Prognostic significance of KRT19 in Lung Squamous Cancer

Backgroud: Keratin 19 (KRT19) is the intermediate filament that constitutes the cytoskeleton and regulates cell-cycle and cell death. Objective: We aimed to assess whether KRT19 was involved in lung cancer development. Methods: The expression of KRT19 in lung cancer was evaluated from mRNA expression on open databse and protein abundance on tumor tissue array. Results: Using open microarray gene expression datasets and differential expression analysis, we found that KRT19 was upregulated in lung cancer compared with normal tissue. Further analysis suggested that KRT19 mRNA expression was correlated with tumor progression and overall survival in lung cancer patients. As KRT19 was overexpressed in adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), we examined the prognostic value of KRT19 protein abundance by tissue microarray (TMA). The results suggested that protein expression of KRT19 was significantly associated with overall survival of SCC. Conclusions: Giving the prognostic role of KRT19 in lung cancer, KRT19 could be considered as an potential molecular marker in lung cancer, especially in SCC.

Immune signature-based risk stratification and prediction of immune checkpoint inhibitor's efficacy for lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a common pulmonary malignant disease with a poor prognosis. There were limited studies investigating the influences of the tumor immune microenvironment on LUAD patients' survival and response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

METHODS

Based on TCGA-LUAD dataset, we constructed a prognostic immune signature and validated its predictive capability in the internal as well as total datasets. Then, we explored the differences of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, tumor mutation burden, and patients' response to ICI treatment between the high-risk score group and low-risk score group.

RESULTS

This immune signature consisted of 17 immune-related genes, which was an independent prognostic factor for LUAD patients. In the low-risk score group, patients had better overall survival. Although the differences were non-significant, patients with low-risk scores had more tumor-infiltrating follicular helper T cells and fewer macrophages (M0), which were closely related to clinical outcomes. Additionally, the total TMB was markedly decreased in the low-risk score group. Using immunophenoscore as a surrogate of ICI response, we found that patients with low-risk scores had significantly higher immunophenoscore.

CONCLUSION

The 17-immune-related genes signature may have prognostic and predictive relevance with ICI therapy but needs prospective validation.

Interleukin-27 levels in patients with myasthenia gravis

Interleukin-27 (IL-27), which belongs to IL-12 family, influences the function of T cells (Tregs) through regulating the expression, and function of forkhead box P3 (FoxP3). In this study, we detected the IL-27 serum levels in 59 myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and 35 healthy controls (HCs). Among them, 32 MG patients received immunoglobulin intravenous (IVIG) injections (0.4 g/kg per day for 5 consecutive days). IL-27 levels were collected before and after the treatments and subjected to a comparative study. Finally, we assessed the correlations of IL-27 levels with the clinical characteristics of MG. As a result, serum IL-27 levels were significantly higher in MG patients than those in the HCs. Meanwhile, significant reduction was detected after the IVIG treatment. IL-27 levels positively correlated with both MG activities of daily living and quantitative MG score. IL-27 may participate in the pathogenesis of MG and can be used as an early marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of MG. In addition, IL-27 can be used as a target for MG treatment through the regulation of specific immune signaling and maintaining immune homeostasis.

Understanding verified users' posting behavior from the perspective of human dynamics: a case study of Sina micro-blog

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a new human dynamics model to explain the process of verified users' (VUs) posting on Sina micro-blog.

Design/methodology/approach

A common human dynamics research method with three steps is applied. Firstly, a large-scale behavioral dataset is collected involving 495 VUs and five topics on Sina micro-blog. Second, five important indicators that reveal the characteristics of posting behavior are analyzed. Then, a quantitative model is constructed to describe the process of posting behavior, and its validity is verified by simulations.

Findings

Three important characteristics of VUs' micro-blog posting behavior are observed: fat-tailed distribution, fluctuation and periodicity. These characteristics do not fit the assumption of interest-driven models proposed by previous literature. An optimized task-driven model is introduced to describe this complex phenomenon mathematically. The model is verified on empirical data, confirming that task-driven models can be optimized to explore information behavior on social media.

Originality/value

Being different from previous studies that mainly describe common users' posting behavior on social media by applying interest-driven models, this paper customizes an optimized task-driven model for VUs, who mainly treat social media as a platform for work and play a crucial role in information creation on social media.

The roles of exosomes in cancer drug resistance and its therapeutic application

Exosomes are a category of extracellular vesicles with a size ranging from 40 to 160 nm, which can be secreted by multiple cells in the tumor microenvironment. Exosomes serve as communicators in regulating biological functions and pathological processes, including drug response. Through transporting the cargo such as protein or nucleic acid, exosomes can modulate drug sensitivity via multiple mechanisms. Additionally, exosomes can be deployed as a delivery system to treat cancer due to their high-efficient loading capacity and tolerable toxicity. Recent studies have demonstrated the high efficacy of exosomes in cancer therapy. Herein, we conduct this review to summarize the mechanism of exosome-mediated drug resistance and the therapeutic potential of exosomes in cancer.

Positive association of herpes simplex virus-IgG with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), and whether herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is associated with the development of MS remains controversial. We aimed to investigate potential associations between MS or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and the prevalence of IgG and DNA for HSV in the clinical samples.

METHODS

A systematic search of English databases (PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library) was performed. The prevalence of IgG against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and DNA for HSV-1 or HSV-2 in clinical samples were pooled and compared between patients with MS/CIS and controls using Stata 12.0.

RESULTS

A total of 1756 patients with MS/CIS and 6429 controls from eight studies were included. The pooled results showed a significantly statistical difference in the seroprevalence of IgG against HSV-2 (OR 1.764, 95% CI [1.410 to 2.206], P = 0.000) between patients with MS/CIS and controls. However, no significantly statistical difference was shown in the seroprevalence of IgG against HSV-1 (OR 1.166, 95% CI [0.737 to 1.845], P = 0.512) between patients with MS/CIS and controls. Similarly, there was no significantly statistical difference in the prevalence of HSV-1 DNA (OR 0.957, 95% CI [0.310 to 2.949], P = 0.938) and HSV-2 DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (OR 0.506, 95% CI [0.022 to 11.416], P = 0.668) between patients with MS/CIS and controls. Subgroup analysis suggested that mean age at sampling might be a source of heterogeneity, and the seroprevalence of IgG against HSV-1 was significantly increased in the pediatric patients with MS/CIS (OR 1.488, 95% CI [1.130 to 1.959], P = 0.005), compared with the controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The study demonstrated that prior HSV-1 infection might relate to the onset of pediatric MS/CIS and might not play a role in the development of adult MS. Furthermore, prior HSV-2 infection might have a correlation with MS/CIS. The mechanism remains to be further studied.

Global burden and trend of acute lymphoblastic leukemia from 1990 to 2017

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a common malignant hematologic disease that is characterized by large numbers of dedifferentiated lymphoid cells. Statistical data of ALL's incidence and mortality are fundamental for policymakers to allocate resources optimally. In this study, we reported the incidence, death, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) of ALL in the globe from 1990 to 2017. Our analysis showed that the incidence case of ALL increased by 30.81%, while the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) maintained stable. Subgroup analysis by social-demographic index (SDI) showed that ALL's ASIR was significantly decreased in high SDI countries, but were moderately increased in high-middle SDI countries. The change trends of age-standardized death rate and DALY rate were similar to ASIR trends. Subgroup analysis by age groups showed that children and the elderly were more likely to suffer ALL. Risk factor analysis demonstrated that smoking was the most significant contributor to ALL's death and DALY in the globe. Besides, the high body-mass index is playing an increasingly important role in ALL-caused mortality. Multiple methods to counteract potential risk factors should be adopted, such as controlling body-mass index in all regions and avoiding occupational exposure to carcinogens in low SDI countries.

EC-PGMGR: Ensemble Clustering Based on Probability Graphical Model With Graph Regularization for Single-Cell RNA-seq Data

Advances in technology have made it convenient to obtain a large amount of single cell RNAsequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Since that clustering is a very important step in identifying or defining cellular phenotypes, many clustering approaches have been developed recently for these applications. The general methods can be roughly divided into normal clustering methods and integrated (ensemble) clustering methods which combine more than two normal clustering methods aiming to get much more informative performance. In order to make a contrast with the integrated clustering algorithm, the normal clustering method is often called individual or base clustering method. Note that the results of many individual clustering methods are often developed to capture one aspect of the data, and the results depend on the initial parameter settings, such as cluster number, distance metric and so on. Compared with individual clustering, although integrative clustering method may get much more accurate performance, the results depend on the base clustering results and integrated systems are often not self-regulation. Therefore, how to design a robust unsupervised clustering method is still a challenge. In order to tackle above limitations, we propose a novel Ensemble Clustering algorithm based on Probability Graphical Model with Graph Regularization, which is called EC-PGMGR for short. On one hand, we use parameter controlling in Probability Graphical Model (PGM) to automatically determine the cluster number without prior knowledge. On the other hand, we add a regularization term to reduce the effect deriving from some weak base clustering results. Particularly, the integrative results collected from base clustering methods can be assembled in the form of combination with self-regulation weights through a pre-learning process, which can efficiently enhance the effect of active clustering methods while weaken the effect of inactive clustering methods. Experiments are carried out on 7 data sets generated by different platforms with the number of single cells from 822 to 5,132. Results show that EC-PGMGR performs better than 4 alternative individual clustering methods and 2 ensemble methods in terms of accuracy including Adjusted Rand Index (ARI) and Normalized Mutual Information (NMI), robustness, effectiveness and so on. EC-PGMGR provides an effective way to integrate different clustering results for more accurate and reliable results in further biological analysis as well. It may provide some new insights to the other applications of clustering.

β-blockers in the environment: Distribution, transformation, and ecotoxicity

β-blockers are a class of medications widely used to treat cardiovascular disorders, including abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, and angina pectoris. The prevalence of β-blockers has generated a widespread concern on their potential chronic toxicity on aquatic organisms, highlighting the necessity of comprehensive studies on their environmental distribution, fate, and toxicity. This review summarizes the up-to-date knowledge on the source, global distribution, analytical methods, transformation, and toxicity of β-blockers. Twelve β-blockers have been detected in various environmental matrices, displaying significant temporal and spatial variations. β-blockers can be reduced by 0-99% at wastewater treatment plants, where secondary processes contribute to the majority of removal. Advanced oxidation processes, e.g., photocatalysis and combined UV/persulfate can transform β-blockers more rapidly and completely than conventional wastewater treatment processes, but the transformation products could be more toxic than the parent compounds. Propranolol, especially its (S)-enantiomer, exhibits the highest toxicity among all β-blockers. Future research towards improved detection methods, more efficient and cost-effective removal techniques, and more accurate toxicity assessment is needed to prioritize β-blockers for environmental monitoring and control worldwide.

The global, regional, and national burden of kidney cancer and attributable risk factor analysis from 1990 to 2017

BACKGROUND

Kidney cancer's incidence and mortality vary in different regions and countries. To compare and interpret kidney cancer's burden and change trends in the globe and in different countries, we conducted this study to report the global kidney cancer burden and attributable risk factors.

METHODS

Data about kidney cancer's incidence, death, disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) were extracted from the Global Burden of Diseases 2017. Besides, social-demographic index (SDI) values were adopted to investigate the correlation between kidney cancer's burden and social development degrees.

RESULTS

In the globe, the incidence case of kidney cancer increased sharply from 207.31*103 in 1990 to 393.04*103 in 2017. High SDI countries had the highest kidney cancer's burden with a decreased trend in incidence rate. On the contrary, the incidence rate was rapidly increased in low-middle SDI countries, although their burden of kidney cancer kept relatively low. At the same time, the deaths of kidney cancer increased from 68.14*103 to 138.53*103, and the kidney cancer-related DALYs increased from 1915.49*103 in 1990 to 3284.32*103 in 2017. Then, we searched the GBD database for kidney cancer-related risk factor. The high body-mass index and smoking were the main factors contributing to kidney cancer-related mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Generally, from 1990 to 2017, the incidence rate in developed countries had gone down from the historic peak values while the incidence rate was still on the rise in developing counties. Given the aging trend in the globe, it is necessary to appeal to the public to decrease the exposure of kidney cancer-associated risk factors.

CD38: targeted therapy in multiple myeloma and therapeutic potential for solid cancers

INTRODUCTION

CD38 is expressed by some cells of hematological malignancies and tumor-related immunosuppressive cells, including regulatory T cells, regulatory B cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. CD38 is an effective target in some hematological malignancies such as multiple myeloma (MM). Daratumumab (Dara), a CD38-targeting antibody, can eliminate CD38^high immune suppressor cells and is regarded as a standard therapy for MM because of its outstanding clinical efficacy. Other CD38 monospecific antibodies, such as isatuximab, MOR202, and TAK079, showed promising effects in clinical trials.

AREA COVERED

This review examines the expression, function, and targeting of CD38 in MM and its potential to deplete immunosuppressive cells in solid cancers. We summarize the distribution and biological function of CD38 and discuss the application of anti-CD38 drugs in hematological malignancies. We also analyz the role of CD38⁺ immune cells in the tumor microenvironment to encourage additional investigations that target CD38 in solid cancers. PubMed and ClinicalTrials were searched to identify relevant literature from the database inception to 30 April 2020.

EXPERT OPINION

There is convincing evidence that CD38-targeted immunotherapeutics reduce CD38⁺ immune suppressor cells. This result suggests that CD38 can be exploited to treat solid tumors by regulating the immunosuppressive microenvironment.

Increased serum IL-36γ levels are associated with disease severity in myasthenia gravis patients

BACKGROUND

Interleukin 36 (IL-36), as a gradually recognized cytokine, is involved in the occurrence and evolution of autoimmune diseases. Nevertheless, the relationship between myasthenia gravis (MG) and IL-36 is rarely reported.

METHODS

We evaluated the serum levels of IL-36 (IL-36α, IL-36β and IL-36γ) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Further, clinical parameters in 97 MG patients and 49 healthy controls (HCs) were carefully measured.

RESULTS

Serum IL-36γ levels were significantly elevated in the MG patients compared with the HCs (p < 0.0001). Compared to those in remission, patients in the acute phase exhibited higher levels of IL-36α and IL-36γ (p = 0.038 and p = 0.011, respectively). Furthermore, patients with generalized MG (GMG) exhibited markedly higher serum IL-36γ levels than those with ocular MG (OMG) (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

The serum levels of IL-36γ in patients with MG were increased and positively correlated with disease severity and may thus have potential as a serological MG marker.

Prognostic Values of TIM-3 Expression in Patients With Solid Tumors: A Meta-Analysis and Database Evaluation

Background: T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing molecule-3 (TIM-3), a novel emerging immune checkpoint molecule, was reported to express both on various kinds of immune cells and tumor cells. Many previous studies have investigated the prognostic significance of TIM-3 in cancer. However, the sample number from single study was limited and results remained controversial.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases for publications concerning TIM-3 expression in solid cancers up to March 2020. The correlations between TIM-3 and survival as well as clinical-pathological features were analyzed. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs), odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated by either fixed or random effects models.

Results: A total of 3,072 patients were included in our meta-analysis. The result suggested that TIM-3 protein overexpression was relevant to poor overall survival (HR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.39–2.15, P < 0.001). Moreover, TIM-3 was shown to be connected with lymph node metastasis (N+ vs. N-, OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.10–2.29, P = 0.013), tumor grade (G2-3 vs. G1, OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.21–2.34, P = 0.002), as well as PD-1 expression (PD-1^high vs. PD-1^low, OR = 3.26, 95% CI = 2.20–4.82, P < 0.001). In database test, significant correlations between high TIM-3 mRNA expression and poor overall survival for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and gastric cancer were observed (HR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.23–1.72, P < 0.001; HR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.12–1.77, P = 0.0038).

Conclusion: Our meta-analysis highlights that TIM-3 has the potential to serve as a prognostic marker and a valuable therapeutic target in solid tumors.

Upregulation of STAT1-CCL5 axis is a biomarker of colon cancer and promotes the proliferation of colon cancer cells

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and women globally. Investigating genetic ground differences between normal and CRC tissues would be significant for identifying some key oncogenic pathways and developing anti-cancer agents.

Methods

Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) method was used to screen out core pathways related to the clinical traits of CRC patients. Then, multiple databases were utilized to further verify the hub genes obtained from data mining. Finally, to explore the role of hub genes in CRC, cell counting and EdU assays were performed.

Results

The results of the WGCNA analysis showed that a module (turquoise module) was highly related with CRC differentiation grade (R =0.53, P<0.0001). Enrichment analysis indicated that genes of the turquoise module were remarkably enriched in multiple inflammatory processes and pathways. Among all hub genes of the turquoise module, the mRNA levels of STAT1 and CCL5 were significantly higher in CRC than in normal colon tissues. STAT1 expression was highly positively correlated with the level of CCL5. The results of the cell counting, EdU, CCK-8, and CFSE staining assays showed that interfering with STAT1 and CCL5 could inhibit the proliferation of CRC cells.

Conclusions

Our study indicated that the STAT1-CCL5 axis is an important modulator in the development of CRC through promoting cell proliferation. Moreover, the levels of STAT1 and CCL5 might be valuable biomarkers for CRC screening.

The application of histone deacetylases inhibitors in glioblastoma

The epigenetic abnormality is generally accepted as the key to cancer initiation. Epigenetics that ensure the somatic inheritance of differentiated state is defined as a crucial factor influencing malignant phenotype without altering genotype. Histone modification is one such alteration playing an essential role in tumor formation, progression, and resistance to treatment. Notably, changes in histone acetylation have been strongly linked to gene expression, cell cycle, and carcinogenesis. The balance of two types of enzyme, histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs), determines the stage of histone acetylation and then the architecture of chromatin. Changes in chromatin structure result in transcriptional dysregulation of genes that are involved in cell-cycle progression, differentiation, apoptosis, and so on. Recently, HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) are identified as novel agents to keep this balance, leading to numerous researches on it for more effective strategies against cancers, including glioblastoma (GBM). This review elaborated influences on gene expression and tumorigenesis by acetylation and the antitumor mechanism of HDACis. Besdes, we outlined the preclinical and clinical advancement of HDACis in GBM as monotherapies and combination therapies.

Stochastic Dynamics of Gene Switching and Energy Dissipation for Gene Expression

Stochastic dynamics of gene switching and energy dissipation for gene expression are largely unknown, mainly due to the complexity of non-equilibrium mechanisms. Here, based on an important double-deck loop model, the stochastic mechanisms of gene switching and energy dissipation are studied. First, the probability distributions of steady states are calculated theoretically. It is found that the signal can strengthen the choice of gene switching between the "off" and "on" states. Our analysis of energy consumption illustrates that, compared with the synthesis and degradation of proteins, the process of gene switching costs little energy. Our theoretical analysis reveals some interesting insights into the determination of cell state and energy dissipation for gene expression.

RDGN-based predictive model for the prognosis of breast cancer

Background

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed malignancy in females in the United States. The members of retinal determination gene network (RDGN) including DACH, EYA, as well as SIX families participate in the proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis of multiple tumors including breast cancer. A comprehensive predictive model of RDGN might be helpful to herald the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

Methods

In this study, the Gene Expression Ominibus (GEO) and Gene Set Expression Analysis (GSEA) algorithm were used to investigate the effect of RDGN members on downstream signaling pathways. Besides, based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we explored the expression patterns of RDGN members in tumors, normal tissues, and different breast cancer subtypes. Moreover, we estimated the relationship between RDGN members and the outcomes of breast cancer patients. Lastly, we constructed a RDGN-based predictive model by Cox proportional hazard regression and verified the model in two separate GEO datasets.

Results

The results of GSEA showed that the expression of DACH1 was negatively correlated with cell cycle and DNA replication pathways. On the contrary, the levels of EYA2 and SIX1 were significantly positively correlated with DNA replication, mTOR, and Wnt pathways. Further investigation in TCGA database indicated that DACH1 expression was lower in breast cancers especially basal-like subtype. In the meanwhile, SIX1 was remarkably upregulated in breast cancers while EYA2 level was increased in Basal-like and Her-2 enriched subtypes. Survival analyses demonstrated that DACH1 was a favorable factor while EYA2 and SIX1 were risk factors for breast cancer patients. Given the results of Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, two members of RDGN were involved in the present predictive model and patients with high model index had poorer outcomes.

Conclusion

This study showed that aberrant RDGN expression was an unfavorable factor for breast cancer. This RDGN-based comprehensively framework was meaningful for predicting the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

Correlation between serum levels of endothelin-1 and disease severity in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders

AIMS

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are aquaporin-4 antibody-mediated diseases of the central nervous system. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is an inflammatory cytokine released by vascular endothelial cells and activated astrocytes. Previous studies have reported the aberrant expressions of cytokines/chemokines in patients diagnosed with NMOSD. However, the serum levels of ET-1 in NMOSD patients remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to measure the serum levels of ET-1 and other immune-related cytokines/chemokines in patients with NMOSD, and to investigate the correlation between serum ET-1 levels and clinical characteristics of NMOSD.

METHODS

Thirty-eight patients with NMOSD and twenty-eight healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study. The serum concentrations of ET-1 and other cytokines/chemokines were measured, and their correlations to the clinical features of patients with NMOSD were analyzed.

RESULTS

The serum levels of ET-1 in patients with NMOSD were significantly higher than those in HCs (P =  0.0001). The serum concentrations of ET-1 were positively correlated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale score (r = 0.428, P = 0.0183). High-dose intravenous methylprednisolone treatment significantly reduced the levels of ET-1 and interleukin (IL)-6 in blood, but significantly increased the serum concentrations of IL-10 in NMOSD patients. No correlations were found between serum ET-1 levels and the concentrations of other cytokines/chemokines in these patients.

CONCLUSION

ET-1 and IL-6 might exert pro-inflammatory effects in the pathogenesis of NMOSD, whereas IL-10 played an anti-inflammatory role in this process. ET-1 might be a potential biomarker for predicting the severity of NMOSD. However, the serum levels of ET-1 were not correlated with the changes of other cytokines/chemokines in patients with NMOSD. The involvement of ET-1 in the development of NMOSD needs to be further studied.

Is the allocation of medical and health resources effective? Characteristic facts from regional heterogeneity in China

Background

Over the last decade, the expenditure on public medical and health has increased greatly in China, however, problems as low efficiency and unfairness still exist. How to accurately describe the effectiveness of existing medical and health resources in combination with regional heterogeneity is of great significance to China’s medical and health reform.

Methods

Based on provincial panel data for the period of 2005 to 2017, combining expected output and unexpected output, this paper constructs a super-efficiency three-stage SBM-DEA model, to measure and analyze the spatial-temporal heterogeneity characteristics and influencing factors of public medical and health efficiency (PMHE).

Results

(1) After the impacts of random error and external environmental factors are removed, the mean value of overall PMHE is 0.9274, failing to reach DEA efficiency, and PMHE shows a fluctuated downward trend. (2) The adjusted PMHE level shows a prominent spatial imbalance at the stage 3. The average efficiency level is ranked by the East > the West > the Central > the Northeast. (3) The increases of GDP per capita and population density are beneficial to the improvement of PMHE, while income level and education level are disadvantageous to PMHE, and last, the urbanization level, an uncertain effect. (4) There is no σ convergence of the PMHE in the East, the Central and the West, that is, the internal differences may gradually expand in the future, while the Northeast shows a significant σ convergence trending of PMHE. (5) The state’s allocation of medical and health resources has undergone major changes during “The Twelfth Five-Year Plan”.

Conclusion

This study innovatively incorporates undesired outputs of health care into the efficiency evaluation framework by constructing the main efficiency evaluation indicators. The results of the robust evaluation conclude that China’s existing investment in medical and health resources is generally not effective. Therefore, although China’s health care reform has made certain achievement, it is still necessary to expand the investment in health care resources.

The global burden and attributable risk factor analysis of acute myeloid leukemia in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017: estimates based on the global burden of disease study 2017

BACKGROUND

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common leukemia subtype and has a poor prognosis. The risk of AML is highly related to age. In the context of population aging, a comprehensive report presenting epidemiological trends of AML is evaluable for policy-marker to allocate healthy resources.

METHODS

This study was based on the Global Burden of Disease 2017 database. We analyzed the change trends of incidence rate, death rate, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rate by calculating the corresponding estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) values. Besides, we investigated the influence of social development degree on AML's epidemiological trends and potential risk factors for AML-related mortality.

RESULTS

From 1990 to 2017, the incidence of AML gradually increased in the globe. Males and elder people had a higher possibility to develop AML. Developed countries tended to have higher age-standardized incidence rate and death rate than developing regions. Smoking, high body mass index, occupational exposure to benzene, and formaldehyde were the main risk factors for AML-related mortality. Notably, the contribution ratio of exposure to carcinogens was significantly increased in the low social-demographic index (SDI) region than in the high SDI region.

CONCLUSION

Generally, the burden of AML became heavier during the past 28 years which might need more health resources to resolve this population aging-associated problem. In the present stage, developed countries with high SDI had the most AML incidences and deaths. At the same time, developing countries with middle- or low-middle SDI also need to take actions to relieve rapidly increased AML burden.

Genome sequencing and analysis of fungus Hirsutella sinensis isolated from Ophiocordyceps sinensis

Ophiocordyceps sinensis has been used as a traditional medicine or healthy food in China for thousands of years. Hirsutella sinensis was reported as the only correct anamorph of O. sinensis. It is reported that the laboratory-grown H. sinensis mycelium has similar clinical efficacy and less associated toxicity compared to the wild O. sinensis. The research of the H. sinensis is becoming more and more important and urgent. To gain deeper insight into the biological and pharmacological mechanisms, we sequenced the genome of H. sinensis. The genome of H. sinensis (102.72 Mb) was obtained for the first time, with > 99% coverage. 10,200 protein-encoding genes were predicted based on the genome sequence. A detailed secondary metabolism analysis and structure verification of the main ingredients were performed, and the biosynthesis pathways of seven ingredients (mannitol, cordycepin, purine nucleotides, pyrimidine nucleotides, unsaturated fatty acid, cordyceps polysaccharide and sphingolipid) were predicted and drawn. Furthermore, infection process and mechanism of H. sinensis were studied and elaborated in this article. The enzymes involved in the infection mechanism were also predicted, cloned and expressed to verify the mechanism. The genes and proteins were predicted and annotated based on the genome sequence. The pathways of several active components in H. sinensis were predicted and key enzymes were confirmed. The work presented here would improve the understanding of the genetic basis of this organism, and contribute to further research, production and application of H. sinensis.

Structural, magnetic, and electronic evolution of the spin-ladder system BaFe2S3-x Se x with isoelectronic substitution

We report experimental studies of a series of BaFe2S3-x Se x (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 3) single crystals and powder specimens using x-ray diffraction, neutron-diffraction, muon-spin-relaxation, and electrical transport measurements. A structural transformation from Cmcm (BaFe2S3) to Pnma (BaFe2Se3) was identified around x = 0.7 - 1. Neutron-diffraction measurements on the samples with x = 0.2, 0.4, and 0.7 reveal that the Néel temperature of the stripe antiferromagnetic order is gradually suppressed from ~120 to 85 K, while the magnitude of the ordered Fe2+ moments shows very little variation. Similarly, the block antiferromagnetic order in BaFe2Se3 remains robust for 1.5 ⩽ x ⩽ 3 with negligible variation in the ordered moment and a slight decrease of the Néel temperature from 250 K (x = 3) to 225 K (x = 1.5). The sample with x = 1 near the Cmcm and Pnma border shows coexisting, two-dimensional, short-range stripe- and block-type antiferromagnetic correlations. The system remains insulating for all x, but the thermal activation gap shows an abrupt increase when traversing the boundary from the Cmcm stripe phase to the Pnma block phase. The results demonstrate that the crystal structure, magnetic order, and electronic properties are strongly coupled in the BaFe2S3-x Se x system.

Abstract D056: Differences in breast cancer survival by race, age, and tumor estrogen receptor status

Background: Breast cancer survival advancement can be ascribed to various efforts including community screening programs and educational outreach resulting in earlier diagnosis, treatment advances, and more accessible care. However, racial disparities continue to persist. Identification of populations susceptible to adverse health outcomes is substantial to construct health disparities resolutions. The purpose of the study is to identify trends in breast cancer disease specific survival (DSS) in black patients compared to white patients by age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, and tumor estrogen receptor (ER) status. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was utilized to identify patients of black or white race diagnosed with stage I-III, ER positive (+) or ER negative (-) breast cancer between 1990 and 2009. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine 14-year breast cancer DSS. Changes in DSS were analyzed over the study’s time period and in 3 age groups to evaluate women who were of pre-menopausal age (&lt; 50 years), perimenopausal or postmenopausal and of the average age for breast cancer diagnosis (50-64 years), and elderly (65 + years). Results: The total study sample was 344,142 patients; 309,415 identified as white (89.9%) and 34,727 identified as black (10.1%) women. All patients diagnosed most recently had stable or improving DSS (p&lt;0.05). White patients with ER+ or ER- disease had significantly higher DSS compared to blacks in all age groups and years of diagnosis (p&lt;0.05); more specifically all black patients diagnosed in 2005-2009, had significantly lower disease specific survival (DSS) compared to white patients diagnosed a decade earlier in 1995-1999 (p&lt;0.05). For women 65+ with ER+ cancer, black patients diagnosed between 2005-2009 had a DSS of 86% compared to 91% in white patients diagnosed between 1995-2000. In ER- patients less than 50 years of age, black patients diagnosed between 2005-2009 had 78% DSS compared to white patient DSS of 84% within the same period. Among black patients, young women &lt;50 years of age ER+ and ER- women aged 50-64 years had consistent and most improvement in DSS over the study’s 4 time intervals; for ER+ cancer, DSS was 68% for those diagnosed in 1990-1994, 71% for 1995-1999, 75% for 2000-2005, and 79% for 2006-2009 and for ER- cancer, the DSS was 60% for those diagnosed in 1990-1994, 67% for 1995-1999, and 72% for 2000-2005, and 75% for 2006-2009 (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: Improvements in breast cancer DSS are evidenced in black and white women, most especially black patients &lt; 50 years of age with ER+ and 50-64 with ER- disease. However, findings demonstrate DSS remain lower in all black patients compared to white patients, independent of year of diagnosis, age, and tumor receptor status. Continued efforts are crucial to identify and address the causes of continued disparities in breast cancer DSS, particularly in subsets of black patients not having survival improvements.

Citation Format: Ewune Ewane, M Yi, A Akhtar, A M Brewster, Lorna McNeil-Haughton, Kelly K Hunt, Dalliah M Black. Differences in breast cancer survival by race, age, and tumor estrogen receptor status [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D056.

Abstract B051: IFNL4-deltaG allele is associated with an interferon signature in tumors and survival of African-American men with prostate cancer

Purpose: Men of African ancestry experience an excessive prostate cancer mortality that could be related to an aggressive tumor biology. We previously described an immune-inflammation signature in prostate tumors of African-American patients. Here, we further deconstructed this signature and investigated its relationships with tumor biology, survival, and a common germline variant in the interferon λ4 (IFNL4) gene.

Experimental Design: We analyzed gene expression in prostate tissue datasets and performed IFNL4 genotype and survival analyses. We also overexpressed IFNL4 in human prostate cancer cells.

Results: We found that a distinct interferon signature that is analogous to the previously described “Interferon-related DNA Damage Resistance Signature” (IRDS) occurs in prostate tumors. Evaluation of two independent patient cohorts revealed that IRDS is detected about twice as often in prostate tumors of African-American than European-American men. Furthermore, analysis in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) showed an association of increased IRDS in prostate tumors with decreased disease-free survival. To explain these observations, we assessed whether IRDS is associated with an IFNL4 germline variant (rs368234815-ΔG) that controls production of IFN-λ4 protein, a type-III interferon, and is most common in individuals of African ancestry. We show that the IFNL4 rs368234815-ΔG allele was significantly associated with IRDS in prostate tumors and overall survival of African-American patients. Moreover, IFNL4 overexpression induced IRDS-like signatures in three human prostate cancer cell lines.

Conclusions: Tumor interferon signaling has recently been shown to modulate response and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade. Here, we describe a distinct and biologically relevant interferon signature, IRDS, in prostate tumors that has a high prevalence in African-American patients. Our observations indicate that IRDS and IFNL4 rs368234815-ΔG may have a function in the tumor biology and survival of African-American patients, and influence immune therapy outcomes, which should be examined in future studies.

Citation Format: Wei Tang, Tiffany Wallace, Ming Yi, Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, Tiffany Dorsey, Olusegun Onabajo, Adeola Obajemu, Symone Jordan, Christopher Loffredo, Robert Stephens, Robert Silverman, George Stark, Eric Klein, Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson, Stefan Ambs. IFNL4-deltaG allele is associated with an interferon signature in tumors and survival of African-American men with prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B051.

Total factor productivity of cultivated land use in China under environmental constraints: temporal and spatial variations and their influencing factors

The continuous decline in the resource and environment-carrying capacity of cultivated land resources has seriously threatened the sustainable supply of cultivated land resources in China. Using the Hicks-Moorsteen total factor productivity index method, we examine the total factor productivity of cultivated land use (CL-TFP) in China from 2003 to 2017 under environmental constraints. We further use a panel Tobit model to estimate the effect of its influencing factors. The results show that the CL-TFP presents a fluctuating upward trend and reaches data envelopment analysis (DEA) efficiency during the sample period. The regional results reveal a significant spatial difference, especially in the mid-west region, which fails to reach DEA efficiency. China's main cultivated land did not realize economies of scale. The phenomenon of spatial polarization in what we refer to as very low-value areas and very high-value areas is clear, and the changes are gradual. Regarding the determinative influencing factors, results from the panel Tobit model show that cultivated land usage tax and environmental pollution control investment have no significant effect on CL-TFP, while income level and agricultural intermediate consumption do have a positive effect on CL-TFP. The empirical evidence can help policymakers craft and frame effective policies that improve the utilization efficiency of China's cultivated land resources.

Abstract B18: Clostridium perfringens lethal toxin specifically targets RAS and disrupts RAS signaling pathway

Clostridium perfringens lethal toxin (TpeL) belongs to the family of large clostridial glucosylating cytotoxins. Clostridial toxins are glucosyltransferases that modify and deactivate small GTPases of the RHO and RAS subfamily. TpeL mono-glucosylates in the switch I domain (Thr35) of RAC and RAS small GTPases. RAS family proteins function as key regulators of cell proliferation, differentiation, survival and gene expression. Moreover, mutations in RAS proteins are highly prevalent in human cancers. Considering the specificity of TpeL for RAS, we decided to investigate the biochemical interaction between TpeL and RAS, and potentially develop TpeL as a tool to disrupt the RAS signaling pathway in vivo. First, we used RAS-dependent MEFs expressing different KRAS mutations and BRAF V600E to assess the specificity of TpeL in vivo. We expected that proliferation should be inhibited in MEF cells expressing RAS isoforms, but MEF cells expressing BRAF V600E should not be affected. We found that TpeL treatment did not affect the viability of the BRAF V600E cells and only induced toxicity in RAS expressing cells. Consistent with this result, TpeL treatment inhibited MAPK signal transduction in the RAS expressing cells, but not in the BRAF V600E cells. Surprisingly, both cell viability as well as pERK levels remained unaffected in the KRAS Q61R MEF cells, suggesting that KRAS Q61R is resistant to TpeL. Furthermore, TpeL treatment of cancer cell lines shows significant differences in potency, with KRAS G12C cell lines being more sensitive to the toxin. Our cellular data suggest a correlation between TpeL sensitivity and intrinsic hydrolysis rate of the KRAS alleles. Biochemical assays corroborate our hypothesis that TpeL preferentially glucosylates KRAS GDP loaded in vitro. Moreover, TpeL glucosylation inhibits GEF-mediated nucleotide exchange, effectively blocking KRAS on the GDP inactive state. To further follow up the correlation between KRAS GDP levels and TpeL sensitivity, we used a combination treatment of TpeL and EGFR/FGFR inhibitors. Combination screen shows a synergistic effect; we observed increased TpeL sensitivity in combination with the inhibitors. By elucidating the mechanism of substrate binding and substrate specificity, we have gained insight into the TpeL-RAS interaction and we are working on developing the toxin as a therapeutic tool.

Citation Format: Maria Abreu-Blanco, Ming Yi, Jean-Paul Denson, Matthew Holderfield. Clostridium perfringens lethal toxin specifically targets RAS and disrupts RAS signaling pathway [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting RAS-Driven Cancers; 2018 Dec 9-12; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(5_Suppl):Abstract nr B18.

Abstract B08: ETC inhibitors alter oncogenic KRAS signal transduction

KRAS proteins regulate many cellular processes and gain-of-function KRAS mutations constitutively activate effector signal transduction pathways independent of mitogenic stimuli. Oncogenic KRAS-driven cancers also frequently have high glycolytic rates and may have increased sensitivity to metabolic inhibitors. In this study, we characterize a small molecule found to be active in a drug screen that uses transgenic Drosophila melanogaster expressing human KRASG12V in the wing to assess kRAS suppressing activity. The compound partially restored normal wing development in the KRASG12V flies and inhibited growth and signal transduction in multiple oncogenic KRAS-driven cell lines. It also inhibited Complex 1 of the electron transport chain (ETC). Increased glycolysis or addition of exogenous aspartate was sufficient to rescue KRAS function and cellular growth after ETC inhibition. These data indicate that oncogenic KRAS signal transduction requires high cellular ATP and amino acid biosynthesis and suggest a synthetic lethal interaction between KRAS and metabolic targets. We also describe co-mutations that sensitize KRAS-driven cell lines to OxPhos Inhibition and show how differential OxPhos inhibitor sensitivity in lung and pancreatic cancer cell lines can correlate with low and high glycolysis ssGSEA gene signatures.

Citation Format: Kanika Sharma, Ming Yi, Giovanna Grandinetti, Ashish B. Chougule, Philip Liaw, Stephen Yanofsky, Solomon Ungashe, Jeffery H. Thomas, William Garland, Matthew Holderfield. ETC inhibitors alter oncogenic KRAS signal transduction [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting RAS-Driven Cancers; 2018 Dec 9-12; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(5_Suppl):Abstract nr B08.

Different clinical characteristics of longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis with and without connective tissue disorders: a single-center retrospective study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Autoimmune longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) is often combined with connective tissue disorders (CTD). The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics of autoimmune LETM with and without CTD.

METHODS

Ninety-two patients diagnosed with autoimmune LETM were enrolled from our clinical database and divided into two groups depending on whether they had a concomitant diagnosis of CTD. Differences in clinical, serological, and imaging characteristics between the two groups were evaluated and compared.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine LETM patients without CTD and 33 LETM patients with CTD were included. LETM patients with CTD had higher Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale at nadir and more severe sensory dysfunction (p < 0.05) than those without CTD. It was also found that LETM patients with CTD, compared with those without CTD, had elevated levels of immune inflammation markers such as IgG, IgA, and globulins (p < 0.05). These abovementioned characteristics were more prominent in patients with aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-ab) than in those without them. In addition, the most common type of CTD in LETM was Sjögren syndrome (SS), which was usually diagnosed at the time of LETM or later.

CONCLUSION

LETM patients with CTD, especially those with AQP4-ab, had greater sensory dysfunction and higher levels of inflammatory markers than did LETM patients without CTD. Multicenter cooperation and long-term follow-up are necessary to further study the inherent implications and prognosis of the disease.

The tumor suppressor NOR1 suppresses cell growth, invasiveness, and tumorigenicity in glioma

Oxidored-nitro domain-containing protein 1 (NOR1) is a tumor suppressor downregulated in various human cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), lung cancer, and testicular cancer. NOR1 protein is highly expressed in the normal brain; however, its role in brain tumors remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that the NOR1 protein level was decreased in glioma tissue samples as compared to its normal counterpart. Exogenously expressed NOR1 protein in glioma U251 cells inhibits tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Re-expression of NOR1 induced cell cycle S to G2 phase arrest and suppressed its tumorigenicity in nude mice. Overexpression of NOR1 in U251 cells also led to a decrease of Ki67 expression in xenografts. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that NOR1 expression altered the expression of genes favored cell proliferation. Among the differentially expressed genes, FOXR2, a member of the FOX gene family, which promotes glioma progression, was decreased in NOR1 expressing cells. The downregulation of FOXR2 by NOR1 was validated in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest for the first time that NOR1 suppresses glioma progression via modulating the FOXR2 expression.

The role of cancer-derived microRNAs in cancer immune escape

During malignant transformation, accumulated somatic mutations endow cancer cells with increased invasiveness and immunogenicity. Under selective pressure, these highly immunogenic cancer cells develop multiple strategies to evade immune attack. It has been well established that cancer cells could downregulate the expression of major histocompatibility complex, acquire alterations in interferon pathway, and upregulate the activities of immune checkpoint pathways. Besides, cancer cells secret numerous cytokines, exosomes, and microvesicles to regulate the functions and abundances of components in the tumor microenvironment including immune effector cells and professional antigen presentation cells. As the vital determinant of post-transcriptional regulation, microRNAs (miRNAs) not only participate in cancer initiation and progression but also regulate anti-cancer immune response. For instance, some miRNAs affect cancer immune surveillance and immune escape by interfering the expression of immune attack-associated molecules. A growing body of evidence indicated that cancer-derived immune modulatory miRNAs might be promising targets to counteract cancer immune escape. In this review, we summarized the role of some miRNAs in cancer immune escape and discussed their potential clinical application as treatment targets.

Manipulating Gut Microbiota Composition to Enhance the Therapeutic Effect of Cancer Immunotherapy

In the past decade, a growing set of immunotherapies including immune checkpoint blockade, chimeric antigen receptor T cells, and bispecific antibodies propelled the advancement of oncology therapeutics. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that immunotherapy could eliminate tumors better than traditional chemotherapy or radiotherapy with lower risk of adverse events in numerous cancer types. Unfortunately, a substantial proportion of patients eventually acquire resistance to immunotherapy. By analyzing the differences between immunotherapy-sensitive and immunotherapy-resistant populations, it was noticed that the composition of gut microbiota is closely related to treatment effect. Moreover, in xenograft models, interventional regulation of gut microbiota could effectively enhance efficacy and relieve resistance during immunotherapy. Thus, we believe that gut microbiota composition might be helpful to explain the heterogeneity of treatment effect, and manipulating gut microbiota could be a promising adjuvant treatment for cancer immunotherapy. In this mini review, we focus on the latest understanding of the cross-talk between gut microbiota and host immunity. Moreover, we highlight the role of gut microbiota in cancer immunotherapy including immune checkpoint inhibitor and adoptive cell transfer.

Discontinuity-induced intermittent synchronization transitions in coupled non-smooth systems

The synchronization transition in coupled non-smooth systems is studied for increasing coupling strength. The average order parameter is calculated to diagnose synchronization of coupled non-smooth systems. It is found that the coupled non-smooth system exhibits an intermittent synchronization transition from the cluster synchronization state to the complete synchronization state, depending on the coupling strength and initial conditions. Detailed numerical analyses reveal that the discontinuity always plays an important role in the synchronization transition of the coupled non-smooth system. In addition, it is found that increasing the coupling strength leads to the coexistence of periodic cluster states. Detailed research illustrates that the periodic clusters consist of two or more coexisting periodic attractors. Their periodic trajectory passes from one region to another region that is divided by discontinuous boundaries in the phase space. The mutual interactions of the local nonlinearity and the spatial coupling ultimately result in a stable periodic trajectory.

Development of a CRISPR-SaCas9 system for projection- and function-specific gene editing in the rat brain

A genome editing technique based on the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated endonuclease Cas9 enables efficient modification of genes in various cell types, including neurons. However, neuronal ensembles even in the same brain region are not anatomically or functionally uniform but divide into distinct subpopulations. Such heterogeneity requires gene editing in specific neuronal populations. We developed a CRISPR-SaCas9 system-based technique, and its combined application with anterograde/retrograde AAV vectors and activity-dependent cell-labeling techniques achieved projection- and function-specific gene editing in the rat brain. As a proof-of-principle application, we knocked down the cbp (CREB-binding protein), a sample target gene, in specific neuronal subpopulations in the medial prefrontal cortex, and demonstrated the significance of the projection- and function-specific CRISPR-SaCas9 system in revealing neuronal and circuit basis of memory. The high efficiency and specificity of our projection- and function-specific CRISPR-SaCas9 system could be widely applied in neural circuitry studies.

Identifying Tumorigenesis and Prognosis-Related Genes of Lung Adenocarcinoma: Based on Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed subtype of nonsmall cell lung cancer. The molecular mechanisms of the initiation and progression of lung adenocarcinoma remain to be further determined. This study aimed to screen genes related to the progression of lung adenocarcinoma. By weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), we constructed a free-scale gene coexpression network to evaluate the correlations between multiple gene sets and patients' clinical traits, then further identify predictive biomarkers. GSE11969 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database which contained the gene expression data of 90 lung adenocarcinoma patients. Data of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were employed as the validation cohort. After the average linkage hierarchical clustering, a total of 9 modules were generated. In the clinical significant module (R = 0.44, P < 0.0001), we identified 29 network hub genes. Subsequent verification in the TCGA database showed that 11 hub genes (ANLN, CDCA5, FLJ21924, LMNB1, MAD2L1, RACGAP1, RFC4, SNRPD1, TOP2A, TTK, and ZWINT) were significantly associated with poor survival data of lung adenocarcinomas. Besides, the results of receiver operating characteristic curves indicated that the mRNA levels of this group of genes exhibited high specificity and sensitivity to distinguish malignant lesions from nonmalignant tissues. Apart from mRNA levels, we found that the protein abundances of these 11 genes were remarkably upregulated in lung adenocarcinomas compared with normal tissues. In conclusion, by the WGCNA method, a panel of 11 genes were identified as predictive biomarkers for tumorigenesis and poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinomas.

Government R&D Subsidies, Environmental Regulations, and Their Effect on Green Innovation Efficiency of Manufacturing Industry: Evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China

The Yangtze River Economic Belt is the most important manufacturing economic belt in China. The level of manufacturing green innovation efficiency of the Yangtze River Economic Belt directly affects the overall competitiveness of China's manufacturing industry. With panel data from 11 provinces and cities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China for the period of 2008 to 2017, this paper applies the slacks-based measure (SBM)-data envelopment analysis (DEA) model and panel Tobit model to conduct an empirical study of the effects of government research and development subsidies and environmental regulations on the green innovation efficiency of the manufacturing industry of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The results show that, firstly, government R&D subsidies and environmental regulations are both conducive to improving the green innovation efficiency of the manufacturing industry of the Yangtze River Economic Belt; secondly, because of the fact that the interaction terms between government R&D subsidies and environmental regulations failed to pass the significance test, the positive moderating effects of R&D subsidies on environmental regulations and green innovation efficiency of the manufacturing industry are not obvious; thirdly, in terms of control variables, strengthening agglomeration is the only factor that is positively correlated with green innovation efficiency improvement of the manufacturing industry. Enterprise scale and industrial structure have negative effects on green innovation efficiency improvement, and the openness of economy has no correlation with green innovation efficiency.

CXCL1 as an Unfavorable Prognosis Factor Negatively Regulated by DACH1 in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background: Interaction between cancer cells with microenvironment is essential for cancer progression, therapeutic resistance and prognosis. Chemokine CXCL1 shows variable roles in the development of cancers. DACH1 has been considered as a tumor suppressor and represses the expressions of several chemokines. The relationship between CXCL1 and DACH1 in non-small cell lung cancer (SCLC) deserves further investigation.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry staining was performed on tumor tissue microarrays from lung cancer patients to detect CXCL1 protein. The CXCL1 concentration in the serum of adenocarcinoma patients was measured by ELISA. The CXCL1 protein secreted by cancer cell lines was detected by SearchLight proteome array and human cytokine antibody array. The meta-analysis of CXCL1 expression form public databases was performed and correlation between CXCL1 and DACH1 was analyzed. Moreover, the association between clinicopathological features and prognosis with CXCL1 and DACH1 was analyzed by tissue array and KM-plotter from public database.

Results: The protein abundance of CXCL1 in lung cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues. CXCL1 was closely related to TNM stage, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis and predicted worse overall survival in adenocarcinoma. The level of CXCL1 in the peripheral blood of adenocarcinoma patients also significantly elevated and positively related with clinical stage. The meta-analysis demonstrated that CXCL1 mRNA level was increased in lung cancer tissues and high level of CXCL1 indicated tumor progression in lung adenocarcinoma. In addition, public database analyses showed that CXCL1 negatively correlated with DACH1. Stable overexpressing DACH1 in cultured lung cancer cells remarkably decreased CXCL1 protein. Moreover, ectopic expression of DACH1 significantly inhibited the expression of CXCL1, Ki67, and cyclin D1 in tumor tissues compared with A549 cells with empty vector. Survival analysis showed that high CXCL1 and low DACH1 indicated poor overall survival and progression-free survival.

Conclusion: CXCL1 is closely associated with tumor progression and poor survival. DACH1 significantly inhibits the expression of CXCL1 and indicates good prognosis. Therefore, combined detection of CXCL1 and DACH1 could more precisely predict prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

Active faceted Cu2O hollow nanospheres for unprecedented adsorption and visible-light degradation of pollutants

We report the well-designed active {1 1 0} and {1 1 1} faceted Cu₂O hollow nanospheres (Cu₂O-HNs) for the quick removal of the high concentration pollutants in water. For the first time, these Cu₂O-HNs combine the advantages of the active facets, hollow structure and nanostructures. The abundance of dangling Cu atoms in two active facets results in positively charged surface to effectively react with the negatively charged pollutants. The hollow structure provides the opportunity to take full use of these active sites. Consequently, the active faceted Cu₂O-HNs demonstrate excellent adsorption and photodegradation capacities for high concentrated anionic dyes. The smallest Cu₂O-HNs (~100 nm) can adsorb ~90% of methyl blue (MB) (100 mg L^-1) in 10 min and degrade ~92% of MB (100 mg L^-1) in 10 min under visible-light. In particular, a film consisting of the smallest Cu₂O-HNs can quickly remove high concentrated organic dyes and be reused after solar light irradiation for 10 min in air, showing the promising practical application for the removal of organic pollutants.

Undermining Glutaminolysis Bolsters Chemotherapy While NRF2 Promotes Chemoresistance in KRAS-Driven Pancreatic Cancers

Pancreatic cancer is a disease with limited therapeutic options. Resistance to chemotherapies poses a significant clinical challenge for patients with pancreatic cancer and contributes to a high rate of recurrence. Oncogenic KRAS, a critical driver of pancreatic cancer, promotes metabolic reprogramming and upregulates NRF2, a master regulator of the antioxidant network. Here, we show that NRF2 contributed to chemoresistance and was associated with a poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer. NRF2 activation metabolically rewired and elevated pathways involved in glutamine metabolism. This curbed chemoresistance in KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancers. In addition, manipulating glutamine metabolism restrained the assembly of stress granules, an indicator of chemoresistance. Glutaminase inhibitors sensitized chemoresistant pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine, thereby improving the effectiveness of chemotherapy. This therapeutic approach holds promise as a novel therapy for patients with pancreatic cancer harboring KRAS mutation. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings illuminate the mechanistic features of KRAS-mediated chemoresistance and provide a rationale for exploiting metabolic reprogramming in pancreatic cancer cells to confer therapeutic opportunities that could be translated into clinical trials. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/80/8/1630/F1.large.jpg.

Effects of the surface polarity of nanomaterials on their interaction with complement protein gC1q

The dependence of the recognition mode of gC1q on the surface polarity of nanomaterials is mainly attributed to its distinct surface residue composition.

Transgenerational Inheritance of Reproductive and Metabolic Phenotypes in PCOS Rats

Androgen exposure of female fetuses could be an important factor in the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in subsequent generations. The present study aimed to investigate the transgenerational effects of PCOS on the growth, reproduction, and metabolism of the first- and second-generation offspring in rats. Female F0 rats received excessive dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) exposure to establish PCOS or the same amount of vehicle as controls. These F0 females were crossed with normal males to obtain control (C) and DHEA (D) F1 offspring, whereas F2 offspring were obtained by inter-crossing between F1 rats for 4 groups: (1) C♂-C♀; (2) D♂-C♀; (3) C♂-D♀ and (4) D♂-D♀. Compared with control groups, F1 and F2 offspring with ancestral DHEA exposure showed higher body weight with increasing age. In addition, female F1 and F2 offspring with ancestral DHEA exposure exhibited PCOS-like reproductive and metabolic phenotypes, including disrupted estrous cycles and polycystic ovaries, as well as increased serum levels of testosterone, impaired glucose tolerance and widespread metabolic abnormalities. Male offspring with ancestral DHEA exposure exhibited lower quality of sperms. These findings confirm the negative effects of excessive androgen exposure of female fetuses on subsequent generations.

Distinct Roles of VEGFA and ANGPT2 in Lung Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and angiopoietin 2 (ANGPT2) are key mediators in angiogenesis. The expression and clinical significance of VEGFA and ANGPT2 have been investigated in lung cancer, but the results are controversial. The specific roles of VEGFA and ANGPT2 in adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SQC) are still not fully understood. To characterize it, we conducted the current study.

Materials and Methods: The relationships between clinic-pathological characteristics and the protein expressions of VEGFA and ANGPT2 were analyzed on tissue microarrays by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Then public databases were used to evaluate the association of VEGFA and ANGPT2 mRNA expressions with clinic-pathological parameters and prognosis. Cobalt chloride (CoCl₂) was adopted to mimic a hypoxic microenvironment and western blot was used to detect the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), VEGFA and ANGPT2 in lung cancer cell lines.

Results: IHC staining revealed that the expressions of VEGFA and ANGPT2 were enriched in lung cancer tissues compared with normal tissues. Additionally, both VEGFA and ANGPT2 protein levels were significantly associated with the tumor size and lymph node metastasis only in ADC, not SQC. More importantly, increased VEGFA and ANGPT2 protein levels were negatively correlated with overall survival (OS) of ADC individuals. Meta-analyses of 22 gene expression omnibus (GEO) databases of lung cancer implicated that patients with higher VEGFA and ANGPT2 mRNA expressions tended to have advanced stage in ADC rather than SQC. Kaplan-Meier plot analyses further verified that high levels of VEGFA and ANGPT2 mRNA were associated with poor survival only in ADC. Moreover, the combination of VEGFA and ANGPT2 could more precisely predict prognosis in ADC. In hypoxia-mimicking conditions, induced expression of HIF-1α unregulated VEGFA and ANGPT2 proteins abundance.

Conclusion: Our results showed hypoxia upregulated the protein levels of VEGFA and ANGPT2 in lung cancer cell lines, and the roles of VEGFA and ANGPT2 were distinct in ADC and SQC. Combined detections of VEGFA and ANGPT2 may be valuable prognostic biomarkers for ADC and double block of VEGFA and ANGPT2 may improve therapeutic outcome.

MiR-146a down-regulates inflammatory response by targeting TLR3 and TRAF6 in Coxsackievirus B infection

Coxsackievirus B (CVB) is the major cause of human myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) is an intracellular sensor to detect pathogen's dsRNA. TLR3, along with TRAF6, triggers an inflammatory response through NF-κB signaling pathway. In the cells infected with CVB type 3 (CVB3), the abundance of miR-146a was significantly increased. The role of miR-146a in CVB infection is unclear. In this study, TLR3 and TRAF6 were identified as the targets of miR-146a. The elevated miR-146a inhibited NF-κB translocation and subsequently down-regulated proinflammatory cytokine expression in the CVB3-infected cells. Therefore, the NF-κB pathway can be doubly blocked by miR-146a through targeting of TLR3 and TRAF6. MiR-146a may be a negative regulator on inflammatory response and an intrinsic protective factor in CVB infection.