Aims/hypothesis
The unfolded protein response (UPR) in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and autophagy are known to be related. We investigated the role of autophagy in UPR of pancreatic beta cells and the ...susceptibility of autophagy-deficient beta cells to the ER stress that is implicated in the development of diabetes.
Methods
Rat insulin promoter (RIP)-
Cre
+
;autophagy-related 7 (
Atg7
)
F/W
mice were bred with
ob/w
mice to derive RIP-
Cre
+
;
Atg7
F/F
-
ob/ob
mice and to induce ER stress in vivo.
GFP-LC3
+
-
ob/ob
mice were generated to examine in vivo autophagic activity. Real-time RT-PCR was performed to study the expression of the genes of the UPR machinery. Proteolysis was assessed by determining release of incorporated radioactive leucine.
Results
Production of UPR machinery was reduced in autophagy-deficient beta cells, which was associated with diminished production of p85α and p85β regulatory subunits of phosphoinositide 3-kinase. Because of compromised UPR machinery, autophagy-deficient beta cells were susceptible to ER stressors in vitro. When mice with beta cell-specific autophagy deficiency, which have mild hyperglycaemia, were bred with
ob/ob
mice to induce ER stress in vivo, severe diabetes developed, which was accompanied by an increase in beta cell death and accumulation of reactive oxygen species. The increased demand for UPR present in obesity was unmet in autophagy-deficient beta cells. Autophagy level and autophagic activity were enhanced by lipid, while proteolysis was reduced.
Conclusions/interpretation
These results suggest that autophagy is important for intact UPR machinery and appropriate UPR in response to lipid injury that increases demand for UPR. Autophagy deficiency in pancreatic beta cells may contribute to the progression from obesity to diabetes.
Phase transition of Cu precipitates during aging of an Fe–3Si–2Cu alloy was studied by transmission electron microscopy. The precipitation of 3–5-nm-sized body-centered cubic (bcc) Cu in ferrite ...matrix was confirmed by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging. The bcc Cu precipitates transformed to 9R Cu as they grew. Many 9R Cu precipitates were twinned, but untwinned 9R Cu particles were also observed. The 9R Cu transformed to twinned face-centered cubic (fcc) Cu by the glide of ±a/3 1009R Shockley-type partial dislocations. Formation of the 3R structure previously reported could not be confirmed in this study. Finally, twins in fcc Cu precipitates disappeared to form stable fcc Cu particles. The importance of electron beam-orientation-dependent moiré fringes in the correct identification of Cu structure is discussed in detail.
Background
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an inflammatory process in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, and bacteria have been considered to be a cause. Indeed, recent evidence indicates that ...bacteria‐derived extracellular vesicles (EV) appear to be an important causative agent of inflammatory diseases. Here, we aimed to evaluate the diversity of nasal microbiota and their secreted EV in patients with CRS.
Methods
Nasal lavage (NAL) fluid samples were obtained from five patients with CRS with polyposis, three patients with CRS without polyposis, and three non‐CRS controls. After preparation of bacteria and EV from samples using differential centrifugation, genomic DNA was extracted and 16S‐rDNA amplicons were subjected to high‐throughput pyrosequencing on a Roche 454 GS‐FLX platform.
Results
Metagenomics showed that bacteria composition was positively correlated with EV composition. Samples from patients with CRS had greater bacterial abundance and lower diversity, both from bacteria and the EV portion of samples, compared with non‐CRS samples. At each phylogenetic level, Bacteroidetes decreased while Proteobacteria increased in the CRS group at the phylum level. At the genus level, Prevotella spp. decreased in the CRS group, while Staphylococcus spp. increased from both bacteria and EV. Moreover, Staphylococcus aureus and its secreting EV compositions were higher in samples from CRS with polyps compared with CRS without polyps.
Conclusions
These results suggest that patients with CRS have altered nasal microbiota and decreased diversity in bacterial compositions as well as increased S. aureus abundance in those patients with polyps.
Development of advanced high energy density lithium ion batteries is important for promoting electromobility. Making electric vehicles attractive and competitive compared to conventional automobiles ...depends on the availability of reliable, safe, high power, and highly energetic batteries whose components are abundant and cost effective. Nickel rich LiNi
x
Co
y
Mn
1−x−y
O
2
layered cathode materials (
x
> 0.5) are of interest because they can provide very high specific capacity without pushing charging potentials to levels that oxidize the electrolyte solutions. However, these cathode materials suffer from stability problems. We discovered that doping these materials with tungsten (1 mol%) remarkably increases their stability due to a partial layered to cubic (rock salt) phase transition. We demonstrate herein highly stable Li ion battery prototypes consisting of tungsten-stabilized Ni rich cathode materials (
x
> 0.9) with specific capacities >220 mA h g
-1
. This development can increase the energy density of Li ion batteries more than 30% above the state of the art without compromising durability.
In this paper we present results of a numerical study using the NASA finite-volume GCM to elucidate a plausible mechanism for aerosol impact on the Asian summer monsoon involving interaction with ...physical processes over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). During the pre-monsoon season of March-April, dusts from the deserts of western China, Afghanistan/Pakistan, and the Middle East are transported into and stacked up against the northern and southern slopes of the TP. The absorption of solar radiation by dust heats up the elevated surface air over the slopes. On the southern slopes, the atmospheric heating is reinforced by black carbon from local emission. The heated air rises via dry convection, creating a positive temperature anomaly in the mid-to-upper troposphere over the TP relative to the region to the south. In May through early June in a manner akin to an "elevated heat pump", the rising hot air forced by the increasing heating in the upper troposphere, draws in warm and moist air over the Indian subcontinent, setting the stage for the onset of the South Asia summer monsoon. Our results suggest that increased dust loading coupled with black carbon emission from local sources in northern India during late spring may lead to an advance of the rainy periods and subsequently an intensification of the Indian summer monsoon. The enhanced rainfall over India is associated with the development of an aerosol-induced large-scale sea level pressure anomaly pattern, which causes the East Asia (Mei-yu) rain belt to shift northwestward, suppressing rainfall over East Asia and the adjacent oceanic regions.PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Aims
Canagliflozin is a sodium glucose co‐transporter 2 inhibitor in development for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The efficacy and safety of canagliflozin were evaluated in subjects with T2DM ...inadequately controlled with diet and exercise.
Methods
In this 26‐week, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, phase 3 trial, subjects (N = 584) received canagliflozin 100 or 300 mg or placebo once daily. Primary endpoint was the change from baseline in haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at week 26. Secondary endpoints included the proportion of subjects achieving HbA1c < 7.0%; change from baseline in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2‐h postprandial glucose (PPG) and systolic blood pressure (BP); and percent change in body weight, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) and triglycerides. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded throughout the study.
Results
At week 26, HbA1c was significantly reduced from baseline with canagliflozin 100 and 300 mg compared with placebo (−0.77, −1.03 and 0.14%, respectively; p < 0.001 for both). Both canagliflozin doses significantly decreased FPG, 2‐h PPG, body weight and systolic BP (p < 0.001 for all), and increased HDL‐C compared with placebo (p < 0.01 for both). Overall incidences of AEs were modestly higher with canagliflozin versus placebo; rates of serious AEs and AE‐related discontinuations were low and similar across groups. Incidences of genital mycotic infections, urinary tract infections and osmotic diuresis‐related AEs were higher with canagliflozin; these led to few discontinuations. The incidence of hypoglycaemia was low across groups.
Conclusion
Canagliflozin treatment improved glycaemic control, reduced body weight and was generally well tolerated in subjects with T2DM inadequately controlled with diet and exercise.
We present new constraints on the dark matter-induced annual modulation signal using 1.7 years of COSINE-100 data with a total exposure of 97.7 kg yr. The COSINE-100 experiment, consisting of 106 kg ...of NaI(Tl) target material, is designed to carry out a model-independent test of DAMA/LIBRA's claim of WIMP discovery by searching for the same annual modulation signal using the same NaI(Tl) target. The crystal data show a 2.7 cpd/kg/keV background rate on average in the 2-6 keV energy region of interest. Using a χ-squared minimization method we observe best fit values for modulation amplitude and phase of 0.0092±0.0067 cpd/kg/keV and 127.2±45.9 d, respectively.
Background
This study aimed to investigate whether radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an alternative to surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the context of current guidelines.
...Methods
This retrospective study included patients with normal portal pressure and serum bilirubin level who initially underwent liver resection or RFA for a single HCC of maximum size 3 cm. Between‐group differences in cumulative rates of survival and recurrence specific for HCC were analysed in the entire cohort and in a propensity score‐matched cohort.
Results
A total of 604 patients were enrolled, 273 in the liver resection group and 331 in the RFA group. The 5‐ and 10‐year HCC‐specific survival rates for the resection and RFA groups were 87·6 versus 82·1 per cent and 59·0 versus 61·2 per cent respectively (P = 0·214), whereas overall 5‐ and 10‐year recurrence‐free survival rates for the corresponding groups were 60·6 versus 39·4 per cent and 37·5 versus 25·1 per cent respectively (P < 0·001). In the propensity score‐matched cohort (152 pairs), there were no differences in HCC‐specific survival (hazard ratio (HR) 1·03 for RFA versus resection; P = 0·899), whereas recurrence‐free survival again differed between the treatment groups (HR 1·75; P < 0·001). RFA was independently associated with poorer outcomes in terms of treatment‐site recurrence‐free survival (adjusted HR 1·66; P = 0·026), but not non‐treatment‐site recurrence‐free survival (adjusted HR 1·15; P = 0·354).
Conclusion
Although RFA carries a higher risk of treatment‐site recurrence than hepatic resection, it provides comparable overall survival in patients with a single small HCC without portal hypertension or a raised bilirubin level.
Good alternative in small hepatocellular carcinoma
The strongest gamma-ray burst (GRB) of the century, GRB20221009A, has been detected by the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Gamma-ray Spectrometer (KGRS) instrument onboard the Korean Pathfinder Lunar ...Orbiter (KPLO). KGRS uses a LaBr3 detector to measure GRB counts with five energy bins in the energy range from 30 keV to 12 MeV. KGRS detected GRB221009A at a distance of 1.508 million kilometers from the Earth. The full duration of the main burst was recorded between 13:20 and 13:26 on October 9, 2022 with peak counts of over 1000 times background. The dead time of KGRS reached as high as 50%, and the intrinsic gamma-ray spectrum of LaBr3 was significantly altered.
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