Linking inter-subject variability of cerebellar functional connectome to clinical symptoms in major depressive disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder with remarkable inter-subject variability in clinical manifestations. Neuroimaging changes of the cerebellum have been recently proposed as a way to characterize MDD-related brain disruptions and might further explain various clinical symptoms. However, the cerebellar contributions to MDD clinical heterogeneity remain largely unknown. The analyzed data consisted of 251 MDD patients and 235 matching healthy controls (HC). The inter-subject variability of functional connectomes (IVFC) was estimated via Pearson's correlation analysis between each pair of the cerebellar and cerebral regions based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). A partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis was performed to determine the potential dimension linking the IVFC to clinical symptom measures. The results indicated that similar spatial distribution patterns of the cerebellar IVFC were observed between MDD and HC, but the MDD group exhibited abnormal IVFC alterations in the bilateral Cerebelum_4_5, bilateral Cerebelum_6, Vermis_1_2 and Vermis_8. The PLS model revealed that the IVFC pattern in the left Cerebelum_6 was significantly associated with three HAMD-17 items including the work and activities, psychomotor retardation, and depressed mood. These findings provided new evidence for the cerebellar changes in MDD. Specifically, we found that the altered inter-subject variability measurements correlated with clinical manifestations of this illness. Elucidating this variability could prove helpful for the evaluation of MDD heterogeneity as well as for understanding its pathophysiological mechanism.

Identification of ATAD3A as a key regulator in non-small cell lung cancer by promoting STAT3-induced cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis

Malignant proliferation and abundant angiogenesis are major causes of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the exploration of the key regulatory mechanisms of malignant proliferation and angiogenesis in LUAD provides an opportunity for the development of targeted precision therapy. In this study, we found that the high expression of ATPase family AAA domain-containing protein 3A (ATAD3A) in LUAD was positively associated with the poor survival of patients, while its high expression was positively associated with the angiogenesis of LUAD. Further knockdown of ATAD3A in LUAD significantly inhibited cell proliferation and suppressed expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A, FGF-2, ANG-1, and TGF-β. The opposite effect was observed with ATAD3A overexpression. Furthermore, ATAD3A knockdown significantly inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis in an in vivo subcutaneous xenograft tumor model. Mechanistic studies suggest that ATAD3A may promote signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activation, a key signal regulating lung cancer cell proliferation and transcriptional secretion of proangiogenic factors. Therefore, targeted inhibition of ATAD3A may be an effective strategy for LUAD therapy, and ATAD3A may be a potential biomarker for predicting malignant progression.

T2T reference genome assembly and genome-wide association study reveal the genetic basis of Chinese bayberry fruit quality

Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra or Morella rubra; 2n = 16) produces fruit with a distinctive flavor, high nutritional, and economic value. However, previous versions of the bayberry genome lack sequence continuity. Moreover, to date, no large-scale germplasm resource association analysis has examined the allelic and genetic variations determining fruit quality traits. Therefore, in this study, we assembled a telomere-to-telomere (T2T) gap-free reference genome for the cultivar 'Zaojia' using PacBio HiFi long reads. The resulting 292.60 Mb T2T genome, revealed 8 centromeric regions, 15 telomeres, and 28 345 genes. This represents a substantial improvement in the genome continuity and integrity of Chinese bayberry. Subsequently, we re-sequenced 173 accessions, identifying 6 649 674 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Further, the phenotypic analyses of 29 fruit quality-related traits enabled a genome-wide association study (GWAS), which identified 1937 SNPs and 1039 genes significantly associated with 28 traits. An SNP cluster pertinent to fruit color was identified on Chr6: 3407532 to 5 153 151 bp region, harboring two MYB genes (MrChr6G07650 and MrChr6G07660), exhibiting differential expression in extreme phenotype transcriptomes, linked to anthocyanin synthesis. An adjacent, closely linked gene, MrChr6G07670 (MLP-like protein), harbored an exonic missense variant and was shown to increase anthocyanin production in tobacco leaves tenfold. This SNP cluster, potentially a quantitative trait locus (QTL), collectively regulates bayberry fruit color. In conclusion, our study presented a complete reference genome, uncovered a suite of allelic variations related to fruit-quality traits, and identified functional genes that could be harnessed to enhance fruit quality and breeding efficiency of bayberries.

Associations of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with cognition, dementia, and brain structure: a Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

Observational studies have found associations between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction and reduced brain volume. However, the results of observational studies may have been influenced by confounding factors. This study applied two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore the causal associations of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with cognition, dementia, and brain structure.

METHODS

Summary data on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and their main subtypes, cognition, dementia, and brain structure were obtained from recent European genome-wide association studies. We computed the inverse-variance weighted, MR-Egger, and weighted median MR estimates. Cochran's Q statistics and the MR-Egger intercept test were used to quantify the heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy of the instrumental variables.

RESULTS

Genetically predicted preeclampsia or eclampsia was inversely associated with gray matter volume [beta = -0.072; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.131 to -0.014; P  = 1.53 × 10 -2 ]; possibly with brain volume (beta = -0.064; 95% CI = -0.117 to -0.012; P  = 1.68 × 10 -2 ). However, the association of hypertensive pregnancy disorders or gestational hypertension with brain structure was not significant. We did not find any significant association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational hypertension, or preeclampsia or eclampsia and cognition and dementia-related outcomes.

CONCLUSION

This study provided genetic evidence supporting an association between preeclampsia or eclampsia and reduced brain volume. This supports the view of PE as a risk factor for gray matter volume reduction.

Observation of D_{s}^{+}→η^{'}μ^{+}ν_{μ}, Precision Test of Lepton Flavor Universality with D_{s}^{+}→η^{(')}l^{+}ν_{l}, and First Measurements of D_{s}^{+}→η^{(')}μ^{+}ν_{μ} Decay Dynamics

By analyzing 7.33  fb^{-1} of e^{+}e^{-} annihilation data collected at center-of-mass energies between 4.128 and 4.226 GeV with the BESIII detector, we report the observation of the semileptonic decay D_{s}^{+}→η^{'}μ^{+}ν_{μ}, with a statistical significance larger than 10σ, and the measurements of the D_{s}^{+}→ημ^{+}ν_{μ} and D_{s}^{+}→η^{'}μ^{+}ν_{μ} decay dynamics for the first time. The branching fractions of D_{s}^{+}→ημ^{+}ν_{μ} and D_{s}^{+}→η^{'}μ^{+}ν_{μ} are determined to be (2.235±0.051_{stat}±0.052_{syst})% and (0.801±0.055_{stat}±0.028_{syst})%, respectively, with precision improved by factors of 6.0 and 6.6 compared to the previous best measurements. Combined with the results for the decays D_{s}^{+}→ηe^{+}ν_{e} and D_{s}^{+}→η^{'}e^{+}ν_{e}, the ratios of the decay widths are examined both inclusively and in several ℓ^{+}ν_{ℓ} four-momentum transfer ranges. No evidence for lepton flavor universality violation is found within the current statistics. The products of the hadronic form factors f_{+,0}^{η^{(')}}(0) and the c→s Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element |V_{cs}| are determined. The results based on the two-parameter series expansion are f_{+,0}^{η}(0)|V_{cs}|=0.452±0.010_{stat}±0.007_{syst} and f_{+,0}^{η^{'}}(0)|V_{cs}|=0.504±0.037_{stat}±0.012_{syst}, which help to constrain present models on f_{+,0}^{η^{(')}}(0). The forward-backward asymmetries are determined to be ⟨A_{FB}^{η}⟩=-0.059±0.031_{stat}±0.005_{syst} and ⟨A_{FB}^{η^{'}}⟩=-0.064±0.079_{stat}±0.006_{syst} for the first time, which are consistent with the theoretical calculation.

[Chaihu Sanshen Capsules protect rats from myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury via PKCβⅡ/NOX2/ROS signaling pathway]

This study aims to explore the pathogenesis of myocardial ischaemia reperfusion injury(MIRI) based on oxidative stress-mediated programmed cell death and the mechanism and targets of Chaihu Sanshen Capsules in treating MIRI via the protein kinase Cβ(PKCβⅡ)/NADPH oxidase 2(NOX2)/reactive oxygen species(ROS) signaling pathway. The rat model of MIRI was established by the ligation of the left anterior descending branch. Rats were randomized into 6 groups: sham group, model group, clinically equivalent-, high-dose Chaihu Sanshen Capsules groups, N-acetylcysteine group, and CGP53353 group. After drug administration for 7 consecutive days, the area of myocardial infarction in each group was measured. The pathological morphology of the myocardial tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The apoptosis in the myocardial tissue was observed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling(TUNEL). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to measure the le-vels of indicators of myocardial injury and oxidative stress. The level of ROS was detected by flow cytometry. The protein and mRNA levels of the related proteins in the myocardial tissue were determined by Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR), respectively. Compared with the sham group, the model group showed obvious myocardial infarction, myocardial structural disorders, interstitial edema and hemorrhage, presence of a large number of vacuoles, elevated levels of myocardial injury markers, myocardial apoptosis, ROS, and malondialdehyde(MDA), lowered superoxide dismutase(SOD) level, and up-regulated protein and mRNA le-vels of PKCβⅡ, NOX2, cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3(caspase-3), and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4(ACSL4) in the myocardial tissue. Compared with the model group, Chaihu Sanshen Capsules reduced the area of myocardial infarction, alleviated the pathological changes in the myocardial tissue, lowered the levels of myocardial injury and oxidative stress indicators and apoptosis, and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of PKCβⅡ, NOX2, caspase-3, and ACSL4 in the myocardial tissue. Chaihu Sanshen Capsules can inhibit oxidative stress and programmed cell death(apoptosis, ferroptosis) by regulating the PKCβⅡ/NOX2/ROS signaling pathway, thus mitigating myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury.

The antimicrobial effect and mechanism of the Artemisia argyi essential oil against bacteria and fungus

Artemisia argyi is a traditional Chinese herb with antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor activities. The essential oil of Artemisia argyi was extracted using the steam distillation method in this study. The chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. Agar disc diffusion and double-broth dilution assays were used to detect the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil. Subsequently, the antimicrobial mechanisms were explored through cytomembrane permeability assay and electron microscopy. Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, 25 compounds were detected, including 13.76% cineole, 6.77% terpinen-4-ol, 6.68% 3-dione, 1,7,7-trimethyl-, 4.07% 3-cyclohexen-1-ol, 4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-acetate, 3.58% 1-isopropyl-2-methylbenzene, and 1.58% g-terpinene. The essential oil was tested for antimicrobial activity, and the IC50 values for Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Candida albicans were determined to be 25.51 ± 2.29, 49.53 ± 0.86, 52.40 ± 1.49, 52.76 ± 1.60, 73.99 ± 1.38, 65.52 ± 0.95, and 214.98 ± 3.27 μg mL-1, respectively. For essential oil interaction with cytoderm, the microorganisms treated by 1 × IC50 and 2 × IC50 concentration of essential oil both represented positive test results. Additionally, the alkaline phosphatase levels showed a direct correlation with concentration and treatment duration (range from 0 to 8 h). The interaction between essential oils and the cytomembrane was investigated by examining samples containing one of three test strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans), essential oil, and voltage-sensitive fluorescent dye disc35. The results demonstrated a significant increase in fluorescence levels within the solution upon introduction of the essential oil-treated strains. The findings of our research suggest that the essential oil disrupts the cytoderm and cytomembrane, thereby exhibiting antimicrobial activity.

Promoted OH- adsorption and electron-transfer kinetics by electrospinning mono-disperse NiCo2S4 nanocrystals within porous CNFs for solid asymmetric supercapacitors

Bimetallic sulfide NiCo2S4 has been regarded as a potential supercapacitor electrode material with excellent electrochemical performance. However, the origin of its high specific capacity is little studied, and the design of a rational structure still remains a challenge to exert its intrinsic advantage. In this work, the advantage of NiCo2S4 over NiS and CoS is explained by density functional theory calculation from the aspects of energy band, density of electronic states and OH- adsorption energy. It is proved that the synergistic effect of Ni and Co in NiCo2S4 can reduce its OH- adsorption energy and provide more active electrons near the Fermi level, thus promoting electrochemical reaction kinetics in supercapacitors. Then, a simple electrospinning method is used to in-situ load mono-disperse NiCo2S4 nanocrystals within amorphous carbon nanofibers, obtaining a porous, lotus-leaf-stem-like one-dimensional nanocomposite of NiCo2S4/CNF. Ex-situ XPS characterization confirms that the proportion of metal ions involved in electrochemical reactions and the number of transferred electrons in NiCo2S4/CNF during the redox reaction are significantly higher than those in mono-metallic sulfides (NiS/CNF and CoS/CNF), verifying the calculation results. With its boosting reaction kinetics, the NiCo2S4/CNF gives the specific capacity of 757.97C g-1 at 1 A/g and the capacity retention of 95.15 % after 10,000 cycles at 5 A/g, both greater than NiS/CNF and CoS/CNF. The NiCo2S4/CNF, as the positive electrode, and activated carbon, as the negative electrode, are assembled into liquid-state and solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) devices, and both show high power density (760.6 W kg-1 for liquid-state device and 1067.4 W kg-1 for solid-state device), high energy density (52.25 Wh kg-1 for liquid-state device and 48.54 Wh kg-1 for solid-state device) and great cycle stability. Moreover, the solid-state ASC device possesses excellent low temperature capacity and reversibility, further demonstrating the wide application potential of the NiCo2S4/CNF composite.

Nanoscale Metal-Organic Frameworks-Mediated Degradation of Mutant p53 Proteins and Activation of cGAS-STING Pathway for Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy

Activating cGAS-STING pathway has great potential to achieve effective antitumor immunotherapy. However, mutant p53 (mutp53), a commonly observed genetic alteration in over 50% of human cancer, will impede the therapeutic performance of the cGAS-STING pathway. Herein, multifunctional ZIF-8@MnO2 nanoparticles are constructed to degrade mutp53 and facilitate the cGAS-STING pathway. The synthesized ZIF-8@MnO2 can release Zn2+ and Mn2+ in cancer cells to induce oxidative stress and cytoplasmic leakage of fragmented mitochondrial double-stranded DNAs (dsDNAs). Importantly, the released Zn2+ induces variable degradation of multifarious p53 mutants through proteasome ubiquitination, which can alleviate the inhibitory effects of mutp53 on the cGAS-STING pathway. In addition, the released Mn2+ further increases the sensitivity of cGAS to dsDNAs as immunostimulatory signals. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that ZIF-8@MnO2 effectively promotes the cGAS-STING pathway and synergizes with PD-L1 checkpoint blockades, leading to remarkable regression of local tumors as well as distant metastases of breast cancer. This study proposes an inorganic metal ion-based nanoplatform to enhance the cGAS-STING-mediated antitumor immunotherapy, especially to those tumors with mutp53 expression.

Inhibition of KDM5B participates in immune microenvironment remodeling in pancreatic cancer by inducing STING expression

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the effect of lysine demethylase 5B (KDM5B)-mediated dimethyl-lysine 4 histone H3 (H3K4me2) demethylation on immune microenvironment remodeling in pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

Pan 02 mouse pancreatic cancer cell lines were cultured and used to establish tumor model in vivo. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of stimulator of interferon gene (STING) and KDM5B in pancreatic cancer tissues and Pan 02 cells. The specific demethylation domain of KDM5B was detected by isothermal titration calorimetry binding assay. The regulatory roles of KDM5B in cell apoptosis and remodeling of immune microenvironment in vitro and in vivo were explored after loss-of functions in KDM5B.

RESULTS

KDM5B was highly expressed but STING was poorly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues and Pan 02 cells. After knockdown of KDM5B, CD8+ T cells recognized and killed Pan 02 cells, which promoted the infiltration of CD8+ T cells in Pan 02 cells, thus improving the anti-tumor ability. The PHD domain in KDM5B specifically bound to H3K4me2 peptide and inhibition of KDM5B induced STING expression. Knockdown of KDM5B up-regulated STING expression to promote apoptosis, thus regulating the immune microenvironment and inhibiting the growth of tumor in mice. Meanwhile, knockdown of KDM5B and STING simultaneously counteracted the knockdown effect of KDM5B.

CONCLUSION

Inhibition of KDM5B can promote the expression of STING through H3K4me2 demethylation, which promoted the recognition and killing of Pan 02 cells by CD8+ T cells, thus improving the anti-tumor ability and regulating the immune microenvironment.

Live black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae in feed for laying hens: effects on hen gut microbiota and behavior

This study examined the effects of including live black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) larvae in the diet of laying hens on gut microbiota, and the association between microbiota and fearfulness. A total of 40 Bovans White laying hens were individually housed and fed 1 of 4 dietary treatments that provided 0, 10, 20%, or ad libitum daily dietary portions of live BSF larvae for 12 wk. Cecum microbiota was collected at the end of the experiment and sequenced. Behavioral fear responses to novel objects and open field tests on the same hens were compared against results from gut microbiota analyses. The results showed that the bacteria genera Enterococcus, Parabacteroides, and Ruminococcus torques group were positively associated with increased dietary portion of live larvae, while Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium, Subdoligranulum, and Butyricicoccus were negatively associated with larvae in the diet. Inclusion of larvae did not affect fear behavior, but the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae CHKCI001 and Erysipelatoclostridium was associated with fear-related behaviors. Further studies are needed to determine whether the change in gut microbiota affects fearfulness in the long-term.

Exosomal miR-223 promotes ARDS by targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor: A cell communication study

BACKGROUND

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a respiratory failure syndrome characterized by hypoxemia and changes in the respiratory system. ARDS is the most common cause of death in COVID-19 deaths was ARDS. In this study, we explored the role of miR-223 in exosomes in ARDS.

METHODS

Exosomes were purified from the supernatants of macrophages. qPCR was used to detect relative mRNA levels. A luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the miRNA target genes. Western blotting was used to detect the activation of inflammatory pathways. Flow cytometry was performed to assess apoptosis. An LPS-induced ARDS mouse model was used to assess the function of miR-223 in ARDS.

RESULTS

Exosomes secreted by macrophages promoted apoptosis in A549 cells. Macrophages and exosomes contain high levels of miR-223. Exogenous miR-223 can decrease the expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) in A549 and promote the apoptosis of A549.Transfection of anti-miR223 antisense nucleotides effectively reduced the level of miR-223 in macrophages and exosomes and eliminated the pro-apoptotic effect of A549. In vivo, LPS stimulation increased inflammatory cell infiltration in the lungs of mice, whereas knockdown of miR-223 in mice resulted in significantly reduced eosinophil infiltration.

CONCLUSIONS

Macrophages can secrete exosomes containing miR-223 and promote apoptosis by targeting the IGF-1R/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in A549 cells and mouse models, suggesting that miR-223 is a potential target for treating COVID-19 induced ARDS.

Monolayer Organic Crystals for Ultrahigh Performance Molecular Diodes

Molecular diodes are of considerable interest for the increasing technical demands of device miniaturization. However, the molecular diode performance remains contact-limited, which represents a major challenge for the advancement of rectification ratio and conductance. Here, it is demonstrated that high-quality ultrathin organic semiconductors can be grown on several classes of metal substrates via solution-shearing epitaxy, with a well-controlled number of layers and monolayer single crystal over 1 mm. The crystals are atomically smooth and pinhole-free, providing a native interface for high-performance monolayer molecular diodes. As a result, the monolayer molecular diodes show record-high rectification ratio up to 5 × 108 , ideality factor close to unity, aggressive unit conductance over 103 S cm-2 , ultrahigh breakdown electric field, excellent electrical stability, and well-defined contact interface. Large-area monolayer molecular diode arrays with 100% yield and excellent uniformity in the diode metrics are further fabricated. These results suggest that monolayer molecular crystals have great potential to build reliable, high-performance molecular diodes and deeply understand their intrinsic electronic behavior.

Gastric cancer mesenchymal stem cells promote tumor glycolysis and chemoresistance by regulating B7H3 in gastric cancer cells

Despite surgical treatment combined with multidrug therapy having made some progress, chemotherapy resistance is the main cause of recurrence and death of gastric cancer (GC). Gastric cancer mesenchymal stem cells (GCMSCs) have been reported to be correlated with the limited efficacy of chemotherapy in GC, but the mechanism of GCMSCs regulating GC resistance needs to be further studied. The gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore the glycolysis-related pathways heterogeneity across different cell subpopulations. Glucose uptake and lactate production assays were used to evaluate the importance of B7H3 expression in GCMSCs-treated GC cells. The therapeutic efficacy of oxaliplatin (OXA) and paclitaxel (PTX) was determined using CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Signaling pathways altered by GCMSCs-CM were revealed by immunoblotting. The expression of TNF-α in GCMSCs and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) was detected by western blot analysis and qPCR. Our results showed that the OXA and PTX resistance of GC cells were significantly enhanced in the GCMSCs-CM treated GC cells. Acquired OXA and PTX resistance was characterized by increased cell viability for OXA and PTX, the formation of cell colonies, and decreased levels of cell apoptosis, which were accompanied by reduced levels of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax expression, and increased levels of Bcl-2, HK2, MDR1, and B7H3 expression. Blocking TNF-α in GCMSCs-CM, B7H3 knockdown or the use of 2-DG, a key enzyme inhibitor of glycolysis in GC cells suppressed the OXA and PTX resistance of GC cells that had been treated with GCMSCs-CM. This study shows that GCMSCs-CM derived TNF-α could upregulate the expression of B7H3 of GC cells to promote tumor chemoresistance. Our results provide a new basis for the treatment of GC.

Construction of prediction model for fetal growth restriction during first trimester in an Asian population

OBJECTIVE

To construct a prediction model for fetal growth restriction (FGR) during the first trimester of pregnancy and evaluate its screening performance.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study of singleton pregnancies that underwent routine ultrasound screening at 11 to 13 + 6 weeks at the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2019 and April 2022. Basic clinical information, ultrasound indicators and serum biomarkers of pregnant women were collected. Fetal weight assessment was based on the fetal growth curve for the Southern Chinese population. FGR was diagnosed according to Delphi consensus criteria. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) regression was used to select variables for inclusion in the model. Discrimination, calibration and clinical effectiveness of the model were evaluated in training and validation cohorts.

RESULTS

A total of 1188 pregnant women were included, of whom 108 had FGR. Lasso regression identified seven predictive features, including history of maternal hypertension, maternal smoking or passive smoking, gravidity, uterine artery pulsatility index, ductus venosus pulsatility index and multiples of the median values of placental growth factor and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1. The nomogram prediction model constructed from these seven variables accurately predicted FGR, and the area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve in the validation cohort was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.74-0.90). The calibration curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test demonstrated good calibration, and the clinical decision curve and clinical impact curve supported its practical value in a clinical setting.

CONCLUSION

The multi-index prediction model for FGR has good predictive value during the first trimester. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Ancient bayberry increased stress resistance by enriching tissue-specific microbiome and metabolites

The ancient bayberry demonstrates superior resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses compared to cultivated bayberry, yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. This study investigates whether long-term bayberry cultivation enhances stress resistance through modulation of tissue-specific microbes and metabolites. Employing microbiome amplicon sequencing alongside untargeted mass spectrometry analysis, we scrutinize the role of endosphere and rhizosphere microbial communities and metabolites in shaping the differential resistance observed between ancient and cultivated bayberry trees. Our findings highlight the presence of core microbiome and metabolites across various bayberry tissues, suggesting that the heightened resistance of ancient bayberry may stem from alterations in rhizosphere and endosphere microbial communities and secondary metabolites. Specifically, enrichment of Bacillus in roots and stems, Pseudomonas in leaves, and Mortierella in rhizosphere soil of ancient bayberry was noted. Furthermore, correlation analysis underscores the significance of enriched microbial species in enhancing ancient bayberry's resistance to stresses, with elevated levels of resistance-associated metabolites such as beta-myrcene, benzothiazole, L-glutamic acid, and gamma-aminobutyric acid identified through GC-MS metabolomics analysis. The beneficial role of these resistance-associated metabolites was further elucidated through assessment of their promotive and allelopathic effects, as well as their phytostatic and antioxidant functions in lettuce plants. Ultimately, our study delves into the intrinsic reasons behind the greater resistance of ancient bayberry to biotic and abiotic stresses by evaluating the impact of long-term planting on the microbial community and metabolites in the bayberry endosphere and rhizosphere, shedding light on the complex dynamics of host-microbial interactions.

Effects of the family customised online FOCUS programme on patients with heart failure and their informal caregivers: a multicentre, single-blind, randomised clinical trial

Background

Living with heart failure can severely affect the physical and mental health of patients with heart failure and their caregivers. Available dyadic self-care interventions for heart failure are scarce, especially in China. We aimed to develop and test the family FOCUS programme.

Methods

This single-blind, randomised, controlled study was conducted at four hospitals in Tianjin, China. Patients with heart failure (aged at least 18 years) and their caregiver (dyads) were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 71) or control (n = 71) group in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcomes of this study were patient self-care, with three specific dimensions (self-care maintenance, symptom perception, and self-care management), and caregiver contribution to self-care, mirroring these three dimensions. The outcomes were assessed at baseline (T0) and 4 (T1), 12 (T2), and 24 (T3) weeks post-discharge, respectively. This work is registered on ChiCTR, ChiCTR2100053168.

Findings

Between May 20, 2022, and September 30, 2022, 142 dyads with heart failure were enrolled. The intervention group exhibited dropout rates of 6%, 8.5%, and 18.3% at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after discharge, while the control group showed 9.9%, 12.3%, and 25.4%. Compared with the control group, patients in the intervention group reported improved self-care maintenance (β: 8.5, 95% CI: 0.7, 16.4) and management (β: 7.2, 95% CI: 0.1, 14.3) at T1, as well as improved symptom perception at both T1 (β: 9.7, 95% CI: 1.5, 17.9) and T2 (β: 9.6, 95% CI: 0.6, 18.6). Furthermore, caregiver contributions to self-care maintenance, self-care management, and symptom perception (excluding T3) exhibited significant improvements at all timepoints.

Interpretation

Although the significant improvements in patients' self-care were not long-lasting, this study suggested that the family FOCUS programme consistently enhanced caregivers' contributions to self-care. Future work could explore the effect of the family FOCUS programme on families with multiple chronic conditions.

Funding

The National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Effects of Leukocyte-rich platelet-rich plasma and Leukocyte-poor platelet-rich plasma on cartilage in a rabbit osteoarthritis model

Osteoarthritis is a prevalent chronic disease. One of its primary pathological processes involves the degeneration of articular cartilage. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains cytokines and growth factors that can stimulate the repair and regeneration of articular cartilage tissues. PRP may also slow the progression of osteoarthritis. The purpose of this experiment is to compare the efficacy of Leukocyte poor (LP) - PRP and Leukocyte rich (LR) - PRP in treating rabbit osteoarthritis and to investigate their mechanisms of action. Analyzing the impact of leukocytes on PRP therapeutic effectiveness will provide a valuable clinical reference for the choice of which PRP is better for the treatment of osteoarthritis. A rabbit osteoarthritis model was established by injecting papain into the knee joint cavity, and LP-PRP and LR-PRP were prepared through different centrifugation methods for injection into the knee joint cavity. Eight weeks after injection, rabbit knee cartilage specimens were observed for gross changes, HE staining, senna O-solid green staining, and immunohistochemistry of type II collagen and were quantitatively compared using Pelletier's score, Mankin's pathology score, and ImageJ image processing software. Injection of papain into the knee joint cavity successfully established a rabbit model of osteoarthritis. All three evaluation indexes differed significantly from those of the blank group (P<0.05). LP-PRP and LR-PRP exhibited therapeutic effects when compared with the model group. The two PRP groups had similar gross tissue appearance and pathology (P>0.05). The LR-PRP group had higher collagen type-II expression (P < 0.05) than the LP-PRP group. Both LP-PRP and LR-PRP proved therapeutic for the rabbit papain osteoarthritis model. The difference in leukocyte content between the two groups did not yield different cartilage morphology or other factors by 8 weeks posttreatment. LR-PRP displayed the ability to release more factors relevant to the metabolism of type II collagen than LP-PRP, enabling the preservation of into cartilage collagen content of type II collagen and delaying osteoarthritis progression.

Adipose triglyceride lipase suppresses noncanonical inflammasome by hydrolyzing LPS

Intracellular recognition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by mouse caspase-11 or human caspase-4 is a vital event for the activation of the noncanonical inflammasome. Whether negative regulators are involved in intracellular LPS sensing is still elusive. Here we show that adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) is a negative regulator of the noncanonical inflammasome. Through screening for genes participating in the noncanonical inflammasome, ATGL is identified as a negative player for intracellular LPS signaling. ATGL binds LPS and catalyzes the removal of the acylated side chains that contain ester bonds. LPS with under-acylated side chains no longer activates the inflammatory caspases. Cells with ATGL deficiency exhibit enhanced immune responses when encountering intracellular LPS, including an elevated secretion of interleukin-1β, decreased cell viability and increased cell cytotoxicity. Moreover, ATGL-deficient mice show exacerbated responses to endotoxin challenges. Our results uncover that ATGL degrades cytosolic LPS to suppress noncanonical inflammasome activation.

Multimodal Imaging for the Diagnosis of Massive Left Atrial Metastasis from Lung Cancer - A Case Report

BACKGROUND

Secondary cardiac tumors are a rare disease that is hard to detect when the tumor is small and asymptomatic. This case report focuses on a massive pulmonary metastasis filling almost the entire left atrium. Multimodal enhancement imaging, cardiac contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), enhanced electron computed tomography, and positron emission tomography imaging were applied to detect the malignant origin of this case. The aim of this project was to provide an important basis for clinical treatment and decision-making with multimodal imaging.

CASE PRESENTATION

The patient was hospitalized with suspected to be a lumbar spine fracture. According to the multimodal imaging, pathologically confirmed to suffer a cardiac metastasis from small cell lung cancer. EP-regimen (Etoposide 0.1gd 1-5+Nedaplatin 30mgd 1-4) was selected for the systemic chemotherapy of the patient. During three years of follow-up, the left intra-atrial occupancy was significantly reduced.

CONCLUSION

Multimodality imaging can cover up the deficiencies of single imaging examinations and further clarify and enrich the understanding of the relationship between the location and the surrounding structure of the mass, thus providing a good reference for clinical treatment and decisionmaking.

Fabrication and Characterization of Silicon-Based Antimonene Thin Film via Electron Beam Evaporation

Antimonene has attracted much attention due to its excellent characteristics of high carrier mobility, thermoelectric properties and high stability. It has great application prospects in Q-switched lasers, laser protection and spintronics. At present, the epitaxy growth of antimonene mainly depends on molecular beam epitaxy. We have successfully prepared antimonene films on silicon, germanium/silicon substrates for the first time using electron beam evaporation coating and studied the effects of the deposition rate and substrate on the preparation of antimonene; film characterization was performed via confocal microprobe Raman spectroscopy, via X-ray diffraction and using a scanning electron microscope. Raman spectroscopy showed that different deposition rates can lead to the formation of different structures of antimonene, such as α phase and β phase. At the same time, it was found that the growth of antimonene is also affected by different substrates and ion beams.

SPOP point mutations regulate substrate preference and affect its function

The adaptor SPOP recruits substrates to CUL3 E3 ligase for ubiquitination and degradation. Structurally, SPOP harbors a MATH domain for substrate recognition, and a BTB domain responsible for binding CUL3. Reported point mutations always occur in SPOP's MATH domain and are through to disrupt affinities of SPOP to substrates, thereby leading to tumorigenesis. In this study, we identify the tumor suppressor IRF2BP2 as a novel substrate of SPOP. SPOP enables to attenuate IRF2BP2-inhibited cell proliferation and metastasis in HCC cells. However, overexpression of wild-type SPOP alone suppresses HCC cell proliferation and metastasis. In addition, a HCC-derived mutant, SPOP-M35L, shows an increased affinity to IRF2BP2 in comparison with wild-type SPOP. SPOP-M35L promotes HCC cell proliferation and metastasis, suggesting that M35L mutation possibly reprograms SPOP from a tumor suppressor to an oncoprotein. Taken together, this study uncovers mutations in SPOP's MATH lead to distinct functional consequences in context-dependent manners, rather than simply disrupting its interactions with substrates, raising a noteworthy concern that we should be prudent to select SPOP as therapeutic target for cancers.

Characterization of sucrose nonfermenting-1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) gene family in Haynaldia villosa demonstrated SnRK2.9-V enhances drought and salt stress tolerance of common wheat

BACKGROUND

The sucrose nonfermenting-1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) plays a crucial role in responses to diverse biotic/abiotic stresses. Currently, there are reports on these genes in Haynaldia villosa, a diploid wild relative of wheat.

RESULTS

To understand the evolution of SnRK2-V family genes and their roles in various stress conditions, we performed genome-wide identification of the SnRK2-V gene family in H. villosa. Ten SnRK2-V genes were identified and characterized for their structures, functions and spatial expressions. Analysis of gene exon/intron structure further revealed the presence of evolutionary paths and replication events of SnRK2-V gene family in the H. villosa. In addition, the features of gene structure, the chromosomal location, subcellular localization of the gene family were investigated and the phylogenetic relationship were determined using computational approaches. Analysis of cis-regulatory elements of SnRK2-V gene members revealed their close correlation with different phytohormone signals. The expression profiling revealed that ten SnRK2-V genes expressed at least one tissue (leave, stem, root, or grain), or in response to at least one of the biotic (stripe rust or powdery mildew) or abiotic (drought or salt) stresses. Moreover, SnRK2.9-V was up-regulated in H. villosa under the drought and salt stress and overexpressing of SnRK2.9-V in wheat enhanced drought and salt tolerances via enhancing the genes expression of antioxidant enzymes, revealing a potential value of SnRK2.9-V in wheat improvement for salt tolerance.

CONCLUSION

Our present study provides a basic genome-wide overview of SnRK2-V genes in H. villosa and demonstrates the potential use of SnRK2.9-V in enhancing the drought and salt tolerances in common wheat.

Observation of Cabibbo-Suppressed Two-Body Hadronic Decays and Precision Mass Measurement of the Ω_{c}^{0} Baryon

The first observation of the singly Cabibbo-suppressed Ω_{c}^{0}→Ω^{-}K^{+} and Ω_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}π^{+} decays is reported, using proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4  fb^{-1}, collected with the LHCb detector between 2016 and 2018. The branching fraction ratios are measured to be B(Ω_{c}^{0}→Ω^{-}K^{+})/B(Ω_{c}^{0}→Ω^{-}π^{+})=[6.08±0.51(stat)±0.40(syst)]%,B(Ω_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}π^{+})/B(Ω_{c}^{0}→Ω^{-}π^{+})=[15.81±0.87(stat)±0.44(syst)±0.16(ext)]%. In addition, using the Ω_{c}^{0}→Ω^{-}π^{+} decay channel, the Ω_{c}^{0} baryon mass is measured to be M(Ω_{c}^{0})=2695.28±0.07(stat)±0.27(syst)±0.30(ext)  MeV, improving the precision of the previous world average by a factor of 4.

Bioinformatics Analysis and Experimental Validation of Mitochondrial Autophagy Genes in Knee Osteoarthritis

Background

Mitochondrial autophagy is closely related to the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis, In order to explore the role of mitochondrial autophagy related genes in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and its molecular mechanism.

Methods

KOA-related transcriptome data were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed mitochondrial autophagy gene (DEMGs) were screened in patients with KOA by differential expression analysis. The STRING website was used to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network among DEMGs. Molecular complex detection (MCODE) method in Cytoscape software was performed to identify hub DEMGs. Support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) method was used to construct the hub DEMG diagnosis model. Genes with diagnostic value were identified as biomarkers by plotting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Expression validation. CIBERSORT algorithm was used to calculate the proportion of 22 immune cells in each sample in the GSE114007 dataset. Finally, biomarker expression was verified by qPCR.

Results

A total of 15 DEMGs were obtained and enrichment analyses showed that these DEMG strains were mainly enriched in the mitophagy-animal, shigellosis, autophagy-animal and FoxO signal pathways. The PPI network unveiled 13 DEMGs with interactions. In addition, 8 hub DEMGs (ULK1, CALCOCO2, MAP1LC3B, BNIP3L, GABARAPL1, BNIP3, FKBP8 and FOXO3) were obtained for KOA. And 5 model DEMGs (BNIP3L, BNIP3, MAP1LC3B, ULK1 and FOXO3) were screened. The ROC curves revealed that BNIP3 and FOXO3 has strong diagnostic value in these models of DEMG. Immune-infiltration and correlation analysis showed that BNIP3 and FOXO3 were significantly correlated with three different immune cells, including primary B cells, M0 macrophage and M2 macrophage. The cartilage tissue samples qPCR verification results show that FOXO3 and BNIP3 were all down-regulated in KOA (p < 0.01), and the validation results are consistent with the above analysis.

Conclusion

BNIP3 and FOXO3 have been identified as biomarkers for the diagnosis of KOA, which might supply a new insight for the pathogenesis and treatment of KOA.

Determination of the Σ^{+} Timelike Electromagnetic Form Factors

Based on data samples collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider, the process e^{+}e^{-}→Σ^{+}Σ[over ¯]^{-} is studied at center-of-mass energies sqrt[s]=2.3960, 2.6454, and 2.9000 GeV. Using a fully differential angular description of the final state particles, both the relative magnitude and phase information of the Σ^{+} electromagnetic form factors in the timelike region are extracted. The relative phase between the electric and magnetic form factors is determined to be sinΔΦ=-0.67±0.29(stat)±0.18(syst) at sqrt[s]=2.3960  GeV, ΔΦ=55°±19°(stat)±14°(syst) at sqrt[s]=2.6454  GeV, and 78°±22°(stat)±9°(syst) at sqrt[s]=2.9000  GeV. For the first time, the phase of the hyperon electromagnetic form factors is explored in a wide range of four-momentum transfer. The evolution of the phase along with four-momentum transfer is an important input for understanding its asymptotic behavior and the dynamics of baryons.

Enhanced Production of Λ_{b}^{0} Baryons in High-Multiplicity pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The production rate of Λ_{b}^{0} baryons relative to B^{0} mesons in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s]=13  TeV is measured by the LHCb experiment. The ratio of Λ_{b}^{0} to B^{0} production cross sections shows a significant dependence on both the transverse momentum and the measured charged-particle multiplicity. At low multiplicity, the ratio measured at LHCb is consistent with the value measured in e^{+}e^{-} collisions, and increases by a factor of ∼2 with increasing multiplicity. At relatively low transverse momentum, the ratio of Λ_{b}^{0} to B^{0} cross sections is higher than what is measured in e^{+}e^{-} collisions, but converges with the e^{+}e^{-} ratio as the momentum increases. These results imply that the evolution of heavy b quarks into final-state hadrons is influenced by the density of the hadronic environment produced in the collision. Comparisons with several models and implications for the mechanisms enforcing quark confinement are discussed.

Layered CoS@NC in situ loaded onto Ti3C2Tx MXene as an efficient lithium-ion battery anode

Due to its large capacity and relatively high conductivity, cobalt sulfide has been considered an excellent electrode material for lithium-ion batteries, but its extreme volume change during charging and discharging and lower conductivity than graphite limits its development. In this work, composite nanosheets of MXene and N-doped carbon-confined cobalt sulfide nanosheets (CoS@NC/MXene) were synthesized by growing the Co metal-organic framework of ZIF-67 onto MXene sheets, followed by sulfidation treatment. Different from normal ZIF-67 generally prepared in methanol, this work fabricates ZIF-67 in aqueous solution, which induces ZIF-67 to undergo some degree of hydrolysis and form more dispersed Co layered hydroxides mounted onto MXene. Also, the MXene incorporation imparts better water stability to ZIF-67(Co) and helps maintain its morphology during the sulfidation. CoS@NC/MXene has a conductive network supported by MXene and enhanced by NC, as well as a 3D hierarchical porous structure offered by the rational combination of its components. These favorable characteristics allow CoS@NC/MXene to deliver a capacity of 691 mA h g-1 at 200 mA g-1 in the 100th cycle and retain the specific capacity of 382 mA h g-1 at a higher current density of 8000 mA g-1.

In Vitro Ferroptotic and Antitumor Effect of Free or Liposome-Encapsulated Artesunate in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Cells

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is generally treated as an indolent and curable cancer. However, the unavailability of surgery and ineffective radiotherapy persists in PTCs, resulting in poor outcomes and low survival rates. Thus, new chemotherapeutic strategies for PTCs are urgently needed. Resistance to ferroptosis remarkably contributes to cancer occurrence and progression. Artesunate (ART) has been repurposed as an anticancer drug, as it induces cell death in numerous cancers. However, whether ART induces ferroptosis in PTC cells and, consequently, facilitates PTC therapy remains elusive. Furthermore, overcoming the pharmacological limitations of ART is a key requirement to support its clinical application. Herein, we reanalyzed the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression database (GTEx) to characterize the occurrence of resistance to ferroptosis in thyroid cancer. In vitro results showed that ART induced ferroptosis in PTC cells by increasing the cellular iron content. The encapsulation of ART by liposomes did not alter the efficiency in inducing ferroptosis and inhibiting the invasion and migration of PTC cells compared with direct ART application. Thus, PTC resistance to ferroptosis can be overcome by ART and liposome-encapsulated ART.

The volatile organic compound acetoin enhances the colonization of Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571 on Sesbania rostrata

Chemoreceptors play a crucial role in assisting bacterial sensing and response to environmental stimuli. Genome analysis of Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571 revealed the presence of 43 putative chemoreceptors, but their biological functions remain largely unknown. In this study, we identified the chemoreceptor AmaP (methyl-accepting protein of A. caulinodans), characterized by the presence of the CHASE3 domain and exhibited a notable response to acetoin. Thus, we investigated the effect of acetoin sensing on its symbiotic association with the host. Our findings uncovered a compelling role for acetoin as a key player in enhancing various facets of A. caulinodans ORS571's performance including biofilm formation, colonization, and nodulation abilities. Notably, acetoin bolstered A. caulinodans ORS571's efficacy in promoting the growth of S. rostrata, even under moderate salt stress conditions. This study not only broadens our understanding of the AmaP protein with its distinctive CHASE3 domain but also highlights the promising potential of acetoin in fortifying the symbiotic relationship between A. caulinodans and Sesbania rostrata.

Identification of Novel QTL for Mercury Accumulation in Maize Using an Enlarged SNP Panel

Mercury (Hg) pollution not only poses a threat to the environment but also adversely affects the growth and development of plants, with potential repercussions for animals and humans through bioaccumulation in the food chain. Maize, a crucial source of food, industrial materials, and livestock feed, requires special attention in understanding the genetic factors influencing mercury accumulation. Developing maize varieties with low mercury accumulation is vital for both maize production and human health. In this study, a comprehensive genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using an enlarged SNP panel comprising 1.25 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 230 maize inbred lines across three environments. The analysis identified 111 significant SNPs within 78 quantitative trait loci (QTL), involving 169 candidate genes under the Q model. Compared to the previous study, the increased marker density and optimized statistical model led to the discovery of 74 additional QTL, demonstrating improved statistical power. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that most genes participate in arsenate reduction and stress responses. Notably, GRMZM2G440968, which has been reported in previous studies, is associated with the significant SNP chr6.S_155668107 in axis tissue. It encodes a cysteine proteinase inhibitor, implying its potential role in mitigating mercury toxicity by inhibiting cysteine. Haplotype analyses provided further insights, indicating that lines carrying hap3 exhibited the lowest mercury content compared to other haplotypes. In summary, our study significantly enhances the statistical power of GWAS, identifying additional genes related to mercury accumulation and metabolism. These findings offer valuable insights into unraveling the genetic basis of mercury content in maize and contribute to the development of maize varieties with low mercury accumulation.

[Study of centrifuge conditions for preparing rabbit leukocyte-poor platelet-rich plasma by single centrifugation]

Objective

To explore the best centrifuge condition for preparing rabbit leukocyte-poor platelet-rich plasma (LP-PRP) by using single centrifugation method.

Methods

Sixteen healthy New Zealand rabbits, aged 3-4 months, were utilized in the investigation. A total of 15 mL anticoagulated blood was extracted from the central ear artery of each rabbit, with a repeat of the blood collection procedure after 1 and 2 months. The obtained blood specimens were individually subjected to centrifugation at a radius of 16.7 cm and speeds of 1 200, 1 300, 1 400, and 1 500 r/min (equivalent to centrifugal forces of 269× g, 315× g, 365× g, and 420× g) for durations of 2, 3, 4, and 5 minutes, resulting in a total of 16 groups. Following centrifugation, collect plasma from each group to a distance of 1.5 mL from the separation plane. The volumes, platelet enrichment coefficient, and platelet recovery rates of LP-PRP in each group, under varying centrifugation conditions, were methodically computed and subsequently compared.

Results

The volume of LP-PRP obtained under all centrifugation conditions ranged from 1.8 to 7.6 mL. At a consistent centrifugal speed, an extension of centrifugation time leaded to a significant increase in the volume of LP-PRP, accompanied by a declining trend in the platelet enrichment coefficient of LP-PRP. When centrifuged for 2 minutes, the volume of LP-PRP at speeds of 1 200 and 1 300 r/min was less than 2.0 mL, while the volume of LP-PRP obtained under other conditions was more than 2.0 mL. When centrifuged for 4 and 5 minutes, the volume of LP-PRP obtained at each speed was more than 4 mL. LP-PRP with a platelet enrichment coefficient more than 2.0 could be prepared by centrifuging at 1 200 r/min for each time group and 1 300 r/min for 2 and 3 minutes, and the highest LP-PRP platelet enrichment coefficient could be obtained by centrifugation for 2 minutes at a speed of 1 200 r/min. The platelet recovery rates of LP-PRP obtained by centrifugation at 1 200 r/min for 4 and 5 minutes, as well as centrifugation at 1 400 r/min for 5 minutes, were both greater than 60%. There was no significant difference between the groups when centrifuged at 1 200 r/min for 4 and 5 minutes ( P>0.05).

Conclusion

In the process of preparing rabbit LP-PRP using a single centrifugation method, collecting 15 mL of blood and centrifuging at a radius of 16.7 cm and speed of 1 200 r/min for 4 minutes can prepare LP-PRP with a volume exceeding 2.0 mL, platelet enrichment coefficient exceeding 2.0, and platelet recovery rate exceeding 60%. This centrifugal condition can achieve the optimal LP-PRP action parameters in the shortest possible time.

Regulation of extracellular polymers based on quorum sensing in wastewater biological treatment from mechanisms to applications: A critical review

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) regulated by quorum sensing (QS) could directly mediate adhesion between microorganisms and form tight microbial aggregates. Besides, EPS have redox properties, which can facilitate electron transfer for promoting electroactive bacteria. Currently, the applications research on improving wastewater biological treatment performance based on QS regulated EPS have been widely reported, but reviews on the level of QS regulated EPS to enhance EPS function in microbial systems are still lacking. This work proposes the potential mechanisms of EPS synthesis by QS regulation from the viewpoint of material metabolism and energy metabolism, and summarizes the effects of QS on EPS synthesis. By synthesizing the role of QS in EPS regulation, we further point out the applications of QS-regulated EPS in wastewater biological treatment, which involve a series of aspects such as strengthening microbial colonization, mitigating membrane biofouling, improving the shock resistance of microbial metabolic systems, and strengthening the electron transfer capacity of microbial metabolic systems. According to this comprehensive review, future research on QS-regulated EPS should focus on the exploration of the micro-mechanisms, and economic regulation strategies for QS-regulated EPS should be developed, while the stability of QS-regulated EPS in long-term production experimental research should be further demonstrated.

Enhanced T cell immune activity mediated by Drp1 promotes the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in treating lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial fission plays important roles in the activation, proliferation, and migration of T cells.

METHODS

We investigated the synergistic effect of Drp1-mediated T cell antitumor activities and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade for treating lung cancer through in vitro co-culture experiments and an in vivo nude mouse xenograft model.

RESULTS

High expression levels of Drp1 positively regulated T cell activation, enhanced T cell-induced suppression of lung cancer cells, promoted CD8+ T cell infiltration in the tumor and spleen, and significantly enhanced the antitumor immune response of the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab. The mechanism of this synergistic antitumor effect involved the secretion of immune killing-related cytokines and the regulation of the PD-1-ERK/Drp1 pathway in T cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that modifying Drp1 expression in T cells could serve as a potential therapeutic target for enhancing the antitumor immune response in future immunotherapies.

Arnicolide C Suppresses Tumor Progression by Targeting 14-3-3θ in Breast Cancer

Background: Arnicolide C, which is isolated from Centipeda minima, has excellent antitumor effects. However, the potential impacts and related mechanisms of action of arnicolide C in breast cancer remain unknown. Methods: The viability of breast cancer cells was measured using MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and colony formation assays. For analysis of apoptosis and the cell cycle, flow cytometry was used. A molecular docking approach was used to explore the possible targets of arnicolide C. Western blot analysis was used to detect changes in the expression of 14-3-3θ and proteins in related pathways after arnicolide C treatment in breast cancer cells. The anti-breast cancer effect of arnicolide C in vivo was evaluated by establishing cell-derived xenograft (CDX) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Results: Arnicolide C inhibited proliferation, increased apoptosis, and induced G1 arrest. In particular, molecular docking analysis indicated that arnicolide C binds to 14-3-3θ. Arnicolide C reduced 14-3-3θ expression and inhibited its downstream signaling pathways linked to cell proliferation. Similar results were obtained in the CDX and PDX models. Conclusion: Arnicolide C can have an anti-breast cancer effect both in vitro and in vivo and can induce cell cycle arrest and increase apoptosis in vitro. The molecular mechanism may be related to the effect of arnicolide C on the expression level of 14-3-3θ. However, the specific mechanism through which arnicolide C affects 14-3-3θ protein expression still needs to be determined.

Cost-Effectiveness of Gene-Specific Prevention Strategies for Ovarian and Breast Cancer

Importance

Pathogenic variants (PVs) in BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, RAD51C, RAD51D, and BRIP1 cancer susceptibility genes (CSGs) confer an increased ovarian cancer (OC) risk, with BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, RAD51C, and RAD51D PVs also conferring an elevated breast cancer (BC) risk. Risk-reducing surgery, medical prevention, and BC surveillance offer the opportunity to prevent cancers and deaths, but their cost-effectiveness for individual CSGs remains poorly addressed.

Objective

To estimate the cost-effectiveness of prevention strategies for OC and BC among individuals carrying PVs in the previously listed CSGs.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this economic evaluation, a decision-analytic Markov model evaluated the cost-effectiveness of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) and, where relevant, risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) compared with nonsurgical interventions (including BC surveillance and medical prevention for increased BC risk) from December 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023. The analysis took a UK payer perspective with a lifetime horizon. The simulated cohort consisted of women aged 30 years who carried BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, RAD51C, RAD51D, or BRIP1 PVs. Appropriate sensitivity and scenario analyses were performed.

Exposures

CSG-specific interventions, including RRSO at age 35 to 50 years with or without BC surveillance and medical prevention (ie, tamoxifen or anastrozole) from age 30 or 40 years, RRM at age 30 to 40 years, both RRSO and RRM, BC surveillance and medical prevention, or no intervention.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated as incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. OC and BC cases and deaths were estimated.

Results

In the simulated cohort of women aged 30 years with no cancer, undergoing both RRSO and RRM was most cost-effective for individuals carrying BRCA1 (RRM at age 30 years; RRSO at age 35 years), BRCA2 (RRM at age 35 years; RRSO at age 40 years), and PALB2 (RRM at age 40 years; RRSO at age 45 years) PVs. The corresponding ICERs were -£1942/QALY (-$2680/QALY), -£89/QALY (-$123/QALY), and £2381/QALY ($3286/QALY), respectively. RRSO at age 45 years was cost-effective for RAD51C, RAD51D, and BRIP1 PV carriers compared with nonsurgical strategies. The corresponding ICERs were £962/QALY ($1328/QALY), £771/QALY ($1064/QALY), and £2355/QALY ($3250/QALY), respectively. The most cost-effective preventive strategy per 1000 PV carriers could prevent 923 OC and BC cases and 302 deaths among those carrying BRCA1; 686 OC and BC cases and 170 deaths for BRCA2; 464 OC and BC cases and 130 deaths for PALB2; 102 OC cases and 64 deaths for RAD51C; 118 OC cases and 76 deaths for RAD51D; and 55 OC cases and 37 deaths for BRIP1. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated both RRSO and RRM were most cost-effective in 96.5%, 89.2%, and 84.8% of simulations for BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 PVs, respectively, while RRSO was cost-effective in approximately 100% of simulations for RAD51C, RAD51D, and BRIP1 PVs.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cost-effectiveness study, RRSO with or without RRM at varying optimal ages was cost-effective compared with nonsurgical strategies for individuals who carried BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, RAD51C, RAD51D, or BRIP1 PVs. These findings support personalizing risk-reducing surgery and guideline recommendations for individual CSG-specific OC and BC risk management.

Improved Measurement of CP Violation Parameters in B_{s}^{0}→J/ψK^{+}K^{-} Decays in the Vicinity of the ϕ(1020) Resonance

The decay-time-dependent CP asymmetry in B_{s}^{0}→J/ψ(→μ^{+}μ^{-})K^{+}K^{-} decays is measured using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6  fb^{-1}, collected with the LHCb detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Using a sample of approximately 349 000 B_{s}^{0} signal decays with an invariant K^{+}K^{-} mass in the vicinity of the ϕ(1020) resonance, the CP-violating phase ϕ_{s} is measured, along with the difference in decay widths of the light and heavy mass eigenstates of the B_{s}^{0}-B[over ¯]_{s}^{0} system, ΔΓ_{s}, and the difference of the average B_{s}^{0} and B^{0} meson decay widths, Γ_{s}-Γ_{d}. The values obtained are ϕ_{s}=-0.039±0.022±0.006  rad, ΔΓ_{s}=0.0845±0.0044±0.0024  ps^{-1}, and Γ_{s}-Γ_{d}=-0.0056_{-0.0015}^{+0.0013}±0.0014  ps^{-1}, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. These are the most precise single measurements to date and are consistent with expectations based on the Standard Model and with the previous LHCb analyses of this decay. These results are combined with previous independent LHCb measurements. The phase ϕ_{s} is also measured independently for each polarization state of the K^{+}K^{-} system and shows no evidence for polarization dependence.

LncRNA-mir3471-limd1 regulatory network plays critical roles in HIBD

The purpose of this study was to identify the target genes of tcon_00044595, elucidate its activation site, and provide novel insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD). Through homologous blast analysis, we identified predicted target sequences in the neighboring regions of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) tcon_00044595, suggesting that limd1 is its target gene. Starbase was utilized to identify potential candidate microRNAs associated with the lncRNA. The interaction between the candidate microRNAs and limd1 was investigated and validated using various experimental methods including in vitro cell culture, cell transfection, dual fluorescence reporter detection system, and real-time PCR. Homology alignment analysis revealed that the lncRNA tcon_00044595 exhibited a 246 bp homologous sequence at the 3' end of the adjacent limd1 gene, with a conservation rate of 68%. Analysis conducted on Starbase online identified three potential microRNA candidates: miR-3471, miR-883a-5p, and miR-214-3p. Intracellular expression of the limd1 gene was significantly down-regulated upon transfection with miR-3471, while the other two microRNAs did not produce noticeable effects. Luciferase reporter assays identified two interaction sites (UTR-1, UTR-2) between miR-3471 and the limd1 3'UTR, with UTR-1 exhibiting a strong influence. Further CCK8 assay indicated a protective role of miR-3471 during low oxygen stroke in HIBD. The potential regulatory relationship between lncRNA (tcon_00044595), miR-3471, and the target gene limd1 suggests their involvement in the occurrence and development of HIBD, providing new insights for investigating the underlying mechanisms and exploring targeted therapeutic approaches for HIBD.

Colquhounia root tablet in the treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy with subnephrotic proteinuria

PURPOSE

Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) is the most frequent global cause of nephrotic syndrome in non-diabetic people. In clinical practice, An effective and mild treatment for IMN patients with subnephrotic proteinuria has been adopted. Colquhounia root tablet (CRT) is a traditional Chinese medicine that is widely used in China to treat glomerulopathies. In this study, the effectiveness and safety of CRT in the treatment of IMN with subnephrotic proteinuria have been determined by reviewing the clinical records of 44 patients with IMN.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of IMN patients with subnephrotic proteinuria treated with CRT in combination with ACEI/ARB or ACEI/ARB alone. The remission rate (complete or partial remission) was the main outcome observed, and proteinuria, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum albumin levels, and adverse effects were the secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

This clinical trial included 44 patients, and the overall remission rates at months 6, 9, and 12 after treatment were 68.2% versus 27.3% (p = 0.016), 72.7% versus 36.4% (p = 0.015), and 77.3% versus 36.4% (p = 0.006) in the treatment and control groups, respectively. The application of CRT treatment was an independent predictor of proteinuria remission (p = 0.024). In addition, in patients who were positive for phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibodies, the overall remission rate was higher in the treatment group than in the control group after 9 months of treatment (75% versus 23.08%, p = 0.017).

CONCLUSION

This retrospective study illustrates that, based on supportive therapy, CRT could be effective in the treatment of IMN with subnephrotic proteinuria with a good safety profile at the same time.

Overactivated contextual visual perception and response to a single dose of methylphenidate in children with ADHD

The pathogenesis of overactivated visual perception in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains unclear, which is interpreted as a cognitive compensation. The existing studies have proposed that perceptual abnormalities in neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with dysfunction of the contextual knowledge system, which influences the development and formation of perception. We hypothesized that alterations in contextual states may also be responsible for inducing perceptual abnormalities in ADHD. Therefore, the present study evaluated the characteristics of pre-stimulus alpha and its response to a single dose of methylphenidate (MPH). A total of 135 Chinese children participated in the first study, including 70 children with ADHD (age = 10.61 ± 1.93 years, female = 17) and 65 age- and sex-matched control children (age = 10.73 ± 1.93 years, female = 20). The second clinical trial included 19 Chinese children with ADHD (age = 11.85 ± 1.72 years, female = 4), with an identical visual spatial search task. Pre-stimulus alpha oscillations and P1 activity were significantly greater in children with ADHD than in the controls. Overactivated pre-stimulus alpha positively predicted P1. Both pre-stimulus alpha and P1 overactivation have beneficial effects on cognitive performance in children with ADHD. No intervening effect of a single dose of MPH on the compensatory activation of pre-stimulus alpha and P1 were observed. Our findings extended the perceptual activation to the contextual knowledge system, suggesting that compensatory perception in children with ADHD is more likely to be a top-down regulated cognitive operational process.

A retrospective study of mineral and bone disorder in kidney transplant recipients: Single-center experience

BACKGROUND

The status of mineral and bone disorder (MBD) after kidney transplantation is not fully understood, and the assessment of abnormal mineral and bone metabolism in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) has not been standardized.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of 292 KTRs in our center. The levels of biochemical markers of bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD) were assessed. We evaluated the influencing factors of BMD using linear regression analysis. And correlation test was used for the correlation analysis between bone metabolism indicators and other indicators.

RESULTS

Postoperative MBD mainly manifested as hypercalcemia (8.9%), hypophosphatemia (27.1%), low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(25(OH)vitD) (67.0%), hyperparathyroidism (50.6%), and high levels of bone turnover markers (BTMs). The prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis in the femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) was 20.1%/2.8% and 26.1%/3.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that FN BMD was positively associated with body mass index (BMI) and negatively associated with acute rejection history (p < 0.05); while LS BMD was positively associated with BMI, and negatively associated with intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) (p < 0.05). Biochemical markers of bone metabolism were affected by age, sex, preoperative dialysis mode and time, postoperative time, transplanted kidney function, and iPTH levels. LS BMD was negatively correlated with iPTH and BTMs (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

MBD persisted after kidney transplantation. Decreased bone mass was associated with persistent hyperparathyroidism, acute rejection history, low BMI, advanced age, and menopause. Dynamic monitoring of bone metabolism index and BMD helps to assess MBD after kidney transplantation.

Mediating and moderating effects of authoritative parenting styles on adolescent behavioral problems

Introduction

This study aimed to analyze how authoritative parenting affects behavioral problems among primary, junior high, and secondary high school students. Today, parental educational anxiety and parent-child relationship conflicts are common in China and are resulting in a high incidence of child behavioral problems. High-quality family education is becoming increasingly important in China. This study sought to provide a reference for developing responsive family education services.

Methods

A total of 10,441 parents in Hubei Province, including urban and rural areas, were evaluated using the Parents' Education Anxiety Questionnaire, Parental Authority Parenting Questionnaire, Parent-Child Relationship Scale, and Self-Made Behavior Problem Scale to determine the internal mechanisms of child behavioral problems in the family system. To make the sample more representative, this study collected data from primary and secondary schools representative of the southeast, northwest, and center of Hubei Province; further, the number of parents involved in each school was controlled at approximately 300 to ensure that the final sample had analytical value.

Results

Educational anxiety directly affected children's behavioral problems and indirectly affected them through the conflicts between parent and child. This conflict partially mediated educational anxiety and child behavioral problems, and authoritative parenting played a significant regulatory role in this relationship.

Discussion

Higher levels of educational anxiety among parents increased the likelihood of a depressed family environment. This can lead to deteriorating parent-child relationships, which can result in children's problem behaviors. Parents can address these problems by changing their approach to education and adjusting their emotions accordingly.

DrasCLR: A self-supervised framework of learning disease-related and anatomy-specific representation for 3D lung CT images

Large-scale volumetric medical images with annotation are rare, costly, and time prohibitive to acquire. Self-supervised learning (SSL) offers a promising pre-training and feature extraction solution for many downstream tasks, as it only uses unlabeled data. Recently, SSL methods based on instance discrimination have gained popularity in the medical imaging domain. However, SSL pre-trained encoders may use many clues in the image to discriminate an instance that are not necessarily disease-related. Moreover, pathological patterns are often subtle and heterogeneous, requiring the ability of the desired method to represent anatomy-specific features that are sensitive to abnormal changes in different body parts. In this work, we present a novel SSL framework, named DrasCLR, for 3D lung CT images to overcome these challenges. We propose two domain-specific contrastive learning strategies: one aims to capture subtle disease patterns inside a local anatomical region, and the other aims to represent severe disease patterns that span larger regions. We formulate the encoder using conditional hyper-parameterized network, in which the parameters are dependant on the anatomical location, to extract anatomically sensitive features. Extensive experiments on large-scale datasets of lung CT scans show that our method improves the performance of many downstream prediction and segmentation tasks. The patient-level representation improves the performance of the patient survival prediction task. We show how our method can detect emphysema subtypes via dense prediction. We demonstrate that fine-tuning the pre-trained model can significantly reduce annotation efforts without sacrificing emphysema detection accuracy. Our ablation study highlights the importance of incorporating anatomical context into the SSL framework. Our codes are available at https://github.com/batmanlab/DrasCLR.

Tunable Contacts of Bi2 O2 Se Nanosheets MSM Photodetectors by Metal-Assisted Transfer Approach for Self-Powered Near-Infrared Photodetection

Owing to the Fermi pinning effect arose in the metal electrodes deposition process, metal-semiconductor contact is always independent on the work function, which challenges the next-generation optoelectronic devices. In this work, a metal-assisted transfer approach is developed to transfer Bi2 O2 Se nanosheets onto the pre-deposited metal electrodes, benefiting to the tunable metal-semiconductor contact. The success in Bi2 O2 Se nanosheets transfer is contributed to the stronger van der Waals adhesion of metal electrodes than that of growth substrates. With the pre-deposited asymmetric electrodes, the self-powered near-infrared photodetectors are realized, demonstrating low dark current of 0.04 pA, high Ilight /Idark ratio of 380, fast rise and decay times of 4 and 6 ms, respectively, under the illumination of 1310 nm laser. By pre-depositing the metal electrodes on polyimide and glass, high-performance flexible and omnidirectional self-powered near-infrared photodetectors are achieved successfully. This study opens up new opportunities for low-dimensional semiconductors in next-generation high-performance optoelectronic devices.

SESN2 attenuates sevoflurane-induced cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation in rats

Long-term use of sevoflurane, an inhalation anesthetic, could negatively impact cognitive function. Current studies have suggested that cognitive impairment induced by sevoflurane may be associated with neuroinflammation. Sestrin2 (SESN2), which belongs to a family of stress-inducible genes, has been reported to exert neuroprotective effects against brain injury. However, its role and underlying mechanisms in sevoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction in aged rats remain unknown. A sevoflurane-induced aging rat injury model with or without SESN2 overexpression was constructed. The learning and memory abilities of rats were evaluated by the MWM test. ELISA assay and qRT-PCR were conducted to analyze the level of pro-inflammatory factors in the hippocampus. Levels of oxidative stress markers were measured by DHE staining or kit methods. Neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus was detected using TUNEL assay. Expression of proteins were analyzed by western blot. Sevoflurane exposure caused elevated protein level of SESN2 in hippocampus and cognitive impairment of aged rats. Importantly, overexpression of SESN2 alleviated sevoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction and inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus. Furthermore, SESN2 overexpression suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by sevoflurane. These findings suggested that SESN2 could exert neuroprotective against sevoflurane-induced nerve injury of aged rats through anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Bidirectional Uptake, Transfer, and Transport of Dextran-Based Nanoparticles in Plants for Multidimensional Enhancement of Pesticide Utilization

The development of effective multifunctional nano-delivery approaches for pesticide absorption remains a challenge. Here, a dextran-based pesticide delivery system (MBD) is constructed to deliver tebuconazole for multidimensionally enhancing its effective utilization on tomato plants. Spherical MBD nanoparticles are obtained through two-step esterification of dextran, followed by tebuconazole loading using the Michael addition reaction. Confocal laser scanning microscopy shows that fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled MBD nanoparticles can be bidirectionally transported in tomato plants and a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe-HPLC approach demonstrates the capacity to carry tebuconazole to plant tissues after 24 h of root uptake and foliar spray, respectively. Additionally, MBD nanoparticles could increase the retention of tebuconazole on tomato leaves by up to nearly 2.1 times compared with the tebuconazole technical material by measuring the tebuconazole content retained on the leaves. In vitro antifungal and pot experiments show that MBD nanoparticles improve the inhibitory effect of tebuconazole against botrytis cinerea by 58.4% and the protection against tomato gray molds by 74.9% compared with commercial suspensions. Furthermore, the MBD nanoparticles do not affect the healthy growth of tomato plants. These results underline the potential for the delivery system to provide a strategy for multidimensional enhancement of pesticide efficacy.

Risk Factors and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Chinese Women with Postpartum Diastasis Recti Abdominis: An Observational Study

Purpose

Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) is a condition in which the linea alba is stretched and widened, and the abdominal muscles are separated from each other. DRA typically occurs in pregnant and postpartum women. We aimed to determine the risk factors and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of DRA in Chinese postpartum women.

Methods

This observational study was conducted in Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and involved 534 women who filled out the following risk-factor and PRO questionnaires: SF-MPQ-2, SF-ICIQ, LDQ, EPDS, MBIS, HerQles, and SF-36 (all Chinese versions). The inter-recti distance was measured by palpation. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v25.0 software and the Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-square test, binary logistic regression analysis (for risk factors of DRA), and the Kendall and Spearman tests (for correlation analysis).

Results

After childbirth, 78.1% (417/534) of the enrolled women had DRA. Abdominal surgery (P = 0.002), number of pregnancies (P = 0.035), parity (P = 0.012), number of births (P = 0.02), fetal birth weight (P = 0.014), and waist-to-hip ratio in the supine position (P = 0.045) significantly differed between the DRA and non-DRA groups. Caesarean delivery was an independent risk factor for DRA. The PROs were significantly worse in the DRA group than in the non-DRA group.

Conclusion

Caesarean delivery was an independent risk factor for DRA. Women with DRA are more likely to have limited physical activity or function after childbirth, lower self-confidence, and a decreased quality of life.

Heat stress-induced activation of MAPK pathway attenuates Atf1-dependent epigenetic inheritance of heterochromatin in fission yeast

Eukaryotic cells are constantly exposed to various environmental stimuli. It remains largely unexplored how environmental cues bring about epigenetic fluctuations and affect heterochromatin stability. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, heterochromatic silencing is quite stable at pericentromeres but unstable at the mating-type (mat) locus under chronic heat stress, although both loci are within the major constitutive heterochromatin regions. Here, we found that the compromised gene silencing at the mat locus at elevated temperature is linked to the phosphorylation status of Atf1, a member of the ATF/CREB superfamily. Constitutive activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling disrupts epigenetic maintenance of heterochromatin at the mat locus even under normal temperature. Mechanistically, phosphorylation of Atf1 impairs its interaction with heterochromatin protein Swi6HP1, resulting in lower site-specific Swi6HP1 enrichment. Expression of non-phosphorylatable Atf1, tethering Swi6HP1 to the mat3M-flanking site or absence of the anti-silencing factor Epe1 can largely or partially rescue heat stress-induced defective heterochromatic maintenance at the mat locus.

Assessment of cytotoxicity, acute, subacute toxicities and antioxidant activities (in vitro) of Sanghuangporus vaninii crude polysaccharide

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE

Sanghuangporus vaninii (S. vaninii), as a traditional large medicinal fungus, has a history of more than 2000 years in Chinese history and has been widely used to treat female diseases such as vaginal discharge, amenorrhea, and uterine bleeding, and recent pharmacological studies have also found that it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor physiological activity, which has received more and more attention.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The objective was to evaluate cytotoxicity and the acute, subacute toxicity, and in vitro antioxidant activity of S. vaninii crude polysaccharide (SVP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The monosaccharide composition of SVP was determined by HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography). The cytotoxicity of different concentrations of SVP on three types of cells (HT-22, Kupffer macrophages, HEK293) was assessed using CCk-8. The acute toxicity in vivo was evaluated for 14 days after the administration of SVP (2500,5000, or 10,000 mg/mL). For the evaluation of subacute toxicity, mice were daily treated for 28 days with SVP (2500,5000, or 10,000 mg/mL). In addition, DPPH, hydroxyl radical, and superoxide anion radical were used to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of SVP.

RESULTS

SVP was not toxic in all three cell lines tested. In vitro antioxidant tests on the extracts showed that SVP possessed a strong antioxidant capacity in vitro. In the acute study, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) in male and female rats was 10，000 mg/kg body weight. There were also no deaths or severe toxicity associated with SVP in subacute studies. However, SVP treatment had a decreasing effect on body weight in mice of both sexes (2500, 5000, and 10000 mg/kg). At doses (5000 and 10,000 mg/kg), SVP had a reduced effect on food intake in both male and female mice. In addition, there were significant effects on organ coefficients of the liver, lung, and kidney. Hematological analysis showed significantly lower LYM (%) values in mice of both sexes, with significantly lower MCH (pg) values obtained in males (5000 mg/kg and 10000 mg/kg) and higher GRAN (%) values in females. In addition, the RDW-SD (fL) values were significantly lower in the male mice given the highest dose. Biochemical tests showed that there were no significant changes in ALT, AST, TP, and Cr levels after SVP treatment. In histopathological analysis, mild liver toxicity was observed in both female mice treated with 10,000 mg/kg SVP.

CONCLUSION

The extract of SVP showed a predominance of polysaccharide compounds, with non-toxic action in vivo. Our approach revealed SVP on the chemical composition and suggests a high margin of safety in the popular use of medicinal fungi. In conclusion, our results suggest that SVP is safe, and can be used as health care products and food.