Catechol compounds as dual-targeting agents for fish protection against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis infections.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing sectors in global food production, recognized as a significant contributor to poverty alleviation, food security, and income generation. However, the frequent occurrence of diseases caused by pathogen infections result in reduced yields and economic losses, posing a substantial constraint to the sustainable development of aquaculture. Here, our study identified that four catechol compounds, quercetin, luteolin, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid, exhibited potent antiparasitic effects against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in both, in vitro and in vivo. The parasite is recognized as one of the most pathogenic to fish worldwide. Using a combination of in silico methods, the dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) was identified as a critical target for catechol compounds. The two hydroxyl radicals of the catechol group were essential for its binding to and interacting with the DPP protein. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses indicated that catechol compounds disrupt pathways associated with the metabolism and growth of I. multifiliis, thereby exerting antiparasitic effects. Furthermore, these compounds attenuated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in vivo in fish and promoted macrophage polarization toward M2 phenotype by inhibiting the STAT1 signaling pathway. The dual activity of catechol compounds, acting as both direct antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory agents in fish, offers a promising therapeutic approach for combating I. multifiliis infections in aquaculture.

Sokotrasterol Sulfate Suppresses IFN-γ-Induced PD-L1 Expression by Inhibiting JAK Activity.

PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies exhibit promising therapeutic effectiveness in multiple cancers. However, developing a simple and efficient non-antibody treatment strategy using the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway still remains challenging. In this study, we developed a flow cytometry assay to screen bioactive compounds with PD-L1 inhibitory activity. A total of 409 marine natural products were screened, and sokotrasterol sulfate (SKS) was found to efficiently suppress the IFN-γ-induced PD-L1 expression. SKS sensitizes the tumor cells to antigen-specific T-cell killing in the T cell-tumor cell coculture system. Mechanistically, SKS directly targeted Janus kinase (JAK) to inhibit the downstream activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) and the subsequent transcription of PDL1. Our findings highlight the immunological role of SKS that may act as a basis for a potential immunotherapeutic agent.

Improved antioxidant activity of rutin via lipase-mediated esterification with oleic acid.

BACKGROUND: Oxidation is a major problem for oils and fats, which can be mitigated by antioxidants. Rutin has excellent antioxidant activity, but its poor lipid solubility greatly limits its practical application. In this study, an efficient enzymatic synthesis route of lipophilic rutin ester was established using oleic acid as an acyl donor, and the antioxidant potential of rutin oleate was evaluated for the first time by proton (1 H) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. RESULTS: The synthesized product was finally identified as rutin oleate by Fourier transform infrared, high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 1 H, carbon-13, and DEPT-135 NMR analyses, and the acylation site was the 4‴-OH of the rhamnose group in the rutin molecule. The maximum conversion was over 93% after 48 h of reaction using Novozym 435 as catalyst under the best conditions among these tests. The conversion of rutin ester decreased with the increase of carbon chain length and the number of carbon-carbon double bonds of the fatty acid molecule. Most importantly, rutin oleate exhibited antioxidant capacity comparable to butylated hydroxytoluene and its counterparts (rutin and oleic acid) at low temperatures (60° C), but had a significant advantage at high temperatures (120° C). CONCLUSION: The antioxidant activity of rutin was significantly enhanced by lipase-mediated esterification with oleic acid. Therefore, rutin oleate could be further developed as a novel antioxidant for use in oil- and fat-based foods. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Extracellular vesicles from bone marrow stromal cells reduce the impact of stroke on glial cell activation and blood brain-barrier permeability via a putative miR-124/PRX1 signalling pathway.

Ischaemic stroke (IS) is a cerebrovascular disease caused by cerebral infarction and cerebral artery occlusion. In this study, we proposed that EVs from bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) could reduce the impact of stroke by reducing the resultant glial cell activation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) leak. We furthermore investigated some of the signalling mechanisms. The transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (t-MCAO) mouse model was established. The behavioural deficits and neuronal damage were verified using Bederson's scale and the 28-point neurological score. The area of cerebral infarction was detected. The expressions of astrocytes/microglia markers and BBB permeability were evaluated by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The internalization of EVs by astrocytes/microglia in the peripheral area was detected by fluorescence labelling. The expressions of astrocyte/microglia markers were measured by RT-qPCR. Levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in microglia were detected by ELISA. BBB permeability was evaluated. The downstream target genes and pathway of miR-124 were analysed. Microglia/astrocytes were treated by oxygen-glucose deprivation reoxygenation (OGD/R). OGD/R microglia/astrocyte conditioned medium was used to culture bEnd.3 cells. The transendothelial electric resistance (TEER) of bEnd.3 cells was measured, and BBB permeability was characterized. Our results suggested that EVs from BMSCs can indeed reduce the extent of stroke-mediated damage and evidenced that these effects are mediated via expression of the non-coding RNA, miR-124 that may act via the peroxiredoxin 1 (PRX1). Our results provided further motivation to pursue the use of modified EVs as a treatment option for neurological diseases.

Long-term outcomes of implant-based immediate breast reconstruction with and without radiotherapy: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy (RT) is a risk factor for impaired outcomes after implant-based immediate breast reconstruction (IBR). Large studies including long-term follow-up are relatively scarce. The purpose of this analysis was to assess long-term effects of RT in implant-based IBR, distinguishing between implant removal because of postoperative complications versus patient preference. METHODS: This population-based cohort study included all patients with breast cancer who underwent implant-based IBR in Stockholm between 2005 and 2015. Data were collected through national registers and medical charts. The main endpoint was implant removal owing to postoperative complications (wound breakdown, infection, bleeding) or patient preference (dissatisfaction, pain, capsular contracture), with or without conversion to autologous reconstruction. RESULTS: Some 1749 implant-based IBRs in 1687 women were included. Median follow-up was 72 (range 1-198) months. Reconstructions were divided according to receipt of RT: No RT (n = 856, 48.9 per cent), adjuvant RT (n = 749, 42.8 per cent), and previous RT (n = 144, 8.2 per cent). Implant removal occurred after 266 reconstructions (15.2 per cent); 68 (7.9 per cent) in the no RT, 158 (21.1 per cent) in the adjuvant RT, and 40 (27.8 per cent) in the previous RT group. Implant removal was because of postoperative complications in 152 instances (57.1 per cent) and was most common in the first 3 years. This was especially observed in the previous RT group, where 15 of 23 implant removals occurred during the first 6 months. Implant removal owing to patient preference (114 of 266, 42.9 per cent) became more common with increasing follow-up. CONCLUSION: Implant removal after implant-based IBR is significantly associated with RT. The reason for implant removal shifts over time from postoperative complications to patient preference.

Irradiation of the chest wall after breast removal and implant placement (reconstruction) increases the risk of complications. These may lead to removal of the implant. Some women then choose a new breast reconstruction without an implant. The aim of this project was to find out how much irradiation affects complications after breast reconstruction using implants. This work used information on women who had a breast reconstruction with implants in Stockholm, Sweden, from 2005 to 2015. The main focus was on removal of the implant. This could be due to complications or patient preference. Implant removal could be with or without a new breast reconstruction. Of 1749 reconstructed breasts in 1687 women, 266 implants were removed. This was most often because of a complication, especially in the first years after surgery, but nearly as often due to patient wish. Implant removal owing to patient wish occurred later. Irradiation was a major factor increasing the risk of implant removal, together with, for example, smoking and obesity.

A novel oppositional binary crow search algorithm with optimal machine learning based postpartum hemorrhage prediction model.

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is an obstetric emergency instigated by excessive blood loss which occurs frequently after the delivery. The PPH can result in volume depletion, hypovolemic shock, and anemia. This is particular condition is considered a major cause of maternal deaths around the globe. Presently, physicians utilize visual examination for calculating blood and fluid loss during delivery. Since the classical methods depend on expert knowledge and are inaccurate, automated machine learning based PPH diagnosis models are essential. In regard to this aspect, this study introduces an efficient oppositional binary crow search algorithm (OBCSA) with an optimal stacked auto encoder (OSAE) model, called OBCSA-OSAE for PPH prediction. The goal of the proposed OBCSA-OSAE technique is to detect and classify the presence or absence of PPH. The OBCSA-OSAE technique involves the design of OBCSA based feature selection (FS) methods to elect an optimum feature subset. Additionally, the OSAE based classification model is developed to include an effective parameter adjustment process utilizing Equilibrium Optimizer (EO). The performance validation of the OBCSA-OSAE technique is performed using the benchmark dataset. The experimental values pointed out the benefits of the OBCSA-OSAE approach in recent methods.

Long noncoding RNA TDRG1 aggravates doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy by binding with miR-873-5p to upregulate PRKAR2.

Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a life-threatening event. The long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported with close associations with DCM, which may provide novel insight into pathophysiological mechanisms of DCM. DCM rat model and cell models were established using doxorubicin. Echocardiography analyses were performed to assess cardiac function. We found that testis developmental-related gene 1 (TDRG1) expression was upregulated in DCM rats and in doxorubicin-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). TDRG1 knockdown enhanced cell viability, promoted tube formation, and inhibited apoptosis of doxorubicin-treated HUVECs. Additionally, knockdown of TDRG1 alleviated cardiac injury in DCM rats. Mechanistically, miR-873-5p was identified to bind with TDRG1. In addition, protein kinase cAMP-dependent type II regulatory subunit alpha (PRKAR2) was confirmed to bind with miR-873-5p as a target mRNA. MiR-873-5p negatively regulated PRKAR2 mRNA and protein levels. At last, rescue assays indicated that the overexpression of PRKAR2 restored the effect of TDRG1 knockdown on doxorubicin-treated HUVEC angiogenesis and apoptosis. To conclude, TDRG1 aggravates DCM progression by binding with miR-873-5p to upregulate PRKAR2. This work suggested the potential of TDRG1 as a target for DCM treatment.

miR-222-5p promotes dysfunction of human vascular smooth muscle cells by targeting RB1.

BACKGROUND: Coronary atherosclerosis (AS) is characterized by the formation of plaque in the vessel wall. The structural and functional changes of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) can promote plaque formation and induce plaque instability. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the functions and mechanism of miR-222-5p in VSMCs under the treatment of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). METHODS: miR-222-5p expression in ox-LDL-treated VSMCs and the serum of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout mice was detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The viability and migration of VSMCs were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell assays. Protein levels of proliferation and migration-related factors were evaluated by western blotting. Luciferase reporter assays were performed to explore the binding between miR-222-5p and retinoblastoma susceptibility protein (RB1) gene in VSMCs. ApoE-knockout mice were infected with the lentivirus inhibiting miR-222-5p expression to explore the effect of miR-222-5p on pathological changes. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, trichrome staining, and Oil Red O staining were conducted to determine the necrotic core area and atherosclerotic lesion size in the ascending aorta of ApoE-knockout mice. RESULTS: With the accumulation of ox-LDL concentration and treatment time, miR-222-5p expression was gradually upregulated in VSMCs. Similarly, miR-222-5p expression was increased in the serum of ApoE-knockout mice. miR-222-5p knockdown inhibited the proliferative and migratory abilities of ox-LDL-treated VSMCs, and the inhibitory effect on cellular behaviors was then significantly reversed by co-knockdown of RB1. RB1 is a downstream target gene of miR-222-5p, and miR-222-5p bound with 3'-untranslated region of RB1 in VSMCs. We further confirmed that miR-222-5p knockdown alleviated pathological changes and inhibited lipid deposition in the serum of ApoE-knockout mice in vivo. CONCLUSION: miR-222-5p accelerates the dysfunction of VSMCs and promotes pathological changes and lipid deposition in ApoE-knockout mice by targeting RB1. The study may provide novel therapeutic targets for AS.

High-speed 3D shape measurement using a rotary mechanical projector.

In this paper, a fast rotary mechanical projector (RMP) is designed and manufactured for high-speed 3D shape measurement. Compared with the common high-speed projectors, RMP has a good performance in high-speed projection, which can obtain high quality projected fringes with shorter camera exposure time by using the error diffusion binary coding method and chrome plating technology. The magnitude, acceptability of systemic projection error is analyzed and quantified in detail. For the quantified error, the probability distribution function (PDF) algorithm is introduced to correct the error. Corrected projection error is reduced to more than one third of the original error. Subsequently, a monocular measurement system composed of the RMP and a single camera is constructed. The combination of the RMP device and PDF algorithm ensure the accuracy of a corresponding 3D shape measurement system. Experiments have demonstrated that the proposed solution has a good performance for the 3D measurement of high-speed scenes.

Effect of radiotherapy on expanders and permanent implants in immediate breast reconstruction: long-term surgical and patient-reported outcomes in a large multicentre cohort.

BACKGROUND: Current evidence for the effects of radiotherapy (RT) on implant-based immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is limited by short follow-up and lack of patient-reported outcomes (PROs). It is central to integrate long-term comprehensive outcome data into the preoperative decision-making process. The aim of the present study was to determine long-term surgical outcomes and PROs in relation to RT after implant-based IBR. METHODS: This was a longitudinal cohort study of PRO data obtained in surveys conducted in 2012 and 2020 using the BREAST-Q questionnaire. All women undergoing therapeutic mastectomy and implant-based IBR between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2011 at four breast centres in Stockholm, Sweden, were identified. The endpoint was implant removal owing to surgical complications or patient preference. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 120 (range 1-171) months. After 754 IBRs in 729 women, implant removal occurred in 128 (17 per cent): 34 of 386 (8.8 per cent) in the no-RT group, 20 of 64 (31.3 per cent) in the group with previous RT, and 74 of 304 (24.3 per cent) in the postoperative RT group (P < 0.001). Implant removal was because of surgical complications in 60 instances (7.9 per cent), and patient preference in 68 (9.0 per cent). The BREAST-Q response rate was 72.2 per cent. Women with previous RT scored lower than those without RT on all scales, apart from psychosocial well-being. Women with postoperative RT scored lower only on physical well-being. No scores in the two RT groups had deteriorated between the survey time points, whereas satisfaction with breasts and overall outcome had decreased in the no-RT group. CONCLUSION: Although RT was significantly associated with higher implant removal rates, PROs remained stable over 8 years despite irradiation.

Current evidence for the effects of radiotherapy (RT) on implant-based immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is limited by short follow-up. The aim was to determine surgical outcomes and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in relation to RT up to 13 years after implant-based IBR. After 754 implant-based breast reconstructions in 729 women in Stockholm, Sweden, implant removal was more common in irradiated than non-irradiated patients (P < 0.001). The response rate to the BREAST-Q questionnaire was 72.2 per cent. Women with previous RT scored lower than those without RT on all scales apart from psychosocial well-being. Women who had postoperative RT scored lower only on physical well-being. Although RT was significantly associated with higher implant removal rates, PROs remained stable despite irradiation.

LncRNA Snhg8 attenuates microglial inflammation response and blood-brain barrier damage in ischemic stroke through regulating miR-425-5p mediated SIRT1/NF-κB signaling.

Increasing studies have indicated that abnormal expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a vital role in ischemic stroke. Small nucleolar RNA host gene 8 (Snhg8), a member of lncRNAs, has been found to induce neuronal apoptosis in chronic cerebral ischemia models. Here, we aim to explore the function and molecular mechanism of Snhg8 in modulating microglial inflammation as well as brain microvascular endothelial cell (BMEC) damage following ischemic injury. Our data suggested that Snhg8 was low-expressed in the brain tissues of mice that underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-treated primary microglia and BMECs. Gain- or loss-of function approaches found that Snhg8 upregulation not only attenuated ischemic induced inflammatory response in microglia but also relieved BMECs injury both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we conducted a bioinformatics analysis to explore the underlying mechanism of Snhg8. The results indicated that Snhg8 served as a competitive endogenous RNA by sponging miR-425-5p, which was proved to promote microglial inflammation and BMECs injury by targeting sirtuin1 (SIRT1)-mediated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Overall, these results revealed that the Snhg8/miR-425-5p/SIRT1/NF-κB axis plays a critical role in the regulation of cerebral ischemia-induced microglial inflammation and brain-blood barrier damage.

Real-time 3D shape measurement with dual-frequency composite grating and motion-induced error reduction.

Phase-shifting profilometry has been increasingly sought and applied in dynamic three-dimensional (3D) shape measurement. However, the object motion will lead to extra phase shift error and thus measurement error. In this paper, a real-time 3D shape measurement method based on dual-frequency composite phase-shifting grating and motion-induced error reduction is proposed for a complex scene containing dynamic and static objects. The proposed method detects the motion region of a complex scene through the phase relations of the dual-frequency composite grating and reduces the motion-induced error with the combination of the phase calculated by a phase-shifting algorithm and the phase extracted by Fourier fringe analysis. It can correctly reconstruct the 3D shape of a complex dynamic scene and ensure high measurement accuracy of its static object as well. With the aid of the phase-shifting image ordering approach, the dynamic 3D shape of complex scenes can be reconstructed and the motion-induced error can also be suppressed in real time. Experimental results well proved that the proposed method is effective and practical.

Improve Temporal Fourier Transform Profilometry for Complex Dynamic Three-Dimensional Shape Measurement.

The high-speed three-dimensional (3-D) shape measurement technique has become more and more popular recently, because of the strong demand for dynamic scene measurement. The single-shot nature of Fourier Transform Profilometry (FTP) makes it highly suitable for the 3-D shape measurement of dynamic scenes. However, due to the band-pass filter, FTP method has limitations for measuring objects with sharp edges, abrupt change or non-uniform reflectivity. In this paper, an improved Temporal Fourier Transform Profilometry (TFTP) algorithm combined with the 3-D phase unwrapping algorithm based on a reference plane is presented, and the measurement of one deformed fringe pattern producing a new 3-D shape of an isolated abrupt objects has been achieved. Improved TFTP method avoids band-pass filter in spatial domain and unwraps 3-D phase distribution along the temporal axis based on the reference plane. The high-frequency information of the measured object can be well preserved, and each pixel is processed separately. Experiments verify that our method can be well applied to a dynamic 3-D shape measurement with isolated, sharp edges or abrupt change. A high-speed and low-cost structured light pattern sequence projection has also been presented, it is capable of projection frequencies in the kHz level. Using the proposed 3-D shape measurement algorithm with the self-made mechanical projector, we demonstrated dynamic 3-D reconstruction with a rate of 297 Hz, which is mainly limited by the speed of the camera.

Disparities in the survivorship experience among Latina survivors of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The authors investigated disparities in the survivorship experience among Latinas with breast cancer (BC) in comparison with non-Latinas. METHODS: A cross-sectional bilingual telephone survey was conducted among 212 Latina and non-Latina women within 10 to 24 months after a diagnosis of BC (AJCC TNM staging system stage 0-III) at 2 Los Angeles County public hospitals. Data were collected using the Preparing for Life as a (New) Survivor (PLANS) scale, Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interactions Questionnaire (PEPPI), Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) Symptom Checklist, Satisfaction with Care and Information Scale, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) tool, Charlson Comorbidity Index adapted for patient self-report, and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey. Controlling variables included age, stage as determined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system, educational level, and study site in multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The mean ages of Latinas and non-Latinas were 51.5 years and 56.6 years, respectively. Compared with non-Latinas, Latinas reported less BC survivorship knowledge (27.3 vs 30.7; P<.0001), were more dissatisfied with BC care information (2.3 vs 3.4; P<.0001), reported lower PEPPI scores (38.2 vs 42.2; P = .03), and experienced more BCPT symptoms (6.4 vs 5.0; P = .04). No differences were noted regarding their confidence in survivorship care preparedness (42.7 vs 41; P = .191), satisfaction with BC survivorship care (9.6 vs 8.8; P = .298), or their discussion with physicians (9.6 vs 8.1; P = .07). These ethnic group differences persisted in multivariate analyses, with the exception of PEPPI. CONCLUSIONS: Latina survivors of BC experienced disparities in BC knowledge and satisfaction with information received, but believed themselves to be prepared for survivorship and were as satisfied with providers, care received, and discussions with physicians as non-Latinas. Cancer 2018;124:2373-80. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

Diagnostic Value of Serum YKL-40 Level for Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aimed to identify the value of serum YKL-40 level for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Through searching the following electronic databases: the Cochrane Library Database (Issue 12, 2013), Web of Science (1945 ∼ 2013), PubMed (1966 ∼ 2013), CINAHL (1982 ∼ 2013), EMBASE (1980 ∼ 2013), and the Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM; 1982 ∼ 2013), related articles were determined without any language restrictions. STATA statistical software (Version 12.0, Stata Corporation, College Station, TX) was chosen to deal with statistical data. Standard mean difference (SMD) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Eleven clinical case-control studies that recruited 1,175 CAD patients and 1,261 healthy controls were selected for statistical analysis. The main findings of our meta-analysis showed that serum YKL-40 level in CAD patients was significantly higher than that in control subjects (SMD = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.73 ∼ 3.85, P < 0.001). Ethnicity-stratified analysis indicated a higher serum YKL-40 level in CAD patients than control subjects among China, Korea, and Denmark populations (China: SMD = 2.97, 95% CI = 1.21 ∼ 4.74, P = 0.001; Korea: SMD = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.17 ∼ 1.15, P = 0.008; Denmark: SMD = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.42 ∼ 2.29, P < 0.001; respectively), but not in Turkey (SMD = 4.52, 95% CI = -2.87 ∼ 11.91, P = 0.231). CONCLUSION: The present meta-analysis suggests that an elevated serum YKL-40 level may be used as a promising diagnostic tool for early identification of CAD.

Quality of life over 5 years after a breast cancer diagnosis among low-income women: effects of race/ethnicity and patient-physician communication.

BACKGROUND: The current study was performed to identify risk factors for a lower quality of life (QOL) among low-income women with breast cancer (BC), with an emphasis on the impact of patient-physician communication. In addition, ethnic/racial group differences in QOL changes over time were examined. METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted among 921 low-income women with BC. Patients were interviewed at 6 months, 18 months, 36 months, and 60 months after their diagnosis of BC. Mixed-effect regression models were performed to investigate predictors for and time effects on QOL. The main outcomes included the Medical Outcomes Study Health Survey Short Form-36 Mental Component Summary scale (SF-36 MCS), Medical Outcomes Study Health Survey Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary scale (SF-36 PCS), and the Ladder of Life scale. Chief independent variables included physician information-giving and patient self-efficacy in interacting with physicians. RESULTS: There were no significant changes noted over time in QOL except with regard to physical functioning, with survivors reporting a significant decrease over time (P<.0001). Mean SF-36 MCS and SF-36 PCS scores were lower than national general population norms at all time points. Both patient self-efficacy in interacting with physicians and physician information-giving were found to be positively associated with the SF-36 MCS (P = .03 and P = .02, respectively) and Ladder of Life (P = .01 and P = .03, respectively) scales. Latinas who were less acculturated reported higher SF-36 MCS and SF-36 PCS scores (P<.0001 and P = .01, respectively) and better global QOL (P<.0001) than white women. CONCLUSIONS: Low-income women with BC experienced poor physical and mental health. The results of the current study suggest that QOL among low-income women with BC would be enhanced by interventions aimed at empowering patients in communicating with physicians and increasing the amount of information provided by physicians.

Adjuvant chemotherapy dosing in low-income women: the impact of Hispanic ethnicity and patient self-efficacy.

Unwarranted breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy dose reductions have been documented in black women, women of lower socioeconomic status, and those who are obese. No information on the quality of chemotherapy is available in Hispanic women. The purpose of this study was to characterize factors associated with first cycle chemotherapy dose selection in a multi-ethnic sample of low-income women receiving chemotherapy through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Treatment Program (BCCPT) and to investigate the impact of Hispanic ethnicity and patient self-efficacy on adjuvant chemotherapy dose selection. Survey and chemotherapy information were obtained from consenting participants enrolled in the California BCCPT. Analyses identified clinical and non-clinical factors associated with first cycle chemotherapy doses less than 90 % of expected doses. Of 552 patients who received chemotherapy, 397 (72 %) were eligible for inclusion. First cycle dose reductions were given to 14 % of the sample. In multivariate analyses, increasing body mass index and non-academic treatment site were associated with doses below 90 % of the expected doses. No other clinical or non-clinical factors, including ethnicity, were associated with first cycle doses selection. In this universally low-income sample, we identified no association between Hispanic ethnicity and other non-clinical patient factors, including patient self-efficacy, in chemotherapy dose selection. As seen in other studies, obesity was associated with systematic dose limits. The guidelines on chemotherapy dose selection in the obese may help address such dose reductions. A greater understanding of the association between type of treatment site and dose selection is warranted. Overall, access to adequate health care allows the vast majority of low-income women with breast cancer to receive high-quality breast cancer chemotherapy.

Uniform nano-Sn/C composite anodes for lithium ion batteries.

Nano-Sn/C composites are ideal anode materials for high energy and power density Li-ion batteries. However, because of the low melting point of Sn and the tendency of grain growth, especially during high temperature carbonization, it has been a significant challenge to create well-dispersed ultrasmall Sn nanoparticles within a carbon matrix. In this paper, we demonstrate an aerosol spray pyrolysis technique, as a facile and scalable method, to synthesize a nano-Sn/C composite with uniformly dispersed 10 nm nano-Sn within a spherical carbon matrix. The discharge capacity of nano-Sn/C composite sphere anodes maintains the initial capacity of 710 mAh/g after 130 cycles at 0.25 C. The nano-Sn/C composite sphere anodes can provide ~600 mAh/g even at a high rate of 20 C. To the best of our knowledge, such high rate performance for Sn anodes has not been reported previously. The exceptional performance of the nano-Sn/C composite is attributed to the unique nano-Sn/C structure: (1) carbon matrix offers mechanical support to accommodate the stress associated with the large volume change of nano-Sn, thus alleviating pulverization; (2) the carbon matrix prevents Sn nanoparticle agglomeration upon prolonged cycling; and (3) carbon network provides continuous path for Li ions and electrons inside the nano-Sn/C composite spheres.

Architecturing hierarchical function layers on self-assembled viral templates as 3D nano-array electrodes for integrated Li-ion microbatteries.

This work enables an elegant bottom-up solution to engineer 3D microbattery arrays as integral power sources for microelectronics. Thus, multilayers of functional materials were hierarchically architectured over tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) templates that were genetically modified to self-assemble in a vertical manner on current-collectors, so that optimum power and energy densities accompanied with excellent cycle-life could be achieved on a minimum footprint. The resultant microbattery based on self-aligned LiFePO(4) nanoforests of shell-core-shell structure, with precise arrangement of various auxiliary material layers including a central nanometric metal core as direct electronic pathway to current collector, delivers excellent energy density and stable cycling stability only rivaled by the best Li-ion batteries of conventional configurations, while providing rate performance per foot-print and on-site manufacturability unavailable from the latter. This approach could open a new avenue for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications, which would significantly benefit from the concept that electrochemically active components be directly engineered and fabricated as an integral part of the integrated circuit (IC).

The protective effect of microRNA-320 on left ventricular remodeling after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat model.

The primary objective of this study investigated the role of microRNA-320 (miR-320) on left ventricular remodeling in the rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, and we intended to explore the myocardial mechanism of miR-320-mediated myocardium protection. We collected 120 male Wistar rats (240-280 g) in this study and then randomly divided them into three groups: (1) sham surgery group (sham group: n=40); (2) ischemia-reperfusion model group (I/R group: n=40); and (3) I/R model with antagomir-320 group (I/R+antagomir-320 group: n=40). Value changes of heart function in transesophageal echocardiography were recorded at various time points (day 1, day 3, day 7, day 15 and day 30) after surgery in each group. Myocardial sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and examined with optical microscope. The degree of myocardial fibrosis was assessed by Sirius Red staining. Terminal dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) and qRT-PCR methods were used to measure the apoptosis rate and to determine the miR-320 expression levels in myocardial tissues. Transesophageal echocardiography showed that the values of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and ±dp/dtmax in the I/R group were obviously lower than those in the sham group, while the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) value was higher than that in the sham group. The values of LVEF, LVFS, LVSP and ±dp/dtmax showed a gradual decrease in the I/R group, while the LVEDP value showed an up tendency along with the extension of reperfusion time. The H&E staining revealed that rat myocardial tissue in the I/R group presented extensive myocardial damage; for the I/R+antagomir-320 group, however, the degree of damage in myocardial cells was obviously better than that of the I/R group. The Sirius Red staining results showed that the degree of myocardial fibrosis in the I/R group was more severe along with the extension of the time of reperfusion. For the I/R+antagomir-320 group, the degree of myocardial fibrosis was less severe than that in the I/R group. Tissues samples in both the sham and I/R+antagomir-320 groups showed a lower apoptosis rate compared to I/R group. The qRT-PCR results indicated that miR-320 expression in the I/R group was significantly higher than that in both the sham and I/R+antagomir-320 groups. The expression level of miR-320 is significantly up-regulated in the rat model of myocardial I/R injury, and it may be implicated in the prevention of myocardial I/R injury-triggered left ventricular remodeling.