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  1. Fulltext Translation and psychometric evaluation of Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) among Chinese college students
    Zhao H, Rafik-Galea S, Fitriana M, Song TJ
    PLoS One, 2022;17(11):e0278092.
    PMID: 36445890 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278092
    BACKGROUND: Smartphone addiction is very prevalent among college students, especially Chinese college students, and it can cause many psychological problems for college students. However, there is no valid research instrument to evaluate Chinese college students' smartphone addiction.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to translate the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) into Chinese and evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Smartphone Addiction Scale- Chinese Short version (SAS-CSV) among Chinese college students.

    METHODS: The SAS-SV was translated into Chinese using the forward-backward method. The SAS-CSV was completed by 557 Chinese college students (sample 1: n = 279; sample 2: n = 278). 62 college students were randomly selected from the 557 Chinese college students to be meas- ured twice, with an interval of two weeks. The reliability of the SAS-CSV was evaluated by internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability, and the validity of the SAS-CSV was evaluated by content validity, structural validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity.

    RESULTS: The SAS-CSV presented good content validity, high internal consistency (sample 1: α = 0.829; sample 2: α = 0.881), and good test-retest reliability (ICC: 0.975; 95% CI: 0.966-0.985). After one exploratory factor analysis, three components (tolerance, withdrawal, and negative effect) with eigenvalues greater than 1 were obtained, and the cumulative variance contribution was 50.995%. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that all the fit indexes reached the standard of good model fit (χ2/df = 1.883, RMSEA = 0.056, NFI = 0.954, RFI = 0.935, IFI = 0.978, TLI = 0.969, CFI = 0.978). The SAS-CSV presented good convergent validity for the factor loading of all the items ranged from 0.626 to 0.892 (higher than 0.50), the three latent variables' AVE ranged from 0.524 to 0.637 (higher than 0.50), and the three latent variables' CR ranged from 0.813 to 0.838 (higher than 0.70). Moreover, the square roots of the AVE of component 1 (tolerance), component 2 (withdrawal) and component 3 (negative effect) were 0.724, 0.778, and 0.798, respectively, higher than they were with other correlation coefficients, indicating that the SAS-CSV had good discrimination validity.

    CONCLUSION: The SAS-CSV is a valid instrument for measuring smartphone addiction among Chinese college students.

  2. Fulltext The reciprocal relationships between meaning in life and smartphone addiction among Chinese college students: evidence from a three-wave cross-lagged panel model
    Zhao H, Song T, Rafik-Galea S, Dong J, Fitriana M, Ji Y, et al.
    Front Public Health, 2023;11:1202741.
    PMID: 37521981 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1202741
    BACKGROUND: Previous cross-sectional studies have shown that meaning in life (MIL) is closely associated with college students' smartphone addiction (SA), but the causal relationship between MIL and college students' SA is uncertain. Therefore, conducting a longitudinal study to explore their relationship is very necessary. Furthermore, some studies have implied possible gender differences in the relationship between MIL and SA and the relationship between SA and MIL. Therefore, it is necessary to further examine whether there are gender differences in the above relationships.

    METHODS: The present study constructed a three-wave cross-lag panel model to explore the relationships between MIL and college students' SA. Three waves of data were collected from 705 college students (male: 338; female: 367) in China for three consecutive years, and the interval of data collection was 1 year. These college students completed the same online questionnaire regarding MIL and SA.

    RESULTS: (1) The MIL of male college students was significantly stronger than that of female college students at time 1, time 2, and time 3, (2) Female college students' SA at time 1, time 2, and time 3 was more serious than that of male college students, (3) There were reciprocal relationships between MIL and college students' SA, (4) The influence of MIL on female college students' SA was significantly stronger than that of male college students, and (5) The influence of SA on female college students' MIL was significantly stronger than that of male college students.

    CONCLUSION: This study showed reciprocal relationships between MIL and SA among male college students and female college students. The findings further deepen our understanding of the relationship between MIL and SA and provide a gender perspective for preventing or intervening with college students' SA.

  3. The mitogenome of Pangasius sutchi (Teleostei, Siluriformes: Pangasiidae)
    Zhao H, Kong X, Zhou C
    Mitochondrial DNA, 2014 Oct;25(5):342-4.
    PMID: 23795847 DOI: 10.3109/19401736.2013.800492
    The Pangasius sutchi is an important ornamental and economic fish in Southeast Asia e.g. Thailand, Malaysia and China. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of P. sutchi has been sequenced, which contains 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes and a non-coding control region with the total length of 16,522 bp. The gene order and composition are similar to most of other vertebrates. Just like most other vertebrates, the bias of G and C was found in different region/genes statistics results. Most of the genes are encoded on heavy strand, except for eight tRNA and ND6 genes. The mitogenome sequence of P. sutchi would contribute to better understand population genetics, evolution of this lineage.
  4. Fulltext The complex genome and adaptive evolution of polyploid Chinese pepper (Zanthoxylum armatum and Zanthoxylum bungeanum)
    Hu L, Xu Z, Fan R, Wang G, Wang F, Qin X, et al.
    Plant Biotechnol J, 2023 Jan;21(1):78-96.
    PMID: 36117410 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13926
    Zanthoxylum armatum and Zanthoxylum bungeanum, known as 'Chinese pepper', are distinguished by their extraordinary complex genomes, phenotypic innovation of adaptive evolution and species-special metabolites. Here, we report reference-grade genomes of Z. armatum and Z. bungeanum. Using high coverage sequence data and comprehensive assembly strategies, we derived 66 pseudochromosomes comprising 33 homologous phased groups of two subgenomes, including autotetraploid Z. armatum. The genomic rearrangements and two whole-genome duplications created large (~4.5 Gb) complex genomes with a high ratio of repetitive sequences (>82%) and high chromosome number (2n = 4x = 132). Further analysis of the high-quality genomes shed lights on the genomic basis of involutional reproduction, allomones biosynthesis and adaptive evolution in Chinese pepper, revealing a high consistent relationship between genomic evolution, environmental factors and phenotypic innovation. Our study provides genomic resources and new insights for investigating diversification and phenotypic innovation in Chinese pepper, with broader implications for the protection of plants under severe environmental changes.
  5. Fulltext The First 75 Days of Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Outbreak: Recent Advances, Prevention, and Treatment
    Yan Y, Shin WI, Pang YX, Meng Y, Lai J, You C, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 03 30;17(7).
    PMID: 32235575 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17072323
    The recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, previously known as 2019-nCoV) outbreak has engulfed an unprepared world amidst a festive season. The zoonotic SARS-CoV-2, believed to have originated from infected bats, is the seventh member of enveloped RNA coronavirus. Specifically, the overall genome sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 is 96.2% identical to that of bat coronavirus termed BatCoV RaTG13. Although the current mortality rate of 2% is significantly lower than that of SARS (9.6%) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) (35%), SARS-CoV-2 is highly contagious and transmissible from human to human with an incubation period of up to 24 days. Some statistical studies have shown that, on average, one infected patient may lead to a subsequent 5.7 confirmed cases. Since the first reported case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 on December 1, 2019, in Wuhan, China, there has been a total of 60,412 confirmed cases with 1370 fatalities reported in 25 different countries as of February 13, 2020. The outbreak has led to severe impacts on social health and the economy at various levels. This paper is a review of the significant, continuous global effort that was made to respond to the outbreak in the first 75 days. Although no vaccines have been discovered yet, a series of containment measures have been implemented by various governments, especially in China, in the effort to prevent further outbreak, whilst various medical treatment approaches have been used to successfully treat infected patients. On the basis of current studies, it would appear that the combined antiviral treatment has shown the highest success rate. This review aims to critically summarize the most recent advances in understanding the coronavirus, as well as the strategies in prevention and treatment.
  6. Risk factors for malnutrition in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma
    Wang P, Soh KL, Ying Y, Liao J, Huang X, Zhao H, et al.
    Support Care Cancer, 2023 Nov 27;31(12):723.
    PMID: 38008866 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-023-08166-8
    BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a common complication in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, there are few studies on risk factors for malnutrition in NPC patients. Our aims were to identify the risk factors for malnutrition in NPC patients.

    METHODS: NPC patients were recruited in this cross-sectional study, and they were divided into well-nourished and malnourished groups according to the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM). Potential risk factors were initially screened using univariate analysis (p 

  7. Fulltext Reading bots: The implication of deep learning on guided reading
    Huang B, Dou J, Zhao H
    Front Psychol, 2023;14:980523.
    PMID: 36814658 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.980523
    This study introduces the application of deep-learning technologies in automatically generating guidance for independent reading. The study explores and demonstrates how to incorporate the latest advances in deep-learning-based natural language processing technologies in the three reading stages, namely, the pre-reading stage, the while-reading stage, and the post-reading stage. As a result, the novel design and implementation of a prototype system based on deep learning technologies are presented. This system includes connections to prior knowledge with knowledge graphs and summary-based question generation, the breakdown of complex sentences with text simplification, and the auto-grading of readers' writing regarding their comprehension of the reading materials. Experiments on word sense disambiguation, named entity recognition and question generation with real-world materials in the prototype system show that the selected deep learning models on these tasks obtain favorable results, but there are still errors to be overcome before their direct usage in real-world applications. Based on the experiment results and the reported performance of the deep learning models on reading-related tasks, the study reveals the challenges and limitations of deep learning technologies, such as inadequate performance, domain transfer issues, and low explain ability, for future improvement.
  8. Rational synthesis of novel "giant" CuInTeSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots for optoelectronics
    Xu JY, Tong X, Besteiro LV, Li X, Hu C, Liu R, et al.
    Nanoscale, 2021 Sep 23;13(36):15301-15310.
    PMID: 34490860 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr04199a
    "Giant" core/shell quantum dots (g-QDs) are promising candidates for emerging optoelectronic technologies thanks to their facile structure/composition-tunable optoelectronic properties and outstanding photo-physical/chemical stability. Here, we synthesized a new type of CuInTeSe (CITS)/CdS g-QDs and regulated their optoelectronic properties by controlling the shell thickness. Through increasing the shell thickness, as-prepared g-QDs exhibited tunable red-shifted emission (from 900 to 1200 nm) and prolonged photoluminescence (PL) lifetimes (up to ∼14.0 μs), indicating a formed band structure showing efficient charge separation and transfer, which is further testified by theoretical calculations and ultrafast time-resolved transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy. These CITS/CdS g-QDs with various shell thicknesses can be employed to fabricate photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells, exhibiting improved photoresponse and stability as compared to the bare CITS QD-based devices. The results indicate that the rational design and engineering of g-QDs is very promising for future QD-based optoelectronic technologies.
  9. Quantitative trait loci in Anopheles gambiae controlling the encapsulation response against Plasmodium cynomolgi Ceylon
    Zheng L, Wang S, Romans P, Zhao H, Luna C, Benedict MQ
    BMC Genet, 2003 Oct 24;4:16.
    PMID: 14577840
    Anopheles gambiae females are the world's most successful vectors of human malaria. However, a fraction of these mosquitoes is refractory to Plasmodium development. L3-5, a laboratory selected refractory strain, encapsulates transforming ookinetes/early oocysts of a wide variety of Plasmodium species. Previous studies on these mosquitoes showed that one major (Pen1) and two minor (Pen2, Pen3) autosomal dominant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) control the melanotic encapsulation response against P. cynomolgi B, a simian malaria originating in Malaysia.
  10. Fulltext Meaning in life and smartphone addiction among Chinese female college students: The mediating role of school adjustment and the moderating role of grade
    Zhao H, Rafik-Galea S, Fitriana M, Song T
    Front Psychol, 2023;14:1092893.
    PMID: 36818081 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1092893
    BACKGROUND: The fact that female college students are more addicted to smartphones than male college students has raised public concerns. However, previous studies have rarely explored the mechanism of female college students' smartphone addiction. Previous studies have shown that identity may affect the formation process of female college students' smartphone addiction, and the identity of female college students in different grades may be different. Nonetheless, few studies have explored the grade differences in the formation process of female college students' smartphone addiction.

    METHODS: The present study examined the relationship between meaning in life, school adjustment, and smartphone addiction among Chinese female college students using a moderated mediation model in which school adjustment played a mediating role and grade played a moderating role. A total of 1,076 Chinese female college students (Age: 19.83 ± 1.11; 369 freshmen, 379 sophomores, and 328 juniors) completed an online questionnaire regarding meaning in life, school adjustment, and smartphone addiction.

    RESULTS: (1) School adjustment mediated the relationship between meaning in life and smartphone addiction. (2) School adjustment had a partial mediating effect between meaning in life and smartphone addiction for female freshmen and sophomores, but it did not exist among female juniors. (3) The influence of school adjustment on female sophomores' smartphone addiction was significantly stronger than that of female freshmen.

    CONCLUSION: The findings of this study advance our understanding of the potential impacts of meaning in life on smartphone addiction and provide a grade perspective for targeted prevention or intervention with female college students' smartphone addiction.

  11. Marital Self-Disclosure Intervention for the Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Chinese Patients With Gastric Cancer: Protocol for a Quasiexperimental Study
    Zhao H, Zhou Y, Che CC, Chong MC, Zheng Y, Hou Y, et al.
    JMIR Res Protoc, 2024 Apr 29;13:e55102.
    PMID: 38684089 DOI: 10.2196/55102
    BACKGROUND: Patients with gastric cancer experience different degrees of fear of cancer recurrence. The fear of cancer recurrence can cause and worsen many physical and psychological problems. We considered the "intimacy and relationship processes in couples' psychosocial adaptation" model.

    OBJECTIVE: The study aims to examine the effectiveness of a marital self-disclosure intervention for improving the level of fear of cancer recurrence and the dyadic coping ability among gastric cancer survivors and their spouses.

    METHODS: This is a quasiexperimental study with a nonequivalent (pretest-posttest) control group design. The study will be conducted at 2 tertiary hospitals in Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, China. A total of 42 patients with gastric cancer undergoing chemotherapy and their spouses will be recruited from each hospital. Participants from Jingjiang People's Hospital will be assigned to an experimental group, while participants from Taizhou People's Hospital will be assigned to a control group. The participants in the experimental group will be involved in 4 phases of the marital self-disclosure (different topics, face-to-face) intervention. Patients will be evaluated at baseline after a diagnosis of gastric cancer and reassessed 2 to 4 months after baseline. The primary outcome is the score of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF) for patients. The secondary outcomes are the scores of the FoP-Q-SF for partners and the Dyadic Coping Inventory.

    RESULTS: Research activities began in October 2022. Participant enrollment and data collection began in February 2023 and are expected to be completed in 12 months. The primary results of this study are anticipated to be announced in June 2024.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study aims to assess a marital self-disclosure intervention for improving the fear of cancer recurrence in Chinese patients with gastric cancer and their spouses. The study is likely to yield desirable positive outcomes as marital self-disclosure is formulated based on evidence and inputs obtained through stakeholder interviews and expert consultation. The study process will be carried out by nurses who have received psychological training, and the quality of the intervention will be strictly controlled.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05606549; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05606549.

    INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/55102.

  12. Fulltext Kaempferia galanga L.: Progresses in Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Ethnomedicinal Uses
    Wang SY, Zhao H, Xu HT, Han XD, Wu YS, Xu FF, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2021;12:675350.
    PMID: 34737693 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.675350
    K. galanga is an aromatic medicinal herb. It is locally to India and distributed in China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. K. galanga is a Traditional Chinese Herb Medicine (TCHM), which has been applied to treat cold, dry cough, toothaches, rheumatism, hypertension and so on. In addition, it has been used widely as spices since its highly aromas. The aim of this review is to compile and update the current progresses of ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of K. galanga. All the data on K. galanga were based on different classical literary works, multiple electronic databases including SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, etc. The results showed that ninety-seven compounds have been identified from rhizome of K. galanga, including terpenoids, phenolics, cyclic dipeptides, flavonoids, diarylheptanoids, fatty acids and esters. Modern pharmacology studies revealed that extracts or secondary metabolites of the herb possessed anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumorous, anti-bacterial, and anti-angiogenesis effects, which were closely related to its abundant ethnomedicinal uses. In conclusion, although previous research works have provided various information of K. galanga, more in-depth studies are still necessary to systemically evaluate phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicity and quality control of this herb.
  13. Impact of socioeconomic and meteorological factors on reservoirs' air quality: a case in the Three Gorges Reservoir of Chongqing (TGRC), China over a 10-year period
    Peng Y, Zhou F, Cui J, Du K, Leng Q, Yang F, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2017 Jul;24(19):16206-16219.
    PMID: 28540543 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9221-0
    The Three Gorges Dam's construction and industrial transfer have resulted in a new air pollution pattern with the potential to threaten the reservoir eco-environment. To assess the impact of socioeconomic factors on the pattern of air quality vairation and economical risks, concentrations of SO2, NO2, and PM10, industry genres, and meteorological conditions were selected in the Three Gorges Reservoir of Chongqing (TGRC) during 2006-2015. Results showed that air quality had improved to some extent, but atmospheric NO2 showed an increased trend during 2011-2015. Spatially, higher atmospheric NO2 extended to the surrounding area. The primary industry, especially for agriculture, had shown to be responsible for the remarkable increase of atmospheric NO2 (p 
  14. Fulltext Immunity and clinical efficacy of an inactivated enterovirus 71 vaccine in healthy Chinese children: a report of further observations
    Liu L, Mo Z, Liang Z, Zhang Y, Li R, Ong KC, et al.
    BMC Med, 2015;13:226.
    PMID: 26381232 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-015-0448-7
    To investigate the long-term effects on immunity of an inactivated enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine and its protective efficacy.
  15. Fulltext Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1
    Klionsky DJ, Abdel-Aziz AK, Abdelfatah S, Abdellatif M, Abdoli A, Abel S, et al.
    Autophagy, 2021 Jan;17(1):1-382.
    PMID: 33634751 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1797280
    In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field.
  16. Guideline for the diagnosis, treatment and long-term management of cutaneous lupus erythematosus
    Lu Q, Long H, Chow S, Hidayat S, Danarti R, Listiawan Y, et al.
    J Autoimmun, 2021 09;123:102707.
    PMID: 34364171 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2021.102707
    Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is an inflammatory, autoimmune disease encompassing a broad spectrum of subtypes including acute, subacute, chronic and intermittent CLE. Among these, chronic CLE can be further classified into several subclasses of lupus erythematosus (LE) such as discoid LE, verrucous LE, LE profundus, chilblain LE and Blaschko linear LE. To provide all dermatologists and rheumatologists with a practical guideline for the diagnosis, treatment and long-term management of CLE, this evidence- and consensus-based guideline was developed following the checklist established by the international Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT) Working Group and was registered at the International Practice Guideline Registry Platform. With the joint efforts of the Asian Dermatological Association (ADA), the Asian Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AADV) and the Lupus Erythematosus Research Center of Chinese Society of Dermatology (CSD), a total of 25 dermatologists, 7 rheumatologists, one research scientist on lupus and 2 methodologists, from 16 countries/regions in Asia, America and Europe, participated in the development of this guideline. All recommendations were agreed on by at least 80% of the 32 voting physicians. As a consensus, diagnosis of CLE is mainly based on the evaluation of clinical and histopathological manifestations, with an exclusion of SLE by assessment of systemic involvement. For localized CLE lesions, topical corticosteroids and topical calcineurin inhibitors are first-line treatment. For widespread or severe CLE lesions and (or) cases resistant to topical treatment, systemic treatment including antimalarials and (or) short-term corticosteroids can be added. Notably, antimalarials are the first-line systemic treatment for all types of CLE, and can also be used in pregnant patients and pediatric patients. Second-line choices include thalidomide, retinoids, dapsone and MTX, whereas MMF is third-line treatment. Finally, pulsed-dye laser or surgery can be added as fourth-line treatment for localized, refractory lesions of CCLE in cosmetically unacceptable areas, whereas belimumab may be used as fourth-line treatment for widespread CLE lesions in patients with active SLE, or recurrence of ACLE during tapering of corticosteroids. As for management of the disease, patient education and a long-term follow-up are necessary. Disease activity, damage of skin and other organs, quality of life, comorbidities and possible adverse events are suggested to be assessed in every follow-up visit, when appropriate.
  17. Fulltext Fine-scale mapping of the 5q11.2 breast cancer locus reveals at least three independent risk variants regulating MAP3K1
    Glubb DM, Maranian MJ, Michailidou K, Pooley KA, Meyer KB, Kar S, et al.
    Am J Hum Genet, 2015 Jan 08;96(1):5-20.
    PMID: 25529635 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2014.11.009
    Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revealed SNP rs889312 on 5q11.2 to be associated with breast cancer risk in women of European ancestry. In an attempt to identify the biologically relevant variants, we analyzed 909 genetic variants across 5q11.2 in 103,991 breast cancer individuals and control individuals from 52 studies in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified three independent risk signals: the strongest associations were with 15 correlated variants (iCHAV1), where the minor allele of the best candidate, rs62355902, associated with significantly increased risks of both estrogen-receptor-positive (ER(+): odds ratio [OR] = 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21-1.27, ptrend = 5.7 × 10(-44)) and estrogen-receptor-negative (ER(-): OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.05-1.15, ptrend = 3.0 × 10(-4)) tumors. After adjustment for rs62355902, we found evidence of association of a further 173 variants (iCHAV2) containing three subsets with a range of effects (the strongest was rs113317823 [pcond = 1.61 × 10(-5)]) and five variants composing iCHAV3 (lead rs11949391; ER(+): OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.87-0.93, pcond = 1.4 × 10(-4)). Twenty-six percent of the prioritized candidate variants coincided with four putative regulatory elements that interact with the MAP3K1 promoter through chromatin looping and affect MAP3K1 promoter activity. Functional analysis indicated that the cancer risk alleles of four candidates (rs74345699 and rs62355900 [iCHAV1], rs16886397 [iCHAV2a], and rs17432750 [iCHAV3]) increased MAP3K1 transcriptional activity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed diminished GATA3 binding to the minor (cancer-protective) allele of rs17432750, indicating a mechanism for its action. We propose that the cancer risk alleles act to increase MAP3K1 expression in vivo and might promote breast cancer cell survival.
  18. Fulltext Fine-Mapping of the 1p11.2 Breast Cancer Susceptibility Locus
    Horne HN, Chung CC, Zhang H, Yu K, Prokunina-Olsson L, Michailidou K, et al.
    PLoS One, 2016;11(8):e0160316.
    PMID: 27556229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160316
    The Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility genome-wide association study (GWAS) originally identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11249433 at 1p11.2 associated with breast cancer risk. To fine-map this locus, we genotyped 92 SNPs in a 900kb region (120,505,799-121,481,132) flanking rs11249433 in 45,276 breast cancer cases and 48,998 controls of European, Asian and African ancestry from 50 studies in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. Genotyping was done using iCOGS, a custom-built array. Due to the complicated nature of the region on chr1p11.2: 120,300,000-120,505,798, that lies near the centromere and contains seven duplicated genomic segments, we restricted analyses to 429 SNPs excluding the duplicated regions (42 genotyped and 387 imputed). Per-allelic associations with breast cancer risk were estimated using logistic regression models adjusting for study and ancestry-specific principal components. The strongest association observed was with the original identified index SNP rs11249433 (minor allele frequency (MAF) 0.402; per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-1.13, P = 1.49 x 10-21). The association for rs11249433 was limited to ER-positive breast cancers (test for heterogeneity P≤8.41 x 10-5). Additional analyses by other tumor characteristics showed stronger associations with moderately/well differentiated tumors and tumors of lobular histology. Although no significant eQTL associations were observed, in silico analyses showed that rs11249433 was located in a region that is likely a weak enhancer/promoter. Fine-mapping analysis of the 1p11.2 breast cancer susceptibility locus confirms this region to be limited to risk to cancers that are ER-positive.
  19. Fulltext Exploring the beneficial role of telmisartan in sepsis-induced myocardial injury through inhibition of high-mobility group box 1 and glycogen synthase kinase-3β/nuclear factor-κB pathway
    Jin Y, Wang H, Li J, Dang M, Zhang W, Lei Y, et al.
    Korean J. Physiol. Pharmacol., 2020 Jul 01;24(4):311-317.
    PMID: 32587125 DOI: 10.4196/kjpp.2020.24.4.311
    In the present experimental study, cecal ligation and puncture significantly increased the myocardial injury assessed in terms of excess release of creative kinase-MB (CK-MB), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), interleukin (IL)-6 and decrease of IL-10 in the blood following 12 h of laparotomy procedure as compared to normal control. Also, a significant increase in protein expression levels of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and decreased phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) was observed in the myocardial tissue as compared to normal control. A single independent administration of telmisartan (2 and 4 mg/kg) and AR-A014418 (1 and 2 mg/kg) substantially reduced sepsis-induced myocardial injury in terms of decrease levels of CK-MB, cTnI and IL-6, HMGB1, GSK-3β and increase in IL-10 and p-GSK-3β in the blood in sepsis- subjected rats. The effects of telmisartan at dose 4 mg/kg and AR-A014418 at a dose of 2 mg/kg were significantly higher than the telmisartan at a dose of 2 mg/kg and AR-A014418 1 mg/kg respectively. Further, no significant effects on different parameters were observed in the sham control group in comparison to normal. Therefore it is plausible to suggest that sepsis may increase the levels of angiotensin II to trigger GSK-3β-dependent signaling to activate the HMGB1/receptors for advanced glycation end products, which may promote inflammation and myocardial injury in sepsis-subjected rats.
  20. Evidence for the Higgs Boson Decay to a Z Boson and a Photon at the LHC
    Aad G, Abbott B, Abeling K, Abicht NJ, Abidi SH, Aboulhorma A, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2024 Jan 12;132(2):021803.
    PMID: 38277607 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.021803
    The first evidence for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon is presented, with a statistical significance of 3.4 standard deviations. The result is derived from a combined analysis of the searches performed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations with proton-proton collision datasets collected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from 2015 to 2018. These correspond to integrated luminosities of around 140  fb^{-1} for each experiment, at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measured signal yield is 2.2±0.7 times the standard model prediction, and agrees with the theoretical expectation within 1.9 standard deviations.
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