E17241 as a Novel ABCA1 (ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter A1) Upregulator Ameliorates Atherosclerosis in Mice.

[Figure: see text].

Calculation of Projected Bond-Orientational Order Parameters to Quantify Local Symmetries from Transmission Diffraction Data.

The bond-orientational order parameters introduced by Steinhardt et al. [Phys. Rev. B 28, 784 (1983)] have been an invaluable measurement tool for assessing short-range order in disordered, close-packed assemblies of particles in which the particle positions are known. In many glassy systems the measurement of particle position is not possible or limited (field of view, thickness, resolution) and the bond-orientational order parameters cannot be measured, or adequately sampled. Here we calculate a set of rotationally averaged, projected bond-orientational order parameters that reflect the symmetries of close-packed particle clusters when projected onto a plane. We show by simulation that these parameters are unique fingerprints that can be directly compared to angular correlations in limited-volume, transmission geometry, diffraction patterns from close-packed glassy assemblies.

Publisher's Note: Calculation of Projected Bond-Orientational Order Parameters to Quantify Local Symmetries from Transmission Diffraction Data [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 205501 (2016)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.205501.

The nature of anhedonia and avolition in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Patients with schizophrenia have intact ability to experience emotion, but empirical evidence suggests that they fail to translate emotional salience into effortful behaviour. Previous research in patients with chronic schizophrenia suggests that working memory is important in integrating emotion and behaviour. This study aimed to examine avolition and anhedonia in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and clarify the role of working memory in emotion-behaviour coupling. METHOD: We recruited 72 participants with first-episode schizophrenia and 61 healthy controls, and used a validated emotion-inducing behavioural paradigm to measure participants' affective experiences and how experienced emotion coupled with behaviour. Participants were given the opportunity to expend effort to increase or decrease their exposure to emotion-inducing photographs. Participants with schizophrenia having poor working memory were compared with those with intact working memory in their liking and emotion-behaviour coupling. RESULTS: Patients with first-episode schizophrenia experienced intact 'in-the-moment' emotion, but their emotion was less predictive of the effort expended, compared with controls. The emotion-behaviour coupling was significantly weaker in patients with schizophrenia with poor working memory than in those with intact working memory. However, compared with controls, patients with intact working also showed substantial emotion-behaviour decoupling. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide strong evidence for emotion-behaviour decoupling in first-episode schizophrenia. Although working memory deficits contribute to defective translation of liking into effortful behaviour, schizophrenia alone affects emotion-behaviour coupling.

Pathway to mental health recovery: a qualitative and quantitative study on the needs of Chinese psychiatric inpatients.

BACKGROUND: Exploration of the information and participation needs of psychiatric inpatients is an important step for the implementation of recovery-oriented mental health service. The objective of this study was to explore the information and participation needs of Chinese psychiatric inpatients in the largest psychiatric hospital in Hong Kong. METHODS: The study was divided into two parts. In the first part, eight focus groups with patients, patients' relatives and healthcare professionals were held to identify 22 items of information needs and 16 items of participation needs of Chinese psychiatric inpatients. Basing on the items identified in the first part of the study, a questionnaire was developed to survey on the importance of the different information and participation needs in the second part of the study. Participants were asked to rate in rank order their perceived importance of the items in the questionnaire survey. RESULTS: A hundred and eighty three Chinese psychiatric inpatients completed the questionnaire and the majority of them suffered from schizophrenia (68.3 %). For information needs, the top three needs rated by patients as the most important in descending order were: "Information on the classifications of mental illnesses, signs and symptoms and factors contributing to relapse", "Information on the criteria and arrangements for discharge", and "Information on the importance of psychiatric drug taking and its side effects". For participation needs, the top three needs rated by patients as the most important in descending order were: "Enquiring about personal needs and arrangements", "Keeping in touch with the outside world", and "Learning and practising self-management". CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals that Chinese psychiatric inpatients are concerned about information on their mental illness and its treatments as well as the criteria for discharge. On the other hand, patients are concerned about their personal needs, their self-management, as well as their keeping in touch with the outside world during their hospitalisation. Moreover, patients with different socio-demographic and clinical characteristics have different information and participation needs. The results of the present study serve as a reference for designing guidelines, strategies, and programmes to meet the information needs and participation needs of psychiatric inpatients in Hong Kong.

[Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma mimicking Mikulicz disease: a case report].

IgG4-related disease is a systemic disorder involving a spectrum of multiple indications, and various histopathological features are shared among different IgG4-related disease subtypes, which challenge diagnosis, although certain syndromes have organ-specific involvement. Among them, Mikulicz's disease affecting the salivary and lacrimal glands, distinguished by often elevated levels of serum IgG4, infiltration of IgG4+ plasma cells into target tissues, and diffuse swelling, mass formation, or fibrosis of affected organs. However, there are several diseases, which could manifest as salivary gland swelling, mimicking Mikulicz's disease, such as Sjogren's syndrome, mumps virus infection, obstruction of parotid duct, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and so on. So differential diagnosis is important and essential as to the salivary gland swelling. In this paper, we analyzed a case of a 59-year-old male with symmetric salivary gland swelling. Mikulicz's disease was misdiagnosed at the beginning without biopsy. Prednisone treatment ever seemed to be effective and antibiotics had no effect. Besides salivary involvement, the patient also manifested as testicle swelling and severe pancytopenia with the development of the disease, which rarely appeared in Mikulicz's disease. Physical examination showed skin, sclera yellow dye, swollen submandibular, sublingual and lacrimal gland and splenomegaly. As a result, biopsy of right submandibular gland was made, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma was confirmed by morphology and immunohistochemistry. Bone marrow biopsy also confirmed that lymphoma cells were found in the bone marrow. Finally, the diagnosis of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (Phase IVE, Group A) was made on the patient, who was transferred to the hematology department for the treatment. NHL, especially, primary extranodal lymphoma usually involves the salivary gland, and painless swelling of the salivary gland is a common manifestation, similar with Mikulicz's disease. So although salivary gland swelling is often associated with autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren's syndrome and IgG4-related disease, the awareness and suspicion of a possibility of NHL are essential for rheumatologists. Biopsy is a necessary examination to decrease or avoid misdiagnosis.

CHAPERONIN 20 mediates iron superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) activity independent of its co-chaperonin role in Arabidopsis chloroplasts.

Iron superoxide dismutases (FeSODs; FSDs) are primary antioxidant enzymes in Arabidopsis thaliana chloroplasts. The stromal FSD1 conferred the only detectable FeSOD activity, whereas the thylakoid membrane- and nucleoid-co-localized FSD2 and FSD3 double mutant showed arrested chloroplast development. FeSOD requires cofactor Fe for its activity, but its mechanism of activation is unclear. We used reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gel filtration chromatography, LC-MS/MS, protoplast transient expression and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) analyses to identify and characterize a factor involved in FeSOD activation. We identified the chloroplast-localized co-chaperonin CHAPERONIN 20 (CPN20) as a mediator of FeSOD activation by direct interaction. The relationship between CPN20 and FeSOD was confirmed by in vitro experiments showing that CPN20 alone could enhance FSD1, FSD2 and FSD3 activity. The in vivo results showed that CPN20-overexpressing mutants and mutants with defective co-chaperonin activity increased FSD1 activity, without changing the chaperonin CPN60 protein level, and VIGS-induced downregulation of CPN20 also led to decreased FeSOD activity. Our findings reveal that CPN20 can mediate FeSOD activation in chloroplasts, a role independent of its known function in the chaperonin system.

Systematic mapping of icosahedral short-range order in a melt-spun Zr36Cu64 metallic glass.

By analyzing the angular correlations in scanning electron nanodiffraction patterns from a melt-spun Zr(36)Cu(64) glass, the dominant local order was identified as icosahedral clusters. Mapping the extent of this icosahedral short-range order demonstrates that the medium-range order in this material is consistent with a face-sharing or interpenetrating configuration. These conclusions support results from atomistic modeling and a structural basis for the glass formability of this system.

Patients with bipolar disorders share similar but attenuated prospective memory impairments with patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Prospective memory (PM) refers to the ability to remember to carry out an intended action in the future. PM is consistently found to be impaired in individuals with schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia may represent conditions along a continuum, and share similar neurocognitive and genetic architecture. This study aimed to compare the nature and extent of PM impairment in individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. METHOD: Participants were 38 out-patients with schizophrenia and 40 out-patients with bipolar disorder in an early psychosis intervention programme, and 37 healthy controls. Time-, event- and activity-based PMs were assessed using a dual-task laboratory paradigm. Self-reported PM performance was gauged using the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with intelligence quotient (IQ) and education included as covariates, was used to examine group difference on various types of PM. Repeated measures of ANCOVA were used to examine the group × PM type interaction effect. Correspondence between laboratory and self-reported PM measures was examined using correlational analysis. RESULTS: The group × PM type interaction effect was not significant, but the main effect of group was significant. Patients with schizophrenia and patients with bipolar disorder both performed more poorly than healthy participants in PM. The two clinical groups did not significantly differ in PM. Laboratory and self-reported PM measures did not correlate significantly with each other. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with bipolar disorder shared a similar PM impairment with those with schizophrenia. Findings of this study extended the similarity in neurocognitive impairments between the two psychiatric disorders to PM.

Antifibrinolytic activity of apolipoprotein(a) in vivo: human apolipoprotein(a) transgenic mice are resistant to tissue plasminogen activator-mediated thrombolysis.

The extensive homology between apolipoprotein(a) and plasminogen has led to the hypothesis that the increased risk for atherosclerosis, cardiac disease and stroke associated with elevated levels of apolipoprotein(a) may reflect modulation of fibrinolysis. We have investigated the role of apolipoprotein(a) on clot lysis in transgenic mice expressing the human apolipoprotein(a) gene. These mice develop fatty streak lesions resembling early lesions of human atherosclerosis. Pulmonary emboli were generated in mice by injection, through the right jugular vein, of a human platelet-rich plasma clot radiolabelled with technetium-99m-labelled antifibrin antibodies. Tissue plasminogen activator was introduced continuously via the right jugular vein. Clot lysis, determined by ex vivo imaging, was depressed in mice carrying the apolipoprotein(a) transgene relative to their sex-matched normal littermates. These results directly demonstrate an in vivo effect of apolipoprotein(a) on fibrinolysis, an effect that may contribute to the pathology associated with elevated levels of this protein.

The serum concentration of active transforming growth factor-beta is severely depressed in advanced atherosclerosis.

Recent evidence has led us to propose that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a key inhibitor of atherosclerosis. We show here that a population of patients with advanced atherosclerosis all have less active TGF-beta in their sera than patients with normal coronary arteries, with a fivefold difference in average concentration between the two groups. This correlation with atherosclerosis is much stronger than for other known major risk factors and it may therefore have important diagnostic and prognostic significance. Aspirin medication correlates with an increase in active TGF-beta concentration, indicating that therapeutic interventions for TGF-beta are possible.

Analysis of the Influence of the Psychology Changes of Fear Induced by the COVID-19 Epidemic on the Body.

In this paper, the theory of " Fear injury kidney " in traditional Chinese medicine is systematically reviewed, and it is found that long-term or excessive psychological changes of fear are likely to damage kidney qi and kidney essence. On this basis, the psychological studies of patients, medical staff and the public during the COVID-19 epidemic in China were analyzed, and fear psychology was found to be prevalent among all kinds of people. Modern researches on "Fear injury kidney" have also found that long-term or excessive fear could cause changes in the neuro-endocrine-immune system, which can induce diseases or susceptibility to some diseases. Therefore, during or after the prevalence of COVID-19, different groups of people may have emotional reactions such as stress and fear, which should be paid long-term attention, and the influence of fear on the body cannot be ignored. According to the change rule of psychological state under stress reaction, we should actively respond to and take psychological crisis intervention measures in time to reduce the harm of psychological stress to the body.

A citrate-inducible gene, encoding a putative tricarboxylate transporter, is downregulated by the organic solvent DMSO in Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

AIMS: To investigate the effects of the organic solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on the expression of a citrate-inducible gene, encoding a putative tricarboxylate transporter, in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. METHODS AND RESULTS: By two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, we discovered a putative tricarboxylate transporter named ActC, whose expression was downregulated by DMSO. The expression of actC is also induced by tricarboxylates but not affected by other organic acids of the TCA cycle. Intriguingly, transcriptional activation of actC by citrate is compromised in the presence of DMSO. Furthermore, expression of actC is abolished by deletion of actDE, encoding a putative two-component regulatory system upstream of the actCBA gene cluster. CONCLUSIONS: actC is a citrate-inducible gene that is repressed by DMSO and whose expression is likely regulated by a two-component system. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides useful information as to a potential DMSO-regulatory system of A. tumefaciens or other soil bacteria when encountering DMSO in nature. In addition, DMSO-regulated genes should be taken into account for studies in which bacterial cultures were treated with compounds dissolved in DMSO.

Restoration of microRNA-373 suppresses growth of human T-cell lymphoma cells by repressing CCND1.

OBJECTIVE: Adult T cell lymphoma is a highly aggressive T-cell malignancy. This study was designed to explore the expression and functional significance of microRNA (miR)-373 in T cell lymphoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the levels of CCND1 and miR-373 in T cell lymphoma tissue and the relationship of miR-373 levels with patients' prognosis. We then overexpressed miR-373 by miRNA mimics transfection and inhibited miR-373 by miRNA antisense transfection in T cell lymphoma cells. Cell survival and growth were analyzed by CCK-8 assay and MTT assay, respectively. Cell proliferation was analyzed by flow cytometry. Bioinformatics analyses were applied to predict miR-373 targets, which were then confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: We detected significantly higher levels of CCND1, and significantly lower levels of miR-373 in T cell lymphoma tissue, compared to the adjacent non-tumor tissue. Moreover, the low miR-373 levels were associated with poor survival of the patients. Overexpression of miR-373 significantly inhibited cell growth, while depletion of miR-373 increased cell growth in T cell lymphoma cells. Moreover, the effects of miR-373 on cell growth appeared to result from an alteration in cell proliferation. Finally, miR-373 was found to bind to the 3'-UTR of CCND1 mRNA to inhibit its translation in T cell lymphoma cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that reduced miR-373 levels in T cell lymphoma tissue may promote T cell lymphoma growth, possibly through CCND1-mediated cell proliferation.

New real-time interactive cardiac magnetic resonance imaging system complements echocardiography.

OBJECTIVES: We conducted an initial clinical trial of a newly developed cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) system. We evaluated left ventricular (LV) function in 85 patients to compare the clinical utility of the CMRI system with echocardiography, the current noninvasive gold standard. BACKGROUND: Conventional CMRI systems require cardiac-gating and respiratory compensation to synthesize a single image from data acquired over multiple cardiac cycles. In contrast, the new CMRI system allows continuous real-time dynamic acquisition and display of any scan plane at 16 images/s without the need for cardiac gating or breath-holding. METHODS: A conventional 1.5T Signa MRI Scanner (GE, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was modified by the addition of an interactive workstation and a bus adapter. The new CMRI system underwent clinical trial by testing its ability to evaluate global and regional LV function. The first group (A) consisted of 31 patients with acceptable echocardiography image quality. The second group (B) consisted of 31 patients with suboptimal echocardiography image quality. The third group (C) consisted of 29 patients with severe lung disease or congenital cardiac malformation who frequently have suboptimal echo study. Two independent observers scored wall motion and image quality using the standard 16-segment model and rank-order analysis. RESULTS: CMRI evaluation was complete in less than 15 min. In group A, no significant difference was found between ECHO and CMRI studies (p = NS). In group B, adequate visualization of wall segments was obtained 38% of the time using ECHO and 97% of the time using CMRI (p < 0.0001). When grouped into coronary segments, adequate visualization of at least one segment occurred in 18 of 30 patients (60%) with ECHO and in all 30 patients (100%) with CMRI (p < 0.0001). In group C, adequate visualization of the wall segments was obtained in 58% (CI 0.53-0.62) of the time using echocardiography and 99.7% (CI 0.99-1.0) of the time using CMRI (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The new CMRI system provides clinically reliable evaluation of LV function and complements suboptimal echocardiography. In comparison with the conventional CMRI, the new CMRI system significantly reduces scan time, patient discomfort and associated cost.

Lipoprotein(a) and atherogenesis.

Lipoprotein(a) is a major inherited risk factor for atherosclerosis. Many of its activities depend on its plasminlike component, apolipoprotein(a). In vitro studies suggest that apolipoprotein(a) could enhance lipid deposition through binding to sites in the vessel wall, interfere with fibrinolysis, and modulate smooth muscle cell activity. Human and animal studies will be necessary to establish the physiologic importance of these mechanisms.

Pulmonary lymphoid neoplasms. Role of immunohistology in the study of cellular immunotypes and in differential diagnosis.

Seven cases of lymphoid neoplasms presenting in the lung were evaluated by immunohistology for T and B cell antigens and immunoglobulin light chains in frozen tissue sections. Although follow-up was short or inconclusive in some patients with lymphoma and pseudolymphoma, it was concluded that evaluation of T and B cell antigens and immunoglobulin light chains in frozen tissue is helpful in classifying lymphocytic neoplasms, especially in cases without definite cytologic evidence of malignancy. As demonstrated in two additional cases, lymphocyte/leukocyte markers in paraffin-embedded tissue are important in the differential diagnosis of lesions with cytologic features of malignancy.

Influence of manganese deficiency on the characteristics of proteoglycans of avian epiphyseal growth plate cartilage.

The need for manganese for normal skeletal development appears to be related to its role in proteoglycan biosynthesis. The purpose of this research was to characterize the proteoglycans synthesized under conditions of manganese deficiency. The proteoglycans were extracted from epiphyseal growth plate cartilage and the monomers separated by cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation followed by column chromatography. The proteoglycan monomers from normal cartilage contained primarily (92%) chondroitin sulfate side chains with keratan sulfate being a minor (8%) component. Manganese deficiency reduced the total amount of cartilage proteoglycans. Of the monomers present in deficient cartilage, the majority (75%) were similar to those found in normal cartilage. Cartilage from deficient chicks also contained a second monomer fraction (25%) characterized by a reduced carbohydrate content. Thus, in addition to a reduction in total proteoglycan content, manganese deficiency results in qualitative changes in the proteoglycans present in epiphyseal growth plate cartilage.