Role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of liver metastases and efficacy evaluation

Objective： To retrospectively investigate the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography （CEUS） in percutaneous radiofrequency ablation （RFA） in patients with liver metastases and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of RFA assisted by CEUS. Methods： From May 2004 to September 2010, 136 patients with 219 liver metastatic lesions received CEUS examination 1 h before RFA （CEUS group）, and other 126 patients with 216 lesions without CEUS examination in the earlier period were served as a historical control group. The mean tumor size was 3.2 cm and the mean tumor number was 1.6 in the CEUS group, while 3.4 cm and 1.7 in the control group, respectively （P〉0.05）. The clinical characteristics, recurrence results and survival outcomes were compared between two groups. Results： In the CEUS group, two isoechoic tumors were not demonstrated on unenhanced ultrasonography （US）, and 63 （47%） of 134 tumors examined with CEUS were 0.3 cm larger than with unenhanced US. Furthermore, in 18.4% of 136 patients, additional 1-3 tumors were detected on CEUS. The CEUS group showed higher early tumor necrosis and lower intrahepatic recurrence than the control group. The 3-year overall survival （OS） rate and the 3-year local recurrence-free survival （LRFS） rate in the CEUS group were 50.1% and 38.3%, in contrast to 25.3% and 19.3% in the control group, respectively （P=0.002 and P〈0.001）. Conclusions： CEUS provides important information for RFA treatment in patients with liver metastases and better therapeutic effect could be attained.

Phoretic self-assembly of active colloidal molecules

We simulate the self-assembly of active colloidal molecules from binary mixtures of spherical particles using a Brownian dynamics algorithm.These particles interact via phoretic interactions,which are determined by two independently tunable parameters,surface activity and surface mobility.In systems composed of equal-size particles,we observe the formation of colloidal molecules with well-defined coordination numbers and spatial arrangement,which also display distinct dynamic functions,such as resting,translating,and rotating.By changing the size ratio to 2:1 between the two species,we further observe the formation of colloidal molecules with new structures arising from breaking the size symmetry.By tuning the mutual interactions between the smaller species via their surface mobility,we are able to control their spacing as well as the coordination number of the colloidal molecules.This study highlights the importance of tuning surface parameters and size asymmetry in controlling the structure and the active dynamics of colloidal molecules.

Grain growth behavior and properties of high-entropy pseudobrookite(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) ceramics

It is well known that the grain size of high-entropy ceramics is quite small owing to the sluggish diffusion effect. However, abnormal grain growth often occurs in high-entropy pseudobrookite ceramics, ultimately resulting in the formation of many abnormally grown grains with a grain size as large as 50 μm. To study this phenomenon, the grain growth behavior of high-entropy pseudobrookite ceramics was systematically investigated in this paper. The results demonstrate that the starting material powders first react with each other to form a high-entropy intermediate phase and calcined TiO_(2) powders (TiO_(2)-1100 ℃), and then as the sintering temperature increases, the formed high-entropy intermediate phase further reacts with TiO_(2)-1100 ℃ to form high-entropy pseudobrookite ceramics. Thus, in this system, in addition to the sluggish diffusion effect, the grain sizes of the high-entropy intermediate phase and TiO_(2)-1100 ℃ also affect the morphology of high-entropy pseudobrookite. Compared to nanosized TiO_(2), micron-sized TiO_(2) has a lower sintering activity. Therefore, the high-entropy intermediate phases (Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)TiO_(3) and TiO_(2)-1100 ℃ prepared with micron-sized starting materials exhibit lower grain sizes, finally resulting in the formation of high-entropy (Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) with small grain sizes. Moreover, nano-indentation and thermal conductivity tests were carried out on high-entropy (Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) with different morphologies. The results show that the hardness of high-entropy (Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) increases from 6.05 to 9.95 GPa as the grain size increases, whereas the thermal conductivity decreases from 2.091±0.006 to 1.583±0.006 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1). All these results indicate that high-entropy (Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) with a small grain size is a potential material for thermal protection.

Genomic landscapes of Chinese sporadic autism spectrum disordersrevealed by whole-genome sequencing

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with considerable clinical and genetic heterogeneity.In this study,we identified all classes of genomic variants from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) dataset of 32 Chinese trios with ASD,including de novo mutations,inherited variants,copy number variants (CNVs) and genomic structural variants.A higher mutation rate (Poisson test,P<2.2×10^(-16)) in exonic (1.37×10^(-8)) and 3'-UTR regions (1.42×10^(-8)) was revealed in comparison with that of whole genome (1.05×10^(-8)).Using an integrated model,we identified 87 potentially risk genes (P<0.01) from 4832 genes harboring various rare deleterious variants,including CHD8 and NRXN2,implying that the disorders may be in favor to multiple-hit.In particular,frequent rare inherited mutations of several microcephaly-associated genes (ASPM,WDR62,and ZNF335)were found in ASD.In chromosomal structure analyses,we found four de novo CNVs and one de novo chromosomal rearrangement event,including a de novo duplication of UBE3A-containing region at 15q11.2-q13.1,which causes Angelman syndrome and microcephaly,and a disrupted TNR due to de novo chromosomal translocation t (1;5) (q25.1;q33.2).Taken together,our results suggest that abnormalities of centrosomal function and chromatin remodeling of the microcephaly-associated genes may be implicated in pathogenesis of ASD.Adoption of WGS as a new yet efficient technique to illustrate the full genetic spectrum in complex disorders,such as ASD,could provide novel insights into pathogenesis,diagnosis and treatment.

Structural and Physical Properties of the Heavy Fermion Metal Ce_(2)NiAl_(6)Si_(5)

Strongly correlated electrons at the verge of quantum criticality give rise to unconventional phases of matter and behaviors,with the discovery of new quantum-critical materials driving synergistic experimental and theoretical advances.In this paper,we report the structural and physical properties of a new quaternary Ce-based heavy fermion compound,Ce_(2)NiAl_(6)Si_(5),which was synthesized via the self-flux method.This compound forms a layered tetragonal structure(space group P4/nmm)with square nets of Ce atoms separated by Si-Al or Ni-Si-Ge layers.Specific heat measurements show a low-temperature Sommerfeld coefficient of 1.4 J/mol-Ce・K^(2)with reduced entropy,indicative of significant Kondo interactions.Below 0.6 K,an increase in resistivity and a deviation in magnetic susceptibility suggest the appearance of magnetic ordering or the development of dynamic magnetic correlations,which is further supported by a bulge in the specific heat around 0.4 K.The findings of this study suggest that Ce_(2)NiAl_(6)Si_(5)is a layered heavy fermion metal naturally located near a spin-density-wave quantum critical point.

Characteristic dysbiosis in gout and the impact of a uric acid-lowering treatment,febuxostat on the gut microbiota

Gut dysbiosis is suggested to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of gout.The aim of our study was to identify the characteristic dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in gout patients and the impact of a commonly used uric acid-lowering treatment,febuxostat on gut microbiota in gout.16S ribosomal RNA sequencing and metagenomic shotgun sequencing was performed on fecal DNA isolated from 38 untreated gout patients,38 gout patients treated with febuxostat,and 26 healthy controls.A restriction of gut microbiota biodiversity was detected in the untreated gout patients,and the alteration was partly restored by febuxostat.Biochemical metabolic indexes involved in liver and kidney metabolism were significantly associated with the gut microbiota composition in gout patients.Functional analysis revealed that the gut microbiome of gout patients had an enriched function on carbohydrate metabolism but a lower potential for purine metabolism,which was comparatively enhanced in the febuxostat treated gout patients.A classification microbial model obtained a high mean area under the curve up to 0.973.Therefore,gut dysbiosis characterizings gout could potentially serve as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for gout and may be a promising target of future preventive interventions.

Small RNA transcriptome investigation based on next-generation sequencing technology

Over the past decade, there has been a growing realization that studying the small RNA transcriptome is essential for understanding the complexity of transcriptional regulation. With an increased throughput and a reduced cost, next-generation sequencing technology has provided an unprecedented opportunity to measure the extent and complexity of small RNA transcriptome. Meanwhile, the large amount of obtained data and varied technology platforms have also posed multiple challenges for effective data analysis and mining. To provide some insight into the small RNA transcriptome investigation, this review describes the major small RNA classes, experimental methods to identify small RNAs, and available bioinformatics tools and databases.

New class of high-entropy pseudobrookite titanate with excellent thermal stability,low thermal expansion coefficient,and low thermal conductivity

As a type of titanate,the pseudobrookite(MTi_(2)O_(5)/M_(2)TiO_(5))exhibits a low thermal expansion coefficient and thermal conductivity,as well as excellent dielectric and solar spectrum absorption properties.However,the pseudobrookite is unstable and prone to decomposing below 1200℃,which limits the practical application of the pseudobrookite.In this paper,the high-entropy pseudobrookite ceramic is synthesized for the first time.The pure high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) with the pseudobrookite structure and the biphasic high-entropy ceramic composed of the highentropy pseudobrookite(Cr,Mn,Fe,Al,Ga)_(2)TiO_(5) and the high-entropy spinel(Cr,Mn,Fe,Al,Ga,Ti)_(3)O_(4) are successfully prepared by the in-situ solid-phase reaction method.The comparison between the theoretical crystal structure of the pseudobrookite and the aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy(AC-STEM)images of high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) shows that the metal ions(M and Ti ions)are disorderly distributed at the A site and the B site in high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5),leading to an unprecedentedly high configurational entropy of high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5).The bulk high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) ceramics exhibit a low thermal expansion coefficient of 6.35×10^(−6) K^(−1) in the temperature range of 25-1400℃ and thermal conductivity of 1.840 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1) at room temperature,as well as the excellent thermal stability at 200,600,and 1400℃.Owing to these outstanding properties,high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) is expected to be the promising candidate for high-temperature thermal insulation.This work has further extended the family of different crystal structures of high-entropy ceramics reported to date.

Metagenomic Analysis Reveals A Possible Association Between Respiratory Infection and Periodontitis

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that is characterized by progressive destruction of the periodontium and causes tooth loss in adults.Periodontitis is known to be associated with dysbiosis of the oral microflora,which is often linked to various diseases.However,the complexity of plaque microbial communities of periodontitis,antibiotic resistance,and enhanced virulence make this disease difficult to treat.In this study,using metagenomic shotgun sequencing,we investigated the etiology,antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs),and virulence genes(VirGs)of periodontitis.We revealed a significant shift in the composition of oral microbiota as well as several functional pathways that were represented significantly more abundantly in periodontitis patients than in controls.In addition,we observed several positively selected ARGs and VirGs with the Ka/Ks ratio>1 by analyzing our data and a previous periodontitis dataset,indicating that ARGs and VirGs in oral microbiota may be subjected to positive selection.Moreover,5 of 12 positively selected ARGs and VirGs in periodontitis patients were found in the genomes of respiratory tract pathogens.Of note,91.8%of the background VirGs with at least one non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism for natural selection were also from respiratory tract pathogens.These observations suggest a potential association between periodontitis and respiratory infection at the gene level.Our study enriches the knowledge of pathogens and functional pathways as well as the positive selection of antibiotic resistance and pathogen virulence in periodontitis patients,and provides evidence at the gene level for an association between periodontitis and respiratory infection.

MBRidge: an accurate and cost-effective method for profiling DNA methylome at single-base resolution

Organisms and cells,in response to environmental influences or during development,undergo considerable changes in DNA methylation on a genome-wide scale,which are linked to a variety of biological processes.Using MethylC-seq to decipher DNA methylome at single-base resolution is prohibitively costly.In this study,we develop a novel approach,named MBRidge,to detect the methylation levels of repertoire CpGs,by innovatively introducing C-hydroxylmethylated adapters and bisulfate treatment into the MeDIP-seq protocol and employing ridge regression in data analysis.A systematic evaluation of DNA methylome in a human ovarian cell line T29 showed that MBRidge achieved high correlation(R>0.90)with much less cost(∼10%)in comparison with MethylC-seq.We further applied MBRidge to profiling DNA methylome in T29H,an oncogenic counterpart of T29’s.By comparing methylomes of T29H and T29,we identified 131790 differential methylation regions(DMRs),which are mainly enriched in carcinogenesis-related pathways.These are substantially different from7567 DMRs that were obtained by RRBS and related with cell development or differentiation.The integrated analysis ofDMRsin the promoterand expression of DMR-corresponding genes revealed thatDNAmethylation enforced reverse regulation of gene expression,depending on the distance fromthe proximalDMRto transcription starting sites in both mRNA and lncRNA.Taken together,our results demonstrate that MBRidge is an efficient and cost-effective method that can be widely applied to profiling DNA methylomes.