Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: CEUS characteristics are correlated with pathological findings and help predict early recurrence after resection.

OBJECTIVES: To identify characteristics of preoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) that could predict early recurrence after curative resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS: From January 2017 to September 2022, a total of 110 patients with PDAC (all confirmed by samples obtained via operation) who underwent CEUS within 1 month before surgery were enrolled. We proposed five CEUS enhancement patterns (Pattern I, homogeneous enhancement; Pattern II, heterogeneous enhancement without cystic components; pattern III, ring enhancement; Pattern IV, starry enhancement; Pattern V, heterogeneous enhancement with cystic components) of PDAC. Clinical-pathologic and CEUS characteristics for predicting early recurrence (recurrence within 1 year after curative resection) were analyzed. Important CEUS characteristics were compared with the pathological findings. RESULTS: Tumor size and TNM stage were closely associated with early recurrence. Incomplete-enhancement and enhancement pattern III, IV and V at CEUS imaging were more prone to early recurrence. Incomplete-enhancement lesions had higher histological tumor grades, less frequent remaining acini, and more frequent necrosis within the tumor. PDACs with pattern I and II had lower histological tumor grades, and pattern III, IV and V had higher histological tumor grades. PDACs with pattern I, II and IV had less frequent intratumoral necrosis than PDACs with pattern III and V, and PDACs with pattern IV had lower MVD values. CONCLUSIONS: PDACs with incomplete enhancement and enhancement pattern III, IV and V were more prone to early recurrence after attempted curative resection, and these important CEUS characteristics were closely related to the pathological findings of PDAC.

Development of antiviral carbon quantum dots that target the Japanese encephalitis virus envelope protein.

Japanese encephalitis is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) that is prevalent in Asia and the Western Pacific. Currently, there is no effective treatment for Japanese encephalitis. Curcumin (Cur) is a compound extracted from the roots of Curcuma longa, and many studies have reported its antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the high cytotoxicity and very low solubility of Cur limit its biomedical applications. In this study, Cur carbon quantum dots (Cur-CQDs) were synthesized by mild pyrolysis-induced polymerization and carbonization, leading to higher water solubility and lower cytotoxicity, as well as superior antiviral activity against JEV infection. We found that Cur-CQDs effectively bound to the E protein of JEV, preventing viral entry into the host cells. In addition, after continued treatment of JEV with Cur-CQDs, a mutant strain of JEV was evolved that did not support binding of Cur-CQDs to the JEV envelope. Using transmission electron microscopy, biolayer interferometry, and molecular docking analysis, we revealed that the S123R and K312R mutations in the E protein play a key role in binding Cur-CQDs. The S123 and K312 residues are located in structural domains II and III of the E protein, respectively, and are responsible for binding to receptors on and fusing with the cell membrane. Taken together, our results suggest that the E protein of flaviviruses represents a potential target for the development of CQD-based inhibitors to prevent or treat viral infections.

Genetic characteristics and geographic distribution of rabies virus in China.

China is one of the largest countries with endemic rabies. In this study, we examined the full-length genome sequences of 87 rabies virus (RABV) strains identified in China from 1931 to 2019. Chinese RABV isolates were divided into two major clades, GI and GII. Clade GI consisted of viruses from the Asian clade, which was further divided into three subclades: Asian1, Asian2, and Asian3. Clade GII consisted of viruses from the Cosmopolitan, Arctic-related, and Indian clades. A phylogeographic network showed that the variation of rabies virus was more closely associated with geographic location than with the host species. Recombination appears to be one of the factors driving the emergence of new viral strains.

Study of 2,881 Nasal Bone Fractures using Multivariate Analysis.

Objective: This retrospective cohort study is aimed to provide a certain reference for the clinical prevention and treatment of nasal bone fracture, and further formulated a more perfect diagnosis and treatment plan. Methods: In detailed cases, 2881 patients with nasal bone fracture were recorded. Its general clinical data, cause of injury, fracture site, and fracture typing were collected through the database. All hospitalized patients admitted to the Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to the School of Medicine of Shanghai Jiao Tong University with integrated medical records could be retrospectively included from June 2013 to July 2018 and comprehensively analyzed for their gender, age, fracture type and cause of injury. Results: The sex ratio of nasal bone fracture was 2.44:1. The most patients with nasal bone fracture were 19-29 years old (35.6%). The injury rate of traffic accidents was the highest, 33.8%, followed by violent strikes, 24.1%. Statistical analysis showed that the number of patients with nasal bone combined with maxillary frontal bone fracture and type II nasal bone fracture was significantly higher than other fracture types. Logistic multiple regression analysis showed that the relative risk of nasal bone fracture in men was lower (odds ratio, OR = 0.807, P < .05), and the risk of nasal bone fracture decreased with age (OR = 0.978, P < .001). Compared with car accident injury, the relative risk of simple nasal bone fracture comes from violence, exercise or collision [OR = 1.244, P < .05; OR = 1.410, P < .05; OR = 1.453, P < .05]). Conclusion: Given these findings, it's evident that nasal bone fractures exhibit distinct patterns based on individual characteristics, causes of trauma, and injury site, and relevant strategy research should be conducted.

In Vivo Degradation Behavior of Magnesium Alloy for Bone Implants with Improving Biological Activity, Mechanical Properties, and Corrosion Resistance.

This study aimed to establish a surface modification technology for ZK60 magnesium alloy implants that can degrade uniformly over time and promote bone healing. It proposes a special micro-arc oxidation (MAO) treatment on ZK60 alloy that enables the composite electrolytes to create a coating with better corrosion resistance and solve the problems of uneven and excessive degradation. A magnesium alloy bone screw made in this way was able to promote the bone healing reaction after implantation in rabbits. Additionally, it was found that the MAO-treated samples could be sustained in simulated body-fluid solution, exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance and electrochemical stability. The Ca ions deposited in the MAO coating were not cytotoxic and were beneficial in enhancing bone healing after implantation.

Differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules by the Demetics ultrasound-assisted diagnosis system and contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with thyroid image reporting and data systems.

BACKGROUND: More and more new ultrasound techniques with their own characteristics are applied in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules. This study amied to assess and compare the diagnostic value of the Demetics ultrasound-assisted diagnosis system and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) combined with the Thyroid Image Reporting and Data Systems (TI-RADS) for thyroid nodules. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: A total of 600 thyroid nodules with pathological findings were retrospectively analysed. Demetics and CEUS were performed for all nodules. The diagnostic efficacy of Demetics and CEUS for nodules of different sizes was evaluated and compared in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (LR+) and negative likelihood ratio (LR-). The characteristics of nodules diagnosed and misdiagnosed by Demetics were compared to analyse the factors affecting the diagnostic accuracy of Demetics. The necessity of CEUS for nodules that are prone to misdiagnosis in Demetics was assessed. RESULTS: Both Demetics and CEUS can be used for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules of different sizes. The diagnostic agreement between Demetics and CEUS for thyroid nodules of different sizes was moderate, substantial and fair, respectively. The sensitivity and NPV of Demetics were higher than those of CEUS, and the specificity, PPV and LR+ of CEUS were higher than that of Demetics. The LR- of Demetics was lower than those of CEUS. There were significant differences in age, calcification and margin in analysing the factors affecting Demetics. CEUS correctly diagnosed 50 of the 101 nodules misdiagnosed by Demetics. CONCLUSIONS: Demetics showed high sensitivity in diagnosing thyroid nodules, while CEUS showed high specificity. In clinical practice, CEUS can further improve the diagnostic accuracy for nodules that are easily misdiagnosed by Demetics.

Evolutionary plasticity of zoonotic porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV): genetic characteristics and geographic distribution.

The emergence and rapid spread of the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 have confirmed that animal coronaviruses represent a potential zoonotic source. Porcine deltacoronavirus is a worldwide evolving enteropathogen of swine, detected first in Hong Kong, China, before its global identification. Following the recent detection of PDCoV in humans, we attempted in this report to re-examine the status of PDCoV phylogenetic classification and evolutionary characteristics. A dataset of 166 complete PDCoV genomes was analyzed using the Maximum Likelihood method in IQ-TREE with the best-fitting model GTR + F + I + G4, revealing two major genogroups (GI and GII), with further seven and two sub-genogroups, (GI a-g) and (GII a-b), respectively. PDCoV strains collected in China exhibited the broadest genetic diversity, distributed in all subgenotypes. Thirty-one potential natural recombination events were identified, 19 of which occurred between China strains, and seven involved at least one China strain as a parental sequence. Importantly, we identified a human Haiti PDCoV strain as recombinant, alarming a possible future spillover that could become a critical threat to human health. The similarity and recombination analysis showed that PDCoV spike ORF is highly variable compared to ORFs encoding other structural proteins. Prediction of linear B cell epitopes of the spike glycoprotein and the 3D structural mapping of amino acid variations of two representative strains of GI and GII showed that the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike glycoprotein underwent a significant antigenic drift, suggesting its contribution in the genetic diversity and the wider spread of PDCoV.

Clinical Diagnostic Application of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Focal Lesions of the Salivary Glands.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for focal benign and malignant lesions of the salivary glands, as well as for common benign lesions. METHODS: A total of 91 patients with focal lesions of the salivary glands were included in this study. In this study, CEUS was used to study the differential diagnosis of focal benign and malignant lesions of the salivary gland and the most common benign tumors, that is, pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and adenolymphoma. RESULTS: The differences between focal benign and malignant lesions in the salivary glands were statistically significant (P < .05) in terms of qualitative CEUS indicators, enhancement pattern, enhancement homogeneity, enhancement margin, and enhanced lesion size, whereas the differences were not statistically significant (P > .05) in terms of wash-in and wash-out pattern, enhancement degree. Blurred margins and increased size of the lesion after enhancement are two CEUS features independently associated with focal malignant lesions of the salivary gland. The differences between salivary gland PA and adenolymphoma were statistically significant (P < .05) in terms of wash-in pattern, enhancement degree, enhancement homogeneity, and enhancement pattern, but not in terms of wash-out pattern, enhancement margin, and enhanced lesion size (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: As an economical, convenient, and safe imaging method, CEUS has important clinical value in distinguishing benign and malignant salivary glands.

Value of Echogenic Foci in Diagnosing Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and Predicting Aggressive Biological Behavior.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the diagnostic value of echogenic foci in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and the relationship between echogenic foci and aggressiveness of PTC. METHODS: From January 2018 to January 2021, a total of 950 patients diagnosed with thyroid nodules (n = 1113) in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Among the 1113 nodules, single PTC in 527 patients confirmed by surgery was studied for their aggressive biological behavior. The patterns of echogenic foci were classified as: no echogenic foci, sparse punctate echogenic foci, focal punctate echogenic foci, diffuse punctate echogenic foci, petal-like punctate echogenic foci, comet-tail artifacts, coarse echogenic foci, peripheral rim (eggshell echogenic foci), and mixed echogenic foci. The clinical and ultrasonographic characteristics were also analyzed. A univariate analysis was performed, and binary logistic regression was performed to screen independent risk factors. RESULTS: For the differential diagnosis of PTC, age < 50 years, size <1.1 cm, hypoechoic or very hypoechoic, aspect ratio > 1, irregular shape, types II (punctate echogenic foci) and VI (mixed echogenic foci) were independent risk factors. For the aggressive biological behavior of PTC, male sex, age<42 years, size <1.0 cm, types IIb (focal punctate echogenic foci), IIc (diffuse punctate echogenic foci), and VI (mixed echogenic foci) were independent risk factors for predicting cervical lymph node metastasis of PTC. CONCLUSION: Echogenic foci are useful in diagnosing PTC and predicting aggressiveness of PTC, which contribute to screening invasive PTC and avoiding overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

Metabonomics analysis of semen euphorbiae and semen Euphorbiae Pulveratum using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.

Semen Euphorbiae (SE), the dry and mature seed of Euphorbia lathyris L., a common traditional Chinese medicine, has significant pharmacological activity. However, its toxicity limits its clinical application, and less toxic Semen Euphorbiae Pulveratum (SEP) is often used clinically. To explore the possible mechanism of SE frost-making and attenuation, this study used ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry to perform a comprehensive metabolomics analysis of serum and urine samples from rats treated with SE and SEP, and performed histopathological evaluation of liver, kidney and colon tissues. Meanwhile, the different metabolites were visualized through multivariate statistical analysis and the HMDB and KEGG databases were used to distinguish the differential metabolites of SE and SEP to reveal related metabolic pathways and their significance. In total, 32 potential biomarkers, 14 in serum and 18 in urine, were identified. The metabolic pathway analysis revealed that arachidonic acid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and seven other metabolic pathways were significantly altered. Importantly, compared with SE, SEP reduced the metabolic disorder related to endogenous components. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of lipid metabolism, intestinal flora metabolites, amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism. This study provided new insights into the possible mechanism of SE freezing and attenuation.

Effects of Human Behavior Changes During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Influenza Spread in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to threaten human life worldwide. We explored how human behaviors have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, and how the transmission of other respiratory diseases (eg, influenza) has been influenced by human behavior. METHODS: We focused on the spread of COVID-19 and influenza infections based on the reported COVID-19 cases and influenza surveillance data and investigated the changes in human behavior due to COVID-19 based on mass transit railway data and the data from a telephone survey. We did the simulation based on a susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model to assess the risk reduction of influenza transmission caused by the changes in human behavior. RESULTS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of passengers fell by 52.0% compared with the same period in 2019. Residents spent 32.2% more time at home. Each person, on average, came into close contact with 17.6 and 7.1 people per day during the normal and pandemic periods, respectively. Students, workers, and older people reduced their daily number of close contacts by 83.0%, 48.1%, and 40.3%, respectively. The close contact rates in residences, workplaces, places of study, restaurants, shopping centers, markets, and public transport decreased by 8.3%, 30.8%, 66.0%, 38.5%, 48.6%, 41.0%, and 36.1%, respectively. Based on the simulation, these changes in human behavior reduced the effective reproduction number of influenza by 63.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Human behaviors were significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Close contact control contributed more than 47% to the reduction in infection risk of COVID-19.

The spike glycoprotein genes of porcine epidemic diarrhea viruses isolated in China.

The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) causes a highly contagious disease in pigs, which is one of the most devastating viral diseases of swine in the world. In China, PEDV was first confirmed in 1984 and PEDV infections occurred sporadically from 1984 to early 2010. From late 2010 until present, PEDV infections have swept every province or region in China. In this study, we analyzed a total of 186 full-length spike genes and deduced proteins of all available complete genomes of PEDVs isolated in China during 2007-2019. A total of 28 potential recombination events were identified in the spike genes of PEDVs in China. Spike gene recombination not only expanded the genetic diversity of PEDVs in the GII genogroup, but also resulted in the emergence of a new evolutional branch GI-c during 2016-2018. In addition, comparative analysis of spike proteins between GI-a prototype virulent CV777 and GII strain AJ1102 reveals that the amino acid variations could affect 20 potential linear B cell epitopes, demonstrating a dramatic antigen drift in the spike protein. These results provide a thorough view of the information about the genetic and antigenic diversity of PEDVs circulating in China and therefore could benefit the development of suitable strategies for disease control.

Changes in local travel behaviour before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.

COVID-19 threatens the world. Social distancing is a significant factor in determining the spread of this disease, and social distancing is strongly affected by the local travel behaviour of people in large cities. In this study, we analysed the changes in the local travel behaviour of various population groups in Hong Kong, between 1 January and 31 March 2020, by using second-by-second smartcard data obtained from the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) system. Due to the pandemic, local travel volume decreased by 43%, 49% and 59% during weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, respectively. The local travel volumes of adults, children, students and senior citizens decreased by 42%, 86%, 73% and 48%, respectively. The local travel behaviour changes for adults and seniors between non-pandemic and pandemic times were greater than those between weekdays and weekends. The opposite was true for children and students. During the pandemic, the daily commute flow decreased by 42%. Local trips to shopping areas, amusement areas and borders decreased by 42%, 81% and 99%, respectively. The effective reproduction number (R t ) of COVID-19 had the strongest association with daily population use of the MTR 7-8 days earlier.

Long noncoding RNA KCNQ1OT1 promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion in maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma by regulating miR-204/EphA7 axis.

Long noncoding RNAs have been demonstrated to contribute to the development and progression of various cancers. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms of KCNQ1OT1 in tumorigenesis of maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma (MSSCC) remain unknown. Herein, we found that KCNQ1OT1 expression was markedly upregulated in MSSCC tissues and MSSCC cell line (IMC-3) by using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Loss-of-function experiments revealed that the deletion of KCNQ1OT1 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, we confirmed KCNQ1OT1 could directly interact with miR-204 by bioinformatic prediction and dual luciferase assay, and miR-204 inhibitor markedly reversed MSSCC tumor phenotypes induced by shKCNQ1OT1. Finally, we demonstrated that KCNQ1OT1/miR-204 facilitated MSSCC progression by regulating Eph receptor A7 (EphA7). Taken together, these results revealed a novel regulatory mechanism KCNQ1OT1/miR-204/EphA7 axis, which could provide a new understanding of MSSCC tumorigenesis and develop potential targets for MSSCC therapy.

PgpRules: a decision tree based prediction server for P-glycoprotein substrates and inhibitors.

SUMMARY: P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a member of ABC transporter family that actively pumps xenobiotics out of cells to protect organisms from toxic compounds. P-gp substrates can be easily pumped out of the cells to reduce their absorption; conversely P-gp inhibitors can reduce such pumping activity. Hence, it is crucial to know if a drug is a P-gp substrate or inhibitor in view of pharmacokinetics. Here we present PgpRules, an online P-gp substrate and P-gp inhibitor prediction server with ruled-sets. The two models were built using classification and regression tree algorithm. For each compound uploaded, PgpRules not only predicts whether the compound is a P-gp substrate or a P-gp inhibitor, but also provides the rules containing chemical structural features for further structural optimization. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: PgpRules is freely accessible at https://pgprules.cmdm.tw/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

miR-1278 sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to cisplatin and suppresses autophagy via targeting ATG2B.

Chemoresistance to cisplatin (DDP) has become a dominating obstacle to the successful treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Recently, accumulating data support the tenet that microRNAs (miRNAs) function as new crucial regulators of diverse biological processes, including chemoresistance. In this study, the miRNA expression profiles in NPC were first analyzed using miRNA microarray dataset. miR-1278 was identified as the most decreased miRNA in NPC tissues. We then validated that miR-1278 was significantly down-regulated in NPC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, decreased miR-1278 was strongly associated with worse overall survival and poor chemotherapy response. Gain-of-function experiments showed that overexpression of miR-1278 dramatically sensitized NPC cells to DDP and reduced autophagy. Mechanistically, ATG2B was identified as a target gene of miR-1278. More importantly, ATG2B overexpression reversed miR-1278-induced suppression of autophagy and DDP resistance. Taken together, our results suggested that miR-1278 inhibited the DDP resistance of NPC cells and autophagy through targeting ATG2B. miR-1278 might function as a novel therapeutic target in NPC treatment.

Family history of liver cancer may modify the association between HBV infection and liver cancer in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The potential interaction between family history of liver cancer and HBV infection on liver cancer has not been fully examined. METHODS: We conducted a population-based case-control study composed of 2011 liver cancer cases and 7933 controls in Jiangsu province, China from 2003 to 2010. Data on major risk or protective factors were collected and HBV/HCV sero-markers were assayed using blood samples. Semi-Bayes (SB) adjustments were applied to provide posterior estimates. RESULTS: Both family history of liver cancer (adjusted odds ratios [OR]: 4.32, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.25-5.73) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity (adjusted OR: 9.94, 95% CI: 8.33-11.87) were strongly associated with liver cancer development. For individuals with different combinations of serological markers, the adjusted ORs were 8.45 (95% CI: 5.16-13.82) for HBsAg- and HBcAb-positive; 7.57 (95% CI: 4.87-11.77) for HBsAg-, HBeAg- and HBcAb-positive; and 3.62 (95% CI: 2.47-5.31) for HBsAg-, HBeAb- and HBcAb-positive, compared to all negatives in HBV serological markers. One log increase in HBV DNA level was associated with 17% increased risk (adjusted OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.03-1.32). The SB-adjusted OR of HBV-positive individuals with family history of liver cancer was 41.34 (95% posterior interval [PI]: 23.69-72.12) compared with those HBV-negative without family history. Relative excess risk due to additive interaction, the attributable proportion and synergy index were 73.13, 0.87 and 8.04 respectively. Adjusted ratio of OR for multiplicative interaction was 2.84 (95% CI: 1.41-5.75). CONCLUSIONS: Super-additive and super-multiplicative interactions may exist between family history of liver cancer and HBV infection on the development of liver cancer.

Near-infrared-emitting persistent luminescent nanoparticles modified with gold nanorods as multifunctional probes for detection of arsenic(III).

Near infrared (NIR)-emitting persistent luminescent nanoparticles (PLNPs) have advantages such as long afterglow, high photostability and deep tissue spectral penetration. A NIR-emitting inner filter effect (IFE) probe for arsenic(III) is described here. It is composed of polyethyleneimine-coated PLNPs and gold nanorods (AuNPs) coated with dithiothreitol. The probe can detect arsenic(III) (= arsenite) selectively even in the presence of interfering substances. The PLNPs and AuNPs were prepared by a hydrothermal method combined with high-temperature calcination and seed-mediated growth mechanism, respectively. The PLNPs show excellent NIR luminescence (with excitation/emission peaks at 254/695 nm) and long afterglow (lifetime >1200 s). The use of polyethyleneimine improves water solubility and provides positive surface charges for the PLNPs. On exposure to arsenite ions, the luminescence of the probe at 695 nm is restored. Under the optimum conditions, the method can detect As(III) in the 0.067 to 13.4 µmol·L-1 concentration range with good linear relationship (R2 = 0.99734), and the detection limit (at S/N = 3) is 55 nmol·L-1. The precision of this method was demonstrated by 11 replicate detections of 2 µmol·L-1 As(III), and the relative standard deviations (RSD) is 2.1%. The practicality was evaluated by the analyses of real water samples and recoveries for the water samples spiked with 2, 5 and 10 µmol·L-1 of As(III) were 89.8%-100.1% with RSDs ranging from 3.0-5.7%. Graphical abstract A near infrared-emitting inner filter effect (IFE) inhibition probe is presented. It is based on the combination of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-coated NIR-emitting persistent luminescent nanoparticles (type Zn1.25Ga1.5Ge0.25O4: Cr3+, ZGGO) (PLNPs-PEI) with dithiothreitol (DTT)-coated gold nanorods (AuNPs) (DTT-AuNPs) to detect arsenite.

Interaction between tobacco smoking and hepatitis B virus infection on the risk of liver cancer in a Chinese population.

Although tobacco smoking has been reported as a risk factor for liver cancer, few studies have specifically explored the association among Chinese females and the potential interaction between smoking and other risk factors. A population-based case-control study was conducted and 2,011 liver cancer cases and 7,933 healthy controls were enrolled in Jiangsu, China from 2003 to 2010. Epidemiological data were collected, and serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV antibody were measured. Unconditional logistic regression was used to examine association and potential interaction, while semi-Bayes (SB) method was employed to make estimates more conservative. The prevalence of serum HBsAg positivity was 43.2% among cases and 6.5% among controls. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) for ever smoking were 1.62 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-1.96) among male and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.53-1.26) among female. Age at first cigarette, duration of smoking and pack-years of smoking were all significantly associated with liver cancer among men. Compared to HBsAg-negative never smokers, the adjusted ORs were 1.25 (95% CI: 1.03-1.52) for HBsAg-negative ever smokers, 7.66 (95% CI: 6.05-9.71) for HBsAg-positive never smokers, and 15.68 (95% CI: 12.06-20.39) for HBsAg-positive ever smokers. These different odds ratios indicated super-additive (RERI: 7.77, 95% CI: 3.81-11.73) and super-multiplicative interactions (ROR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.17-2.30) between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and tobacco smoking. Most associations and interactions detected remained statistically significant after SB adjustments. Tobacco smoking and HBV infection positively interact in the development of liver cancer.

A Colorimetric Probe Based on Functionalized Gold Nanorods for Sensitive and Selective Detection of As(III) Ions.

A colorimetric probe for determination of As(III) ions in aqueous solutions on basis of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) was synthesized. The dithiothreitol molecules with two end thiols covalently combined with Au Nanorods (AuNRs) with an aspect ratio of 2.9 by Au-S bond to form dithiothreitol coated Au Nanorods (DTT-AuNRs), acting as colorimetric probe for the determination of As(III) ions. With the adding of As(III) ions, the AuNRs will be aggregated and leading the longitudinal SPR absorption band of DTT-AuNRs decrease due to the As(III) ions can bind with three DTT molecules through an As-S linkage. The potential factors affect the response of DTT-AuNRs to As(III) ions including the concentration of DTT, pH values of DTT-AuNRs, reaction time and NaCl concentration were optimized. Under optimum assay conditions, the DTT-AuNRs colorimetric probe has high sensitivity towards As(III) ions with low detection limit of 38 nM by rules of 3σ/k and excellent linear range of 0.13⁻10.01 µM. The developed colorimetric probe shows high selectivity for As(III) ions sensing and has applied to determine of As(III) in environmental water samples with quantitative spike-recoveries range from 95.2% to 100.4% with low relative standard deviation of less than 4.4% (n = 3).