.0292). Regression analyses suggested MH was associated with homeostatic model assessment for ß-cell function (ß[SE] = -0.0910[0.0334], P = 0.0065), insulinogenic index (-0.1866[0.0550], P = 0.0007), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (0.0662[0.0227], P = 0.0036) and Matsuda Index [-0.0716(0.0203), P = 0.0004]. PH was specifically associated with homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (0.1343[0.0267], P < 0.0001) and Matsuda Index (-0.1566[0.0243], P < 0.0001), but the effects were stronger than those of MH (PMHvsPH  = 0.0431, 0.0054). CONCLUSIONS: MH and PH differentially influence the risks for diabetes, insulin secretion, and insulin resistance in the Chinese population, suggesting they participate in the pathogenesis of diabetes through different mechanisms.

H2S quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy sensor employing a liquid-nitrogen-cooled THz quantum cascade laser operating in pulsed mode.

In this work, we report on a quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) sensor for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) detection, exploiting a liquid-nitrogen-cooled THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) operating in pulsed mode. The spectrophone was designed to accommodate a THz QCL beam and consisted of a custom quartz tuning fork with a large prong spacing, coupled with acoustic resonator tubes. The targeted rotational transition falls at 2.87 THz (95.626 cm-1), with a line-strength of 5.53 ∙ 10-20 cm/mol. A THz QCL peak power of 150 mW was measured at a heat sink temperature of 81 K, pulse width of 1 µs and repetition rate of 15.8 kHz. A QEPAS record sensitivity for H2S detection in the THz range of 360 part-per-billion in volume was achieved at a gas pressure of 60 Torr and 10 s integration time.

Remobilization of Tol2 transposons in Xenopus tropicalis.

BACKGROUND: The Class II DNA transposons are mobile genetic elements that move DNA sequence from one position in the genome to another. We have previously demonstrated that the naturally occurring Tol2 element from Oryzias latipes efficiently integrates its corresponding non-autonomous transposable element into the genome of the diploid frog, Xenopus tropicalis. Tol2 transposons are stable in the frog genome and are transmitted to the offspring at the expected Mendelian frequency. RESULTS: To test whether Tol2 transposons integrated in the Xenopus tropicalis genome are substrates for remobilization, we injected in vitro transcribed Tol2 mRNA into one-cell embryos harbouring a single copy of a Tol2 transposon. Integration site analysis of injected embryos from two founder lines showed at least one somatic remobilization event per embryo. We also demonstrate that the remobilized transposons are transmitted through the germline and re-integration can result in the generation of novel GFP expression patterns in the developing tadpole. Although the parental line contained a single Tol2 transposon, the resulting remobilized tadpoles frequently inherit multiple copies of the transposon. This is likely to be due to the Tol2 transposase acting in discrete blastomeres of the developing injected embryo during the cell cycle after DNA synthesis but prior to mitosis. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we demonstrate that single copy Tol2 transposons integrated into the Xenopus tropicalis genome are effective substrates for excision and random re-integration and that the remobilized transposons are transmitted through the germline. This is an important step in the development of 'transposon hopping' strategies for insertional mutagenesis, gene trap and enhancer trap screens in this highly tractable developmental model organism.

[Predictive value of sonographic features in preoperative evaluation of malignant thyroid nodules].

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonographic (US) features for the pre-operative differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules by using pathological diagnosis as the reference standard. METHODS: A total of 1501 patients with 2123 thyroid nodules (1864 malignant, 259 benign) diagnosed intra-operatively and undergoing pre-operative ultrasonography at our hospital were recruited. The following characteristics of US images were evaluated: nodule size, shape, margin, echotexture, echogenicity, presence and type of calcification, blood flow inside or around nodules and the presence of ipsilateral cervical lymphadenectasis. RESULTS: (1) The risk of malignancy was higher in a solitary nodule than in a non-solitary nodule [16.7% (109/653) vs 10.2% (150/1470), P=0.000]. The mean diameter of benign nodules was larger than that of malignant nodules [(2.4±1.4) vs (2.1±1.9) cm, P=0.009]. (2) Microcalcification, irregular shape, ill-defined border, solid and hypoechogenicity were more common in malignant nodules. Irregular shape had the highest sensitivity and positive predictive value while microcalcification had the highest diagnostic accuracy. (3) Nodules with a rich blood flow inside tended to have a higher risk of malignancy. The distribution pattern of blood flow around the nodules was not associated with the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Nodules with the presence of ipsilateral cervical lymphadenectasis had a higher risk of malignancy than those without lymphadenectasis [28.3% (80/283) vs 9.6% (92/963), P<0.01]. (4) If microcalcification, irregular shape, ill-defined border, solid, hypoechogenicity and the presence of ipsilateral cervical lymphadenectasis were treated as the characteristics of malignancy, a higher frequency of these characteristics was correlated with a higher risk of malignancy. CONCLUSION: Despite a lack of specific US imaging characteristics in malignant thyroid nodules, microcalcification and irregular shape appear closely correlated with malignancy. A combined use of conventional US characteristics may improve the accuracy of differential diagnosis.