There is a need for methods that can image chromosomes with genome-wide coverage, as well as greater genomic and optical resolution. We introduce OligoFISSEQ, a suite of three methods that leverage ...fluorescence in situ sequencing (FISSEQ) of barcoded Oligopaint probes to enable the rapid visualization of many targeted genomic regions. Applying OligoFISSEQ to human diploid fibroblast cells, we show how four rounds of sequencing are sufficient to produce 3D maps of 36 genomic targets across six chromosomes in hundreds to thousands of cells, implying a potential to image thousands of targets in only five to eight rounds of sequencing. We also use OligoFISSEQ to trace chromosomes at finer resolution, following the path of the X chromosome through 46 regions, with separate studies showing compatibility of OligoFISSEQ with immunocytochemistry. Finally, we combined OligoFISSEQ with OligoSTORM, laying the foundation for accelerated single-molecule super-resolution imaging of large swaths of, if not entire, human genomes.
Effective remediation of arsenic contaminated water remains a critical task from the environmental perspective, owing to the harmful effects of arsenic on human health and the environment. Recently, ...highly porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with excellent chemical stability and abundant functional groups represent a significant new addition to the area of capturing aquatic arsenic pollutants. This review focuses on the development of MOF-based materials for the efficient removal of toxic arsenic species from aqueous solutions. Aspects related to the materials’ characteristics, application performance and interaction mechanisms are systematically studied, referencing the macroscopic experimental behaviors and microscopic spectroscopy analyses. The properties of various MOF-based materials are assessed and compared with those of other conventionally used materials. At last, insights and perspectives are suggested in terms of future research directions and development challenges. Overall, this class of materials demonstrates a promising potential for aquatic arsenic removal, and with a proper up-scaling development might it be used for practical applications in the near future.
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•Survey representative studies using MOFs for aquatic arsenic removal.•Assess MOFs application feasibility in terms of cost and development potential.•Conduct detailed comparison with other arsenic removal materials.•Provide significant insights and perspectives for future studies.
Hypoxia plays a critical role during the evolution of malignant cells and tumour microenvironment (TME).Tumour-derived exosomes contain informative microRNAs involved in the interaction of cancer and ...stromal cells, thus contributing to tissue remodelling of tumour microenvironment. This study aims to clarify how hypoxia affects tumour angiogenesis through exosomes shed from lung cancer cells. Lung cancer cells produce more exosomes under hypoxic conditions than do parental cells under normoxic conditions. miR-23a was significantly upregulated in exosomes from lung cancer under hypoxic conditions. Exosomal miR-23a directly suppressed its target prolyl hydroxylase 1 and 2 (PHD1 and 2), leading to the accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1 α) in endothelial cells. Consequently, hypoxic lung cancer cells enhanced angiogenesis by exosomes derived from hypoxic cancer under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. In addition, exosomal miR-23a also inhibits tight junction protein ZO-1, thereby increasing vascular permeability and cancer transendothelial migration. Inhibition of miR-23a by inhibitor administration decreased angiogenesis and tumour growth in a mouse model. Furthermore, elevated levels of circulating miR-23a are found in the sera of lung cancer patients, and miR-23a levels are positively correlated with proangiogenic activities. Taken together, our study reveals the clinical relevance and prognostic value of cancer-derived exosomal miR-23a under hypoxic conditions, and investigates a unique intercellular communication, mediated by cancer-derived exosomes, which modulates tumour vasculature.
The associated risk of phthalate exposure, both parent compounds in the home and their metabolites in urine, to childhood allergic and respiratory morbidity, after adjusting for exposures of indoor ...pollutants, especially bioaerosols, was comprehensively assessed. Levels of five phthalates in settled dust from the homes of 101 children (3–9 years old) were measured, along with their corresponding urinary metabolites. Other environmental risk factors, including indoor CO2, PM2.5, formaldehyde, 1,3‐β‐d‐glucan, endotoxin, allergen and fungal levels, were concomitantly examined. Subject’s health status was verified by pediatricians, and parents recorded observed daily symptoms of their children for the week that the home investigation visit took place. Significantly increased level of benzylbutyl phthalate, in settled dust, was associated with test case subjects (allergic or asthmatic children). Higher levels of dibutyl phthalate and its metabolites, mono‐n‐butyl phthalate, and mono‐2‐ethylhexyl phthalate were found to be the potential risk factors for the health outcomes of interest. Similarly, indoor fungal exposure remained a significant risk factor, especially for reported respiratory symptoms. The relative contribution from exposure to phthalates and indoor biocontaminants in childhood allergic and respiratory morbidity is, for the first time, quantitatively assessed and characterized.
Practical Implications
For asthmatic and allergic children living in subtropical and highly developed environments like homes in Taiwan, controlling environmental exposure of phthalates may be viewed as equally important as avoiding indoor microbial burdens, for the management of allergy‐related diseases. It is also recognized that multidisciplinary efforts will be critical in realizing the true underlying mechanisms associated with these observations.
Background
Whether continued oral feeding may have a negative impact on healing of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is unclear. The aim was to test the hypothesis that oral feeding is ...non‐inferior to enteral feeding in closure of POPF after pancreatoduodenectomy, and to clarify the effects of oral feeding on the duration and grade of POPF.
Methods
This multicentre, non‐inferiority randomized trial of oral or enteral feeding of patients with POPF after pancreatoduodenectomy recruited patients between August 2013 and September 2016. The primary efficacy outcome was the 30‐day fistula closure rate. The prespecified non‐inferiority margin was 15 per cent. Other efficacy outcomes included grade of fistula, and hospital stay and costs.
Results
A total of 114 patients were included, and received oral (57) or enteral (57) feeding. The two groups were balanced in baseline characteristics and no patient was lost to follow‐up. In intention‐to‐treat analysis, oral feeding was non‐inferior to enteral feeding in terms of 30‐day fistula closure rate (88 versus 89 per cent respectively; difference –1·8 per cent, lower limit of 95 per cent c.i. –14·4 per cent; P = 0·020 for non‐inferiority). Compared with enteral feeding, oral feeding significantly reduced hospital costs and duration of stay. No significant differences were noted in the number of patients whose POPF evolved into grade B/C, or other outcomes.
Conclusion
Oral feeding in patients with POPF after pancreatoduodenectomy did not increase the duration or grade of POPF, and was associated with reduced duration of stay and hospital costs. Registration number: NCT01755260 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
Both routes equivalent
Cancer of the uterine cervix is the second largest cause of cancer deaths in women, and its toll is greatest in populations that lack screening programmes to detect precursor lesions. Persistent ...infection with 'high risk' genotypes of human papillomavirus (HPV) is necessary, although not sufficient, to cause cervical carcinoma. Therefore, HPV vaccination provides an opportunity to profoundly affect cervical cancer incidence worldwide. A recently licensed HPV subunit vaccine protects women from a high proportion of precursor lesions of cervical carcinoma and most genital warts. Here we examine the ramifications and remaining questions that surround preventive HPV vaccines.
Tantalum arsenide is a member of the noncentrosymmetric monopnictides, which are putative Weyl semimetals. In these materials, three-dimensional chiral massless quasiparticles, the so-called Weyl ...fermions, are predicted to induce novel quantum mechanical phenomena, such as the chiral anomaly and topological surface states. However, their chirality is only well defined if the Fermi level is close enough to the Weyl points that separate Fermi surface pockets of opposite chirality exist. In this Letter, we present the bulk Fermi surface topology of high quality single crystals of TaAs, as determined by angle-dependent Shubnikov-de Haas and de Haas-van Alphen measurements combined with ab initio band-structure calculations. Quantum oscillations originating from three different types of Fermi surface pockets were found in magnetization, magnetic torque, and magnetoresistance measurements performed in magnetic fields up to 14 T and temperatures down to 1.8 K. Of these Fermi pockets, two are pairs of topologically nontrivial electron pockets around the Weyl points and one is a trivial hole pocket. Unlike the other members of the noncentrosymmetric monopnictides, TaAs is the first Weyl semimetal candidate with the Fermi energy sufficiently close to both types of Weyl points to generate chiral quasiparticles at the Fermi surface.
Core–shell Fe3O4@silica magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with a strong base, triazabicyclodecene (TBD), were successfully synthesized for harvesting microalgae and for one‐pot ...microalgae‐to‐fatty acid methyl ester (FAME, or so‐called biodiesel) conversion. Three types of algae oil sources (i.e., dried algae, algae oil, and algae concentrate) were used and the reaction conditions were optimized to achieve the maximum biodiesel yield. The results obtained in this study show that our TBD‐functionalized Fe3O4@silica nanoparticles could effectively convert algae oil to biodiesel with a maximum yield of 97.1 %. Additionally, TBD‐Fe3O4@silica nanoparticles act as an efficient algae harvester because of their adsorption and magnetic properties. The method presented in this study demonstrates the wide scope for the use of covalently functionalized core–shell nanoparticles for the production of liquid transportation fuels from algal biomass.
Harvesting and fuelling: Core–shell Fe3O4@silica magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with a strong base, triazabicyclodecene (TBD), were successfully synthesized for harvesting microalgae and for one‐pot microalgae‐to‐fatty acid methyl ester (FAME, or so‐called biodiesel) conversion. Covalently functionalized core–shell nanoparticles have a large potential for the production of liquid transportation fuels from algal biomass.
Impaired executive function (EF) is suggested to be one of the core features in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, little is known about whether the extent of worse EF in ASD ...than typically developing (TD) controls is age-dependent. We used age-stratified analysis to reveal this issue.
We assessed 111 youths with ASD (aged 12.5 ± 2.8 years, male 94.6%) and 114 age-, and sex-matched TD controls with Digit Span and four EF tasks of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB): Spatial Span (SSP), Spatial Working Memory (SWM), Stockings of Cambridge (SOC), and Intradimensional/Extradimensional Shift Test (I/ED).
Compared to TD controls, youths with ASD performed poorer on the Digit Span, SWM, SOC, and I/ED tasks. The performance of all the tasks improved with age for both groups. Age-stratified analyses were conducted due to significant age × group interactions in visuospatial planning (SOC) and set-shifting (I/ED) and showed that poorer performance on these two tasks in ASD than TD controls was found only in the child (aged 8-12 years) rather than the adolescent (aged 13-18 years) group. By contrast, youths with ASD had impaired working memory, regardless of age. The increased magnitude of group difference in visuospatial planning (SOC) with increased task demands differed between the two age groups but no age moderating effect on spatial working memory.
Our findings support deficits in visuospatial working memory and planning in youths with ASD; however, worse performance in set-shifting may only be demonstrated in children with ASD.
Background
Postoperative complications have a great impact on the postoperative course and oncological outcomes following major cancer surgery. Among them, infective complications play an important ...role. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether postoperative infective complications influence long‐term survival after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods
Patients who underwent resection with curative intent for HCC between July 2003 and June 2016 were identified from a multicentre database (8 institutions) and analysed retrospectively. Independent risk factors for postoperative infective complications were identified. After excluding patients who died 90 days or less after surgery, overall survival (OS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS) were compared between patients with and without postoperative infective complications within 30 days after resection.
Results
Among 2442 patients identified, 332 (13·6 per cent) had postoperative infective complications. Age over 60 years, diabetes mellitus, obesity, cirrhosis, intraoperative blood transfusion, duration of surgery exceeding 180 min and major hepatectomy were identified as independent risk factors for postoperative infective complications. Univariable analysis revealed that median OS and RFS were poorer among patients with postoperative infective complications than among patients without (54·3 versus 86·8 months, and 22·6 versus 43·2 months, respectively; both P < 0·001). After adjustment for other prognostic factors, multivariable Cox regression analyses identified postoperative infective complications as independently associated with decreased OS (hazard ratio (HR) 1·20, 95 per cent c.i. 1·02 to 1·41; P = 0·027) and RFS (HR 1·19, 1·03 to 1·37; P = 0·021).
Conclusion
Postoperative infective complications decreased long‐term OS and RFS in patients treated with liver resection for HCC.
From a multi‐institutional database, 2442 patients who underwent resection with curative intent for hepatocellular carcinoma between 2003 and 2016 were analysed retrospectively. Among them, 332 patients (13·6 per cent) had postoperative infective complications within 30 days after surgery. Multivariable Cox regression revealed that postoperative infective complications decreased long‐term overall and recurrence‐free survival after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.
Complications decrease long‐term overall survival
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