DNA methylation promotes the expression of PPARγ transcript 1 at least in part by preventing NRF1 binding to the promoter P1 of chicken PPARγ gene.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a master regulator of adipogenesis. Our previous study revealed that chicken PPARγ has 3 alternative promoters named as P1, P2, and P3, and the DNA methylation of promoter P3 was negatively associated with PPARγ mRNA expression in abdominal adipose tissue (AAT). However, the methylation status of promoters P1 and P2 is unclear. Here we assessed promoter P1 methylation status in AAT of Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content (NEAUHLF). The results showed that promoter P1 methylation differed in AAT between the lean and fat lines of NEAUHLF at 7 wk of age (p < 0.05), and AAT expression of PPARγ transcript 1 (PPARγ1), which was derived from the promoter P1, was greatly higher in fat line than in lean line at 2 and 7 wk of age. The results of the correlation analysis showed that P1 methylation was positively correlated with PPARγ1 expression at 7 wk of age (Pearson's r = 0.356, p = 0.0242), suggesting P1 methylation promotes PPARγ1 expression. To explore the underlying molecular mechanism of P1 methylation on PPARγ1 expression, bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay, pyrosequencing, and electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA) were performed. The results showed that transcription factor NRF1 repressed the promoter activity of the unmethylated P1, but not the methylated P1. Of all the 4 CpGs (CpG48, CpG49, CpG50, and CpG51), which reside within or nearby the NRF1 binding sites of the P1, only CpG49 methylation in AAT was remarkably higher in the fat line than in lean line at 7 wk of age (3.18 to 0.57, p < 0.05), and CpG49 methylation was positively correlated with PPARγ1 expression (Pearson's r = 0.3716, p = 0.0432). Furthermore, EMSA showed that CpG49 methylation reduced the binding of NRF1 to the P1. Taken together, our findings illustrate that P1 methylation promotes PPARγ1 expression at least in part by preventing NRF1 from binding to the promoter P1.

Imaging the Meissner effect in hydride superconductors using quantum sensors.

By directly altering microscopic interactions, pressure provides a powerful tuning knob for the exploration of condensed phases and geophysical phenomena1. The megabar regime represents an interesting frontier, in which recent discoveries include high-temperature superconductors, as well as structural and valence phase transitions2-6. However, at such high pressures, many conventional measurement techniques fail. Here we demonstrate the ability to perform local magnetometry inside a diamond anvil cell with sub-micron spatial resolution at megabar pressures. Our approach uses a shallow layer of nitrogen-vacancy colour centres implanted directly within the anvil7-9; crucially, we choose a crystal cut compatible with the intrinsic symmetries of the nitrogen-vacancy centre to enable functionality at megabar pressures. We apply our technique to characterize a recently discovered hydride superconductor, CeH9 (ref. 10). By performing simultaneous magnetometry and electrical transport measurements, we observe the dual signatures of superconductivity: diamagnetism characteristic of the Meissner effect and a sharp drop of the resistance to near zero. By locally mapping both the diamagnetic response and flux trapping, we directly image the geometry of superconducting regions, showing marked inhomogeneities at the micron scale. Our work brings quantum sensing to the megabar frontier and enables the closed-loop optimization of superhydride materials synthesis.

Improving Bond Strength of Translucent Zirconia Through Surface Treatment With SiO2-ZrO2 Coatings.

BACKGROUND: Translucent monolithic zirconia ceramics have been applied in dental clinics due to their esthetic translucent formulations and mechanical properties. Considering inherent ceramic brittleness, adhesive bonding with resin composite increases the fracture resistance of ceramic restorations. However, zirconia is a chemically stable material that is difficult to adhesively bond with resin. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influences of SiO2-ZrO2 coatings on adhesive bonding of zirconia and the surface characterization of those coatings. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Translucent zirconia discs were classified into groups based on surface treatments: CT (control), SB (sandblasting), C21(SiO2:ZrO2=2:1), C11(SiO2:ZrO2=1:1), and C12 (SiO2:ZrO2=1:2) (n=10). Surface characterization of coatings on zirconia were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), surface roughness assessment (Ra), X-ray diffraction (XRD), water contact angle (WCA), translucency parameter (TP), and shear bond strength (SBS). Two-way ANOVA for shear bond strength results and ANOVA for Ra and WCA were performed. RESULTS: SEM images revealed SiO2 islands on zirconia disks coated with SiO2-ZrO2. Surface roughness of C12, C11, and C21 groups was significantly larger than those of groups SB and CT (p<0.05). XRD results showed that phase transformation of zirconia disks was detected only in the SB group. In addition, SiO2-ZrO2 coatings reduced WCA. The translucency decreased only in group C21. Group C11 showed the highest shear bond strength under both aging conditions. CONCLUSION: SiO2-ZrO2 coating is a promising method to enhance the adhesive resin bonding of translucent zirconia without causing phase transformation of translucent zirconia.

[Expression of Mas1 receptor in human placenta and its effect on the function of trophoblast cells in pre-eclampsia patients].

Objective: To investigate the expression change of the Mas1 receptor in the placenta of healthy pregnant women during different gestation periods, analyze the expression level of the Mas1 receptor in the placenta of pre-eclampsia (PE) patients, and its biological function in trophoblast cells. Methods: Placental villous tissues were collected from normal pregnant women in early, mid and late pregnancy. Human trophoblast stem cells were isolated and cultured from early pregnancy villous tissues. The expression of the Mas1 receptor was detected by fluorescence immunoassay and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. In a case-control study, patients with full-term PE were selected as the case group and healthy women with full-term pregnancy were selected as the control group. Placental villus tissues were collected from both groups. Immunofluorescence chemistry and immunoprotein blotting were used to study the changes in Mas1 receptor expression in PE. Mas1 receptor agonists and blockers induced HTR8/Svneo cells and BeWo cells, and the effects of the Mas1 receptor on the proliferation and migration of trophoblast cells were detected by the CCK8 proliferation test and scratch test. Results: Eight cases were included in early pregnancy, seven cases in mid-pregnancy and six cases in late pregnancy. Mas1 receptors in normal placental villi tissue were mainly expressed in human trophoblast stem cell membranes and cytoplasm, and the expression of Mas1 receptor mRNA in villi tissue was significantly higher in late pregnancy than in mid-pregnancy. There were 24 cases included in the case group and 12 cases in the control group. Mas1 receptor expression in placental villi was significantly lower in the case group compared to the control group; Activation/inhibition of the Mas1 receptor had no significant effect on the proliferation of HTR8/Svneo cells and BeWo cells. Activated Mas1 receptor had no significant effect on the migration ability of HTR8/Svneo cells. Conclusion: Mas1 receptors are expressed in placental villous tissue and their expression varies with gestation. Mas1 receptor expression is reduced in PE patients, but it does not affect the value-added or migratory function of trophoblast cells.

An investigation of the PM2.5 concentrations and cumulative inhaled dose during subway commutes in Changchun, China.

Air quality in subway systems is crucial as it affects the health of passengers and staff. Although most tests of PM2.5 concentrations in subway stations have taken place in public areas, PM2.5 is less understood in workplaces. Few studies have estimated the cumulative inhaled dose of passengers based on real-time changes in PM2.5 concentrations as they commute. To clarify the above issues, this study first measured PM2.5 concentrations in four subway stations in Changchun, China, where measuring points included five workrooms. Then, passengers' exposure to PM2.5 during the whole subway commute (20-30 min) was measured and segmented inhalation was calculated. The results showed that PM2.5 concentration in public places ranged from 50 to 180 µg/m3, and was strongly correlated with outdoors. While the PM2.5 average concentration in workplaces was 60 µg/m3, and it was less affected by outdoor PM2.5 concentration. Passenger's cumulative inhalations in single commuting were about 42 µg and 100 µg when the outdoor PM2.5 concentrations were 20-30 µg/m3 and 120-180 µg/m3, respectively. The PM2.5 inhalation in carriages accounted for the largest proportion of the entire commuting, about 25-40%, because of the longer exposure time and higher PM2.5 concentrations. It is recommended to improve the tightness of the carriage and filter the fresh air to improve the air quality inside. The average daily PM2.5 inhaled by staff was 513.53 µg, which was 5-12 times higher than that of passengers. Installing air purification devices in workplaces and reminding staff to take personal protection can positively protect their health.

[Optical quality with ocular aberrations in young myopic eyes with machine learning].

Objective: The objective of this retrospective study was to employ machine learning techniques to examine age-related traits of ocular aberrations in a substantial population with myopia and myopic astigmatism. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Data from a population of myopic and myopic astigmatism patients who underwent wavefront aberration examinations at the Refractive Surgery Center of Tianjin Eye Hospital in Tianjin, China, were collected continuously from January 2013 to July 2017. The data from the right eye of each individual were collected for analysis. Each eye had 32 outcome data points, including age, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), lower-order aberrations (spherical diopter, cylindrical diopter, and astigmatic axis), and higher-order aberrations [Zernike coefficients and root mean square (RMS) of the third to sixth order aberrations] were analyzed. Higher-order aberrations were measured by Hartmann-Shack aberrometer. Results: The study included 1 507 subjects (1 507 eyes), comprising of 694 males and 813 females, with a mean age of (23.28±5.45) years. The findings demonstrated a decrease followed by an increase in most of the higher-order aberrations with age between 15-40 years. The minimum value points were observed in the age group of 25-30 years for RMS of total higher-order aberrations, 3rd RMS (with a confidence of 47.74% for range 1), 4th RMS (with a confidence of 86.01% for range 1), and trefoil aberrations (with a confidence of 56.38% for C33 and 73.25% for C3-3). The minimum value points were also observed in the age group of 30-35 years for primary spherical aberration (with a confidence of 56.10% for C40) and vertical coma-like aberration (with a confidence of 56.91% for C3-1). In contrast, astigmatism with the rule tended to decrease with age, while astigmatism against the rule and oblique astigmatism tended to increase (with a confidence of 88.66%, 84.71%, 81.07%, 79.67%, and 66.35% for astigmatism with the rule in different age groups). Conclusions: As age increases, the population with with-the-rule astigmatism decreases while the population with against-the-rule astigmatism increases. The high-order aberrations are the lowest in the 25-35 age group.

Investigation of microbiologically influenced corrosion inhibition of 304 stainless steel by D-cysteine in the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The influence of D-cysteine (D-cys) on the microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of 304 stainless steel caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated in this work. Immersion tests in the sterile and P. aeruginosa-inoculated culture media with different D-cys concentrations were carried out. The results showed that the addition of D-cys inhibited the formation of P. aeruginosa biofilms on stainless steel surfaces. D-cys itself did not affect the corrosion of stainless steel but could decrease the corrosion rate of MIC of stainless steel caused by P. aeruginosa. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) analysis indicated that the biofilm inhibition effect of D-cys greatly reduced the destructive effect of the adhered P. aeruginosa cells on the passive film of the stainless steel, thus inhibiting the MIC of the stainless steel.

Improving intensity-modulated radiation therapy quality assurance by adopting statistical process control.

PURPOSE: To use statistical process control for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA) and improve tolerance limits and action limits. METHODS: An electronic portal imaging device (EPID) was selected to verify IMRT QA. The I-chart and the exponentially weighted moving averages (EWMA) chart were used to analyze the corresponding results. RESULTS: Twenty samples were used to enable the sampling requirements for building the control limits to be met. The I-chart showed that isolated data points beyond the control limits were mainly derived from complex plans. The EWMA made predictions of systematic errors earlier than the I-chart. Systematic errors primarily originated from the dose calibration on the EPID, and recalibrating the EPID could eliminate such errors. CONCLUSION: Statistical process control is an effective tool to detect controllable and can be used in IMRT QA. After calibrating the EPID, the tolerance and action limits all improved and satisfied the requirements/recommended values of the AAPM TG-218 report.

Measurement of the Cosmic Ray Helium Energy Spectrum from 70 GeV to 80 TeV with the DAMPE Space Mission.

The measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic ray helium nuclei from 70 GeV to 80 TeV using 4.5 years of data recorded by the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) is reported in this work. A hardening of the spectrum is observed at an energy of about 1.3 TeV, similar to previous observations. In addition, a spectral softening at about 34 TeV is revealed for the first time with large statistics and well controlled systematic uncertainties, with an overall significance of 4.3σ. The DAMPE spectral measurements of both cosmic protons and helium nuclei suggest a particle charge dependent softening energy, although with current uncertainties a dependence on the number of nucleons cannot be ruled out.

[Related environmental factors of refractive parameters in children and adolescents aged 6-14].

Objective: To explore the relationship between environmental factors and refractive parameters of children and adolescents aged 6 to 14 years old. Methods: A total of 566 students aged 6 to 14 years old were selected by using random cluster sampling method in Nankai District and Hongqiao District of Tianjin from September to December 2016. Questionnaires were conducted and refractive parameters were measured including axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD) and lens thickness (LT). Vitreous chamber depth (VCD), corneal radius (CR), the ratio of axial length to corneal radius (AL/CR) and equivalent spherical diopter (SER) were calculated. Multivariate generalized linear model was used to analyze the related factors of refractive parameters. Results: The average age of the subjects was (9.8±2.5) years old, including 302 male students (53.4%). The overall SER, AL, CCT, ACD, LT, VCD, CR and AL/CR ratios were (-1.31±1.85) D, (23.67±1.16) mm, (23.67±1.16) mm, (546.60±31.98) µm, (3.06±0.27) mm, (3.48±0.21) mm, (17.12±1.13) mm, (7.78±0.25) mm and 3.04±0.14, respectively. Multivariate generalized linear model analysis showed that after adjusting for age, gender, height, weight, education level of parents, occupation of parents and family income, compared with those whose daily reading and writing time>6 hours, the AL and VCD of students with daily reading and writing time ≤ 2 hours, 3-4 hours or 5-6 hours were smaller, and the AL/CR ratio of students with daily reading and writing time ≤ 2 hours or 3-4 hours were also smaller (all P<0.05). Compared with those having daily sleep time>9 hours, the students with daily sleep time of 8 hours or 9 hours had higher AL, while the students with daily sleep time of 8 hours had higher CCT, and the students with daily sleep time ≤ 7 hours had higher CR (all P<0.05). Compared with those whose daily electronic screen usage time>1.5 hours, the AL, VCD and CR of students who used electronic screen ≤1.5 hours per day were lower (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Daily reading and writing time, daily electronic screen use time and daily sleep time are the main environmental factors related to eye refractive parameters.

Graphene-based temperature sensors suspended by anodic aluminum oxide.

In this paper, we investigate the substrate effect in graphene temperature sensors. Recently, there have been many research studies done on temperature sensors using the nanofabrication technique. However, the sensitivity and response time need to be improved. In this study, we propose a new type of temperature sensor that consists of graphene and Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO). In this device, graphene and AAO are used as the sensing material and the substrate, respectively. We characterize the sensitivity and the response time using the experimental results and simulation data. The real-time resistance change of graphene is monitored depending on the temperature, and the response time is also analyzed by COMSOL Multiphysics. To confirm the porous substrate effect, we compare the device performance of the AAO substrate to the performance of the glass substrate. From these results, the suspended graphene on the AAO substrate shows about two times higher sensitivity and a much faster response time than the glass substrate.

Circular RNA circ-ABCB10 promotes non-small cell lung cancer proliferation and inhibits cell apoptosis through repressing KISS1.

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "Circular RNA circ-ABCB10 promotes non-small cell lung cancer proliferation and inhibits cell apoptosis through repressing KISS1, by J.-P. Zheng, Y.-M. Dai, Z. Chen, Q. Chen, Y. Zheng, X. Lin, T.-J. Cui, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24 (5): 2518-2524-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202003_20519-PMID: 32196602" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/20519.

Intrinsic Fluoride Tolerance Regulated by a Transcription Factor.

Fluoride facilitates the remineralization of dental hard tissues and affects bacterial activities. Therefore, it is extensively used as an anti-caries agent in clinical practice and daily life. Although some studies focused on understanding Streptococcus mutans' response to fluoride, the mechanism regulating intrinsic fluoride tolerance is not yet clear. Since the TetR family of transcription factors is associated with multidrug resistance, our aim was to evaluate whether they are related to fluoride tolerance in S. mutans. A mutant library including each S. mutans TetR gene was constructed and the transcription factor fluoride related transcriptional regulator (FrtR) was identified. The in-frame deletion of the S. mutans frtR gene resulted in decreased cell viability under fluoride in both the planktonic state and single-/dual-species biofilms. This in-frame frtR mutant was used for RNA-sequencing and the fluoride related permease gene (frtP) was found as 1 of the downstream genes directly regulated by FrtR. The recombinant FrtR protein was purified, and conserved DNA binding motifs were determined using electrophoretic mobility shift and DNase I footprinting assays. Finally, a series of mutant and complement strains were constructed to perform the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays, which indicated that frtP upregulation led to the increase of fluoride sensitivity. Collectively, our results indicate that FrtR is an important transcription factor regulating the frtP expression in S. mutans, thus affecting the intrinsic fluoride tolerance. Therefore, this study provides novel insights into a potential target to increase the S. mutans sensitivity to fluoride for a better prevention of dental caries.

Association of genetic and environmental factors with dental caries among adolescents in south China: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: The objective of this study was to investigative genetic and environmental factors that contribute to caries susceptibility among adolescents in south China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1055 adolescents aged 13-14 years old in south China. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) was used to identify caries. Environmental variables were analysed by regression models. Twenty-three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 14 genes were identified from saliva samples. Regression analysis was used for the evaluation of effects of SNP markers using the minor allele as the effect allele. RESULTS: Our results suggest that gender, Cariostat score and Plaque Index were associated with dental caries. After the adjustment by age and gender, the G allele in AMBN (rs13115627) nominally was a protective factor for caries under additive model (P=0.028; OR=0.782; 95% CI, 0.627-0.974). However, the association did not meet the Bonferroni correction significance cut-off for multiple testing. CONCLUSION: Gender, Cariostat score and Plaque Index were associated with dental caries in this population. No selected SNPs showed a significant association with dental caries under either additive model or dominance model.

Circular RNA circ-ABCB10 promotes non-small cell lung cancer proliferation and inhibits cell apoptosis through repressing KISS1.

OBJECTIVE: Recent researches have proved that circular RNAs (circRNAs) act as an important role in many diseases. Our study aims to uncover the role of circ-ABCB10 in the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was utilized to detect circ-ABCB10 expression in NSCLC patients. Then, we conducted Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, Ethynyl deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay, cell cycle assay, and cell apoptosis assay in treated NSCLC cells. Besides, further experiments including RT-qPCR and Western blot assay were performed to explore the potential mechanism in vitro. RESULTS: Circ-ABCB10 expression level was significantly higher in NSCLC samples comparing to that in adjacent tissues. Moreover, functional assays showed that the cell growth ability of NSCLC cells was inhibited after circ-ABCB10 was knocked down. In addition, the cell apoptosis of NSCLC cells was promoted after circ-ABCB10 was knocked down. Also the expression of KISS1 was upregulated by the knockdown of circ-ABCB10. Furthermore, it was found that KISS1 expression was negatively correlated to the circ-ABCB10 expression in NSCLC tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Results above indicated that circ-ABCB10 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis of NSCLC by suppressing KISS1, which suggested that circ-ABCB10 may be a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC.

Measurement of the cosmic ray proton spectrum from 40 GeV to 100 TeV with the DAMPE satellite.

The precise measurement of the spectrum of protons, the most abundant component of the cosmic radiation, is necessary to understand the source and acceleration of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. This work reports the measurement of the cosmic ray proton fluxes with kinetic energies from 40 GeV to 100 TeV, with 2 1/2 years of data recorded by the DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE). This is the first time that an experiment directly measures the cosmic ray protons up to ~100 TeV with high statistics. The measured spectrum confirms the spectral hardening at ~300 GeV found by previous experiments and reveals a softening at ~13.6 TeV, with the spectral index changing from ~2.60 to ~2.85. Our result suggests the existence of a new spectral feature of cosmic rays at energies lower than the so-called knee and sheds new light on the origin of Galactic cosmic rays.

LncRNA HOXA-AS2 regulates microRNA-216a-5p to promote malignant progression of non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOXA-AS2 is a cancer-promoting gene. However, the role of HOXA-AS2 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been reported. This study aims to investigate the expression characteristics of HOXA-AS2 in NSCLC and whether HOXA-AS2 can promote the malignant progression of NSCLC by regulating microRNA-216a-5p. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to examine the HOXA-AS2 level in 40 pairs of NSCLC tumor tissue samples and adjacent ones. Then, the relationship between HOXA-AS2 expression and clinical indicators and prognosis of NSCLC was analyzed. Meanwhile, qRT-PCR further verified the expression level of HOXA-AS2 in NSCLC cell lines. Also, HOXA-AS2 knockdown and overexpression models were constructed using lentivirus in NSCLC cell lines, and the effects of HOXA-AS2 on the biological function of NSCLC cells were analyzed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell migration, and cell wound healing assays. Finally, Western blotting assay and cell recovery experiment were used to explore the regulatory mechanism of HOXA-AS2 and microRNA-216a-5p in NSCLC. RESULTS: In this experiment, qRT-PCR results revealed that HOXA-AS2 level in NSCLC tumor tissue specimens was remarkably higher than that in adjacent tissues. Compared with those with low expression of HOXA-AS2, the patients with high expression had a higher incidence of distant metastases and a lower overall survival rate. The proliferative and metastasis abilities of the cells in the HOXA-AS2 overexpression group were remarkably increased when compared with the control group, while the opposite results were observed in HOXA-AS2 silence group. Subsequently, qRT-PCR verified that microRNA-216a-5p level was remarkably decreased in NSCLC tissues and negatively correlated with HOXA-AS2 expression. In addition, the result of the cell recovery experiment and Western blotting revealed that there might be a mutual regulation between HOXA-AS2 and microRNA-216a-5p, the two of which could jointly regulate the malignant progression of NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that lncRNA HOXA-AS2 is upregulated in NSCLC and is remarkably associated with distant metastasis and poor prognosis of NSCLC patients. In addition, lncRNA HOXA-AS2 is found to be able to promote the malignant progression of NSCLC via regulating microRNA-216a-5p.