Exploring the association of glioma tumor residuals from incongruent [18F]FET PET/MR imaging with tumor proliferation using a multiparametric MRI radiomics nomogram.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to using multiparametric MRI radiomics to predict glioma tumor residuals (TRFET over MR) derived from incongruent [18F]fluoroethyl-L-tyrosine ([18F]FET) PET/MR imaging. METHODS: One hundred ten patients with gliomas who underwent [18F]FET PET/MR scanning were retrospectively analyzed. The TRFET over MR was identified by the discrepancy-PET that the extent of resection (EOR) based on MRI subtracted the biological tumor volume on PET images. The MRI parameters and radiomics features were extracted based on EOR and selected by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to construct radiomics score (Rad-score). The correlation network analysis of all features was analyzed by Spearman's correlation tests. The methods for evaluating the clinical usefulness consisted of the receiver operating characteristic curve, the calibration curve, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: The Rad-score of the patients with the TRFET over MR was significantly higher than those with the non TRFET over MR (p < 0.001). The Rad-score was significantly correlated with the discrepancy-PET (r = 0.72, p < 0.001), Ki-67 level (r = 0.76, p < 0.001), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) of gliomas (r = 0.75, p < 0.001), respectively. Moreover, there was a difference of the correlation network analysis between the TRPET over MR group and non TRFET over MR group. The nomogram combing Rad-score and clinical features had the greatest performance in predicting TRFET over MR (AUC = 0.90/0.87, training/testing). There was a significant difference in prognosis (median OS, 17 m vs. 43 m) between patients with TRFET over MR and non TRFET over MR based on nomogram prediction (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The nomogram based on MRI radiomics would predict gliomas tumor residuals caused by the absence of 18F-PET PET examination and adjust EOR to improve prognosis.

Single-Cell RNA-Seq Analysis of Hearts in Patients with Fetal Tetralogy of Fallot.

INTRODUCTION: To explore the cytological characteristics of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), we collected samples and investigated the differences in the cytological classification between normal fetal hearts and fetal hearts with congenital defects. We then performed single-cell sequencing analysis to search for possible differential genes of disease markers. METHODS: Here, the right ventricles of a heart sample with TOF and a healthy human fetal heart sample were analyzed through single-cell sequencing. Data quality control filtering, comparison, quantification, and identification of recovered cells on the raw data were performed using Cell Ranger, thereby ultimately obtaining gene expression matrices for each cell. Subsequently, Seurat was used for cell filtration, standardization, cell subgroup classification, differential expression gene analysis of each subgroup, and marker gene screening. RESULTS: Bioinformatic analysis identified 9,979 and 15,224 cells from the healthy and diseased samples, respectively, with an average read depth of 25,000/cell. The cardiomyocyte cell populations, derived from the abnormal samples identified through the first-level graph-based analysis, were separated into six distinct cell clusters. CONCLUSION: Our study provides some information on TOF in a fetus, which can offer a new reference for the early detection and treatment of TOF by comparing defective heart cells with normal heart cells.

Cytotoxic and Antitumor Agents from Genus Rubia.

Genus Rubia is widely distributed in almost all regions of the world, with 36 species and 2 varieties in China. Rubia species, such as Rubia cordifolia, have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of diseases since ancient times. In recent years, the study of anticancer effects in traditional Chinese medicine has become a popular topic, and some studies have shown that several Rubia species extracts have cytotoxic and antitumor effects, and some of them have been shown to contain specific antitumor agents. Therefore, this review focuses on the cytotoxic and antitumor effects of the chemical constituents contained in Genus Rubia. Summarized 71 types of chemical substances in 5 categories with the effect of cytotoxicity and antitumor, as well as their structures, targets and mechanisms of action.

Field recovery from digital inline holographic images of composite propellant combustion base on denoising diffusion model.

Digital inline holography has gained extensive application in the optical diagnosis of solid propellant combustion. However, this method confronts several challenges. Firstly, the calculation time required for reconstruction and depth of field extension is excessively long. Secondly, the excessive smoke, airflow, and flame during combustion cause significant interference and poor reconstruction quality, which reduces the accuracy of particle identification. To address these issues, we have developed a holographic image reconstruction technique for aluminum particle combustion based on the Attention Mechanism, U-net, and Diffusion models. This approach enables end-to-end reconstruction of aluminum particle combustion holographic images, while effectively circumventing the interference of airflow combustion and flame.

Role of drug catabolism, modulation of oncogenic signaling and tumor microenvironment in microbe-mediated pancreatic cancer chemoresistance.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has one of the highest incidence/death ratios among all neoplasms due to its late diagnosis and dominant chemoresistance. Most PDAC patients present with an advanced disease characterized by a multifactorial, inherent and acquired resistance to current anticancer treatments. This remarkable chemoresistance has been ascribed to several PDAC features including the genetic landscape, metabolic alterations, and a heterogeneous tumor microenvironment that is characterized by dense fibrosis, and a cellular contexture including functionally distinct subclasses of cancer-associated fibroblasts, immune suppressive cells, but also a number of bacteria, shaping a specific tumor microbiome microenvironment. Thus, recent studies prompted the emergence of a new research avenue, by describing the role of the microbiome in gemcitabine resistance, while next-generation-sequencing analyses identified a specific microbiome in different tumors, including PDAC. Functionally, the contribution of these microbes to PDAC chemoresistance is only beginning to be explored. Here we provide an overview of the studies demonstrating that bacteria have the capacity to metabolically transform and hence inactivate anticancer drugs, as exemplified by the inhibition of the efficacy of 10 out of 30 chemotherapeutics by Escherichia coli. Moreover, a number of bacteria modulate specific oncogenic pathways, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, affecting autophagy and apoptosis induction by 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin. We hypothesize that improved understanding of how chemoresistance is driven by bacteria could enhance the efficacy of current treatments, and discuss the potential of microbiome modulation and targeted therapeutic approaches as well as the need for more reliable models and biomarkers to translate the findings of preclinical/translational research to the clinical setting, and ultimately overcome PDAC chemoresistance, hence improving clinical outcome.

1,3,4-Oxadiazole and 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Nortopsentin Derivatives against Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Synthesis, Cytotoxic Activity, and Inhibition of CDK1.

A new series of nortopsentin analogs, in which the central imidazole ring of the natural lead was replaced by a 1,3,4-oxadiazole or 1,3,4-thiadiazole moiety, was efficiently synthesized. The antiproliferative activity of all synthesized derivatives was evaluated against five pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines, a primary culture and a gemcitabine-resistant variant. The five more potent compounds elicited EC50 values in the submicromolar-micromolar range, associated with a significant reduction in cell migration. Moreover, flow cytometric analysis after propidium iodide staining revealed an increase in the G2-M and a decrease in G1-phase, indicating cell cycle arrest, while a specific ELISA demonstrated the inhibition of CDK1 activity, a crucial regulator of cell cycle progression and cancer cell proliferation.

Gestational bisphenol A exposure advances puberty onset in female offspring: Critical time window identification.

Increasing evidence shows that the early onset of puberty in female offspring may be caused by maternal prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) during pregnancy; however, the critical time window of maternal prenatal BPA exposure remains unknown. Here, we identify the critical time window of gestational BPA exposure that induces early onset of puberty in female offspring. Pregnant CD-1 mice were gavaged with BPA (8 mg/kg) daily during the early gestational stage (GD1-GD6), middle gestational stage (GD7-GD12) or late gestational stage (GD13-GD18). We show that maternal BPA exposure during the early and middle gestational stages could advance the vaginal opening time and increase the serum levels of kisspeptin-10 and GnRH in the female offspring at PND 34. Mechanistically, maternal BPA exposure during early and middle gestation could significantly increase CpG island methylation in the Eed gene promoters but reduce the mRNA expression of Eed in the hypothalamus tissues of the female offspring. In conclusion, the critical period of maternal BPA exposure-induced early onset of puberty in female offspring is early and middle gestation; this BPA-induced early onset of puberty might be partly attributed to epigenetic programming of the Eed gene in the hypothalamus. This study provides important insights regarding the relationship and the mechanisms between BPA and offspring pubertal development.

Concentration Scaling on Linear Viscoelastic Properties of Cellular Suspensions and Effects of Equilibrium Phase Behavior.

Concentration scaling on linear viscoelastic properties of cellular suspensions has been studied by rheometric characterisation of Phormidium suspensions and human blood in a wide range of volume fraction under small amplitude oscillatory shear experiments. The rheometric characterisation results are analysed by the time-concentration superposition (TCS) principle and show a power law scaling of characteristic relaxation time, plateau modulus and the zero-shear viscosity over the concentration ranges studied. The results show that the concentration effect of Phormidium suspensions on their elasticity is much stronger than that of human blood due to its strong cellular interactions and a high aspect ratio. For human blood, no obvious phase transition could be observed over the range of hematocrits studied here and with respect to a high-frequency dynamic regime, only one concentration scaling exponent could be identified. For Phormidium suspensions with respect to a low-frequency dynamic regime, three concentration scaling exponents in the volume fraction Region I (0.36≤ϕ/ϕref≤0.46), Region II (0.59≤ϕ/ϕref≤2.89) and Region III (3.11≤ϕ/ϕref≤3.44) are identified. The image observation shows that the network formation of Phormidium suspensions occurs as the volume fraction is increased from Region I to Region II; the sol-gel transition takes place from Region II to Region III. In combination with analysis of other nanoscale suspensions and liquid crystalline polymer solutions reported in the literature, it is revealed that such a power law concentration scaling exponent depends on colloidal or molecular interactions mediated with solvent and is sensitive to the equilibrium phase behaviour of complex fluids. The TCS principle is an unambiguous tool to give a quantitative estimation.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Steviol Derivatives with Improved Cytotoxic Activity and Selectivity.

Steviol is an ent-kaurene diterpenoid with interesting pharmacological activity. Several steviol derivatives with an exo-methylene cyclopentanone unit were discovered as potent antitumor agents. However, their poor selectivity for tumor cells relative to normal cells reduces their prospects as potential anticancer drugs. In this study, based on previous work, 32 steviol derivatives, including 28 new analogues, were synthesized. Their cytotoxicity against tumor cells and normal cells was evaluated. Several new derivatives, such as 7a, 7h, and 8f, with improved cytotoxic selectivity and antiproliferative activity were obtained, and the structure-activity relationship correlations were investigated. The new compound 8f displayed potent antiproliferative activity against Huh7 cells (IC50 = 2.6 µM) and very weak cytotoxicity against the corresponding normal cells HHL5 (IC50 = 97.0 µM). Further investigation showed that 8f arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase and caused reactive oxygen species overproduction, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and induced apoptosis of Huh7 cells through inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and NF-κB pathway as well as upregulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. The present study suggested that 8f is a promising lead compound for new cancer therapies, and the results presented herein may encourage the further modification of steviol for additional derivatives with enhanced efficacy and selectivity.

Synthesis and in vivo evaluation of new steviol derivatives that protect against cardiomyopathy by inhibiting ferroptosis.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death globally. Inhibiting ferroptosis and thus preventing cardiac cell death is a promising and effective strategy for cardiomyopathy prevention and therapy. Steviol, an ent-kaurene diterpenoid, possesses broad-spectrum bioactivity. In the present study, with the aim to discover new agents for CVDs treatment, 30 derivatives of steviol, including 22 new ones, were synthesized, and evaluated their protective activity in vivo using the doxorubicin (DOX) induced zebrafish cardiomyopathy model. Our results firstly demonstrated that steviol has promising cardioprotective activity and further modification of steviol can greatly improve the activity. Among the new derivatives, 16d and 16e show the most potent activity. Both 16d (1 µM) and 16e (0.1 µM) effectively maintain the normal heart shape and prevent the cardiac dysfunction impaired by DOX in zebrafish. Their therapeutic efficacy is much superior to the parent natural product, steviol, and positive drug, levosimendan. Further study demonstrated that 16d and 16e inhibit DOX-induced ferroptosis and thus protect cardiomyopathy, by suppressing the glutathione depletion, iron accumulation, and lipid peroxidation, decreasing reactive oxygen species overaccumulation, and restoring the mitochondrial membrane potential. Consequently, due to their unique structure and significant cardioprotective activity with ferroptosis inhibition, new steviol derivatives 16d and 16e merit further research for the development of new cardioprotective drug candidates.

Expression and prognostic analyses of the significance of STEAP1 and STEAP2 in lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. STEAP1 and STEAP2 are overexpressed in various cancers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression and prognostic value of STEAP1 and STEAP2 in patients with lung cancer. METHODS: The mRNA expression and protein expression of STEAP1 and STEAP2 and their prognostic characteristics were examined using Oncomine, GEPIA, and Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotters. The correlation analysis of STEAP1 and STEAP2 gene and protein levels was conducted using GeneMANIA and STRING. KEGG pathway analysis was used to explore the related signal pathways of STEAP 1 and STEAP2. Immunohistochemical methods were used to compare the expression of STEAP2 in normal lung and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunocytochemistry were used to evaluate the expression of STEAP1 and STEAP2 in three lung cancer cell lines and normal lung epithelial cell lines. RESULTS: Analysis of the Oncomine database and GEPIA showed that STEAP1 was upregulated and STEAP2 was downregulated in lung cancer tissue, and both expressions were related to the clinical stage of lung cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that STEAP1 protein expression was significantly upregulated in lung cancer compared to that in adjacent tissues. The expression of STEAP1 was positively correlated with the migration and invasion abilities of lung cancer cells. Compared with paracancer tissues, the expression of STEAP2 protein in lung cancer was significantly downregulated and was correlated with the histological grade of squamous cell carcinoma, pathological classification of adenocarcinoma, tumor, lymph node, and metastasis clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis. The expression of STEAP2 was negatively correlated with the migration and invasion abilities of lung cancer cells. The KM curve showed that the downregulation of STEAP1 expression and upregulation of STEAP2 expression were related to a good lung cancer prognosis. CONCLUSION: STEAP1 and STEAP2 are expected to be potential diagnostic and prognostic markers for lung cancer, which may provide more accurate prognostic indicators for lung cancer.

Synthesis and in†Vivo Evaluation of Triphenylphosphonium Conjugated Trimetazidine with Enhanced Cardioprotection and Ability to Restore Mitochondrial Function.

Trimetazidine exhibits great therapeutic potential in cardiovascular diseases and mitochondria-mediated cardioprotection by trimetazidine has been widely reported. In this study, to enhance its cardioprotection, the triphenylphosphonium-based modification of trimetazidine was conducted to deliver it specifically to mitochondria. Fifteen triphenylphosphonium (TPP) conjugated trimetazidine analogs were designed and synthesized. Their protective effects were evaluated in vivo using a tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) induced zebrafish injury model. Structure-activity relationship correlations revealed the best way to couple the TPP moiety to trimetazidine, and led to a new conjugate (18a) with enhanced therapeutic properties. Compared to trimetazidine, 18a effectively protects against heart injury in the zebrafish model at a much lower concentration. Further study in t-BHP treated zebrafish and H9c2 cells demonstrated that 18a protects against cardiomyocyte death and damage by inhibiting excessive production of ROS, maintaining mitochondrial morphology, and preventing mitochondrial dysfunction. Consequently, 18a can be regarded as a potential therapeutic agent for cardioprotection.

A new method to recommend left ventricular lead positions for improved CRT volumetric response and long-term prognosis.

OBJECTIVES: Using ECG-gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), we sought to develop and validate a new method to recommend left ventricular (LV) lead positions in order to improve volumetric response and long-term prognosis after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). METHODS: Seventy-nine patients received gated SPECT MPI at baseline, and echocardiography at baseline and follow-up. The volumetric response referred to a reduction of ≥ 15% in LV end-systolic volume 6 months after CRT. After excluding apical, septal, and scarred segments, there were three levels of recommended segments: (1) the optimal recommendation: the latest contracting viable segment; (2) the 2nd recommendation: the late contracting viable segments whose contraction delays were within 10° of the optimal recommendation; and (3) the 3rd recommendation: the viable segments adjacent to the optimal recommendation when there was no late contracting viable segment. RESULTS: After excluding 11 patients whose LV lead was placed in apical or scarred segments, 75.6% of the patients concordant to recommended LV segments (n = 41) responded to CRT while 51.9% of those with non-recommended LV lead locations (n = 27) were responders (P = .043). Response rates were 76.9%, 76.9% , and 73.3% (P = .967), respectively, when LV lead was implanted in the optimal recommendation (n = 13), the 2nd recommendation (n = 13), and the 3rd recommendation (n = 15). LV leads placed at recommended segments reduced composite events of all-cause mortality or heart failure (HF) rehospitalization compared with pacing at non-recommended segments (log-rank χ2 = 5.623, P = .018). CONCLUSIONS: Pacing in the recommended LV lead segments identified on gated SPECT MPI was associated with improved volumetric response to CRT and long-term prognosis.

Gentianella acuta prevents acute myocardial infarction induced by isoproterenol in rats via inhibition of galectin-3/TLR4/MyD88/NF-кB inflammatory signalling.

Gentianella acuta (G. acuta), as a folk medicine, was used to treat heart disease by the Ewenki people in Inner Mongolia. However, the effect of G. acuta on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is not clear. To explore the mechanisms of G. acuta on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced AMI, rats were administered G. acuta for 28 days, then injected intraperitoneally with ISO (85 mg/kg) on days 29 and 30. An electrocardiogram helped to evaluate the myocardial injury. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were evaluated, and haematoxylin eosin, Masson's trichrome staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining were used to detect myocardial histological changes. Radioimmunoassay was used to measure serum tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin (IL)-6. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit was used to analyse serum galectin-3 (Gal-3) levels. Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to examine relevant molecular events. The results revealed that pre-treatment with G. acuta decreased the elevation in the ST segment; reduced serum LDH, CK and AST levels; alleviated cardiac structure disorder; and reduced inflammatory infiltration, abnormal collagen deposition and cardiomyocyte apoptosis that were induced by ISO. Furthermore, pre-treatment with G. acuta inhibited serum Gal-3 levels and Gal-3 expression in heart tissue, and also impeded TLR4/MyD88/NF-кB signalling activation, which ultimately prevented the expression of inflammatory cytokines. The study indicated that pre-treatment with G. acuta protects against ISO-induced AMI, and the protective role may be related to inhibiting Gal-3/TLR4/MyD88/NF-кB inflammatory signalling.

Simultaneous FET-PET and contrast-enhanced MRI based on hybrid PET/MR improves delineation of tumor spatial biodistribution in gliomas: a biopsy validation study.

PURPOSE: Glioma treatment planning requires precise tumor delineation, which is typically performed with contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI. However, CE MRI fails to reflect the entire extent of glioma. O-(2-18F-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (18F-FET) PET may detect tumor volumes missed by CE MRI. We investigated the clinical value of simultaneous FET-PET and CE MRI in delineating tumor extent before treatment planning. Guided stereotactic biopsy was used to validate the findings. METHODS: Conventional MRI and 18F-FET PET were performed simultaneously on a hybrid PET/MR in 33 patients with histopathologically confirmed glioma. Tumor volumes were quantified using a tumor-to-brain ratio ≥ 1.6 (VPET) and a visual threshold (VCE). We visually assessed abnormal areas on FLAIR images and calculated Dice's coefficient (DSC), overlap volume (OV), discrepancy-PET, and discrepancy-CE. Additionally, several stereotactic biopsy samples were taken from "matched" or "mismatched" FET-PET and CE MRI regions. RESULTS: Among 31 patients (93.94%), FET-PET delineated significantly larger tumor volumes than CE MRI (77.84 ± 51.74 cm3 vs. 34.59 ± 27.07 cm3, P < 0.05). Of the 21 biopsy samples obtained from regions with increased FET uptake, all were histopathologically confirmed as glioma tissue or tumor infiltration, whereas only 13 showed enhancement on CE MRI. Among all patients, the spatial similarity between VPET and VCE was low (average DSC 0.56 ± 0.22), while the overlap was high (average OV 0.95 ± 0.08). The discrepancy-CE and discrepancy-PET were lower than 10% in 28 and 0 patients, respectively. Eleven patients showed VPET partially beyond abnormal signal areas on FLAIR images. CONCLUSION: The metabolically active biodistribution of gliomas delineated with FET-PET significantly exceeds tumor volume on CE MRI, and histopathology confirms these findings. Our preliminary results indicate that combining the anatomic and molecular information obtained from conventional MRI and FET-PET would reveal a more accurate glioma extent, which is critical for individualized treatment planning.

MiR-146a Promotes Tolerogenic Properties of Dendritic Cells and through Targeting Notch1 Signaling.

BACKGROUND: MiR-146a has been shown to negatively regulate innate immune, inflammatory response and antiviral pathway, however, its role in the tolerogenic responses remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-146a in the OVA-induced allergic inflammation of dendritic cells (DCs). METHODS: Bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) were treated with OVA (100 µg/ml) for 24 h. MiR-146a expressions were assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. BMDCs were transfected with miR-146a mimics or inhibitor. Cell surface markers were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytokine levels were determined by ELISA assay. Mixed lymphocyte culture assay was adopted to assess CD4 + T-cell differentiation. The 3' UTR luciferase reporter assay was utilized to determine the miRNA target sequence. RESULTS: OVA treatment significantly up-regulated miR-146a in BMDCs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In the OVA-treated DCs, overexpression of miR-146a (mimics transfection) down-regulated the surface markers (CD80, CD86) and increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines TGF-ß1 and IL-10 but decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-12. MiR-146a overexpression promoted immature DC to induce regulatory T cells (Treg) differentiation. By contrast, transfection of miR-146a inhibitor into DC exhibited the opposite trends. Notch1 was a direct target of miR-146a, and Notch1 knock-down induced similar effects as miR-146a mimics transfection in BMDCs. Moreover, the effect of miR-146a inhibitor on OVA-induced DC was attenuated by Notch1 knock-down. CONCLUSION: miRNA-146a promoted tolerogenic properties of DCs, at least partially, through targeting Notch1 signaling.

An Improved SINS Alignment Method Based on Adaptive Cubature Kalman Filter.

Initial alignment is critical and indispensable for the inertial navigation system (INS), which determines the initial attitude matrix between the reference navigation frame and the body frame. The conventional initial alignment methods based on the Kalman-like filter require an accurate noise covariance matrix of state and measurement to guarantee the high estimation accuracy. However, in a real-life practical environment, the uncertain noise covariance matrices are often induced by the motion of the carrier and external disturbance. To solve the problem of initial alignment with uncertain noise covariance matrices and a large initial misalignment angle in practical environment, an improved initial alignment method based on an adaptive cubature Kalman filter (ACKF) is proposed in this paper. By virtue of the idea of the variational Bayesian (VB) method, the system state, one step predicted error covariance matrix, and measurement noise covariance matrix of initial alignment are adaptively estimated together. Simulation and vehicle experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method can improve the accuracy of initial alignment compared with existing methods.

A self-harm series and its relationship with childhood adversity among adolescents in mainland China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Self-harm (SH) is an emerging problem among Chinese adolescents. The present study aimed to measure the prevalence of SH behaviours and to explore the relationship between childhood adversity and different SH subtypes among Chinese adolescents. METHODS: A total of 5726 middle school students were randomly selected in three cities of Anhui province, China, using a stratified cluster sampling method. SH was categorized into five subtypes (highly lethal self-harm, less lethal self-harm with visible tissue damage, self-harm without visible tissue damage, self-harmful behaviours with latency damage and psychological self-harm). Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the relationships between childhood adversity and different subtypes of adolescent SH. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of highly lethal self-harm, less lethal self-harm with visible tissue damage, self-harm without visible tissue damage, self-harmful behaviours with latency damage and psychological self-harm were 6.1, 20.4, 32.0, 20.0 and 23.0%, respectively. Childhood sexual abuse and physical peer victimization were associated with each SH subtype with adjusted odds ratios (AORs) ranging from 1.23 to 1.76. Highly lethal self-harm was associated with childhood physical peer victimization, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and emotional neglect. The less lethal SH subtypes (i.e., less lethal self-harm with visible tissue damage, self-harm without visible tissue damage, self-harmful behaviours with latency damage and psychological self-harm) were associated with childhood peer victimization, family life stress event scores and childhood sexual abuse. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of SH exists among Chinese adolescents. The association of childhood adversity with SH merits serious attention in both future research and preventive interventions.

[Effects of maternal exposure to bisphenol A during pregnancy on puberty in advance and hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis hormones level in female offspring].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of maternal exposure to bisphenol A on puberty in advance and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis( HPG axis) hormones level in female offspring. METHODS: A total of 105 pregnant CD-1 mice aged 8 weeks were daily administered with BPA at four different doses( 0, 8, 40 and 200 mg/kg) by gavage from gestational day( GD) 0 to 18. Offspring were weighed and determined sex by anal reproductive distance after birth. From postnatal day( PND) 21-34, the vaginal opening of female offspring and distinguished the estrous stage through vaginal smears wereobserved. The level of GnRH, FSH, LH and E2 hormone in serum were detected. RESULTS: The mean initial time of vaginal opening in 8 mg/kg group [( 28. 0 ± 0. 36)days], 40 mg/kg group [( 28. 0 ± 0. 33) days] and 200 mg/kg group [( 28. 0 ± 0. 61)days]was earlier than that in the control group [( 30. 0 ± 0. 27) days]. The vaginal opening in advance rate of BPA exposure group was higher than that of the control group and the first estrus occurrence was earlier than controls( P < 0. 05). The levels of GnRH[8 mg/kg:( 9. 78 ± 1. 07) pg/mL, 40 mg/kg:( 11. 55 ± 1. 38) pg/mL, 200 mg/kg:( 10. 09 ± 1. 51) pg/mL]with increased expressions compared with the controls [( 5. 18± 4. 63) pg/mL]. LH level in low dose group [( 1. 86 ± 0. 79) pg/mL] was significantly lower than that in control group [( 2. 37 ± 1. 56) pg/mL]. The above differences were statistically significant( P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that maternal exposure to BPA result in advancing puberty and increase the GnRH hormone level to affect the function of HPG axis in female offspring.

GSK-3ß activation index is a potential indicator for recurrent inflammation of chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps.

Chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) is one of the most common otorhinolaryngologic diseases worldwide. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the expression of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) was quantitatively evaluated in patients with CRSsNP (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 20). The mRNA levels of GSK-3α and GSK-3ß were examined by qPCR, the immunoreactivities of GSK-3ß and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, and the protein levels of GSK-3ß, phospho-GSK-3ß (p-GSK-3ß, s9) and NF-κB were examined using Western blot analysis. We found that GSK-3 was highly expressed in both CRSsNP and control groups without significant difference in both GSK-3ß mRNA and protein levels. However, when compared with healthy control group, the GSK-3ß activation index, defined as the ratio of GSK-3ß over p-GSK-3ß, was significantly decreased, whereas the NF-κB protein abundance was significantly increased in CRSsNP group (P < 0.05). Strikingly, the GSK-3ß activation index, was highly correlated with NF-κB protein level, as well as CT scores in CRSsNP group (P < 0.05). It was also highly correlated with the mRNA expressions of inflammation-related genes, including T-bet, IFN-γ and IL-4 in CRSsNP group (P < 0.05). Our findings suggest that GSK-3ß activation index, reflecting the inhibitory levels of GSK-3ß through phosphorylation, may be a potential indicator for recurrent inflammation of CRSsNP, and that the insufficient inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3ß may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of CRSsNP.