Variable stars detection in the field of open cluster NGC 188

This work presents the charge-coupled device (CCD) photometric survey of the old open cluster NGC 188. Time-series V-band photometric observations were conducted for ten nights in January 2017 using the Nanshan One-meter Wide-field Telescope (NOWT) to search for variable stars in the field of the cluster field. A total of 25 variable stars, including one new variable star, were detected in the target field. Among the detected variables, 16 are cluster member stars, and the others are identified as field stars. The periods, radial velocities, effective temperatures, and classifications of the detected variables are discussed in this work. Most of the stars' effective temperatures are between 4200 K and 6600 K, indicating their spectral types are G or K. The newly discovered variable is probably a W UMa system. In this study, a known cluster variable star (V21 = V0769 Cep) is classified as an EA-type variable star based on the presence of an 0.5 magnitude eclipse in its light curve

Heterologous SH3-p85β inhibits influenza A virus replication

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signalling pathway can support the replication of influenza A virus through binding of viral NS1 protein to the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain of p85β regulatory subunit of PI3K. Here we investigated the effect of heterologously overexpressed SH3 on the replication of different influenza A virus subtypes/strains, and on the phosphorylation of Akt in the virus-infected cells. We found that heterologous SH3 reduced replication of influenza A viruses at varying degrees in a subtype/strain-dependent manner and SH3 overexpression reduced the induction of the phosphorylation of Akt in the cells infected with PR8(H1N1) and ST364(H3N2), but not with ST1233(H1N1), Ph2246(H9N2), and Qa199(H9N2). Our results suggest that interference with the NS1-p85β interaction by heterologous SH3 can be served as a useful antiviral strategy against influenza A virus infection

Bis[μ-N′-(adamantan-1-ylcarbon­yl)-2-oxidobenzohydrazidato(3−)]tetra­pyridine­trinickel(II) dimethyl­formamide monosolvate monohydrate

In the title trinuclear NiII compound, [Ni3(C18H19N2O3)2(C5H5N)4]·C3H7NO·H2O, three NiII cations are bridged by two N′-(adamantan-1-ylcarbon­yl)-2-oxidobenzohydrazidate trianions. The central NiII cation has a distorted octa­hedral N4O2 coordination environment where a reverse torsion occurs between the two bridging ligands, whereas the two NiII cations on the sides each adopt an N2O2 square-planar coordination. Weak intra­molecular C—H⋯O and C—H⋯N inter­actions help to stabilize the mol­ecular structure. In the crystal, the lattice water mol­ecule links with the NiII complex and dimethyl­formamide solvent mol­ecule via O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding

Changes of outer retinal thickness with increasing age in normal eyes

AIM:To comprehensively investigate the relationship between outer retinal layer thickness and age in normal eyes.METHODS: One hundred normal eyes of 100 subjects who underwent spectral-domain optical coherence tomography(SD-OCT)were included in this retrospective study. The distances between the external limiting membrane(ELM)line and the photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment(IS/OS)line(ELM-IS/OS), the IS/OS line and the cone outer segment tips(COST)line(IS/OS-COST), the COST line and the retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)complex(COST-RPE)and the full retinal thickness(RT)were measured at the fovea and on four quarters. The relationship between thickness and age or sex was then analysed.RESULTS: A thinner RT was observed in women in a multiple regression analysis(men: 234.47±16.79 μm; women: 223.13±15.43 μm). The RT on the nasal quarter and the ELM-IS/OS thickness at the fovea and on the four quarters were significantly and negatively correlated with age. The IS/OS-COST and COST-RPE thicknesses at the fovea and on the four quarters were not significantly correlated with age or sex, respectively. The RT at the fovea was significantly thinner than on the four quarters. The ELM-IS/OS, IS/OS-COST and COST-RPE thicknesses at the fovea were significantly thicker than on the four quarters. CONCLUSION: In normal eyes, the RT thickness on the nasal quarter and the ELM-IS/OS thickness were significantly and negatively correlated with age. The IS/OS-COST and COST-RPE thicknesses were not significantly correlated with age or sex

Studying the Inflammatory Responses to Amyloid Beta Oligomers in Brain-Specific Pericyte and Endothelial Co-Culture From Human Stem Cells

Background: Recently, the in vitro blood–brain barrier (BBB) models derived from human pluripotent stem cells have been given extensive attention in therapeutics due to the implications they have with the health of the central nervous system. It is essential to create an accurate BBB model in vitro in order to better understand the properties of the BBB, and how it can respond to inflammatory stimulation and be passed by targeted or non-targeted cell therapeutics, more specifically extracellular vesicles.Methods: Brain-specific pericytes (iPCs) were differentiated from iPSK3 cells using dual SMAD signaling inhibitors and Wnt activation plus fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2). The derived cells were characterized by immunostaining, flow cytometry, and RT-PCR. In parallel, blood vessels organoids were derived using Wnt activation, BMP4, FGF2, VEGF, and SB431542. The organoids were replated and treated with retinoic acid to enhance the blood–brain barrier (BBB) features in the differentiated brain endothelial cells (iECs). Co-culture was performed for iPCs and iECs in the transwell system and 3D microfluidics channels.Results: The derived iPCs expressed common markers PDGFRb and NG2, and brain-specific genes FOXF2, ABCC9, KCNJ8, and ZIC1. The derived iECs expressed common endothelial cell markers CD31, VE-cadherin, and BBB-associated genes BRCP, GLUT-1, PGP, ABCC1, OCLN, and SLC2A1. The co-culture of the two cell types responded to the stimulation of amyloid β42 oligomers by the upregulation of the expression of TNFa, IL6, NFKB, Casp3, SOD2, and TP53. The co-culture also showed the property of trans-endothelial electrical resistance. The proof of concept vascularization strategy was demonstrated in a 3D microfluidics-based device.Conclusion: The derived iPCs and iECs have brain-specific properties, and the co-culture of iPCs and iECs provides an in vitro BBB model that show inflammatory response. This study has significance in establishing micro-physiological systems for neurological disease modeling and drug screening

Layer-specific strain in patients with cardiac amyloidosis using tissue tracking MR

BackgroundCardiac infiltration is the major predictor of poor prognosis in patients with systemic amyloidosis, thus it becomes of great importance to evaluate cardiac involvement.PurposeWe aimed to evaluate left ventricular myocardial deformation alteration in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) using layer-specific tissue tracking MR.Material and MethodsThirty-nine patients with CA were enrolled. Thirty-nine normal controls were also recruited. Layer-specific tissue tracking analysis was done based on cine MR images.ResultsCompared with the control group, a significant reduction in LV whole layer strain values (GLS, GCS, and GRS) and layer-specific strain values was found in patients with CA (all P < 0.01). In addition, GRS and GLS, as well as subendocardial and subepicardial GLS, GRS, and GCS, were all diminished in patients with CA and reduced LVEF, when compared to those with preserved or mid-range LVEF (all P < 0.05). GCS showed the largest AUC (0.9952, P = 0.0001) with a sensitivity of 93.1% and specificity of 90% to predict reduced LVEF (<40%). Moreover, GCS was the only independent predictor of LV systolic dysfunction (Odds Ratio: 3.30, 95% CI:1.341–8.12, and P = 0.009).ConclusionLayer-specific tissue tracking MR could be a useful method to assess left ventricular myocardial deformation in patients with CA

Molecular Cloning of the Genes Encoding the PR55/Bβ/δ Regulatory Subunits for PP-2A and Analysis of Their Functions in Regulating Development of Goldfish, Carassius auratus

The protein phosphatase-2A (PP-2A), one of the major phosphatases in eukaryotes, is a heterotrimer, consisting of a scaffold A subunit, a catalytic C subunit and a regulatory B subunit. Previous studies have shown that besides regulating specific PP-2A activity, various B subunits encoded by more than 16 different genes, may have other functions. To explore the possible roles of the regulatory subunits of PP-2A in vertebrate development, we have cloned the PR55/B family regulatory subunits: β and δ, analyzed their tissue specific and developmental expression patterns in Goldfish ( Carassius auratus). Our results revealed that the full-length cDNA for PR55/Bβ consists of 1940 bp with an open reading frame of 1332 nucleotides coding for a deduced protein of 443 amino acids. The full length PR55/Bδ cDNA is 2163 bp containing an open reading frame of 1347 nucleotides encoding a deduced protein of 448 amino acids. The two isoforms of PR55/B display high levels of sequence identity with their counterparts in other species. The PR55/Bβ mRNA and protein are detected in brain and heart. In contrast, the PR55/Bδ is expressed in all 9 tissues examined at both mRNA and protein levels. During development of goldfish, the mRNAs for PR55/Bβ and PR55/Bδ show distinct patterns. At the protein level, PR55/Bδ is expressed at all developmental stages examined, suggesting its important role in regulating goldfish development. Expression of the PR55/Bδ anti-sense RNA leads to significant downregulation of PR55/Bδ proteins and caused severe abnormality in goldfish trunk and eye development. Together, our results suggested that PR55/Bδ plays an important role in governing normal trunk and eye formation during goldfish development

Chemokine receptor CXCR4 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma patients increases the risk of bone metastases and poor survival

Abstract Background The chemokine and bone marrow-homing receptor CXCR4 is implicated in metastases of various cancers. This study was conducted to analyze the association of CXCR4 expression with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) bone metastasis and patient survival. Methods Tumor tissue from HCC patients with (n = 43) and without (n = 138) bone metastasis was subjected to immunohistochemical staining for CXCR4 using tissue microarrays. Immunoreactivity was evaluated semi-quantitatively. A receiver-operating characteristic-based approach and logistical regression analysis were used to determine the predictive value of clinicopathologic factors, including CXCR4 expression, in bone metastasis. Patient survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. Results CXCR4 overexpression was detected in 34 of 43 (79.1%) patients with bone metastases and in 57 of 138 (41.3%) without bone metastases. CXCR4 expression correlated with (correlation coefficient: 0.551, P predictive of HCC bone metastases (AUC: 0.689; 95%CI: 0.601 – 0.776; P ). CXCR4 staining intensity correlated with the bone metastasis-free survival (correlation coefficient: -0.359; P = 0.018). CXCR4 overexpression in primary tumors (n = 91) decreased overall median survival (18.0 months vs. 36.0 months, P 0.001). Multivariable analysis identified CXCR4 as a strong, independent risk factor for reduced disease-free survival (relative risk [RR]: 5.440; P = 0.023) and overall survival (RR: 7.082; P = 0.001). Conclusion CXCR4 expression in primary HCCs may be an independent risk factor for bone metastasis and may be associated with poor clinical outcome.</p