[Effect and mechanism of 1, 25(OH)2D3 on myocardial inflammation induced by Coxsackie virus B3 in mice].

Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of 1, 25(OH)2D3 on myocardial inflammation induced by Coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3) in mice. Methods: Wild type (WT) and 1α-hydroxylase knockout [1(OH)ase-/-] male mice were divided into four groups: WT group, WT+CVB3 group, 1(OH)ase-/-+CVB3 group and 1(OH)ase-/-+CVB3+VD3 group, with 8 mice in each group. The indicators for evaluating myocardial cell injury were examined by different methods. The mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interlenkin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, interferon γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)] were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the myocardial histopathological changes. The apoptosis of myocardial cells was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining and flow cytometry. Fluo-4/AM fluorescence probe was used to detect intracellular calcium ion content. Meanwhile, the expression levels of Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ (CaMKⅡ) protein as well as endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins like glucose-related protein 78 (GRP78) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) in the myocardial tissues were detected by Western blot. Results: Compared with WT group, the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory factors increased in the cardiomyocytes of mice in WT+CVB3 group, including IL-1ß (14.88±3.32 vs 1.03±0.02, P=0.009), IL-6 (7.00±1.09 vs 1.81±0.18, P=0.005), IFN-γ (4.70±1.11 vs 1.34±0.34, P=0.006) and TNF-α (17.20±3.22 vs 1.02±0.12, P<0.001). Similarly, the infiltration of inflammatory cells, and the apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes elevated (16.66%±1.09% vs 7.85%±1.12%, P=0.012). The level of calcium ions in myocardial cytoplasm was significantly higher in WT+CVB3 group than that in the WT group (2.98±1.05 vs 0.96±0.10, P=0.006). Likewise, the expression levels of pCaMKⅡ(1.97±0.34 vs 1.00±0, P<0.001), GRP78 (1.78±0.19 vs 1.00±0, P=0.005) and CHOP (1.62±0.09 vs 1.00±0, P=0.002) in WT+CVB3 group up-regulated. The above myocardial cell injury markers were more significant in the 1(OH)ase-/-+CVB3 group. In the 1(OH)ase-/-+CVB3+VD3 group, 1, 25(OH)2D3 supplementation significantly improved myocardial cell injury indicators. Meanwhile, the specific inhibitors of CaMKⅡ can also reduce the myocardial injury and apoptosis rate of CVB3-infected mice. Conclusion: 1, 25(OH)2D3 deficiency can aggravate myocardial inflammation through over activation of CaMKⅡ.

Bilateral transfer of motor performance as a function of motor imagery training: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The objective of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of mental imagery training (MIT) in promoting bilateral transfer (BT) of motor performance for healthy subjects. Data sources: We searched 6 online-databases (Jul-Dec 2022) using terms: "mental practice," "motor imagery training," "motor imagery practice," "mental training," "movement imagery," "cognitive training," "bilateral transfer," "interlimb transfer," "cross education," "motor learning," "strength," "force" and "motor performance." Study selection and data extraction: We selected randomized-controlled studies that examined the effect of MIT on BT. Two reviewers independently determined if each study met the inclusion criteria for the review. Disagreements were resolved through discussion and, if necessary, by a third reviewer. A total of 9 articles out of 728 initially identified studies were chosen for the meta-analysis. Data synthesis: The meta-analysis included 14 studies for the comparison between MIT and no-exercise control (CTR) and 15 studies for the comparison between MIT and physical training (PT). Results: MIT showed significant benefit in inducing BT compared to CTR (ES = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.57-0.98). The effect of MIT on BT was similar to that of PT (ES = -0.02, 95% CI = -0.15-0.17). Subgroup analyses showed that internal MIT (IMIT) was more effective (ES = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.57-2.76) than external MIT (EMIT) (ES = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.74-1.17), and mixed-task (ES = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.26-2.11) was more effective than mirror-task (ES = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.14-0.78) and normal-task (ES = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.23-0.90). No significant difference was found between transfer from dominant limb (DL) to non-dominant limb (NDL) (ES = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.37-0.97) and NDL to DL (ES = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.59-1.15). Conclusion: This review concludes that MIT can serve as a valuable alternative or supplement to PT in facilitating BT effects. Notably, IMIT is preferable to EMIT, and interventions incorporating tasks that have access to both intrinsic and extrinsic coordinates (mixed-task) are preferred over those that involve only one of the two coordinates (mirror-task or normal-task). These findings have implications for rehabilitation of patients such as stroke survivors.

Severe maternal morbidity associated with endometriosis: a population-based, retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between endometriosis and the risk of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DESIGN: This was a population-based, retrospective cohort study using the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development Linked Birth File with hospital discharge International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnoses between 2007 and 2012. SETTING: Population-based. PATIENT(S): A total of 3,098,578 pregnancies from 2007 to 2012. INTERVENTION(S): Prior diagnosis of endometriosis identified using the ICD-9-CM codes 617.0-617.9. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The primary outcome of interest was SMM, which was defined as having been diagnosed with any of the ICD-9-CM codes corresponding to 25 peripartum conditions listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The secondary outcomes of interest were each individual condition. RESULT(S): Of the 3,098,578 pregnancies analyzed, 2,910 pregnancies were among women with a prior diagnosis of endometriosis. There were 45,655 pregnancies complicated by at least 1 SMM; 158 pregnancies (54.3 per 1,000 pregnancies) were in women with endometriosis and 45,497 (14.7 per 1,000 pregnancies) were in women without endometriosis. Women with pregnancies complicated by endometriosis were 2.41 times more likely to develop SMM than women who did not have endometriosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.03-2.87). There was an increased risk of disseminated intravascular coagulation (aOR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.65-3.66), heart failure during a procedure or surgery (aOR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.69-3.94), pulmonary edema (aOR, 3.02; 95% CI, 1.11-8.17), blood transfusion (aOR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.75-2.68), and hysterectomy (aOR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.58-3.85). When the association was stratified by delivery mode, the risk of SMM was higher for vaginal delivery (aOR, 4.59; 95% CI, 2.73-7.71) than for cesarean delivery (aOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.37-1.97) (P-interaction<.0001). CONCLUSION(S): This study demonstrated that endometriosis is a major risk factor for SMM, especially among those who deliver vaginally. Furthermore, precautions should be taken before delivery in anticipation of potential complications.

Two-qubit atomic gates: spatio-temporal control of Rydberg interaction.

By controlling the temporal and spatial features of light, we propose a novel protocol to prepare two-qubit entangling gates on atoms trapped at close distance, which could potentially speed up the operation of the gate from the sub-micro to the nanosecond scale. The protocol is robust to variations in the pulse areas and the position of the atoms, by virtue of the coherent properties of a dark state, which is used to drive the population through Rydberg states. From the time-domain perspective, the protocol generalizes the one proposed by Jaksch and coworkers [Jaksch et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 2000, 85, 2208], with three pulses that operate symmetrically in time, but with different pulse areas. From the spatial-domain perspective, it uses structured light. We analyze the map of the gate fidelity, which forms rotated and distorted lattices in the solution space. Finally, we study the effect of an additional qubit to the gate performance and propose generalizations that operate with multi-pulse sequences.

Can an Online Reading Camp Teach 5-Year-Old Children to Read?

Literacy is an essential skill. Learning to read is a requirement for becoming a self-providing human being. However, while spoken language is acquired naturally with exposure to language without explicit instruction, reading and writing need to be taught explicitly. Decades of research have shown that well-structured teaching of phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and letter-to-sound mapping is crucial in building solid foundations for the acquisition of reading. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children worldwide did not have access to consistent and structured teaching and are, as a consequence, predicted to be behind in the development of their reading skills. Subsequent evidence confirms this prediction. With the best evidence-based practice in mind, we developed an online version of a well-structured early literacy training program (Reading Camp) for 5-year-old children. This 2-week online Reading Camp program is designed for pre-K children. It incorporates critical components of the fundamental skills essential to learning to read and is taught online in an interactive, multi-sensory, and peer-learning environment. We measure the participants' literacy skills and other related skills before and after participating in the online Reading Camp and compare the results to no-treatment controls. Results show that children who participated in the online Reading Camp improved significantly on all parameters in relation to controls. Our results demonstrate that a well-structured evidence-based reading instruction program, even if online and short-term, benefits 5-year-old children in learning to read. With the potential to scale up this online program, the evidence presented here, alongside previous evidence for the efficacy of the in-person program, indicates that the online Reading Camp program is effective and can be used to tackle a variety of questions regarding structural and functional plasticity in the early stages of reading acquisition.

Circularly polarized light-induced potentials and the demise of excited states.

In the presence of strong electric fields, the excited states of single-electron molecules and molecules with large transient dipoles become unstable because of anti-alignment, the rotation of the molecular axis perpendicular to the field vector, where bond hardening is not possible. We show how to overcome this problem by using circularly polarized electromagnetic fields. Using a full quantum description of the electronic, vibrational, and rotational degrees of freedom, we characterize the excited electronic state dressed by the field and analyze its dependence on the bond length and angle and the stability of its vibro-rotational eigenstates. Although the dynamics is metastable, most of the population remains trapped in this excited state for hundreds of femtoseconds, allowing quantum control. Contrary to what happens with linearly polarized fields, the photodissociation occurs along the initial molecular axis, not perpendicular to it.

Outcomes of labor induction at 39 weeks in pregnancies with a prior cesarean delivery.

BACKGROUND: The optimal timing of induction for those undergoing a trial of labor after cesarean section has not been established. The little data which supports the consideration of induction at 39 weeks gestation excludes those with a history of prior cesarean section. OBJECTIVE: To determine the risks and benefits of elective induction of labor (IOL) at 39 weeks compared with expectant management (EM) until 42 weeks in pregnancies complicated by one previous cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort analysis of singleton non-anomalous pregnancies in the United States between January 2015 and December 2017. Data was provided by the CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Vital Statistics. Analyses included only pregnancies with a history of one previous cesarean delivery (CD). Perinatal outcomes of pregnancies electively induced at 39 weeks (IOL) were compared to pregnancies that were induced, augmented or underwent spontaneous labor between 40 and 42 weeks (EM). Unlabored cesarean deliveries were excluded. Outcomes of interest included: cesarean delivery, intra-amniotic infection, blood transfusion, adult intensive care unit (ICU) admission, uterine rupture, hysterectomy, 5-minute Apgar score ≤3, prolonged neonatal ventilation, neonatal ICU (NICU) admission, neonatal seizure, perinatal/neonatal death. Log-binomial regression analysis was performed to calculate the relative risk (RR) for each outcome of interest, adjusting for confounding variables. RESULTS: There were 50,136 pregnancies included for analysis with 9,381 women in the IOL group. Compared with EM, IOL at 39 weeks decreased the risk of intra-amniotic infection (1.7% vs 3.0%, p < .001; aRR: 0.58, 95% CI: [0.49-0.68]), blood transfusion (0.3% vs. 0.5%, p = .03; aRR: 0.66, 95% CI: [0.45-0.98]), and low 5-minute Apgar score (0.31% vs 0.47%, p = .031; aRR: 0.66, 95% CI: [0.44-0.97]). Conversely, IOL increased the risk of cesarean delivery (49.0% vs 27.6%, p < .001; aRR: 1.72, 95% CI: [1.68-1.77]). Furthermore, in the EM group, 919 pregnancies developed preeclampsia and 42 progressed to eclampsia. There were no differences in other perinatal outcomes. CONCLUSION: In pregnancies complicated by one previous cesarean delivery, elective induction of labor at 39 weeks reduced the risk of intra-amniotic infection, blood transfusion, and low 5-minute Apgar score while increased the risk of repeat cesarean delivery.

Elderly may benefit more from motor imagery training in gaining muscle strength than young adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The current review was aimed to determine the effectiveness of mental imagery training (MIT) on the enhancement of maximum voluntary muscle contraction (MVC) force for healthy young and old adults. Data sources: Six electronic databases were searched from July 2021 to March 2022. Search terms included: "motor imagery training," "motor imagery practice," "mental practice," "mental training," "movement imagery," "cognitive training," "strength," "force," "muscle strength," "performance," "enhancement," "improvement," "development," and "healthy adults." Study selection and data extraction: Randomized controlled trials of MIT in enhancing muscle strength with healthy adults were selected. The decision on whether a study met the inclusion criteria of the review was made by two reviewers independently. Any disagreements between the two reviewers were first resolved by discussion between the two reviewers. If consensus could not be reached, then it would be arbitrated by a third reviewer. Data synthesis: Twenty-five studies including both internal MIT and external MIT were included in meta-analysis for determining the efficacy of MIT on enhancing muscle strength and 22 internal MIT were used for subgroup analysis for examining dose-response relationship of MIT on MVC. Results: MIT demonstrated significant benefit on enhancing muscle strength when compared with no exercise, Effect Size (ES), 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.89-1.30, favoring MIT, but was inferior to physical training (PT), ES, 0.38, 95% CI, 0.15-0.62, favoring PT. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that MIT was more effective for older adults (ES, 2.17, 95% CI, 1.57-2.76) than young adults (ES, 0.95, 95% CI, 0.74-1.17), p = 0.0002, and for small finger muscles (ES, 1.64, 95% CI, 1.06-2.22) than large upper extremity muscles (ES, 0.86, 95% CI, 0.56-1.16), p = 0.02. No significant difference was found in the comparison of small finger muscles and large lower extremity muscles, p = 0.19 although the ES of the former (ES, 1.64, 95% CI, 1.06-2.22) was greater than that of the later (ES, 1.20, 95%, 0.88-1.52). Conclusion: This review demonstrates that MIT has better estimated effects on enhancing MVC force compared to no exercise, but is inferior to PT. The combination of MIT and PT is equivalent to PT alone in enhancing muscle strength. The subgroup group analysis further suggests that older adults and small finger muscles may benefit more from MIT than young adults and larger muscles.

The association between maternal lipid profile after birth and offspring risk of autism spectrum disorder.

PURPOSE: Maternal obesity has been consistently associated with offspring risk for ASD, as well as lipid metabolism derangements. However, few ASD studies have examined maternal lipids in conjunction with maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI). METHODS: This nested case-control study was based on the Boston Birth Cohort, a prospective cohort study of mother-child dyads recruited at the Boston Medical Center. Maternal blood samples were collected shortly after delivery and analyzed for total plasma cholesterol, HDL, and triglyceride (TG) concentrations. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was subsequently calculated by the Friedewald equation. Cases were identified using ASD diagnoses in children's medical records. The odds of ASD were estimated with continuous lipid levels for a linear relationship, and we further explored the nonlinear relationship using the tertile of each lipid analyte with the highest tertile as the reference group. Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of ASD adjusting for potential confounders. The analyses were performed separately for mothers with normal weight and overweight/obese based on maternal prepregnancy BMI. RESULTS: One standard deviation decrease in postpartum maternal LDL was associated with increased odds of ASD aOR 1.35 [1.04-1.75]. There was no association between postpartum maternal HDL and TG levels and ASD risk. Decreasing levels of LDL were not associated with ASD risk in normal-weight mothers (aOR 1.2 [0.83-1.75]), but the ASD risk was more pronounced in overweight and obese mothers (aOR 1.54 [1.03-2.27]). Follow-up analysis of nonlinear association models showed that, when compared to the highest tertile, lower maternal LDL concentrations were associated with approximately two times increased risk of ASD (first tertile: aOR 2.49 [1.27-4.87] and second tertile: aOR 2.79 [1.42-5.48]). A similar pattern was observed with overweight/obese mothers but not in normal-weight mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Lower maternal postpartum plasma LDL concentration was associated with increased odds of ASD in offspring among children born to overweight and obese mothers. Our findings suggest that both maternal BMI and lipids should be considered in assessing their role in offspring ASD risk, and additional longitudinal studies are needed to better understand maternal lipid dynamics during pregnancy among normal-weight and overweight/obese mothers.

The joint effects of obesity and pregestational diabetes on the risk of stillbirth.

Objective: Obesity and pregestational diabetes (PGDM) may interact to further increase the risk of stillbirth than either risk factors independently. The objective of this study was to determine the risk of stillbirth in pregnancies complicated by both conditions.Method: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of singleton nonanomalous births using the updated Texas vital records database between 2006 and 2014. Gestational diabetes and hypertensive diseases were additionally excluded from analysis. Analysis was stratified into 10 strata based on BMI class: underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese and morbidly obese, and PGDM. Furthermore, gestational age was stratified into the four periods for analysis: 24-33, 34-36, 37-39, and 40-42 weeks. The rate of stillbirth per 10,000 pregnancies were calculated for each stratum. The risks of stillbirth associated with each BMI class and PGDM were compared to normal weight nondiabetic pregnancies for each gestational period using proportional hazard regression models.Result: After all exclusions, 3,097,123 births remained for analysis, including 5997 stillbirths. The overall rate of stillbirth increased from 15.0 per 10,000 pregnancies in normal weight pregnancies to 26.7 per 10,000 pregnancies in the morbidly obese group. The rate of stillbirth further increased with coexistence of PGDM to 119.9 per 10,000 pregnancies in the normal weight group and 209.8 per 10,000 pregnancies in the morbidly obese group. Compared to normal weight nondiabetic pregnancies the overall adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of stillbirth associated with morbid obesity without PGDM was 1.57 [1.38, 1.79]. However, when further complicated by PGDM, the aHR was 6.67 [5.05, 8.81] in normal weight pregnancies and 12.86 [9.36, 17.67] in morbidly obese pregnancies. The highest risk of stillbirth was seen between 37 and 39 weeks, when the aHR in the diabetic normal weight group was 9.63 [5.65, 16.40] and the aHR in the diabetic morbidly obese group was 25.34 [15.58, 41.22].Conclusion: PGDM and obesity both independently increased the risk of stillbirth. The joint effect of obesity and PGDM is stronger than the summation or multiplication of the individual effects of each risk factor.

Meconium androgens are correlated with ASD-related phenotypic traits in early childhood in a familial enriched risk cohort.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal exposure to increased androgens has been suggested as a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This hypothesis has been examined by measurement of steroids in amniotic fluid, cord blood, saliva, and blood with mixed results. METHODS: To provide an orthogonal measure of fetal exposure, this study used meconium, the first stool of a newborn, to measure prenatal androgen exposure from infants in the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI). EARLI is a familial-enriched risk cohort that enrolled pregnant mothers who already had a child with an ASD diagnosis. In the younger child, we investigated the association between meconium unconjugated (u) and total (t) concentrations of major androgens testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and androstenedione (A4), and ASD-related traits at 12 and 36 months of age. Traits were measured at 12 months with Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI) and at 36 months with total score on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). One hundred and seventy children had meconium and AOSI, 140 had meconium and SRS, and 137 had meconium and both AOSI and SRS. RESULTS: Separate robust linear regressions between each of the log-transformed androgens and log-transformed SRS scores revealed three-way interaction between sex of the child, sex of the proband, and testosterone concentration. In the adjusted analyses, t-T, u-A4, and u-DHEA (P ≤ 0.01) were positively associated with AOSI scores, while u-T (P = 0.004) and u-DHEA (P = 0.007) were positively associated with SRS total score among females with female probands (n = 10). Additionally, higher concentrations of u-T (P = 0.01) and t-T (P = 0.01) predicted higher SRS total score in males with male probands (n = 63). Limitations Since we explored three-way interactions, this resulted in a limited sample size for some analyses. This study was from an enriched-risk cohort which may limit generalizability, and this study used ASD-assessment scales as outcomes instead of diagnostic categories. Additionally, the novel use of meconium in this study limits the ability to compare the results in this cohort to others due to the paucity of research on meconium. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the utility of meconium for studies of endogenous fetal metabolism and suggests the sex of older siblings with autism should be considered as a biological variable in relevant studies.

Improvement of the Irrigation Scheme in the ORCHIDEE Land Surface Model and Impacts of Irrigation on Regional Water Budgets Over China.

In China, irrigation is widespread in 40.7% cropland to sustain crop yields. By its action on water cycle, irrigation affects water resources and local climate. In this study, a new irrigation module, including flood and paddy irrigation technologies, was developed in the ORCHIDEE-CROP land surface model which describes crop phenology and growth in order to estimate irrigation demands over China from 1982 to 2014. Three simulations were performed including NI (no irrigation), IR (with irrigation limited by local water resources), and FI (with irrigation demand fulfilled). Observations and census data were used to validate the simulations. Results showed that the estimated irrigation water withdrawal ( W ) based on IR and FI scenarios bracket statistical W with fair spatial agreements ( r = 0 . 68 ± 0 . 07 ; p < 0 . 01 ). Improving irrigation efficiency was found to be the dominant factor leading to the observed W decrease. By comparing simulated total water storage (TWS) with GRACE observations, we found that simulated TWS with irrigation well explained the TWS variation over China. However, our simulation overestimated the seasonality of TWS in the Yangtze River Basin due to ignoring regulation of artificial reservoirs. The observed TWS decrease in the Yellow River Basin caused by groundwater depletion was not totally captured in our simulation, but it can be inferred by combining simulated TWS with census data. Moreover, we demonstrated that land use change tended to drive W locally but had little effect on total W over China due to water resources limitation.

Tackling rare diseases: Clinical trials on chips.

IMPACT STATEMENT: Designing and conducting clinical trials are extremely difficult in rare diseases. Adapting tissue chips for rare disease therapy development is pivotal in assuring that treatments are available, especially for severe diseases that are difficult to treat. Thus far, the NCATS-led National Institutes of Health (NIH) Tissue Chip program has focused on deploying the technology towards in vitro tools for safety and efficacy assessments of therapeutics. However, exploring the feasibility and best possible approach to expanding this focus towards the development phase of therapeutics is critical to moving the field of CToCs forward and increasing confidence with the use of tissue chips. The working group of stakeholders and experts convened by NCATS and the Drug Information Association (DIA) addresses important questions related to disease setting, test agents, study design, data collection, benefit/risk, and stakeholder engagement-exploring both current and future best use cases and important prerequisites for progress in this area.

Over-expression of miR-187 inhibited cell proliferation and metastasis of glioma via down-regulating SMAD1.

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified to participate in the tumorigenesis and progression of glioma. However, the expression and function of miR-187 have not been fully elucidated in glioma so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-187 in glioma and to explore the possible underlying mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression levels of miR-187 in 67 glioma tissues and 21 normal brain tissues, as well as 4 glioma-derived cell lines were measured using quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). MiR-187 was overexpressed or inhibited in U251 or U87MG cells using miR-187 mimics or inhibitor transfection, respectively. Colony formation assay and Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay were employed to detect the proliferation ability of cells. Meanwhile, transwell assay and wound-healing assay were applied to evaluate the invasion and migration capacities of cells. Furthermore, Dual-Luciferase assay and Western blot analysis were used to verify the downstream target gene of miR-187 in glioma. RESULTS: MiR-187 expression was significantly lower in glioma tissues and cells when compared with normal brain tissues and cell lines. Up-regulation of miR-187 markedly reduced the proliferation, migration and invasion of U251 cells compared with the negative control group. However, down-regulation of miR-187 remarkably accelerated U87MG cell growth and metastasis compared with inhibitor negative control group. Furthermore, SMAD1 was identified as a direct target for miR-187 in glioma, which could be repressed by miR-187. In addition, over-expression of SMAD1 restored the influence of miR-187 mimics in glioma cells. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-187 was lowly expressed in glioma tissues and cell lines. Acting as a tumor suppressor, miR-187 inhibited cell growth, invasion, and migration in glioma via repressing SMAD1 expression. Our findings might provide a novel insight into the biological diagnosis and treatment in glioma.

A meta-analysis of two high-risk prospective cohort studies reveals autism-specific transcriptional changes to chromatin, autoimmune, and environmental response genes in umbilical cord blood.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects more than 1% of children in the USA. ASD risk is thought to arise from both genetic and environmental factors, with the perinatal period as a critical window. Understanding early transcriptional changes in ASD would assist in clarifying disease pathogenesis and identifying biomarkers. However, little is known about umbilical cord blood gene expression profiles in babies later diagnosed with ASD compared to non-typically developing and non-ASD (Non-TD) or typically developing (TD) children. Methods: Genome-wide transcript levels were measured by Affymetrix Human Gene 2.0 array in RNA from cord blood samples from both the Markers of Autism Risk in Babies-Learning Early Signs (MARBLES) and the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI) high-risk pregnancy cohorts that enroll younger siblings of a child previously diagnosed with ASD. Younger siblings were diagnosed based on assessments at 36 months, and 59 ASD, 92 Non-TD, and 120 TD subjects were included. Using both differential expression analysis and weighted gene correlation network analysis, gene expression between ASD and TD, and between Non-TD and TD, was compared within each study and via meta-analysis. Results: While cord blood gene expression differences comparing either ASD or Non-TD to TD did not reach genome-wide significance, 172 genes were nominally differentially expressed between ASD and TD cord blood (log2(fold change) > 0.1, p < 0.01). These genes were significantly enriched for functions in xenobiotic metabolism, chromatin regulation, and systemic lupus erythematosus (FDR q < 0.05). In contrast, 66 genes were nominally differentially expressed between Non-TD and TD, including 8 genes that were also differentially expressed in ASD. Gene coexpression modules were significantly correlated with demographic factors and cell type proportions. Limitations: ASD-associated gene expression differences identified in this study are subtle, as cord blood is not the main affected tissue, it is composed of many cell types, and ASD is a heterogeneous disorder. Conclusions: This is the first study to identify gene expression differences in cord blood specific to ASD through a meta-analysis across two prospective pregnancy cohorts. The enriched gene pathways support involvement of environmental, immune, and epigenetic mechanisms in ASD etiology.

Control defeasance by anti-alignment in the excited state.

We predict anti-alignment dynamics in the excited state of H2+ or related homonuclear dimers in the presence of a strong field. This effect is a general indirect outcome of the strong transition dipole and large polarizabilities typically used to control or to induce alignment in the ground state. In the excited state, however, the polarizabilities have the opposite sign compared to those in the ground state, generating a torque that aligns the molecule perpendicular to the field, deeming any laser-control strategy impossible.

The Roles of Bursal Nonapeptide (BP9) on AIV Vaccine Immune Response in Chick Immunization and on Avian Immature B Cell.

BACKGROUND: Bursa of Fabricius plays the vital functions on B cell development and antibody production in poultry. The bursal-derived peptide plays the essential roles on avian immature B cell development. OBJECTIVES: Here we explored the functions of the recently reported bursal nonapeptide (BP9) on the antibody production and the molecular basis of BP9 on avian immature B cell. METHODS: Chicken were twice immunized with Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) inactivated vaccine plus with BP9 at three dosages, respectively. On two weeks after the second immunization, sera samples were collected from all experimental groups to measure AIV-specific Agglutination Inhibition (HI) antibody titers. Also, on 7th day after the second immunization, spleen lymphocytes were isolated from the immunized chicken to detect the lymphocyte viabilities. DT40 cells were treated with BP9 from 0.02 to 2 µg/mL for 4 and 20h to detect sIgM mRNA levels, and total RNAs from BP9-treated DT40 cells were collected to investigate the gene expression profiles of DT40 cells, and to analyze the enriched pathways and functional biological processes. Finally, nine gene expressions were validated with quantitative PCR (qPCR). RESULTS: Our investigation proved the strong regulatory roles of BP9 on AIV-specific HI antibody titers and lymphocyte viabilities. BP9 promoted sIgM mRNA levels in DT40 cells, and upregulated 598 gene expressions and downregulated 395 gene expressions in DT40 cells with 0.2µg/mL BP9 treatment. Moreover, our findings verified the significantly enriched six pathways and various the biological functional processes of BP9 on avian immature B cell. Also, we found eight signaling pathways in the enriched biological processes of BP9-treated DT40 cells, and the expressions of nine selected genes with qPCR were identical to that of microarray data. CONCLUSION: BP9 promoted the antibody production in the 21-old-day chicken immunization, and stimulated the sIgM expression in DT40 cells. Furthermore, we analyzed the gene expression profile and immune-related biological processes of DT40 cells treated with BP9, which provided some new insights into the mechanism on immature B cell development, and provided important references for adjuvant development on vaccine improvement and clinical application.

Grid-Based Ehrenfest Model To Study Electron-Nuclear Processes.

The two-dimensional electron-nuclear Schrödinger equation using soft-core Coulomb potentials has been a cornerstone for modeling and predicting the behavior of one-active-electron diatomic molecules, particularly for processes where both bound and continuum states are important. The model, however, is computationally expensive to extend to more electron or nuclear coordinates. Here we propose use of the Ehrenfest approach to treat the nuclear motion, while the electronic motion is still solved by quantum propagation on a grid. In this work, we present results for a one-dimensional treatment of H2+, where the quantum and semiclassical dynamics can be directly compared, showing remarkably good agreement for a variety of situations. The advantage of the Ehrenfest approach is that it can be easily extended to treat as many nuclear degrees of freedom as needed.

Golgin-97 Targets Ectopically Expressed Inward Rectifying Potassium Channel, Kir2.1, to the trans-Golgi Network in COS-7 Cells.

The inward rectifying potassium channel, Kir2.1, is selected as cargo at the trans-Golgi network (TGN) for export to the cell surface through a unique signal-dependent interaction with the AP1 clathrin-adaptor, but it is unknown how the channel is targeted at earlier stages in the secretory pathway for traffic to the TGN. Here we explore a mechanism. A systematic screen of Golgi tethers identified Golgin-97 as a Kir2.1 binding partner. In vitro protein-interaction studies revealed the interaction is direct, occurring between the GRIP domain of Golgin-97 and the cytoplasmic domain of Kir2.1. Imaging and interaction studies in COS-7 cells suggest that Golgi-97 binds to the channel en route through the Golgi. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of Golgin-97 prevented exit of Kir2.1 from the Golgi. These observations identify Golgin-97 as a Kir2.1 binding partner that is required for targeting the channel to the TGN. Based on our studies in COS-7 cells, we propose Golgi-97 facilitates formation of AP1-dependent export carriers for Kir2.1 by coupling anterograde delivery of Kir2.1 with retrograde recycling of AP-1 containing endosomes to the TGN.

Placental gross shape differences in a high autism risk cohort and the general population.

A growing body of evidence suggests that prenatal environment is important in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) etiology. In this study, we compare placental shape features in younger siblings of children with ASD, who themselves are at high ASD risk, to a sample of low risk peers. Digital photographs of the fetal placenta surface and of the sliced placental disk from 129 high ASD risk newborns and from 267 newborns in the National Children's Study Vanguard pilot were analysed to extract comparable measures of placental chorionic surface shape, umbilical cord displacement and disk thickness. Placental thickness measures were moderately higher in siblings of ASD cases. The placentas of ASD-case siblings were also rounder and more regular in perimeter than general population placentas. After stratification by sex, these across-group differences persisted for both sexes but were more pronounced in females. No significant differences were observed in cord insertion measures. Variations in placental shape features are generally considered to reflect flexibility in placental growth in response to changes in intrauterine environment as the placenta establishes and matures. Reduced placental shape variability observed in high ASD risk siblings compared to low-risk controls may indicate restricted ability to compensate for intrauterine changes.