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Background: In recent years, 5-Methoxytryptophan (5-MTP) has been identified as an endothelial factor with vaso-protective and anti-inflammatory properties. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, a total of 407 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) successfully were enrolled. A 1-year follow-up Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used for evaluating the correlation between 5-MTP and major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) while Cox proportional-hazards regression was used to identify predictive values of 5-MTP on MACE after AMI. Results: Increased 5-MTP level led to a significant downtrend in the incidence of MACE (All Log-rank p < 0.05). Thus, a high baseline 5-MTP could reduce the 1-year incidence of MACE (HR = 0.33, 95%Cl 0.17–0.64, p = 0.001) and heart failure (HF) (HR = 0.28, 95% Cl 0.13–0.62, p = 0.002). Subgroup analysis indicated the predictive value of 5-MTP was more significant in patients aged ≤ 65 years and those with higher baseline NT-proBNP, T2DM, STEMI, and baseline HF with preserved LVEF (HFpEF) characteristics. Conclusions: Plasma 5-MTP is an independent and protective early biomarker for 1-year MACE and HF events in patients with AMI, especially in younger patients and those with T2DM, STEMI, and baseline HFpEF characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation and use of UV-emitting tanning devices are known risk factors for skin cancer. Few studies have explored the interaction between these risk factors, namely how the risk of skin cancer increases among those who both have been exposed to high levels of natural sunlight and regularly use tanning beds. Nurses’ Health Study II followed 116,430 women, aged 25–42, from 1991 to 2011. Cumulative average UV exposure was based on participants’ residences at follow-up periods. History of severe sunburn during ages 15–20 was used as a proxy for early-life sunlight exposure. Tanning bed use in early life data was collected. Participants reported melanoma, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) diagnoses. We built multivariable Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for risk of skin cancer associated with joint effects of sunlight exposure and tanning bed use. Participants with high sunlight exposure and tanning bed use during high school/college had an increased risk of BCC (HR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.37–1.71, Pinteraction=0.01; vs. low sun exposure and no tanning bed use). Participants with a history of severe sunburns and tanning bed use during high school/college were at increased risk of BCC (HR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.47–1.79, Pinteraction=0.02; vs. no sunburns and no tanning bed use). No significant interactions were found between sunlight exposure and tanning bed use on SCC and melanoma risk. We found significant interactions between sunlight exposure and tanning bed use on the risk of BCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method based on periodic change of two-phase velocity for the droplet coalescence in microchannels is proposed. The feasibility of the method is justified by investigating the droplet coalescence in several combinations of the velocity pairs. Once the droplet pairs have been generated, the frequency of the droplet coalescence can be divided into a liquid slug of continuous phase dominated region and a real velocity ratio dominated region. Since the liquid slug between the droplet pairs and the real velocity ratio of the droplet pairs are determined by the flow rate ratios, the critical value of the flow rate ratio is determined to distinguish whether the frequency of the droplet coalescence is liquid slug dominated or real velocity ratio dominated. Compared with the traditional passive method, the droplet pairs are alternatively generated by the periodic change of the two-phase velocity. The velocity gradient of the droplet pairs can be generated spontaneously which avoids the introduction of an expansion structure. The mixing performance inside the coalesced droplet is improved due to the reorganized inner circulation when the droplets is coalesced. The quantitative mixing of the reagents can be achieved to satisfy special application needs by a precise control of the volume of the droplet pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticle (NP) catalysts are ubiquitous in energy systems, chemical production, and reducing the environmental impact of many industrial processes. Under reactive environments, the availability of catalytically active sites on the NP surface is determined by its dynamic structure. However, atomic-scale insights into how a NP surface reconstructs under reaction conditions and the impact of the reconstruction on catalytic activity are still lacking. Using operando transmission electron microscopy, we show that Pd NPs exhibit periodic round–to–flat transitions altering their facets during CO oxidation reaction at atmospheric pressure and elevated temperatures. This restructuring causes spontaneous oscillations in the conversion of CO to CO2 under constant reaction conditions. Our study reveals that the oscillatory behavior stems from the CO-adsorption-mediated periodic restructuring of the nanocatalysts between high-index-faceted round and low-index-faceted flat shapes. These atomic-scale insights into the dynamic surface properties of NPs under reactive conditions play an important role in the design of high-performance catalysts. Atomic-scale insights into how a nanoparticle surface reconstructs under reaction conditions and the impact of the reconstruction on catalytic activity are still lacking. Here the authors reveal that Pd nanocatalysts display oscillatory changes in both their structure and activity during CO oxidation using operando TEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The association of contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) and the overall survival (OS) of biliary tract cancers (BTC) is ambiguous. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the value of signal enhancement ratio (SER) and its early change in CE-MRI as biomarkers of survival after hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) in BTC. Results: One hundred and two BTC patients treated via HAIC with 3cir-OFF regimen between January 2011 and June 2020 were enrolled in this retrospective study. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and OS were 9.8 months [range 1.5–83.3 months, 95% confidence interval (CI) 7.789–11.811] and 14.2 months (range 1.8–83.3 months, 95% CI: 11.106–17.294), respectively. The cutoff value of SER before HAIC (SER0) was 1.04, and both median PFS and OS in the SER0 ≥ 1.04 group were longer than in the SER0 < 1.04 group (median PFS: 10.5 vs. 8.5 months, p = 0.027; median OS: 23.9 vs. 12.3 months, p < 0.001). The median OS in the ΔSER > 0 group was longer than in the ΔSER < 0 group (17.3 versus 12.8 months, p = 0.029 (ΔSER means the change of SER after two cycles of HAIC). Multivariate analysis showed SER0 (p = 0.029) and HAIC treatment cycle (p = 0.002) were independent predictors of longer survival. Conclusions: SER in CE-MRI before HAIC (SER0) is a potential biomarker for the prediction of survival after HAIC in advanced BTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are the most common skin cancers. The incidence rates of all three types of skin cancers have increased in the past three decades. Light pigmentary traits have been recognized as one of the host risk factors for skin cancer, but findings on associations between eye colors and risk of skin cancers have been inconsistent. We performed a prospective analysis to examine the association between eye colors and risk of skin cancers using the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Cox proportional hazard models were applied to estimate relative risks (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Effect modifications due to hair color and skin reaction to sun were also examined. The HPFS included 35,662 males. During a median follow-up of 19 years (1988–2012), 445 melanoma, 1123 SCC, and 7198 BCC cases were documented. Compared to those whose eye colors were dark or brown, participants with hazel/green/medium and blue/light colors had a 24% (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.06–1.45) and a 19% (RR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01–1.41) higher risk of SCC, respectively. Similarly, a higher risk of BCC was observed in participants with hazel/green/medium eye colors (RR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.09–1.23) and blue/light eye colors (RR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.10–1.25). We did not find significant associations between eye color and risk of melanoma. Lighter eye color was associated with increased risks of SCC and BCC among those with dark hair colors (p for interaction ≤ 0.02). In conclusion, in this large prospective study of men, we found that light eye colors were associated with higher risks of SCC and BCC, but not melanoma. Further studies are needed to confirm this association in other populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selectivity of 1-butene hydrogenation/isomerization on Pd catalysts is known to be particle size dependent. Here we show that combining well-defined model catalysts, atmospheric pressure reaction kinetics, DFT calculations and microkinetic modeling enables to rationalize the particle size effect based on the abundance and the specific properties of the contributing surface facets. The selectivity of Pd catalysts in 1-butene hydrogenation and isomerization depends on nanoparticle size. Herein, the authors show by combining experiment and modeling that the type and specific properties of the contributing surface facets are decisive for the selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The litter decomposition rate is strongly related to litter chemical quality, which is altered by increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability induced by global changes and human activity in plantation forest ecosystems. However, the effects of litter cell wall carbohydrate composition on litter decomposability after long-term N and P additions remain unclear. Methods: A field nutrient manipulation experiment was conducted in a subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation. Leaf litter and green leaves were collected and divided into 1- and 2-year-old tissues after N and P additions for 5 years. Litter organic carbon (OC), N and P concentrations and their stoichiometries, and cell wall carbohydrate fractions were determined. The leaf litter decomposability was determined by 150 days of decomposition in the laboratory. Results: Nitrogen addition decreased leaf litter C/N, whereas P addition decreased C/N and C/P. P addition decreased cell wall pectin, hemicellulose, total extractable carbohydrate (TEC) concentrations and their percentage relative to OC. Litter OC, N and P and their stoichiometries were unaffected by litter age, whereas TEC and TEC/OC increased with increasing litter age. Leaf litter decomposition rate increased by 7.3% with P addition, decreased by 16.8% with increasing litter age, and was unaffected by N addition given the negative correlation between TEC/OC and litter decomposition rate. Conclusions: Cell wall carbohydrates constitute an effective indicator of litter quality to predict litter decomposability. Phosphorus but not N addition increases litter decomposability through alterations in carbohydrate composition. Tissue age should be considered when investigating N and P additions effects on litter decomposition in forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mechanical heart valves (MHVs) are widely used to replace diseased heart valves, but it may suffer from cavitation due to the rapid closing velocity of the leaflets, resulting in the damage of red blood cells and platelets. The aim of this study is to apply computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method to investigate the cavitation in bileaflets mechanical heart valves (BMHVs) and discuss the effects of the conduit and leaflet geometries on cavitation intensity. Methods: Firstly, CFD method together with moving-grid technology were applied and validated by comparing with experimental results obtained from other literature. Then the leaflets movement and the flow rate of BMHVs with different conduit geometries and leaflet geometries are compared. At last, the duration time of the saturated vapor pressure and the closing velocity of leaflets at the instant of valve closure were used to represent the cavitation intensity. Results: Larger closing velocity of leaflets at the instant of valve closure means higher cavitation intensity. For BMHVs with different conduit geometries, the conduit with Valsalva sinuses has the maximum cavitation intensity and the straight conduit has the minimum cavitation intensity, but the leaflets cannot reach the fully opened state in a straight conduit. For BMHVs with different leaflet geometries, in order to minimize the cavitation intensity, the leaflets are better to have a large thickness and a small rotational radius. Conclusion: CFD method is a promising method to deal with cavitation in BMHVs, and the closing velocity of leaflets has the same trend with the cavitation intensity. By using CFD method, the effects of the conduit geometry and the leaflet geometry on cavitaion in BMHVs are found out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ingestion of button batteries occurs in about ten persons per one million persons each year, with most of them children, and one in every 1000 battery ingestions leads to serious injuries. This study aimed to describe the clinical features and outcome of ingestion or inhalation of button batteries in children spanning a decade from January, 2006 to December, 2016 at a tertiary care hospital.Methods: We reviewed the clinical records of children who sought treatment for inhaled or ingested button batteries at our hospital during the study period. Data on gender, age, time from ingestion to treatment, site of impaction, imaging findings, and outcomes were retrieved and analyzed.Results: We identified 116 pediatric cases of ingestion or inhalation of button batteries. Their mean age was 26 months. The time from ingestion or inhalation of button batteries to treatment was 0.5 hours to 2 weeks. Ninety-seven (83.6%) button batteries were located in the nasal cavity, 13 (11.2%) in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract including 6 in the esophagus, and 7 in the stomach and lower GI tract, and 6 (5.2%) in the auditory tract. Twenty-one (21.6%) children with nasal button batteries had preoperative septal perforations and one (1.0%) had postoperative septal perforation. One child with esophageal button battery developed esophageal stricture and one died of sudden cardiac arrest perioperatively. One child had auditory damages in the right tympanic membrane and ossicles.Conclusions: Inhalation or ingestion may occur in the nasal cavities, the esophagus and GI tract and the auditory tract. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are required for a satisfactory outcome and ingested or inhaled button batteries require different treatment protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tetracycline is a photosensitising medication that increases skin vulnerability to UV-related damage.Methods: We prospectively examined tetracycline use and risk of incident melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) based on 213 536 participants from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), NHS2, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Information on ever use of tetracycline was asked via questionnaire. Diagnoses of melanoma and SCC were pathologically confirmed.Results: Tetracycline use was associated with a modestly increased risk of BCC (ncase=36 377), with a pooled hazard ratio (HR) of 1.11 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.02-1.21, P-trend=0.05 by duration of use). Tetracycline use was not significantly associated with melanoma (ncase=1831, HR=1.09, 95% CI=0.94-1.27) or SCC (ncase=3332, HR=1.04, 95% CI=0.91-1.18) risk overall. However, we observed positive interactions between tetracycline use and adulthood UV exposure on SCC risk (P-interaction=0.05).Conclusion: Tetracycline use was associated with a modestly increased risk of BCC, but was not associated with melanoma or SCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous studies suggest that solar UV exposure in early life is predictive of cutaneous melanoma risk in adulthood, whereas the relation of BRAF mutation with sun exposure and disease prognosis has been less certain. We investigated the associations between BRAF(V600E) and NRAS(Q61R) mutations and known risk factors, clinicopathologic characteristics and clinical outcomes of melanoma in a case series of primary invasive cutaneous melanoma from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS).Methods: Somatic BRAF(V600E) and NRAS(Q61R) mutations of 127 primary invasive melanomas from the NHS cohort were determined by pyrosequencing using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded block tissues. Logistic regression analyses were performed to detect the associations of mutations with melanoma risk factors, and Kaplan-Meier method was used to examine associations between mutations and survival.Results: The odds ratios for harboring BRAF(V600E) mutations were 5.54 (95% CI 1.19-25.8, p(trend) = 0.02) for women residing in states with UV index ≥ 7 versus those residing in states with UV index ≤5 at 30 years of age. Patients with BRAF(V600E) mutations tended to have shorter melanoma-specific survival when compared to patients with wild type at both loci (median survival time 110 vs. 159 months) (p = 0.03). No association was found between NRASQ61R mutation and melanoma risk factors or melanoma-specific survival.Conclusions: BRAF(V600E) mutations in primary cutaneous melanomas were associated with residence in locations with medium and high UV indices in mid-life. BRAF(V600E) mutation may be associated with an unfavorable prognosis among melanoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chordoma is a rare bone cancer that is believed to originate from notochordal remnants. We previously identified germline T duplication as a major susceptibility mechanism in several chordoma families. Recently, a common genetic variant in T (rs2305089) was significantly associated with the risk of sporadic chordoma. We sequenced all T exons in 24 familial cases and 54 unaffected family members from eight chordoma families (three with T duplications), 103 sporadic cases, and 160 unrelated controls. We also measured T copy number variation in all sporadic cases. We confirmed the association between the previously reported variant rs2305089 and risk of familial [odds ratio (OR) = 2.6, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.93, 7.25, P = 0.067] and sporadic chordoma (OR = 2.85, 95 % CI = 1.89, 4.29, P < 0.0001). We also identified a second common variant, rs1056048, that was strongly associated with chordoma in families (OR = 4.14, 95 % CI = 1.43, 11.92, P = 0.0086). Among sporadic cases, another common variant (rs3816300) was significantly associated with risk when jointly analyzed with rs2305089. The association with rs3816300 was significantly stronger in cases with early age onset. In addition, we identified three rare variants that were only observed among sporadic chordoma cases, all of which have potential functional relevance based on in silico predictions. Finally, we did not observe T duplication in any sporadic chordoma case. Our findings further highlight the importance of the T gene in the pathogenesis of both familial and sporadic chordoma and suggest a complex susceptibility related to T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Genetic predisposition plays a major role in the etiology of melanoma, but known genetic markers only account for a limited fraction of family-history-associated melanoma cases. Expression microarrays have offered the opportunity to identify further genomic profiles correlated with family history of melanoma. We aimed to distinguish mRNA expression signatures between melanoma cases with and without a family history of melanoma. Methods: Based on the Nurses' Health Study, family history was defined as having one or more first-degree family members diagnosed with melanoma. Melanoma diagnosis was confirmed by reviewing pathology reports, and tumor blocks were collected by mail from across the USA. Genomic interrogation was accomplished through evaluating expression profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from 78 primary cutaneous invasive melanoma cases, on either a 6K or whole-genome (24K) Illumina gene chip. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed for each batch to determine the differentially enriched pathways and key contributing genes. Results: The CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) pathway was consistently up-regulated within cases of familial melanoma in both platforms. Leading edge analysis showed four genes from the CXCR4 pathway, including MAPK1, PLCG1, CRK, and PTK2, were among the core members that contributed to the enrichment of this pathway. There was no association between the enrichment of CXCR4 pathway and NRAS, BRAF mutation, or Breslow thickness of the primary melanoma cases. Conclusions: We found that the CXCR4 pathway might constitute a novel susceptibility pathway associated with family history of melanoma in first-degree relatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hengduan Mountains (HDM) biodiversity hotspot exhibits exceptional alpine plant diversity. Here, we investigate factors driving intraspecific divergence within a HDM alpine species Salix brachista (Cushion willow), a common component of subnival assemblages. We produce a high-quality genome assembly for this species and characterize its genetic diversity, population structure and pattern of evolution by resequencing individuals collected across its distribution. We detect population divergence that has been shaped by a landscape of isolated sky island-like habitats displaying strong environmental heterogeneity across elevational gradients, combined with population size fluctuations that have occurred since approximately the late Miocene. These factors are likely important drivers of intraspecific divergence within Cushion willow and possibly other alpine plants with a similar distribution. Since intraspecific divergence is often the first step toward speciation, the same factors can be important contributors to the high alpine species diversity in the HDM. Exceptional alpine plant diversity exists in the Hengduan Mountains. Here, through genome assembly and population genomics studies, the authors find notable intraspecific divergence among Cushion willow populations isolated by the sky island-like habitats and consider it contributes to speciation and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can mediate intercellular communication by transferring cargo proteins and nucleic acids between cells. The pathophysiological roles and clinical value of EVs are under intense investigation, yet most studies are limited by technical challenges in the isolation of nanoscale EVs (nEVs). Here, we report a lipid nanoprobe that enables spontaneous labelling and magnetic enrichment of nEVs in 15 minutes, with isolation efficiency and cargo composition similar to what can be achieved by the much slower and bulkier method of ultracentrifugation. We also show that the lipid nanoprobes, which allow for downstream analyses of nucleic acids and proteins, enabled the identification of EGFR and KRAS mutations following nEV isolation from blood plasma from non-small-cell lung-cancer patients. The efficiency and versatility of the lipid nanoprobe opens up opportunities in point-of-care cancer diagnostics., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing financial interests.