The history force on bubbles translational motion in an acoustic field.

In this study, the translational trajectory of bubble in an ultrasonic standing wave at 22.4 kHz was observed using an imaging system with a high-speed video camera. This allowed the velocities of bubble be measured when the acoustic pressure at 20 kPa, 40 kPa and 60 kPa, which applied to indirectly measured the history force by using the acoustic and hydrodynamic forces balance model. It shown that bubbles driven at low acoustic pressure, the history force close to zero, and with the pressure increase the history force change to large, the ratio of FH/FQS from 0.33 at 40 kPa to 1.73 at 60 kPa, the result is different with prior research when the Reynolds numbers is large, and useful in the understanding of bubble moments in an acoustic field.

Non-invasive detection of EGFR and TP53 mutations through the combination of plasma, urine and sputum in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

The sensitivity and utility of liquid biopsy in clinical practice requires some improvement. The aim of the present study was to improve the detection of epidermal growth factor (EGFR) and cellular tumor antigen p53 (TP53) mutations in liquid biopsies from patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by combining plasma, sputum and urine samples under the same sequencing platform. Plasma, sputum and urine samples, and tumor tissues were obtained from 50 patients with NSCLC and were analyzed using next-generation sequencing. The sensitivity of EGFR-sensitive mutation detection was 84% in plasma, 63% in sputum, 28% in urine, and 91% when combining the three liquid samples (P<0.001). The sensitivity of TP53 mutation detection increased from 87% in plasma to 94% when the three samples were combined (P<0.001). The sensitivity of EGFR or TP53 mutations detection was higher in patients with multiple metastatic sites compared with patients ≤1 metastatic site. In addition, the progression free survival (PFS) rates obtained following analysis of the three samples independently in patients with EGFR sensitizing mutations were similar, and were 9.0 months in the tissue sample, 7.5 months in plasma, 7.9 months in the sputum and 7.3 months in urine (P=0.721). The PFS of patients with TP53 mutations was shorter compared with patients without TP53 mutations and was as follows: Tissue, 8.2 months compared with 10.2 months (P=0.412); plasma, 8.4 months compared with 10.2 months (P=0.466); sputum, 8.3 months compared with 9.1 months (P=0.904); and when combined, 8.8 months compared with 10.3 months (P=0.599). The combination of plasma, sputum and urine increased the detection of EGFR or TP53 mutation with higher sensitivity, and may improve the predictive value of personalized treatment.

Bile acid levels and risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: A meta-analysis.

AIM: We aimed to determine the association between maternal total bile acid (TBA) levels and the risks of adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) based on a meta-analysis study. METHODS: We searched PubMed for articles published from 2000 to 2015 with a focus on ICP and restriction to the English language. The main perinatal outcomes were preterm birth (PTB), meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF), asphyxia, or respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was the summary statistic. We used a random- or fixed-effects model to calculate the pooled RR according to the heterogeneity test. Subgroup analyses were performed by region and study design. RESULTS: Nine eligible related citations fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. Compared with pregnant women with a serum TBA < 40 µmol/L, severe ICP (TBA ≥ 40 µmol/L) was associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse fetal outcomes (pooled RR, 1.96; 95%CI, 1.63-2.35), PTB (pooled RR, 2.23; 95%CI, 1.51-3.29), MSAF (pooled RR, 2.27; 95%CI, 1.81-2.85), and asphyxia or RDS (pooled RR, 1.67; 95%CI, 1.18-2.36). Sensitivity analysis suggested that the study design difference may be a major source of heterogeneity. No publication bias was demonstrated by Begg's test (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicates that maternal elevated bile acid levels are significantly associated with increased risks of overall adverse perinatal outcomes, PTB, MSAF, and asphyxia or RDS. Serum TBA levels seem to be a useful predictor for the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes.

Changes in regulatory B cells and their relationship with rheumatoid arthritis disease activity.

Regulatory subsets of B cells (Bregs) modulate immune responses in autoimmunity, cancer, and other inflammation diseases. In the present study, we investigated the numbers of circulating Breg cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated 59 RA patients and 25 healthy controls. CD19(+)CD5(+)CD1d(hi) B cells and granzyme B-secreting B cells (CD19(+)CD5(+)GzmB(+)) were analyzed by flow cytometry in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We detected serum interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 21 (IL-21), granzyme B (GzmB) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Compared to control subjects, we found a decreased proportion of CD19(+)CD5(+)CD1d(hi) B cells in RA patients. The number of CD19(+)CD5(+)CD1d(hi) B cells negatively correlated with DAS28 (P < 0.05). Moreover, serum IL-10 and IL-21 concentrations were significantly lower in RA patients compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05). Conversely, the number of CD19(+)CD5(+)GzmB(+) B cells was significantly higher in RA patients (P < 0.05), and the number of CD19(+)CD5(+)GzmB(+) B cells did not correlate with DAS28, IL-21, or GzmB (P > 0.05, all). Interestingly, IL-21 and GzmB levels positively correlated in RA patients (P < 0.05). Our data indicate that CD19(+)CD5(+)CD1d(hi) B cells influence RA disease activity. CD19(+)CD5(+)GzmB(+) B cells may be involved in RA development and progression. Our data strongly suggest a role for Bregs in RA, and Bregs may be a viable therapeutic strategy for RA disease.