Using Multiple Control Groups and Matching to Address Unobserved Biases in Comparative Effectiveness Research

Studies of large policy interventions typically do not involve randomization. Adjustments, such as matching, can remove the bias due to observed covariates, but residual confounding remains a concern. In this paper we introduce two analytical strategies to bolster inferences of the effectiveness of policy interventions based on observational data. First, we identify how study groups may differ and then select a second comparison group on this source of difference. Second, we match subjects using a strategy that finely balances the distributions of key categorical covariates and stochastically balances on other covariates. An observational study of the effect of parity on the severely ill subjects enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program illustrates our methods.     

Impact of taxol on dermal papilla cells--a proteomics and bioinformatics analysis

Dermal papilla (DP) cells play a regulatory role in hair growth, and also play a role in alopecia (hair loss). However, effects of taxol, which is a widely used chemotherapy drug, on DP cells remain unclear, despite that theoretically taxol can impact on DP cells to contribute to taxol-induced alopecia. To better understand pathophysiology of taxol-induced damage in DP cells, morphological and biochemical analyses were performed to check whether taxol can cause apoptosis in cultured DP cells or not. If it can, proteomics and bioinformatics analyses were then performed to investigate the protein networks which are impacted by the taxol treatment. Our data showed that taxol can cause apoptotic damage in DP cells in a concentration-dependant manner, as demonstrated by various apoptotic markers. Proteomic analysis on DP cells treated with the lowest apoptosis-inducible concentration of taxol revealed that taxol can affect expression of proteins involved in Ca2+-regulated biological processes, vesicles transport, protein folding, reductive detoxification, and biomolecules metabolism. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis indicated that taxol can impact on multiple biological networks. Taken together, this biochemical, proteomics, and bioinformatics data may give an insight into pathophysiology of taxol-induced damage in DP cells and shed light on mechanisms underlying taxol-induced alopecia.     

Investigation of cellular and molecular responses to pulsed focused ultrasound in a mouse model

Continuous focused ultrasound (cFUS) has been widely used for thermal ablation of tissues, relying on continuous exposures to generate temperatures necessary to induce coagulative necrosis. Pulsed FUS (pFUS) employs non-continuous exposures that lower the rate of energy deposition and allow cooling to occur between pulses, thereby minimizing thermal effects and emphasizing effects created by non-thermal mechanisms of FUS (i.e., acoustic radiation forces and acoustic cavitation). pFUS has shown promise for a variety of applications including drug and nanoparticle delivery; however, little is understood about the effects these exposures have on tissue, especially with regard to cellular pro-homing factors (growth factors, cytokines, and cell adhesion molecules). We examined changes in murine hamstring muscle following pFUS or cFUS and demonstrate that pFUS, unlike cFUS, has little effect on the histological integrity of muscle and does not induce cell death. Infiltration of macrophages was observed 3 and 8 days following pFUS or cFUS exposures. pFUS increased expression of several cytokines (e.g., IL-1α, IL-1β, TNFα, INFγ, MIP-1α, MCP-1, and GMCSF) creating a local cytokine gradient on days 0 and 1 post-pFUS that returns to baseline levels by day 3 post-pFUS. pFUS exposures induced upregulation of other signaling molecules (e.g., VEGF, FGF, PlGF, HGF, and SDF-1α) and cell adhesion molecules (e.g., ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) on muscle vasculature. The observed molecular changes in muscle following pFUS may be utilized to target cellular therapies by increasing homing to areas of pathology.     

华南稻区优质有机稻米生产核心技术系统研究与示范

介绍有机稻米生产核心技术系统的组成、相关技术和该系统的示范效果。     

乳杆菌及双歧杆菌缓解便秘的机制

探讨可改善患者便秘症状的植物乳植杆菌LP45、嗜酸乳杆菌La28和动物双歧杆菌乳亚种BAL531的作用机制。

采用HT-29细胞与肠道菌群体外批量发酵系统结合的方法,检测益生菌增殖肠上皮细胞、提升肠道紧密连接性与黏膜屏障能力以及增强五羟色胺转运体（SERT）、水通道蛋白-3（AQP-3）表达的能力。

菌株LP45和BAL531均具有较好的黏附能力并能够增殖肠上皮细胞,菌株La28无增殖作用;菌株LP45、La28和BAL531能显著提升紧密连接蛋白ZO-1和Occludin的mRNA相对表达水平,最高达2.73倍（t = 13.099,P＜0.001）,从而增强肠道屏障。菌株LP45使黏蛋白（MUC2）mRNA相对表达量显著提升1.89倍（t = 10.285,P = 0.001）,菌株La28与BAL531无显著影响;菌株LP45、La28和BAL531使SERT mRNA相对表达量分别提升2.13倍、1.45倍和4.00倍,其中菌株BAL531效果最显著（t = 21.308,P＜0.001）;另外,菌株LP45可使AQP-3 mRNA相对表达量提升2.12倍（t = 10.625,P＜0.001）,菌株BAL531使AQP-3 mRNA相对表达量下调0.79倍（t = ‒2.611,P = 0.059）,菌株La28无显著影响（t = ‒0.951,P = 0.395）。

菌株LP45、La28和BAL531对便秘症状的缓解作用可能是通过特异性增加肠道润滑、促进肠道蠕动、减缓肠道水液吸收等不同机制实现的。

     

NAC类转录因子在‘砀山酥梨’黄化叶复绿过程中的表达分析

为探讨NAC转录因子在梨缺铁黄化叶复绿过程中的表达特性,并筛选响应该过程的核心NAC因子,以清水处理正常梨树叶片（N）和黄化梨树叶片（C）为对照（CN和CC）,再次探讨了外源0.2% FeSO4溶液对梨缺铁黄化叶复绿和Fe2+积累的影响,研究了其关键PbrNAC基因的生物学性质,组织表达特异性以及复绿过程中的表达模式,并阐述了其与叶内Fe2+积累的关联性。其结果表明,（1）于N和C内共鉴定到含NAM结构域的21个显著差异表达的PbrNAC基因,涉及8个亚族,其长度不均,motif数从4到9不等,内含子数较少。（2）该基因倾向于根中表达,且均可响应缺铁黄化叶的复绿,其中Pbr032231.1/Pbr021393.1/Pbr026635.1/Pbr038615.1/Pbr019210.3/Pbr019212.1/Pbr002372.1这7个基因在CC内的表达量显著低于CN内表达量,且FeSO4处理后,其各时期表达量均较CC显著上调;与之相反,Pbr007284.1/Pbr016205.1/Pbr007673.1等14个PbrNAC基因均在CC内显著高表达,而FeSO4处理后,其各时期表达量总体较CC显著下降。（3）各叶样内Fe2+含量与Pbr007284.1/Pbr016205.1/Pbr007673.1基因的表达量呈显著负相关,且该3个基因的表达与Pbr016932.1/Pbr027956.1/Pbr029956.1/Pbr026635.1等基因的表达显著相关。（4）多数PbrNAC在正常梨树根系和黄化梨树根系中的表达趋势与其在CN和CC内的表达趋势基本一致,说明其在地下部根系与地上部叶内可能存在表达协同性。以上结果表明,梨PbrNAC基因可能与梨树缺铁胁迫响应和缺铁黄化叶的复绿相关,其中Pbr007284.1/Pbr016205.1/Pbr007673.1可能起重要调控作用。     

基于Lake模型的Pb胁迫对木荷和栾树幼树叶片叶绿素荧光参数的影响研究

以阔叶树种木荷和栾树1年生幼树为对象,采用室内盆栽,通过配制3个不同浓度梯度的Pb Cl_2溶液于盆栽土壤中(L1L2L3),对比研究Pb胁迫下两种幼树叶片叶绿素荧光参数的响应规律,运用Lake模型从能量平衡及分配的角度揭示不同浓度Pb胁迫下木荷和栾树光系统Ⅱ运转状况,并为木本植物幼树耐Pb程度的快速诊断提供数据支撑。结果表明:3个不同浓度的Pb处理下,两种供试幼树随着入射光强(PAR)的增大,除非调节性能量耗散(Y_(NO))以外其他叶绿素荧光参数均随着PAR的变化而变化,相对电子传递速率(r ETR)和可调节性能量耗散(Y_(NPQ))呈上升趋势,而光系统Ⅱ(PSⅡ)量子效率(Y_(Ⅱ))和光化学猝灭(q L)呈下降趋势。同时,两种供试幼树的最大光能利用效率(Fv/Fm)、r ETR、Y_(Ⅱ)、q L,随着Pb污染浓度的增加而降低,而Y_(NPQ)和Y_(NO)则随着Pb污染浓度的增加而升高。Pb对两种供试植物叶绿素荧光参数的抑制效果在最大净光合速率(Pn)上也有体现。本实验还得出,在L1浓度时木荷PSⅡ反应中心的开放程度能保持在较高水准,随着污染浓度的增大,其光能转化能力弱于栾树。同时,栾树调节能量耗散的能力和对Pb胁迫的敏感程度均高于木荷,进一步说明了栾树对Pb的耐性高于木荷。综合分析后得出,Y_(NO)和Y_(NPQ)可作为植物Pb胁迫的评价指标。     

Fifteen-day cessation of training on selected physiological and performance variables in women runners

This study examined the effects of a 15-day cessation of training on maximal oxygen consumption and selected physiological variables (maximal heart rate, cardiac output [Q], stroke volume [SV], arteriovenous oxygen difference [(a-v)O2 diff], blood plasma concentration) in 15 women middle-distance competitive runners (.VO2max: 49.8 +/- 1.1 ml.kg(-1).min(-1)). Subjects were randomly assigned to a cessation training (CT, n = 7) or maintenance training (MT, n = 8) group and tested every 5 days. Q was measured by CO2 rebreathing from which SV and (a-v)O2 diff were calculated. No significant changes were found at day 5. After 10 days there was a significant decrement in .VO2max (3.8 ml.kg(-1).min(-1)) in the CT group, being significantly lower than MT but no changes thereafter in any physiological variables. Performance (2,400 m) times did not change for MT but was significantly slower (21.5 +/- 7.1 seconds) for the CT group after 15 days, corresponding to the 7.8% decrease in .VO2max. These findings suggest that in competitive women middle-distance runners, actual performance decrements found after 15 days of CT most likely are due to declines in .VO2max.