Preparation and imaging of intravascular high-frequency transducer

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging is by far the most favorable imaging modality for coronary artery evaluation. IVUS transducer design and fabrication, a key technology for intravascular ultrasound imaging, has a significant impact on the performance of the imaging results. Herein, a 35-MHz side-looking IVUS transducer probe was developed. With a small aperture of 0.40 mm × 0.40 mm, the transducer exhibited a very wide -6 dB bandwidth of 85% and a very low insertion loss of -12 dB. Further, the in vitro IVUS imaging of a porcine coronary artery was performed to clearly display the vessel wall structure while the corresponding color-coded graph was constructed successfully to distinguish necrotic core and fibrous plaque via image processing. The results demonstrated that the imaging performance of the optimized design transducer performs favorably

A reporter system for assaying influenza virus RNP functionality based on secreted Gaussia luciferase activity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Influenza A virus can infect a wide variety of animal species including humans, pigs, birds and other species. Viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) was involved in genome replication, transcription and host adaptation. Currently, firefly luciferase (Fluc) reporter system was used in vRNP functional assay. However, its limitation for the testing by virus infection resulted in an increased need for rapid, sensitive, and biosafe techniques. Here, an influenza A virus UTR-driven gene reporter for vRNP assay based on secreted <it>Gaussia </it>luciferase (Gluc) activity was evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>By measuring Gluc levels in supernatants, reporter gene activity could be detected and quantitated after either reconstitution of influenza A virus polymerase complex or viral infection of 293T and A549 cells, respectively. As compared with Fluc reporter, Gluc-based reporter was heat-tolerant (65°C for 30 min) and produced 50-fold higher bioluminescent activity at 24 h posttransfection. Signals generated by Gluc reporter gene could be detected as early as 6 h post-infection and accumulated with time. Testing by viral infection, stronger signals were detected by Gluc reporter at a MOI of 0.001 than that of 1 and the effects of PB2-627K/E or amantadine on influenza vRNP activity were elucidated more effectively by the Gluc reporter system.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This approach provided a rapid, sensitive, and biosafe assay of influenza vRNP function, particularly for the highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.</p

Integrated Analysis of Long Noncoding RNA and Coding RNA Expression in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Tumorigenesis is a complex dynamic biological process that includes multiple steps of genetic and epigenetic alterations, aberrant expression of noncoding RNA, and changes in the expression profiles of coding genes. We call the collection of those perturbations in genome space the “cancer initiatome.” Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are pervasively transcribed in the genome and they have key regulatory functions in chromatin remodeling and gene expression. Spatiotemporal variation in the expression of lncRNAs has been observed in development and disease states, including cancer. A few dysregulated lncRNAs have been studied in cancers, but the role of lncRNAs in the cancer initiatome remains largely unknown, especially in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We conducted a genome-wide screen of the expression of lncRNAs and coding RNAs from ESCC and matched adjacent nonneoplastic normal tissues. We identified differentially expressed lncRNAs and coding RNAs in ESCC relative to their matched normal tissue counterparts and validated the result using polymerase chain reaction analysis. Furthermore, we identified differentially expressed lncRNAs that are co-located and co-expressed with differentially expressed coding RNAs in ESCC and the results point to a potential interaction between lncRNAs and neighboring coding genes that affect ether lipid metabolism, and the interaction may contribute to the development of ESCC. These data provide compelling evidence for a potential novel genomic biomarker of esophageal squamous cell cancer

Determination of 16 Selected Trace Elements in Children Plasma from China Economical Developed Rural Areas Using High Resolution Magnetic Sector Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry

A rapid, accurate, and high performance method of high resolution sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS) combined with a small-size sample (0.1 mL) preparation was established. The method was validated and applied for the determination of 16 selected plasma trace elements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb, B, Al, Se, Sr, V, Cr, Mn, Co, As, Mo, Cd, and Pb). The linear working ranges were over three intervals, 0-1 g/L, 0-10 g/L and 0-100 g/L. Correlation coefficients (R 2 ) ranged from 0.9957 to 0.9999 and the limits of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.02 g/L (Rb) to 1.89 g/L (Se). The trueness (or recovery) spanned from 89.82% (Al) to 119.15% (Se) and precision expressed by the relative standard deviation (RSD %) for intra-day ranging from 1.1% (Zn) to 9.0% (Se), while ranged from 3.7% (Fe) to 12.7% (Al) for interday. A total of 440 plasma samples were collected from Chinese National Nutrition and Health Survey Project 2002 (CNNHS 2002), which represented the status of plasma trace elements for the children aged 3-12 years from China economical developed rural areas. The concentrations of 16 trace elements were summarized and compared by age groups and gender, which can be used as one of the basic components for the formulation of the baseline reference values of trace elements for the children in 2002

Assessing cognitive impairment in home-dwelling Chinese elders aged 80+: a detailed survey of 13,000 participants focusing on demographic factors, social engagement, and disease prevalence

IntroductionCognitive Impairment (CI) in the elderly, encompassing conditions ranging from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) to dementia, represents a growing public health concern globally. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and correlates of CI among individuals aged 80 and above.MethodsThe study conducts 13,027 elderly individual’s door-to-door surveys, followed by the cross-tabulation of analysis data, logistic regression analysis, and health condition assessments to examine various determinants of CI.ResultsThe current study’s key findings demonstrate sub-statical correlations between CI and various factors, including educational attainment, marital status, and gender. Pronounced differences are evident between urban and rural demographics. Furthermore, aspects of social engagement, notably communication proficiency and sensory capabilities, exhibit a strong association with CI. Logistic regression analysis highlights that residing in rural areas (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.637) and being female (OR = 0.71) are linked to a decreased risk of CI. In contrast, behavioral and health-related variables present a complex picture. Specifically, aggressive behavior (Adjusted OR = 1.881) and symptoms of depression (Adjusted OR = 0.549) contrast with conditions such as asthma (OR= 2.857) and cerebral infarction (OR=1.348), which elevate the risk of CI. Intriguingly, hyperlipidemia (OR= 0.671) appears to confer a protective effect against CI.ConclusionThe study highlights the complexity of factors affecting CI in the elderly, advocating for a comprehensive approach to understanding and managing cognitive health

Education and urbanization improves cognitive function affected by altitude of adolescents: a cross-section study in Tibet, China

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to examine the cognitive function of Tibetan adolescents at different altitudes and evaluate the influence of education and urbanization on child’s cognition at high altitudes.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2015 and September 2016 in four counties in Tibet. The study population included 324 adolescents living at an altitude of 2,800 m, including 227 who grew up at altitudes of 4,300 m, and 732 adolescents attending three high-altitude boarding schools (one at 4,300 m and two at 4,500 m), including 119 who grew up at an altitude of 2,800 m. Fluid reasoning was assessed using Standard Progressive Matrices (SPMs). The background information was collected using self-administered questionnaires.ResultsA multilevel linear regression model was used to determine the effects of altitude, education, and urbanization on fluid reasoning. In the fixed-effects model, the average SPM score of adolescents from low altitudes who attended kindergarten was 40.41. Scores of students who moved from high to low altitudes, came from high altitudes, and moved from low to high altitudes were 2.66, 4.71, and 6.70 points lower, respectively, than those of students from low altitudes, and 2.50 points lower in students who had not attended kindergarten than those who had. In the random-effects model, the scores of those who only went to first grade were 2.93 points lower. Students from County 3 had average scores of 1.89 higher than did students from the other three counties.ConclusionHigh altitudes may negatively affect the cognition of Tibetan adolescents. This effect was reduced by moving to a lower altitude, increasing the number of years of formal education, attending kindergarten, and living in a more urbanized location. Even at high altitude, moving to higher altitudes should be avoided

Interface-engineered ferroelectricity of epitaxial Hf\u3csub\u3e0.5\u3c/sub\u3eZr\u3csub\u3e0.5\u3c/sub\u3eO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e thin films

Ferroelectric hafnia-based thin films have attracted intense attention due to their compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology. However, the ferroelectric orthorhombic phase is thermodynamically metastable. Various efforts have been made to stabilize the ferroelectric orthorhombic phase of hafnia-based films such as controlling the growth kinetics and mechanical confinement. Here, we demonstrate a key interface engineering strategy to stabilize and enhance the ferroelectric orthorhombic phase of the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 thin film by deliberately controlling the termination of the bottom La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 layer. We find that the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 films on the MnO2-terminated La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 have more ferroelectric orthorhombic phase than those on the LaSrO-terminated La0.67Sr0.33MnO3, while with no wake-up effect. Even though the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 thickness is as thin as 1.5nm, the clear ferroelectric orthorhombic (111) orientation is observed on the MnO2 termination. Our transmission electron microscopy characterization and theoretical modelling reveal that reconstruction at the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/ La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 interface and hole doping of the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 layer resulting from theMnO2 interface termination are responsible for the stabilization of the metastable ferroelectric phase of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2. We anticipate that these results will inspire further studies of interface-engineered hafnia-based systems