Mechanisms of the Accelerated Li+ Conduction in MOF-Based Solid-State Polymer Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) for lithium metal batteries have garnered considerable interests owing to their low cost, flexibility, lightweight, and favorable interfacial compatibility with battery electrodes. Their soft mechanical nature compared to solid inorganic electrolytes give them a large advantage to be used in low pressure solid-state lithium metal batteries, which can avoid the cost and weight of the pressure cages. However, the application of SPEs is hindered by their relatively low ionic conductivity. In addressing this limitation, enormous efforts are devoted to the experimental investigation and theoretical calculations/simulation of new polymer classes. Recently, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been shown to be effective in enhancing ion transport in SPEs. However, the mechanisms in enhancing Li+ conductivity have rarely been systematically and comprehensively analyzed. Therefore, this review provides an in-depth summary of the mechanisms of MOF-enhanced Li+ transport in MOF-based solid polymer electrolytes (MSPEs) in terms of polymer, MOF, MOF/polymer interface, and solid electrolyte interface aspects, respectively. Moreover, the understanding of Li+ conduction mechanisms through employing advanced characterization tools, theoretical calculations, and simulations are also reviewed in this review. Finally, the main challenges in developing MSPEs are deeply analyzed and the corresponding future research directions are also proposed.

Study of the radiofrequency-induced heating inside the human head with dental implants at 7 T.

Conductive dental implants are commonly used in restorative therapy to replace missing teeth in patients. Ensuring the radiofrequency (RF) safety of these patients is crucial when performing 7 T magnetic resonance scans of their heads. This study aimed to investigate RF-induced heating inside the human head with dental implants at 7 T. Dental implants and their attachments were fabricated and integrated into an anatomical head model, creating different measurement configurations (MCs). Numerical simulations were conducted using a 7 T transmit coil loaded with the anatomical head model, both with and without dental implants. The maximum temperatures inside the head for various MCs were computed using the maximum permissible input powers (MPIPs) obtained without dental implants and compared with published limits. Additionally, the MPIPs with dental implants were calculated for scenarios where the temperature limits were exceeded. The maximum temperatures observed inside the head ranged from 38.4°C to 39.6°C. The MPIPs in the presence of dental implants were 81.9%-97.3% of the MPIPs in the absence of dental implants for scenarios that exceeded the regulatory limit. RF-induced heating effect of the dental implants was not significant. The safe scanning condition in terms of RF exposure was achievable for patients with dental implants. For patients with conductive dental implants of unknown configuration, it is recommended to reduce the input power by 18.1% of MPIP without dental implants to ensure RF safety.

Research status of indole-modified natural products.

Indole is a heterocyclic compound formed by the fusion of a benzene ring and pyrrole ring, which has rich biological activity. Many indole-containing compounds have been sold on the market due to their excellent pharmacological activity. For example, vincristine and reserpine have been widely used in clinical practice. The diverse structures and biological activities of natural products provide abundant resources for the development of new drugs. Therefore, this review classifies natural products by structure, and summarizes the research progress of indole-containing natural product derivatives, their biological activities, structure-activity relationship and research mechanism which has been studied in the past 13 years, so as to provide a basis for the development of new drug development.

Dosimetric Comparison of Postmastectomy Radiotherapy Plans for Synchronous Bilateral Breast Cancer, Including Regional Lymph Node Irradiation.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the optimal radiotherapy plans for synchronous bilateral breast cancer (SBBC) patients receiving postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT), including regional lymph node irradiation (RNI). METHODS: For 10 SBBC patients who underwent bilateral mastectomy and received bilateral PMRT with RNI, 3 integrally optimized plans with a single isocenter were designed for each patient in this retrospective study: intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with 9 fixed beams (9F-IMRT), volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with 2 pairs of half arcs (2F-VMAT), VMAT with 2 pairs of outer tangential arcs and 1 pair of 200-degree arcs (3F-VMAT). The paired t-test (in the case of normal variables) and Friedman's test (in the case of nonnormal variables) were applied to compare the planning target volumes (PTVs) and organs at risk (OARs) values of the 3 techniques. RESULTS: The 3 techniques provided adequate target dose coverage and comparable results for PTVs. For OARs, 3F-VMAT yielded the lowest mean or median values of the left lung (15.02 ± 1.57 Gy) and right lung (14.91 ± 1.14 Gy), heart (6.19 (1.96) Gy), coronary artery (15.96 ± 5.76 Gy) and liver (8.10 ± 2.70 Gy) which were significantly different from those of 9F-IMRT and 2F-VMAT. The percentages of volume at various doses (V5, V10, V20, and V30) of 3F-VMAT plans were also lower than or comparable with those of 9F-IMRT and 2F-VMAT. The monitor units (MUs) of 3F-VMAT were 31% higher than those of 9F-IMRT and comparable with those of 2F-VMAT; however, there were time savings and halved beam-on times (BOTs) compared to 9F-IMRT. CONCLUSIONS: The 3F-VMAT plan yielded comparable target coverage compared with 9F-IMRT and 2F-VMAT, was superior in dose sparing of normal tissues and enabled shorter BOTs, improving treatment efficiency. In our research, 3F-VMAT was the optimal radiotherapy technique for SBBC patients receiving PMRT including RNI.

Dosimetric Comparison of Commonly Used Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Field Arrangements Based on Flattening Filter-Free Beams for Synchronous Bilateral Breast Carcinoma Radiation Therapy.

PURPOSE: Flattening filter-free (FFF)-based volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has been shown to be feasible and significantly improves treatment efficiency and lung protection for synchronous bilateral breast irradiation (SBBI). This research compared the commonly used VMAT field arrangements using FFF beams. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients underwent SBBI were retrospectively enrolled to design irradiation plans using tangential arc VMAT (taVMAT), half arc VMAT (haVMAT), and large arc VMAT (laVMAT). Dosimetric and delivery parameters of all designed plans were recorded and compared. RESULTS: Comparable target volume coverage was observed for all field arrangements. taVMAT significantly reduced the dose to spinal cord and the volume covered by 5 Gy (V5Gy) and V7Gy of the lungs while decreasing the conformity index of the target volume. It also increased the volume covered by 105% of the prescription dose (V105%) and V107% of the target volume. haVMAT considerably decreased V20 Gy and V30 Gy of the lungs, mean dose (Dmean) and V30 Gy of the heart and the liver. It also notably reduced Dmean and V40 Gy of the left anterior descending coronary artery while increasing the beam-on time. laVMAT significantly reduced the mean treatment time (range, 113-117 seconds) compared with the other field arrangements. CONCLUSIONS: There were distinct differences in various dosimetric and delivery parameters for different field arrangements, highlighting the importance of selecting the appropriate field arrangement based on specific treatment goals and considerations. This study contributes valuable insights into the use of FFF-based VMAT techniques in SBBI.

Association of low-level viremia with mortality among people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Dehong, Southwest China: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of low-level viremia (LLV) with mortality among people living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Dehong, Southwest China. METHODS: We analysed data collected from a cohort of PLHIV on ART in Dehong. PLHIV were enrolled in this cohort after they started ART, with viral load (VL) tested once a year afterwards. Each VL level was then categorized into one of the four groups: <50, 50-199, 200-999 and ≥1000 copies/ml. VL levels of 50-199 and 200-999 copies/ml were defined as LLV. The VL level for each participant was re-categorized and fitted into an extended Cox regression model as a time-varying covariate to examine the associations of VL level with all-cause and AIDS-related deaths. RESULTS: Among the included 7273 of 8762 PLHIV in this study, median age (interquartile range, IQR) was 36 (30-43) years and 59.9% were male. The patients were followed up for a median duration (IQR) of 6.2 (4.3-8.2) years. Compared with VL <50 copies/ml, LLV 200-999 copies/ml (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] and 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.56 [1.04, 2.32]) were associated with elevated risk of all-cause mortality and LLV50-199 (aHR [95% CI]: 1.00 [0.68, 1.45]) were not. Similarly, only LLV200-999 copies/ml (aHR [95% CI]: 2.37 [1.36, 4.14]) corresponded to higher risk of AIDS-related mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that PLHIV on ART may have elevated death risks even though the viremia is suppressed at a low level. Interventions targeting PLHIV with LLV should be developed to reduce their mortality.

Longitudinal impact of compliance with routine CD4 monitoring on all cause deaths among treated people with HIV in China.

Keeping adherence to the continuous and standardized CD4 follow-up monitoring service is of great significance to the control of disease progression and the reduction of avoidable mortality for HIV-infected patients. As non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become main causes of deaths for people with HIV (PWH) in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), how and to what extent does adherence to routine CD4 monitoring differentially impact on AIDS-related versus NCDs-related deaths in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) remains elucidated. A CD4 test index was developed by dividing the actual number of received CD4 tests by the theoretical number of CD4 tests that should have been performed according to national treatment guidelines during the study period, with an index value of 0.8-1.2 reflecting compliance. From 1989 to 2020, 14,571 adults were diagnosed with HIV infection in Dehong Prefecture of Yunnan province in Southwestern China, 6,683 (45.9%) PWH had died with the all-cause mortality of 550.13 per 10,000 person-years, including 3,250 (48.6%) AIDS-related deaths (267.53 per 10,000 person-years). Among patients on cART, the median CD4 test index was 1.0 (IQR 0.6-1.3), and 35.2% had a CD4 test index less than 0.8. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that PWH with CD4 test index at 0.8-1.2 were at the lowest risk of both AIDS-related (aHR = 0.06; 95%CI: 0.05-0.07) and NCDs-related (aHR = 0.13; 95%CI: 0.11-0.16)deaths. Adherence to routine CD4 monitoring is critical for reducing both AIDS-related and NCDs-related mortality of PWH. An appropriate (once or twice a year) rather than an unnecessarily higher frequency of routine CD4 testing could be most cost-effective in reducing mortality in LMIC.

Untargeted Plasma Metabolomics Reveals Extensive Metabolic Alterations Among Treatment-Naive Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Hepatitis C Virus Co-Infected Patients with Liver Disease Progression.

Both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) may induce metabolic disorders and cause liver complications. Therefore, we aim to analyze the metabolite differences among treatment-naive HIV/HCV co-infected patients with versus without liver disease progression (LDP) and HIV mono-infected patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 65 HIV/HCV co-infected patients (22 with LDP and 43 without) and 65 HIV mono-infected patients in Dehong prefecture of Yunnan province, China. Plasma metabolomics were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) and liquid chromatography-MS. Discrimination analysis, pathway enrichment analysis, generalized linear model with binomial distribution, and area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) were conducted to identify bilateral differences in metabolites and pathways in different comparison groups. A total of 10,831 with 673 named and 10,158 unnamed metabolites were detected. Compared with HIV/HCV co-infected patients without LDP, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis pathway with the increased level of tyrosine were significantly altered among HIV/HCV co-infected patients with LDP. Compared with HIV mono-infected patients, the decreased level of glutamine and increased levels of glutamic acid, arachidonic acid, and its derivatives were identified among HIV/HCV co-infected patients. Metabolite panels adjusted for baseline information had a higher accuracy than baseline model (without metabolite information) in distinguishing HIV/HCV co-infected patients with versus without LDP (AUC 0.951 vs. 0.849, p = .027) and HIV/HCV co-infected patients from HIV mono-infected patients (AUC 0.889 vs. 0.766, p < .001). A novel set of metabolites were found to discriminate HIV/HCV co-infected patients with versus without LDP, and from HIV mono-infected patients, which may have mechanistic and interventional implications.

Bioactive Scalarane-Type Sesterterpenoids from Marine Sources.

Scalarane-type sesterterpenoids have received considerable attention in the scientific literature due to their diverse carbon skeletons and various biological activities and pharmacological properties. Among all these derivatives are commonly isolated from marine sponges and are occasionally derived from shell-less mollusks, such as nudibranchs. This review comprehensively discusses the marine-derived natural sources that give rise to these scalarane-type sesterterpenoids, providing the names, their chemical structures, biological properties, with emphasis on anticancer activity and literature references related to these metabolites. A critical summary of the 221 compounds generated from January 2010 up to December 2021 for their potential as anticancer agents is presented.

Microbial translocation is associated with advanced liver fibrosis among people with HIV.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of liver complications is increasing among people living with HIV, and microbial translocation (MT) might play a vital role. We conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the association between plasma biomarkers of MT and liver fibrosis (LF) among people living with HIV in southwest China. METHOD: A total of 665 people living with HIV were enrolled at baseline and had at least one follow-up visit during the 3-year study period. We calculated the Liver Fibrosis Index (FIB-4) to evaluate LF and measured plasma soluble CD14 (sCD14) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) as surrogate biomarkers for MT. We used ordinal logistic regression to investigate correlates of LF at baseline and used a linear mixed model to examine the association between dynamic changes in MT biomarkers and LF. RESULTS: Of the participants, 61 (9.17%) had advanced LF (FIB-4 >3.25), and 193 (29.02%) had moderate LF (1.45 ≤ FIB-4 ≤ 3.25). Patients with advanced LF had higher plasma levels of sCD14 and LBP than those with moderate or no LF, both at baseline and at follow-up. The following factors were significantly associated with advanced LF: the highest quartile of LBP (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02~2.81), current intravenous drug use (aOR = 1.82; 95% CI 1.06~3.12), baseline CD4 <200 cells/µl (aOR = 3.25; 95% CI 2.13~4.95), hepatitis C virus coinfection (aOR = 2.52; 95% CI 1.41~4.51) and age >50 years (aOR = 32.66; 95% CI 15.89~66.36). LF progression (increasing FIB-4) was significantly associated with increasing sCD14 level (ß = 1.11; 95% CI 0.97~1.26; p < 0.001) with covariate adjustment. CONCLUSION: The significant relationship between MT and LF may reveal pathogenic mechanisms and potential intervention targets of liver complications among people living with HIV in China.

Synchronous bilateral breast carcinoma irradiation: A comparative investigation between flattened and unflattened beams.

Synchronous bilateral breast carcinoma (SBBC) radiotherapy is a very complicated and time-consuming process. Considering the advantages of unflattened (FFF) beams at a high dose rate, this work investigated the feasibility of FFF beam application in SBBC radiotherapy and compared the advantages between FFF and flattened (FF) beams. CT images of 13 patients with SBBC were retrospectively collected to design intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans using FF and FFF beams. Dosimetric verification was applied for each plan. The target volume metrics, dose received by organs at risk (OARs), and delivery parameter of the plans were documented. All plans met the universal tolerance limits in dosimetric verification. FFF decreased the volume to receive 5 Gy (V5Gy), V7Gy, and mean dose of the left lung but slightly increased the V30Gy of the liver for VMAT and decreased the V17Gy and V20Gy of the right lung for IMRT. No remarkable differences between FF and FFF were found in the other investigated OARs and all the investigated target volume metrics. The mean treatment times of FFF were 66 and 45 s shorter than those of FF for IMRT and VMAT, respectively. FFF beams were feasible and had advantages in reducing treatment time and protecting the lung while maintaining the target volume metrics in SBBC irradiation.

Primary Yolk Sac Tumor in the Cerebellar Hemisphere: A Case Report and Literature Review of the Rare Tumor.

Yolk sac tumor (YST) is one of rare malignant germ cell tumors (GCTs). Primary intracranial YST, also endodermal sinus tumor (EST), is a quite rare type of brain tumor. Here, we report a case of YST, review the relevant literature, and propose a treatment strategy for this rare tumor. A 6-year-old boy initially manifested symptoms of dizziness and vomiting. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a large irregular oval tumor in the cerebellar hemisphere. We subtotally removed the tumor by microsurgery through the left suboccipital approach. Immunohistochemical staining showed that alpha fetoprotein (AFP) was positive and the Ki-67 proliferation index was high (60%), suggesting a germ cell tumor. After 3 months of follow-up, neither recurrence of tumor nor complications were found in the patient. The diagnosis of YST should be confirmed on the basis of clinical manifestations, neuroimaging and pathological findings. Gross total resection (GTR) is an ideal treatment for YST. However, due to the location of the tumor, GTR is usually difficult, and the rate of postoperative complications is high. This reported case shows that subtotal resection can be a good treatment strategy for YST.

Increase in HIV-1-transmitted drug resistance among ART-naïve youths at the China-Myanmar border during 2009 ~ 2017.

BACKGROUND: HIV-transmitted drug resistance (TDR) is found in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve populations infected with HIV-1 with TDR mutations and is important for guiding future first- and second-line ART regimens. We investigated TDR and its effect on CD4 count in ART-naïve youths from the China-Myanmar border near the Golden Triangle to better understand TDR and effectively guide ART. METHODS: From 2009 to 2017, 10,832 HIV-1 infected individuals were newly reported along the Dehong border of China, 573 ART-naïve youths (16 ~ 25 y) were enrolled. CD4 counts were obtained from whole blood samples. HIV pol gene sequences were amplified from RNA extracted from plasma. The Stanford REGA program and jpHMM recombination prediction tool were used to determine genotypes. TDR mutations (TDRMs) were analyzed using the Stanford Calibrated Population Resistance tool. RESULTS: The most common infection route was heterosexuals (70.51%), followed by people who inject drugs (PWID, 19.20%) and men who have sex with men (MSM) (8.90%). The distribution of HIV genotypes mainly included the unique recombinant form (URF) (44.08%), 38.68% were CRFs, 13.24% were subtype C and 4.04% were subtype B. The prevalence of TDR increased significantly from 2009 to 2017 (3.48 to 9.48%) in ART-naïve youths (4.00 to 13.16% in Burmese subjects, 3.33 to 5.93% in Chinese subjects), and the resistance to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and protease inhibitors (PIs) were 3.49, 2.62, and 0.52%, respectively. Most (94.40%, n = 34) of HIV-1-infected patients with TDRM had mutation that conferred resistance to a single drug class. The most common mutations Y181I/C and K103N, were found in 7 and 9 youths, respectively. The mean CD4 count was significantly lower among individuals with TDRMs (373/mm3 vs. 496/mm3, p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: The increase in the prevalence of HIV-1 TDR increase and a low CD4 count of patients with TDRMs in the China-Myanmar border suggests the need for considering drug resistance before initiating ART in HIV recombination hotspots.

Influence of fluorinated graphene-modified epoxy coatings on the corrosion behaviour of 2024 aluminium alloy.

This study provides an enhanced corrosion resistance of epoxy resin (EP) by embedding fluorinated graphene (FG) into the epoxy matrix. FG with different fluorine contents was obtained by reacting nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gas with GO and then incorporated into the EP matrix to fabricate the different composites. Through a series of characterization methods, the chemical composition and microstructures of FG were systematically analyzed, and its corrosion resistance was also studied. Results revealed that F atoms were bonded to the GO surface to form C-F covalent bonds, and an FG lamellar thickness less than 2 nm. The contact angle of the coatings increased with the incorporation of FG, and the coating resistance of FG2/EP coating was 3 orders of magnitude more than that of the EP coating after immersion for 4080 h. Thus, the incorporation of FG into epoxy matrix significantly enhanced its hydrophobic properties and barrier performance, which was beneficial to improving the long-term corrosion resistance of the coating.

Reliable Method for Fabricating Tissue-Mimicking Materials With Designated Relative Permittivity and Conductivity at 128 MHz.

Artificial materials that can simultaneously mimic the relative permittivity and conductivity of various human tissues are usually used in medical applications. However, the method of precisely designing these materials with designated values of both relative permittivity and conductivity at 3 T MRI resonance frequency is lacking. In this study, a reliable method is established to determine the compositions of artificial dielectric materials with designated relative permittivity and conductivity at 128 MHz. Sixty dielectric materials were produced using oil, sodium chloride, gelatin, and deionized water as the main raw materials. The dielectric properties of these dielectric materials were measured using the open-ended coaxial line method at 128 MHz. Nonlinear least-squares Marquardt-Levenberg algorithm was used to obtain the formula, establishing the relationship between the compositions of the dielectric materials and their dielectric properties at 128 MHz. The dielectric properties of the blood, gall bladder, muscle, skin, lung, and bone at 128 MHz were selected to verify the reliability of the obtained formula. For the obtained formula, the coefficient of determination and the expanded uncertainties with a coverage factor of k = 2 were 0.991% and 4.9% for relative permittivity and 0.992% and 6.4% for conductivity. For the obtained artificial materials measured using the open-ended coaxial line method, the maximal difference of relative permittivity and conductivity were 1.0 and 0.02 S/m, respectively, with respect to the designated values. In conclusion, the compositions of tissue-mimicking material can be quickly determined after the establishment of the formulas with the expanded uncertainties of less than 10%. Bioelectromagnetics. 2021;42:86-94. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

Plasma Inflammatory Biomarkers Associated with Advanced Liver Fibrosis in HIV-HCV-Coinfected Individuals.

BACKGROUND: HIV and HCV coinfection leads to accelerated liver fibrosis, in which microbial translocation and systemic inflammation might play important roles. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide an extensive profile of the plasma microbial translocation and inflammation biomarkers associated with advanced liver fibrosis among HIV-HCV-coinfected patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited 343 HIV-HCV-coinfected patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) from a rural prefecture of Yunnan province in Southwest China. The plasma concentrations of sCD14 and 27 cytokines and chemokines were assayed and compared against advanced or mild levels of liver fibrosis. RESULTS: Of the 343 HIV-HCV-coinfected patients, 188 (54.8%) had severe or advanced liver fibrosis (FIB-4 > 3.25). The patients with advanced liver fibrosis (FIB-4 > 3.25 vs. FIB-4 ≤ 3.25) had higher plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-7, IL-9, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-basic), and Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). Multivariable logistic regression models showed that advanced liver fibrosis was associated with an increased plasma level of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-7, IL-12, IL-17, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, MCP-1, Eotaxin, and FGF-basic, with FGF-basic continuing to be positively and significantly associated with advanced liver fibrosis, after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.92; 95%CI: 1.32-2.81; p = 0.001). Plasma sCD14 was also significantly associated with advanced liver fibrosis (aOR = 1.13; 95%CI: 1.01-1.30; p = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: HIV-HCV-coinfected patients are living with a high prevalence of advanced liver fibrosis which coexists with a mixture of elevated plasma inflammation and microbial translocation biomarkers. The significant associations of advanced liver fibrosis with FGF-basic and sCD14 may reveal pathogenic mechanisms and potential clinical intervention targets for liver fibrosis in HCV-HIV coinfection.

Identifying major drivers of incident HIV infection using recent infection testing algorithms (RITAs) to precisely inform targeted prevention.

BACKGROUND: Recent infection testing algorithms (RITAs) incorporating clinical information with the HIV recency assay have been proven to accurately classify recent infection. However, little evidence exists on whether RITAs would help in precisely identifying major drivers of the ongoing HIV epidemic. METHODS: HIV recency test results and clinical information were collected from 1152 newly diagnosed HIV cases between 2015 and 2017 in Dehong prefecture of Yunnan province, and the efficacy of four different RITAs in identifying risk factors for new HIV infection was compared. RESULTS: RITA 1 uses the recency test only. RITA 2 and RITA 3 combine the recency test with CD4+ T cell count and viral load (VL), respectively. RITA 4 combines both CD4+ T cell count and VL. All RITAs identified the MSM group and young people between 15 and 24 years as risk factors for incident HIV infection. RITA 3 and RITA 4 further identified the Dai ethnic minority as a risk factor, which had not been identified before when only the HIV recency test was used. CONCLUSIONS: By comparing different RITAs, we determined that greater accuracy in classifying recent HIV infection could help elucidate major drivers impacting the ongoing epidemic and thus inform targeted interventions.

Long non-coding RNA XIST expedites lung adenocarcinoma progression through upregulating MDM2 expression via binding to miR-363-3p.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor which threatens the health and life of the population. Long non-coding RNA X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) and mouse double minute clone 2 (MDM2) are connected with the tumorigenesis of LAD. Nevertheless, whether MDM2 is regulated by XIST has not previously been reported in LAD. METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to detect the expression of XIST, microRNA-363-3p (miR-363-3p) and MDM2 in LAD tissues and cells. The proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of LAD cells were determined by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-YI)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), transwell or flow cytometry assay, respectively. MDM2 protein level was detected using western blot analysis. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and RNA pulldown assay were performed to determine the interaction among XIST, miR-363-3p and MDM2. A xenograft tumor model was constructed to validate the effect of XIST on LAD cells in vivo. RESULTS: We found that XIST and MDM2 were remarkably elevated while miR-363-3p was reduced in LAD tissues and cells. Both XIST and MDM2 downregulation restrained proliferation, migration and invasion, and facilitated apoptosis of LAD cells in vitro. Importantly, XIST bound to miR-363-3p to modulate MDM2 expression in LAD cells. Moreover, miR-363-3p knockdown or MDM2 elevation reversed the effects of XIST downregulation on the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of LAD cells. Furthermore, XIST knockdown constrained tumor growth on LAD cells in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: XIST knockdown repressed proliferation, migration and invasion, and accelerated apoptosis of LAD cells by downregulating MDM2 expression via binding to miR-363-3p. KEY POINTS: Significant findings of the study XIST and MDM2 were abnormally enhanced in LAD tissues and cells. Both downregulation of XIST and MDM2 repressed proliferation, migration and invasion, and boosted apoptosis of LAD cells in vitro. XIST bound to miR-363-3p to regulate MDM2 expression in LAD cells. Downregulation of XIST impeded tumor growth on LAD cells in vivo. What this study adds This study confirmed that XIST was a potential target for inhibiting the development of LAD, and affords a possible strategy for the treatment of LAD in the future.

Numerical Experiments on the Contrast Capability of Magnetic Resonance Electrical Property Tomography.

PURPOSE: Magnetic resonance electrical property tomography (MR EPT) is a technique for non-invasively obtaining the electric property (EP) distribution of biological tissues, with a promising potential for application in the early detection of tumors. However, the contrast capability (CC) of this technique has not been fully studied. This work aims to theoretically explore the CC for detecting the variation of EP values and the size of the imaging region. METHODS: A simulation scheme was specifically designed to evaluate the CC of MR EPT. The simulation study has the advantage that the magnetic field can be accurately obtained. EP maps of the designed phantom embedded with target regions of designated various sizes and EPs were reconstructed using the homogeneous Helmholtz equation based on B1+ with different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The CC was estimated by determining the smallest detectable EP contrast when the target region size was as large as the Laplacian kernel and the smallest detectable target region size when the EP contrast was the same as the difference between healthy and malignant tissues in the brain, based on the reconstructed EP maps. RESULTS: Using noise free B1+, the smallest detectable contrastσ and contrastεr were 1% and 3%, respectively, and the smallest detectable target region size was 1 mesh unit (the base unit size used in the simulation) for conductivity and relative permittivity. The smallest detectable EP contrast and target region size were decreased as the B1+ SNR increased. CONCLUSION: The CC of MR EPT was related with the SNR of the magnetic field. A small EP contrast and size were necessary for detection at a high-SNR magnetic field. Obtaining a high-SNR magnetic field is important for improving the CC of MR EPT.