Apoptotic effect of selenium mushroom extract from Qinba on multiple myeloma cells

Qinba selenium mushroom is a mushroom belonging to the Basidiomycetes family, which is believed to have anti- oxidant, anti-tumoral and antimutagenic activities. However, the efficacy of Qinba selenium mushroom against multiple myeloma has not been confirmed. The present study aimed to investigate the apoptotic effect of FA-2-b-β, the selenium mushroom extract from Qinba on multiple myeloma (MM) cells. The MM RPMI-8226 cells were treated with FA-2-b-β at different concentrations and time points. MM RPMI8226 cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) assay, RT-QPCR and western blotting analyses were performed to determine the proteins and pathways involved. The results of the present study demonstrated that FA-2-b-β has high antiproliferative activities and strong pro-apoptotic effects on MM RPMI-8226 cells, and its pharmacological effects on proliferation changes occurred in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, we found that FA2-b-β was able to induce cell apoptosis and promote cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. In summary, the results illustrate the involvement of FA-2-b-β in mediating G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MM RPMI8226 cells, which suggested that FA-2-b-β might have therapeutic potential against multiple myeloma as an effective compound, and may provide useful information for the development of a novel therapeutic target in this area

Ferroelectric Photovoltaic Effect

Tetragonal BiFeO3 films with the thickness of 30 nm were grown epitaxially on (001) oriented LaAlO3 substrate by using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The transverse photovoltaic effects were studied as a function of the sample directions in-plane as well as the angle between the linearly polarized light and the plane of the sample along X and Y directions. The absorption onset and the direct band gap are ~2.25 and ~2.52 eV, respectively. The photocurrent depends not only on the sample directions in-plane but also on the angle between the linearly polarized light and the plane of the sample along X and Y directions. The results indicate that the bulk photovoltaic effect together with the depolarization field was ascribed to this phenomenon. Detailed analysis presents that the polarization direction is along [110] direction and this depolarization field induced photocurrent is equal to ~3.53 μA/cm2. The BPV induced photocurrent can be approximate described as Jx ≈ 2.23cos(2θ), such an angular dependence of photocurrent is produced as a consequence of asymmetric microscopic processes of carriers such as excitation and recombination

2-(2-p-Tolyl­benzo[g]quinolin-3-yl)ethanol

In the title compound, C22H19NO, the pyridine ring and the adjacent naphthalene ring system are nearly coplanar, making a dihedral angle of 3.3 (1)°, while the pyridine and benzene rings are perpendicular to each other, with a dihedral angle of 89.9 (1)°. The crystal packing is stabilized by inter­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯π inter­actions

KL-6 levels in the connective tissue disease population: typical values and potential confounders–a retrospective, real-world study

BackgroundKrebs von den Lungen 6 (KL-6) is a potential biomarker for determining the severity of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with connective tissue disease (CTD). Whether KL-6 levels can be affected by potential confounders such as underlying CTD patterns, patient-associated demographics, and comorbidities needs further investigation.MethodsFrom the database created by Xiangya Hospital, 524 patients with CTD, with or without ILD, were recruited for this retrospective analysis. Recorded data included demographic information, comorbidities, inflammatory biomarkers, autoimmune antibodies, and the KL-6 level at admission. Results of CT and pulmonary function tests were collected one week before or after KL-6 measurements. The percent of predicted diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO%) and computed tomography (CT) scans were used to determine the severity of ILD.ResultsUnivariate linear regression analysis showed that BMI, lung cancer, TB, lung infections, underlying CTD type, white blood cell (WBC) counts, neutrophil (Neu) counts, and hemoglobin (Hb) were related to KL-6 levels. Multiple linear regression confirmed that Hb and lung infections could affect KL-6 levels independently; the β were 9.64 and 315.93, and the P values were 0.015 and 0.039, respectively. CTD-ILD patients had higher levels of KL-6 (864.9 vs 463.9, P < 0.001) than those without ILD. KL-6 levels were closely correlated to the severity of ILD assessed both by CT and DLCO%. Additionally, we found that KL-6 level was an independent predictive factor for the presence of ILD and further constructed a decision tree model to rapidly determine the risk of developing ILD among CTD patients.ConclusionKL-6 is a potential biomarker for gauging the incidence and severity of ILD in CTD patients. To use this typical value of KL-6, however, doctors should take Hb and the presence of lung infections into account

Dielectric, ferroelectric and magnetic properties of Bi0.78La0.08Sm0.14Fe0.85Ti0.15O3 ceramics prepared at different sintering conditions

Although BiFeO3 (BFO) has attracted great attention due to its special physical properties as a typical single phase multiferroic material, the application is limited due to the formation of impurities, defects and so forth. Herein, we report improved multiferroic properties of Bi0.78La0.08Sm0.14Fe0.85Ti0.15O3 (BLSFTO) ceramics by combination of co-doping and sintering schedule. BLSFTO multiferroic ceramics were prepared by using the conventional solid state reaction method and the effect of sintering time (2, 5, 10, 20 and 30 h) on the structural, dielectric and multiferroic properties was investigated systematically. The result indicates that stable BLSFTO phase with perovskite structure was formed for all the samples. Only some impurities such as Bi2O4 can be observed when the sintering time is longer than 20 h, indicating that the sintering time can induce structural changes in BLSFTO and too long sintering time can remarkably increase the secondary phases. In addition, the frequency dependent dielectric properties show that sintering time has distinct effect on the frequency stability and the relaxation process. The result demonstrates that the enhanced magnetization, improved dielectric and ferroelectric properties may be correlated with the structural transformation, impurities, oxygen vacancies and grain morphology

Molecular testing raises thyroid nodule fine needle aspiration diagnostic value

Thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) remains indeterminate in 16–24% of the cases. Molecular testing could improve the diagnostic accuracy of FNAB. This study examined the gene mutation profile of patients with thyroid nodules and analyzed the diagnostic ability of molecular testing for thyroid nodules using a self-developed 18-gene test. Between January 2019 and August 2021, 513 samples (414 FN ABs and 99 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens) underwent molecular testing at Ruijin Hospital. Sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Spe), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy were calculated. There were 457 mutations in 428 samples. The rates of BRAF, RAS, TERT promoter, RET/PTC, and NTRK3 fusion mutations were 73.3% (n = 335), 9.6% (n = 44), 2.8% (n = 13), 4.8% (n = 22), and 0.4% (n = 2), respectively. The diagnostic ability of cytology and molecular testing were evaluated in Bethesda II and V–VI samples. For cytology alone, Sen, Spe, PPV, NPV, and accuracy were 100%, 25.0%, 97.4%, 100%, and 97.4%; these numbers were 87.5%, 50.0%, 98.0%, 12.5%, and 86.2% when considering positive mutation, and 87.5%, 75.0%, 99.0%, 17.6%, and 87.1% when considering positive cytology or and positive mutation. In Bethesda III–IV nodules, when relying solely on the presence of pathogenic mutations for diagnosis, Sen, Spe, P PV, NPV, and AC were 76.2%, 66.7%, 94.1%, 26.8%, and 75.0%, respectively. It might be necessary to analyze the molecular mechanisms of disease development at the genetic level to predict patients with malignant nodules more accurately in different risk strata and develop rational treatment strategies and definite management plans

Comparison of percutaneous dilational tracheotomy using bronchoscope，ultrasound guidance and anatomical landmark

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of percutaneous dilational tracheostomy（PDT）using fiberoptic bronchoscope，ultrasound guidance and anatomic landmark localization. Methods In this retrospective cohort，101 patients undergoing PDT were enrolled and divided into bronchoscope-guided group（n = 39），ultrasound-guided group（n = 27），and anatomical landmark localization group（n = 35）. Demographic data，general condition，surgical condition，postoperative complication and clinical prognosis were collected. Results No statistical significance was found in age，sex，cause of ICU stay，primary disease and preoperative coagulation status（all P > 0.05）. In the ultrasound-guided group，preoperative Sequential Organ Failure Assessment（SOFA）score was higher，the operation time was shorter and intraoperative blood loss was less compared with those in the other two groups（P < 0.05/3）. The PaCO2 in the anatomical landmark localization group was lower than that in the ultrasound-guided group（P < 0.05/3）. Conclusions Real-time ultrasound guidance during PDT can be employed to identify the anatomical structures of the neck，which can shorten the operation time，reduce intraoperative bleeding and avoid hyperventilation in patients with severe diseases. Ultrasound-guided PDT may serve as an alternative regimen for PDT using bronchoscope or anatomical landmark localization

Prevalence of porcine circovirus-like agent P1 in Jiangsu, China

Recently, we identified a novel porcine circovirus type 2-like agent P1 isolate from swine. The present study represents the first survey of P1 prevalence in swine herds from Jiangsu, China, by using PCR targeting the complete genome of P1. Prevalences of 50% and 19% were found among 6 herds and 248 animals, respectively. The results indicate a high prevalence of P1 in China pig populations

Development of a colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay strip using monoclonal antibody for rapid detection of porcine deltacoronavirus

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) cause diarrhea and dehydration in newborn piglets and has the potential for cross-species transmission. Rapid and early diagnosis is important for preventing and controlling infectious disease. In this study, two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were generated, which could specifically recognize recombinant PDCoV nucleocapsid (rPDCoV-N) protein. A colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA) strip using these mAbs was developed to detect PDCoV antigens within 15 min. Results showed that the detection limit of the GICA strip developed in this study was 103 TCID50/ml for the suspension of virus-infected cell culture and 0.125 μg/ml for rPDCoV-N protein, respectively. Besides, the GICA strip showed high specificity with no cross-reactivity with other porcine pathogenic viruses. Three hundred and twenty-five fecal samples were detected for PDCoV using the GICA strip and reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). The coincidence rate of the GICA strip and RT-qPCR was 96.9%. The GICA strip had a diagnostic sensitivity of 88.9% and diagnostic specificity of 98.5%. The specific and efficient detection by the strip provides a convenient, rapid, easy to use and valuable diagnostic tool for PDCoV under laboratory and field conditions