Staging liver fibrosis with various diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging models

BACKGROUND Diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)has been developed to stage liver fibrosis.However,its diagnostic performance is inconsistent among studies.Therefore,it is worth studying the diagnostic value of various diffusion models for liver fibrosis in one cohort.AIM To evaluate the clinical potential of six diffusion-weighted models in liver fibrosis staging and compare their diagnostic performances.METHODS This prospective study enrolled 59 patients suspected of liver disease and scheduled for liver biopsy and 17 healthy participants.All participants underwent multi-b value DWI.The main DWI-derived parameters included Mono-apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)from mono-exponential DWI,intravoxel incoherent motion model-derived true diffusion coefficient(IVIM-D),diffusion kurtosis imaging-derived apparent diffusivity(DKI-MD),stretched exponential model-derived distributed diffusion coefficient(SEM-DDC),fractional order calculus(FROC)model-derived diffusion coefficient(FROC-D)and FROC model-derived microstructural quantity(FROC-μ),and continuous-time random-walk(CTRW)model-derived anomalous diffusion coefficient(CTRW-D)and CTRW model-derived temporal diffusion heterogeneity index(CTRW-α).The correlations between DWI-derived parameters and fibrosis stages and the parameters’diagnostic efficacy in detecting significant fibrosis(SF)were assessed and compared.RESULTS CTRW-D(r=-0.356),CTRW-α(r=-0.297),DKI-MD(r=-0.297),FROC-D(r=-0.350),FROC-μ(r=-0.321),IVIM-D(r=-0.251),Mono-ADC(r=-0.362),and SEM-DDC(r=-0.263)were significantly correlated with fibrosis stages.The areas under the ROC curves(AUCs)of the combined index of the six models for distinguishing SF(0.697-0.747)were higher than each of the parameters alone(0.524-0.719).The DWI models’ability to detect SF was similar.The combined index of CTRW model parameters had the highest AUC(0.747).CONCLUSION The DWI models were similarly valuable in distinguishing SF in patients with liver disease.The combined index of CTRW parameters had the highest AUC.

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Rare Earth Complex withCiprofloxacin

The complex of rare earth with ciprofloxacin has been synthesized and characterized bymeans of x-ray single crystal diftraction. The structure features of the complex are decribed.

Mechanism of cleaving DNA through hydrolysis of a novel complex of Mg containing dien ligand

A series of metal complexes were designed and synthesized and a novel binuclear magnesium complex has been selected, namely [Mg2（dien）C1（OH2）2]C12. H2O （dien=diethylenetriamine）, which can cleave the plasmid PBR322 DNA effectively in close to physiological condition without adding any external materials. Through biological and chemical methods, especially the comparative experiments, we find the interaction between the complex and DNA belongs to hydrolytic mechanism.

Action Mechanism Research of Lanthanons to Slow Vacuolar Ion Channels in Raphanus Satirus L.(Xinlimei) Radish by Patch-Clamp

We used whole-vacuolar patch-clamp recording mode to study the action mechanism of La3+ to Slow Vacuolar (SV) channels for the first time. We recorded SV channel currents of Xinlimei (Raphanus satirus L.) vacuolars. The minimum activation potentials of voltage-dependent SV channels lied in 25±5 mV. The increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ led toenhancement of SV-type currents. It was found that the threshold potential of activation shifted towards more depolarized values whenever cytoplasmic Ca2+ was increased. When 10-10 mol/Lfree La3+ was added to the bath, SV-type current was suppressed by 60~75%. These data showed La3+ reduced ion permeabilities of Xinlimei root vacuolar membrane.

Determination of laser entrance hole size for ignition-scale octahedral spherical hohlraums

A recently proposed octahedral spherical hohlraum with six laser entrance holes(LEHs)is an attractive concept for an upgraded laser facility aiming at a predictable and reproducible fusion gain with a simple target design.However,with the laser energies available at present,LEH size can be a critical issue.Owing to the uncertainties in simulation results,the LEH size should be determined on the basis of experimental evidence.However,determination of LEH size of an ignition target at a small-scale laser facility poses difficulties.In this paper,we propose to use the prepulse of an ignition pulse to determine the LEH size for ignition-scale hohlraums via LEH closure behavior,and we present convincing evidence from multiple diagnostics at the SGIII facility with ignition-scale hohlraum,laser prepulse,and laser beam size.The LEH closure observed in our experiment is in agreement with data from the National Ignition Facility.The total LEH area of the octahedral hohlraum is found to be very close to that of a cylindrical hohlraum,thus successfully demonstrating the feasibility of the octahedral hohlraum in terms of laser energy,which is crucially important for sizing an ignition-scale octahedrally configured laser system.This work provides a novel way to determine the LEH size of an ignition target at a small-scale laser facility,and it can be applied to other hohlraum configurations for the indirect drive approach.

DNA Cleavage by Copper (Ⅱ) Complexes Without added Coreactants

The cleavage activity of complexes between copper (Ⅱ) and four different amino acidor amino acid methyl ester on DNA was tested at physioloical pH and temperature., It was found that Cu (Ⅱ)-L-His and Cu (Ⅱ)-L-His methyl ester complexes could cleane DNA. The extent ofDNA cleavage is largely dependent on the metal ion-to-ligand ratio. The cleavage of doublestranded DNA mediated by Cu (Ⅱ)-L-His complexes occurs via a hydrolytie mechanism.

Na^+/Ca^(2+) Exchange-mediated La^(3+) Entry in Human Lymphocytes

We determined whether La3+ enter human peripheral blood lymphocytes via Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (measured with fura-2). We first compared the sensitivity of fura-2 with La3+ and Ca2+, the result indicates that the sensitivity of fura-2 for La3+ is much greater than for Ca2+. La3+ forms a 1:1 La3+-fura-2 complex (apparent dissociation constant =1.7(10-12mol/L, pH 7.05). Ouabain-pretreated cells, suspended in Na+-free medium, showed that La3+ can enter human lymphocytes via the Na+i/Ca2+ (La3+)o exchanger and is found to be about 10-12 mol/L in cells exposed to 0.4 mmol/L La3+. Otherwise, the higher concentration (0.1 mmol/L) blocks the Na+i/Ca2+(La3+)o exchange-mediated influx of Ca2+, but the lower concentration (0.01 mmol/L) appears to increase Ca2+ entry.

Synthesis and DNA Cleavage Studies of 2,6-Dimethoxyhydroquinone-3-Mercaptoacetic Acid Conjugates

In an effort to investigate the use of short peptide chains as carriers of new anti-tumor agents, we synthesized four tripeptide-cytotoxic agent conjugates: DMQ-MA-Lys(DMQ-MA)-Phe -Arg-Ome, DMQ-MA-Lys(DMQ-MA)-Ile-Arg-Ome, DMQ-MA-Lys(DMQ-MA)-Val-Arg-Ome, DMQ-MA-Lys(DMQ-MA)-Lys(Cbz)-Arg-Ome. The cytotoxic agent conjugated to the N-terminal and the ξ-amino group of Lysine of the tripeptide is 2,6-dimethoxyhydroquinone-3- mercaptoacetic acid (DMQ-MA). The tripeptides were synthesized by coupling protected amino acid residues according to Pfp/DCC methods (Pfp: pentafluorophenol, DCC:N,N’-dicyclohexyl- carbodiimide) in solution. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed that these compounds can cleave supercoiled DNA into open-circular form in drug concentration as low as 4-50 μM without H2O2 and UV irradiation. Further studies on their cytotoxicity for these conjugates are ongoing.

Synthesis of Some Novel 2,6- Dimethoxyhydroquinone-3-mercaptoacetyl-peptide Conjugates as Potential Antitumor Agents

This paper reports an ongoing study of the use of short chain peptides as carriers of a potential antitumor agents: 2, 6 -dimethoxyhydroquinone -3 -mercaptoacetic acid (DMQ-MA). Three new peptide-DMQ-MA conjugates: DMQ-MA-arg-arg-ome, DMQ -MA- lys(cbz) -arg-ome,DMQ- MA-lys(cbz) -arg- arg- ome were synthesized by coupling protected amino acids in solution and the next conjugation was achieved by reacting with pentafluorophenyl ester of DMQ-MA in DMF, and further study on their ability to inhibit human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line (PC-9 cells) and oral epidermoid carcinoma cell line (KB) are investigating.

An ion-based chromogenic method of detecting for inorganic phosphate in serum and milk

A rapid method for the determination of inor-ganic phosphate in serum and milk by an ion-based chromogenic is described. Serum samples were detected directly by our system, and milk was also detected after degreased through centrifugation. By this procedure the samples are not diluted. Mean serum inorganic phosphate concentration found in healthy indi-vidual is 1.14mmol/L. Values found in serum is in good agreement with those previously re-ported. Mean inorganic phosphate concentra-tion from foremilk and commercial milk are 2.5mmol/L and 12.5mmol/L respectively.

A New Fluorescence Method for the Measurement of Intracellular Free Rare Earth Ions： Fura－2 as an Indicator

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Social insights on the implementation of One Health in zoonosis prevention and control: a scoping review

Background:The One Health (OH) concept has been promoted widely around the globe. OH framework is expected to be applied as an integrated approach to support addressing zoonotic diseases as a significant global health issue and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of zoonosis prevention and control. This review is intended to overview the social impact of the implementation of OH on zoonosis prevention and control.Methods:A scoping review of studies in the past 10 years was performed to overview the integration feature of OH in zoonosis prevention and control and the social impacts of OH. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for studies published in English between January 2011 and June 2021. The included studies were selected based on predefined criteria.Results:Thirty-two studies were included in this review, and most of them adopted qualitative and semi-qualitative methods. More than 50% of the studies focused on zoonosis prevention and control. Most studies were conducted in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. Applying OH approach in diseases control integrates policymakers, stakeholders, and academics from various backgrounds. The impact of OH on economic is estimated that it may alleviate the burden of diseases and poverty in the long term, even though more financial support might be needed at the initial stage of OH implementation. OH implementation considers social and ecological factors related to zoonosis transmission and provides comprehensive strategies to assess and address related risks in different communities according to regions and customs.Conclusions:Based on reviewed literature, although there seems to be a lack of guidelines for assessing and visualizing the outcomes of OH implementation, which may limit the large-scale adoption of it, evidence on the contributions of implementing OH concepts on zoonosis prevention and control indicates long-term benefits to society, including a better integration of politics, stakeholders and academics to improve their cooperation, a potential to address economic issues caused by zoonosis, and a comprehensive consideration on social determinants of health during zoonosis prevention and control.

金属离子辅助转化法助力Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)前驱体衍生制备儿茶酚基MOF

MXene具有丰富的高电负性末端原子、较大的比表面积和较小的原子厚度等优点,已被用作前驱体制备多种纳米材料.然而,目前已报道的用于衍生金属有机框架(MOF)的MXene仅限于V_(2)CT_(x).因此,通过增加MXene和有机配体的种类,合理设计和合成新型MOF,并进一步深入探索其合成机理仍是目前面临的重要挑战.本文采用金属离子辅助转化策略,以二维Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)为前驱体,合成了具有非互穿SrSi2(srs)框架的基于儿茶酚的三维(3D)TiCu-HHTP(HHTP=2,3,6,7,10,11-六羟基三苯)MOF.该策略表现出了良好的普适性,Ti3C2和辅助Cu^(2+)离子可以扩展到V2C MXene和其他辅助金属离子Mn^(+)(M=Ni^(2+)、Co^(2+),Mn^(2+)和Zn^(2+)).转化机制包括从Ti3C2纳米片到辅助金属离子的电荷转移、Ti-C键断裂促进释放Ti^(4+)离子以及Ti^(4+)/Mn^(+)与HHTP之间的强螯合配位协同促进TiCu-HHTP的形成.独特的3D导电网络和丰富的氧化还原位点赋予了TiCu-HHTP-7/PPy复合柔性透明电极快速的离子/电子传输和可逆的法拉第反应.在0.02 mA cm^(-2)电流密度下,TiCu-HHTP/PPy透明电极的面积比电容值达到3.63 mF cm^(-2),明显高于纯PPy电极的面积电容值(1.79 mF cm^(-2)).TiCu-HHTP/PPy透明电容器在0.75μW cm^(-2)的功率密度下,能量密度为0.042μWh cm^(-2).

The application of proton spectrometers at the SG-III facility for ICF implosion areal density diagnostics

Charged particle diagnostics is one of the required techniques for implosion areal density diagnostics at the SG-III facility.Several proton spectrometers are under development, and some preliminary areal density diagnostics have been carried out. The response of the key detector, CR39, to charged particles was investigated in detail. A new track profile simulation code based on a semi-empirical model was developed. The energy response of the CR39 detector was calibrated with the accelerator protons and alphas from a241 Am source. A proton spectrometer based on the filtered CR39 detector was developed, and D–D primary proton measurements were implemented. A step range filter spectrometer was developed,and preliminary areal density diagnostics was carried out. A wedged range filter spectrometer array made of Si with a higher resolution was designed and developed at the SG-III facility. A particle response simulation code by the Monte Carlo method and a spectra unfolding code were developed. The capability was evaluated in detail by simulations.

Surveillance Progress for Crucial Vector-Borne Parasitic Diseases in China

China has achieved significant progress in controlling parasitic diseases through extensive campaigns over the last seven decades.In 2015,the criteria for schistosomiasis transmission control were met nationwide(1),and no indigenous malaria cases have been reported in China since 2017(2).Moreover,the number of areas with endemic visceral leishmaniasis has been markedly reduced from 16 to 7 provincial-level administrative divisions(PLADs)(3).

Steroid Receptor Coactivator 3 Regulates Synaptic Plasticity and Hippocampus-dependent Memory

Steroid hormones play important roles in brain development and function.The signaling of steroid hormones depends on the interaction between steroid receptors and their coactivators.Although the function of steroid receptor coactivators has been extensively studied in other tissues,their functions in the central nervous system are less well investigated.In this study,we addressed the function of steroid receptor coactivator 3(SRC3)–a member of the p160 SRC protein family that is expressed predominantly in the hippocampus.While hippocampal development was not altered in Src3^(+/-) mice,hippocampus-dependent functions such as short-term memory and spatial memory were impaired.We further demonstrated that the deficient learning and memory in Src3^(+/-) mice was strongly associated with the impairment of long-term potentiation(LTP)at Schaffer Collateral-CA1 synapses.Mechanistic studies indicated that Src3^(+/-) mutation altered the composition of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits in the postsynaptic densities of hippocampal neurons.Finally,we showed that SRC3 regulated synaptic plasticity and learning mainly dependent on its lysine acetyltransferase activity.Taken together,these results reveal previously unknown functions of SRC3 in the hippocampus and thus may provide insight into how steroid hormones regulate brain function.

Infectious Diseases of Poverty,the first five years

Although the focus in the area of health research may be shifting from infectious to non-communicable diseases,the infectious diseases of poverty remain a major burden of disease of global health concern.A global platform to communicate and share the research on these diseases is needed to facilitate the translation of knowledge into effective approaches and tools for their elimination.Based on the“One health,One world”mission,a new,openaccess journal,Infectious Diseases of Poverty(IDP),was launched by BioMed Central in partnership with the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases(NIPD),Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention(China CDC)on October 25,2012.Its aim is to identify and assess research and information gaps that hinder progress towards new interventions for a particular public health problem in the developing world.From the inaugural IDP issue of October 25,2012,a total of 256 manuscripts have been published over the following five years.Apart from a small number of editorials,opinions,commentaries and letters to the editor,the predominant types of publications are research articles(69.5%)and scoping reviews(21.5%).A total of 1081 contributing authors divided between 323 affiliations across 68 countries,territories and regions produced these 256 publications.The journal is indexed in major international biomedical databases,including Web of Science,PubMed,Scopus and Embase.In 2015,it was assigned its first impact factor(4.11),which is now 2.13.During the past five years,IDP has received manuscripts from 90 countries,territories and regions across six continents with an annual acceptance rate of all contributions maintained at less than 40%.Content analysis shows that neglected tropical diseases(NTDs),followed by the“Big Three”(HIV/AIDS,malaria and tuberculosis)and infectious diseases in general comprise 88%of all publications.In addition,a series of 10 thematic issues,covering 118 publications in all,was published as separate parts of the first five volumes.These publications were cited 975 times,which equals an average of 8.3 times per publication.The current challenge is to identify cutting-edge research topics and attract and to publish first-rate publications leading to increasing importance and impact of the journal in its field.

Combating infectious diseases of poverty: a year on

The Infectious Diseases of Poverty journal,launched a year ago,is a platform to engage outside the traditional disciplinary boundaries,and disseminate high quality science towards the improvement of health.This paper reviews the milestone achievements during its first year of operation.The journal has filled an important niche,addressing some of the main priorities in the Global Report for Research on Infectious Diseases of Poverty.Highlights include the publication of three thematic issues on health systems,surveillance and response systems,as well as co-infection and syndemics.The thematic issues have foregrounded the importance and innovation that can be achieved through transdisciplinary research.The journal has been indexed by PubMed since April 2013,with the publication of a total of 38 articles.Finally,the journal is delivering to wider range readers both in developing and developed countries with sustained efforts with a focus on relevant and strategic information towards elimination of infectious diseases of poverty.

Ending the“Neglect”to End Neglected Tropical Diseases

January 30,2022 will mark the third World Neglected Tropical Diseases(NTD)Day.The slogan for this year World NTD Day is“A New Day in the fight against NTDs”(https://worldntdday.org/).While human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS),tuberculosis,and malaria were regarded as the three major infectious diseases and have received greater treatment and research funding,NTDs have almost disappeared in the global health policy agenda to gain recognition in 2015 with the Sustainable Development Goals(SDG target 3.3).