ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN ALDH1A1 POLYMORPHISMS, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, AND MORTALITY AMONG HISPANIC AND NON-HISPANIC WHITE WOMEN DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER: THE BREAST CANCER HEALTH DISPARITIES STUDY

Background ALDH1A1 is a marker of both normal tissue and cancer stem cells, where it is involved in self-renewal, differentiation and self-protection. Few studies have examined the association between ALDH1A1 and mortality among breast cancer (BC) patients. None of these studies have included Hispanic women or explored interactions with alcohol consumption. We evaluated the associations between ALDH1A1 polymorphisms, alcohol consumption, and mortality among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white (NHW) BC cases from the Breast Cancer Health Disparities Study. Methods We evaluated the associations between nine SNPs of ALDH1A1 and mortality among 920 Hispanic and 1372 NHW women diagnosed with incident invasive BC. Demographic and lifestyle factors were collected via in-person interviews. Additive, recessive, and dominant models were considered for each SNP. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for age at diagnosis, percentage of Native American (NA) ancestry, BC stage, and study site. Models were further stratified by percentage of NA ancestry and alcohol consumption. Adjustment for multiple comparisons was performed using the Bonferroni correction. Results After a median follow-up time of 11 years from BC diagnosis, a total of 443 deaths occurred. The following SNPs were associated with increased all-cause mortality risk: the CC genotype of rs1424482 (HRCC=1.31; 95% CI 1.03-1.68), the AA genotype of rs63319 (HRAA=1.29; 95% CI 1.05-1.59), and the AA genotype of rs7027604 (HRAA=1.40; 95% CI 1.13-1.73). rs722921 (TA/AA vs. TT) (HRTA/AA=0.78; 95% CI 0.64-0.95) decreased risk of all-cause mortality. Only rs7027604 remained significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons (Padj=0.018). Among ever drinkers, rs1888202 decreased mortality risk (HRCG/GG=0.64; 95%CI 0.46-0.87), while no association was observed among non-drinkers (Pinteraction=0.022, Padj=0.181). Among women with low NA ancestry, rs63319 increased risk of mortality (HRAA=1.53; 95%CI 1.19-1.97), while a non-significant inverse association was observed among women of high NA ancestry (Pinteraction=0.022, Padj=0.181). Results for BC-specific mortality were not statistically significant. Conclusions We provide evidence that rs7027604 is significantly associated increased risk of mortality after BC. Future BC studies examining the relationship between ALDH1A1 and mortality should explore the modifying effects of alcohol consumption with rs1888202 and NA ancestry with rs63319

Existence results of positive solutions for Kirchhoff type equations via bifurcation methods

In this paper we address the following Kirchhoff type problem \begin{equation*} \left\{ \begin{array}{ll} -\Delta(g(|\nabla u|_2^2) u + u^r) = a u + b u^p& \mbox{in}~\Omega, u>0& \mbox{in}~\Omega, u= 0& \mbox{on}~\partial\Omega, \end{array} \right. \end{equation*} in a bounded and smooth domain $\Omega$ in ${\rm I}\hskip -0.85mm{\rm R}$. By using change of variables and bifurcation methods, we show, under suitable conditions on the parameters $a,b,p,r$ and the nonlinearity $g$, the existence of positive solutions.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figur

A case report and literature review: pheochromocytoma-mediated takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which is similar to acute myocardial infarction

A 52-year-old Chinese woman was admitted to a cardiac intensive care unit (CCU) due to nausea, vomiting, and dyspnea, which began a day before her hospitalization. Metoprolol succinate and conventional treatment for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were initially administered to the patient based on electrocardiogram (ECG) findings and elevated cardiac troponin I (cTnI). However, the following day, she developed aggravated nausea, vomiting, fever, sweating, a flushed face, a rapid heart rate, and a significant rise in blood pressure. Furthermore, ultrasonic cardiography (UCG) displayed takotsubo-like changes; nevertheless, ECG indicated inconsistent cTnI peaks with extensive infarction. After coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) ruled out (AMI), and in conjunction with the uncommon findings, we strongly suspected that the patient had a secondary condition of pheochromocytoma-induced takotsubo cardiomyopathy (Pheo-TCM). In the meanwhile, the use of metoprolol succinate was promptly discontinued. This hypothesis was further supported by the subsequent plasma elevation of multiple catecholamines and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). After one month of treatment with high-dose Phenoxybenzamine in combination with metoprolol succinate, the patient met the criteria for surgical excision and successfully underwent the procedure. This case report demonstrated that pheochromocytoma could induce TCM and emphasized the significance of distinguishing it from AMI (in the context of beta-blocker usage and anticoagulant management)

Tiling microarray analysis of rice chromosome 10 to identify the transcriptome and relate its expression to chromosomal architecture

BACKGROUND: Sequencing and annotation of the genome of rice (Oryza sativa) have generated gene models in numbers that top all other fully sequenced species, with many lacking recognizable sequence homology to known genes. Experimental evaluation of these gene models and identification of new models will facilitate rice genome annotation and the application of this knowledge to other more complex cereal genomes. RESULTS: We report here an analysis of the chromosome 10 transcriptome of the two major rice subspecies, japonica and indica, using oligonucleotide tiling microarrays. This analysis detected expression of approximately three-quarters of the gene models without previous experimental evidence in both subspecies. Cloning and sequence analysis of the previously unsupported models suggests that the predicted gene structure of nearly half of those models needs improvement. Coupled with comparative gene model mapping, the tiling microarray analysis identified 549 new models for the japonica chromosome, representing an 18% increase in the annotated protein-coding capacity. Furthermore, an asymmetric distribution of genome elements along the chromosome was found that coincides with the cytological definition of the heterochromatin and euchromatin domains. The heterochromatin domain appears to associate with distinct chromosome level transcriptional activities under normal and stress conditions. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated the utility of genome tiling microarray in evaluating annotated rice gene models and in identifying novel transcriptional units. The tiling microarray sanalysis further revealed a chromosome-wide transcription pattern that suggests a role for transposable element-enriched heterochromatin in shaping global transcription in response to environmental changes in rice

Strategies to improve the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell‐derived extracellular vesicle (MSC-EV): a promising cell-free therapy for liver disease

Liver disease has emerged as a significant worldwide health challenge due to its diverse causative factors and therapeutic complexities. The majority of liver diseases ultimately progress to end-stage liver disease and liver transplantation remains the only effective therapy with the limitations of donor organ shortage, lifelong immunosuppressants and expensive treatment costs. Numerous pre-clinical studies have revealed that extracellular vesicles released by mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-EV) exhibited considerable potential in treating liver diseases. Although natural MSC-EV has many potential advantages, some characteristics of MSC-EV, such as heterogeneity, uneven therapeutic effect, and rapid clearance in vivo constrain its clinical translation. In recent years, researchers have explored plenty of ways to improve the therapeutic efficacy and rotation rate of MSC-EV in the treatment of liver disease. In this review, we summarized current strategies to enhance the therapeutic potency of MSC-EV, mainly including optimization culture conditions in MSC or modifications of MSC-EV, aiming to facilitate the development and clinical application of MSC-EV in treating liver disease

Synthesis of the System Modeling and Signal Detecting Circuit of a Novel Vacuum Microelectronic Accelerometer

A novel high-precision vacuum microelectronic accelerometer has been successfully fabricated and tested in our laboratory. This accelerometer has unique advantages of high sensitivity, fast response, and anti-radiation stability. It is a prototype intended for navigation applications and is required to feature micro-g resolution. This paper briefly describes the structure and working principle of our vacuum microelectronic accelerometer, and the mathematical model is also established. The performances of the accelerometer system are discussed after Matlab modeling. The results show that, the dynamic response of the accelerometer system is significantly improved by choosing appropriate parameters of signal detecting circuit, and the signal detecting circuit is designed. In order to attain good linearity and performance, the closed-loop control mode is adopted. Weak current detection technology is studied, and integral T-style feedback network is used in I/V conversion, which will eliminate high-frequency noise at the front of the circuit. According to the modeling parameters, the low-pass filter is designed. This circuit is simple, reliable, and has high precision. Experiments are done and the results show that the vacuum microelectronic accelerometer exhibits good linearity over -1 g to +1 g, an output sensitivity of 543 mV/g, and a nonlinearity of 0.94 %

Comprehensive review on gene mutations contributing to dilated cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common primary myocardial diseases. However, to this day, it remains an enigmatic cardiovascular disease (CVD) characterized by ventricular dilatation, which leads to myocardial contractile dysfunction. It is the most common cause of chronic congestive heart failure and the most frequent indication for heart transplantation in young individuals. Genetics and various other factors play significant roles in the progression of dilated cardiomyopathy, and variants in more than 50 genes have been associated with the disease. However, the etiology of a large number of cases remains elusive. Numerous studies have been conducted on the genetic causes of dilated cardiomyopathy. These genetic studies suggest that mutations in genes for fibronectin, cytoskeletal proteins, and myosin in cardiomyocytes play a key role in the development of DCM. In this review, we provide a comprehensive description of the genetic basis, mechanisms, and research advances in genes that have been strongly associated with DCM based on evidence-based medicine. We also emphasize the important role of gene sequencing in therapy for potential early diagnosis and improved clinical management of DCM