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Acute abdomen caused by spontaneous rupture of the inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the urinary bladder (IMTUB) is a rare clinical emergency of the urinary system. It is difficult to distinguish it from spontaneous rupture of bladder caused by other causes before surgery. An emergency case of spontaneous rupture of IMTUB was reported. A 57-year-old middle-aged woman was admitted to the hospital because of "acute lower abdominal pain for 5 hours". No history of smoking and gross hematuria. The physical examination revealed visible abdominal tenderness as well as signs of shock. A pelvic CT scan shows a space-occupying lesion above the bladder with massive accumulation of blood. When the nature of the tumor could not be determined, emergency laparotomy and partial cystectomy were performed, and postoperative pathology confirmed cystitis myofibroblastic tumor. No local recurrence or distant metastasis of the tumor was observed during the regular follow-up period of 6 months. IMTUB should focus on prevention and treatment, with a combination of preoperative examination and postoperative pathology, and finally implement highly individualized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Description of immune landscapes in malignant microenvironment is critical to the improvement of therapeutic strategies for various tumors. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a severe life-threatening malignancy and often confronts treatment dilemma in clinic. Although gd T cells exhibit independent and potent cytotoxicity against leukemic cells in vitro and in the mouse models, efficacy of gd T cell-based immunotherapy on AML patients has seemed unsatisfying so far. How the anti-AML capacity of gd T cells is suppressed in vivo remains elusive. Herein, we found an aberrant gd T cells subset expressing CD25+CD127lowVd2+ in the bone marrows of patients with newly diagnosed AML. The emergence of this subset was significantly associated with disease status and risk stratification as well as with the abnormally increased bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2). Mechanistically, BMP2 could directly induce CD25+CD127lowVd2+ gd T cells (named as Reg-Vd2) in vitro. The immunosuppressive features of Reg-Vd2 cells were identified by combining immunophenotypical and functional data. Furthermore, inhibition of BMP2 pathway significantly blocked the emergence of Reg-Vd2 cells and enhanced the anti-AML immunity in humanized mice. These findings not only provide a novel insight into the mechanisms of immunosuppression in the context of leukemia, but also suggest potential targets for the treatment of AML and other hematopoietic malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To study the efficacy and safety of fasinumab in moderate-to-severe, chronic low back pain (CLBP).Methods: In this phase II/III, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, patients with CLBP aged ≥35 years with inadequate pain relief/intolerance to acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids were randomised to fasinumab 6 or 9 mg subcutaneous every 4 weeks (Q4W), 9 mg intravenous every 8 weeks (Q8W) or placebo. Primary endpoint was change from baseline to week 16 in average daily low back pain intensity (LBPI) numeric rating score. Key secondary efficacy variables included Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and Patient Global Assessment (PGA). The results are based on a modified intent-to-treat analysis of 563/800 planned patients when enrolment was stopped early given emerging signals of joint risk in other osteoarthritis (OA) studies at doses being tested here.Results: Significant placebo-adjusted LBPI reductions at week 16 were observed for fasinumab 9 mg Q4W and Q8W (least squares mean (standard error) -0.7 (0.3); both nominal p<0.05), but not 6 mg (-0.3 (0.3); p=0.39). RMDQ and PGA improvements to week 16 were greatest for fasinumab 9 mg intravenous. Numerically greater efficacy occurred in patients with, versus those without, peripheral OA (pOA) over 16 weeks. Treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) occurred in 274/418 (65.6%) patients in the combined fasinumab groups and 94/140 (67.1%) placebo patients. Joint AEs, mostly rapid progressive OA type 1, were more frequent in the combined fasinumab groups (19 events in 16 patients (3.8%) vs 1 event in 1 patient (0.7%) for placebo); all except one occurred in pOA patients.Conclusions: Fasinumab highest doses, but not lower dose, improved both CLBP pain and function. Most joint AEs occurred in pOA patients, consistent with earlier findings in symptomatic OA. Further study is needed of patients with CLBP with and without pOA to determine optimal benefit-risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the effect of the widely used food emulsifier glycerin monostearate (GM) on testicular toxicity caused by the mixture of three commonly used phthalate esters (MPEs) in rats, and further to explore the underlying mechanism. Materials and Methods Thirty male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Rats were orally treated with 160 mg/kg/d MPEs in the MPEs group; coinstantaneously treated with 160 mg/kg/d MPEs and 200 mg/kg/d GM in the MPEs + GM group; and treated with the excipient in the control group. The intervention lasted for 5 weeks. Testis weight, epididymis weight, testicular histopathology, and serum testosterone were detected for testicular toxicity evaluation. The testicular ultrastructure, the tight junction proteins zonula occluden (ZO)-1, and claudin were measured for the mechanism exploration. Results The body weight, epididymis, serum testosterone level, and anogenital distance in the MPEs + GM group were significantly decreased compared with control group (P  < 0.05); Testicular histopathological observation showed that shed spermatids were observed in the MPEs + GM group. Ultrastructural observation of testicular cells showed that the cristae number was decreased in some mitochondria in the MPEs group, whereas the cristae were fused and disappeared in most mitochondria in the MPEs + GM group. The tight junctions were broken in the MPEs + GM group; meanwhile, the expression of ZO-1 and claudin were altered in the MPEs + GM group (P  < 0.01). Conclusions The results from this study indicated that GM aggravated MPEs' testicular toxicity, which might relate to the injured mitochondria and damaged tight junctions in testicular tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American sloughgrass (Beckmannia syzigachne Steud.) is a problematic grass that is widely distributed in wheat and oilseed rape fields in China. The herbicides fenoxaprop-P-ethyl and mesosulfuron-methyl failed to control B. syzigachne JCWJ-R populations collected from a wheat field in Jiangsu Province. Dose-response experiments showed that JCWJ-R was resistant to the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors fenoxaprop-P-ethyl (33.8-fold), haloxyfop-R-methyl (12.7-fold), clethodim (7.8-fold) and pinoxaden (11.6-fold), and to the acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors mesosulfuron-methyl (15.9-fold), pyroxsulam (17.6-fold), flucarbazone-Na (10.7-fold) and imazethapyr (7-fold). Resistance to ALS inhibitors was due to a Pro-197-Ser mutation in the ALS gene and resistance to ACCase inhibitors was due to an Ile-1781-Leu mutation in the ACCase gene. A derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence method was developed to detect the ALS mutation in B. syzigachne. This was combined with a previously established method to detect Ile-1781-Leu, and the mutation frequency and homozygous mutation rates in the JCWJ-R population were determined. The evolution of multiple resistance to ACCase and ALS inhibitors in this B. syzigachne population indicated that alternative methods should be developed to control resistant weeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-target site resistance (NTSR) to herbicides is an increasing concern for weed control. Metabolic herbicide resistance is an important mechanism for NTSR. However, little is known about metabolic resistance at the genetic level. In this study, we have identified three fenoxaprop-P-ethyl-resistant American sloughgrass (Beckmannia syzigachne Steud.) populations, in which the molecular basis for NTSR remains unclear. To reveal the mechanisms of metabolic resistance, the genes likely to be involved in herbicide metabolism (e.g. for cytochrome P450s, esterases, hydrolases, oxidases, peroxidases, glutathione S-transferases, glycosyltransferases, and transporter proteins) were isolated using transcriptome sequencing, in combination with RT-PCR (reverse transcription-PCR) and RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends). Consequently, we established a herbicide-metabolizing enzyme library containing at least 332 genes, and each of these genes was cloned and the sequence and the expression level compared between the fenoxaprop-P-ethyl-resistant and susceptible populations. Fifteen metabolic enzyme genes were found to be possibly involved in fenoxaprop-P-ethyl resistance. In addition, we found five metabolizing enzyme genes that have a different gene sequence in plants of susceptible versus resistant B. syzigachne populations. These genes may be major candidates for herbicide metabolic resistance. This established metabolic enzyme library represents an important step forward towards a better understanding of herbicide metabolism and metabolic resistance in this and possibly other closely related weed species. This new information may help to understand weed metabolic resistance and to develop novel strategies of weed management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy is the primary strategy for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer; however, after an initial regression, most patients will inevitably develop a fatal androgen-independent tumor. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of the transition to androgen independence prostate cancer is critical to identify new ways to treat older patients who are ineligible for conventional chemotherapy. Methods: The effects of 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) on the viability and the apoptosis of the androgendependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (PC3) cell lines were examined by MTS assay and western blot analysis for the activation of caspase-3. The subcutaneous LNCaP xenografts were established in a nude mice model. MiR-146a and DNMTs expressions were analyzed by qRT-PCR and DNA methylation rates of LINE-1 were measured by COBRA-IRS to determine the global DNA methylation levels. The methylation levels of miR-146a promoter region in the different groups were quantified by the bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) assay. Results: We validated that 5-Aza-CdR induced cell death and increased miR-146a expression in both LNCaP and PC3 cells. Notably, the expression of miR-146a in LNCaP cells was much higher than in PC3 cells. MiR-146a inhibitor was shown to suppress apoptosis in 5-Aza-CdR-treated cells. In a castrate mouse LNCaP xenograft model, 5-Aza-CdR significantly suppressed the tumors growth and also inhibited prostate cancer progression. Meanwhile, miR-146a expression was significantly enhanced in the tumor xenografts of 5-Aza-CdR-treated mice and the androgen-dependent but not the androgen-independent stage of castrated mice. In particular, the expression of miR-146a was significantly augmented in both stages of the combined treatment (castration and 5-Aza-CdR). Additionally, the methylation percentage of the two CpG sites (-444 bp and -433 bp), which were around the NF-κB binding site at miR-146a promoter, showed the lowest methylation levels among all CpG sites in the combined treatment tumors of both stages. Conclusion: Up-regulating miR-146a expression via the hypomethylation of the miR-146a promoter by 5-Aza-CdR was correlated with delayed progression of castration-resistant prostate cancers. Moreover, site-specific DNA methylation may play an important role in miR-146a expression in androgen-dependent prostate cancer progression to androgenindependent prostate cancer and therefore provides a potentially useful biomarker for assessing drug efficacy in prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Androgen deprivation therapy is the primary strategy for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer; however, after an initial regression, most patients will inevitably develop a fatal androgen-independent tumor. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of the transition to androgen independence prostate cancer is critical to identifying new ways to treat older patients who are ineligible for conventional chemotherapy. Methods The effects of 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) on the viability and the apoptosis of the androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (PC3) cell lines were examined by MTS assay and western blot analysis for the activation of caspase-3. The subcutaneous LNCaP xenografts were established in a nude mice model. MiR-146a and DNMTs expressions were analyzed by qRT-PCR and DNA methylation rates of LINE-1 were measured by COBRA-IRS to determine the global DNA methylation levels. The methylation levels of miR-146a promoter region in the different groups were quantified by the bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) assay. Results We validated that 5-Aza-CdR can induce cell death and increased miR-146a expression in both LNCaP and PC3 cells. Notably, the expression of miR-146a in LNCaP cells was much higher than in PC3 cells. MiR-146a inhibitor was shown to suppress apoptosis in 5-Aza-CdR-treated cells. In a castrate mouse LNCaP xenograft model, 5-Aza-CdR significantly suppressed the tumors growth and also inhibited prostate cancer progression. Meanwhile, miR-146a expression was significantly enhanced in the tumor xenografts of 5-Aza-CdR-treated mice and the androgen-dependent but not the androgen-independent stage of castrated mice. In particular, the expression of miR-146a was significantly augmented in both stages of the combined treatment (castration and 5-Aza-CdR). Additionally, the methylation percentage of the two CpG sites (-444 bp and -433 bp), which were around the NF-κB binding site at miR-146a promoter, showed the lowest methylation levels among all CpG sites in the combined treatment tumors of both stages. Conclusion Up-regulating miR-146a expression via the hypomethylation of the miR-146a promoter by 5-Aza-CdR was correlated with delayed progression of castration-resistant prostate cancers. Moreover, site-specific DNA methylation may play an important role in miR-146a expression in androgen-dependent prostate cancer progression to androgen-independent prostate cancer and therefore provide a potentially useful biomarker for assessing drug efficacy in prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of accurate path following control for an underactuated unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) in the horizontal plane. For an underactuatedUUV, the line-of-sight (LOS) guidance method is adopted tomap 2Dreference trajectory into a desired orientation, and through the tracking of heading to achieve path following, where the sideslip is introduced to modify the desired orientation. In this paper, we propose a method called dynamic surface and active disturbance rejection control (DSADRC) to solve the path following control problem. This controller can effectively avoid the phenomenon of explosion of terms in the conventional backstepping method, reduce the dependence on the UUV controller mathematical model, and enhance the antijamming ability. Simulation is carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control method for an underactuated UUV. The results show that, even for this controller with disturbance, the cross-track error of UUV is gradually converged to zero and has some certain robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the whole mitochondrial genome of Silurus grahami was reported to be 16,518 bp in length, including 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and one control region. The phylogenetic analysis based on 13 protein-coding genes showed that S. grahami was sister to clade of S. meridionalis and S. lanzhouensis. A total of 81 bases differences were identified in COI barcoding region, which could be used for species identification in catfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the complete mitochondrial genome of the endangered fish Sinocyclocheilus aluensis. It is a circular molecule of 16,583 bp in size with a D-loop region and contains 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and 13 protein-coding genes, and all genes show the typical gene arrangement conforming to the vertebrate consensus. The overall base composition of S. aluensis mitogenome is 31.1% for A, 26.9% for C, 16.6% for G, and 25.4% for T. The percentage of G + C content is 43.5%. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that all Sinocyclocheilus species clustered together and formed a monophyletic group. The mitochondrial genome sequencing for S. aluensis in this study provides important molecular data for further evolutionary research for Sinocyclocheilus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible silica aerogel composites in intact monolith of 12 cm were successfully fabricated by reinforcing SiO2 aerogel with electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) webs via electrospinning and sol-gel processing. Three electrospun PVDF webs with different microstructures (e.g., nanofibers, microparticles, and combined nanofibers and microparticles) were fabricated by regulating electrospinning parameters. The as-electrospun PVDF webs with various microstructures were impregnated into the silica sol to synthesize the PVDF/SiO2 composites followed by solvent exchange, surface modification, and drying at ambient atmosphere. The morphologies of the PVDF/SiO2 aerogel composites were characterized and the thermal and mechanical properties were measured. The effects of electrospun PVDF on the thermal and mechanical properties of the aerogel composites were evaluated. The aerogel composites reinforced with electrospun PVDF nanofibers showed intact monolith, improved strength, and perfect flexibility and hydrophobicity. Moreover, the aerogel composites reinforced with the electrospun PVDF nanofibers had the lowest thermal conductivity (0.028W·m-1 ·K-1). It indicates that the electrospun PVDF nanofibers could greatly improve the mechanical strength and flexibility of the SiO2 aerogels while maintaining a lower thermal conductivity, which provides increasing potential for thermal insulation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu@Fe3O4heteroparticles with distinct morphologies were synthesized from organometallic reactants. The shape of the magnetic domains could be controlled by the solvent and reaction conditions. They display magnetic and optical properties that are useful for simultaneous magnetic and optical detection. After functionalization, the Cu@Fe3O4heterodimers become water soluble. The morphology, structure, magnetic and optical properties of the as-synthesized heterodimer nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), mössbauer spectroscopy, superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry, and dark field imaging. A special advantage of these heterodimers lies in the fact that the nanodomains of different composition can be used e.g.for the formation of nitric oxide (NO) through the Cu domain and heterodimer nanoparticles can be removed from the reaction mixture by means of the magnetic domain (Fe3O4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]