Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) mediated carbonate dissolution and arsenic release: Behavior and mechanisms

Carbonate bound arsenic act as an important reservoir for arsenic (As) in nature aquifers. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), one of the dominant bacterial species in reductive groundwater, profoundly affects the biogeochemical cycling of As. However, whether and how SRB act on the migration and transformation of carbonate bound arsenic remains to be elucidated. Batch culture experiment was employed using filed collected arsenic bearing calcite to investigate the release and species transformation of As by SRB. We found that arsenic in the carbonate samples mostly exist as inorganic As(V) (93.92 %) and As(III). The present of SRB significantly facilitated arsenic release from carbonates with a maximum of 22.3 μg/L. The main release mechanisms of As by SRB include 1) calcite dissolution and the liberate of arsenic in calcite lattices, and 2) the break of H-bonds frees arsenic absorbed on carbonate surface. A redistribution of arsenic during culture incubation took place which may due to the precipitation of As2Sx or secondary FeAl minerals. To our best knowledge, it is the first experimental study focusing on the release of carbonate bound arsenic by SRB. This study provides new insights into the fate and transport of arsenic mediated by microorganism within high arsenic groundwater-sediment system.

An immunophenotype-coupled transcriptomic atlas of human hematopoietic progenitors

Analysis of the human hematopoietic progenitor compartment is being transformed by single-cell multimodal approaches. Cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing (CITE-seq) enables coupled surface protein and transcriptome profiling, thereby revealing genomic programs underlying progenitor states. To perform CITE-seq systematically on primary human bone marrow cells, we used titrations with 266 CITE-seq antibodies (antibody-derived tags) and machine learning to optimize a panel of 132 antibodies. Multimodal analysis resolved >80 stem, progenitor, immune, stromal and transitional cells defined by distinctive surface markers and transcriptomes. This dataset enables flow cytometry solutions for in silico-predicted cell states and identifies dozens of cell surface markers consistently detected across donors spanning race and sex. Finally, aligning annotations from this atlas, we nominate normal marrow equivalents for acute myeloid leukemia stem cell populations that differ in clinical response. This atlas serves as an advanced digital resource for hematopoietic progenitor analyses in human health and disease.

The bibliometric analysis of extended reality in surgical training: Global and Chinese perspective

Objectives

The prospect of extended reality (XR) being integrated with surgical training curriculum has attracted scholars. However, there is a lack of bibliometric analysis to help them better understand this field. Our aim is to analyze relevant literature focusing on development trajectory and research directions since the 21st century to provide valuable insights.

Methods

Papers were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace were used for bibliometric analysis.

Results

Of the 3337 papers published worldwide, China contributed 204, ranking fifth. The world's enthusiasm for this field has been growing since 2000, whereas China has been gradually entering since 2001. Although China had a late start, its growth has accelerated since around 2016 due to the reform of the medical postgraduate education system and the rapid development of Chinese information technology, despite no research explosive period has been yet noted. International institutions, notably the University of Toronto, worked closely with others, while Chinese institutions lacked of international and domestic cooperation. Sixteen stable cooperation clusters of international scholars were formed, while the collaboration between Chinese scholars was not yet stable. XR has been primarily applied in orthopedic surgery, cataract surgery, laparoscopic training and intraoperative use in neurosurgery worldwide.

Conclusions

There is strong enthusiasm and cooperation in the international research on the XR-based surgical training. Chinese scholars are making steady progress and have great potential in this area. There has not been noted an explosive research phase yet in the Chinese pace. The research on several surgical specialties has been summarized at the very first time. AR will gradually to be more involved and take important role of the research.

[The association between portal vein thrombosis and rebleeding after non-urgent endoscopic treatment of esophagogastric varices]

Objective: To investigate the association between portal vein thrombosis and rebleeding after non-urgent endoscopic treatment of esophagogastric varices. Methods: The cirrhotic patients with esophagogastric varices diagnosed in the People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2017 to March 2023 were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into thrombotic group and non-thrombotic group according to the presence or absence of portal vein thrombosis. The failure rate of endoscopic treatment and rebleeding rate in different periods were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to select the best cutoff value of gastric varicose diameter that affected total rebleeding during follow-up in both groups. The influencing factors of rebleeding within 12 and 36 months in both groups were analyzed, and the influencing factors of rebleeding within 36 months in thrombus group were further analyzed. Results: A total of 106 patients were enrolled, including 53 patients in the thrombotic group [male 37, female 16, aged 18-78 (54±13) years] and 53 patients in the non-thrombotic group [male 37, female 16, aged 27-83 (55±12) years]. The follow-up time of the two groups were (20±15) and (25±15) months, respectively. The total rebleeding rate in the thrombotic group was higher than that in the non-thrombotic group [30.2% (16/53) vs 13.2% (7/53), P˂0.05]. The rebleeding rates within 6, 12, 24 and 36 months in the thrombotic group were higher than those in the non-thrombotic group [18.9% (10/53) vs 5.7% (3/53), 18.9% (10/53) vs 5.7% (3/53), 28.3% (15/53) vs 9.4% (5/53), 30.2% (16/53) vs 11.3% (6/53), all P˂0.05]. The best cut-off value of the diameter of gastric varices that affects the total rebleeding in the two groups was 10.4 mm (10 mm was selected as the best cut-off value for the convenience of practical clinical application). Hemoglobin ˂ 85 g/L (HR=0.202, 95%CI: 0.043-0.953, P=0.043), 10 mm ˂ the diameter of GV ≤ 15 mm (HR=5.321, 95%CI: 1.161-24.390, P=0.031) and endoscopic variceal ligation combined with endoscopic tissue adhesive injection (EVL+ETAI) (HR=7.172, 95%CI: 1.910-26.930, P=0.004) were the risk factors for the first gastroesophageal variceal rebleeding within 12 months after non-urgent endoscopic treatment. EVL+ETAI (HR=3.811, 95%CI: 1.441-10.084, P=0.007) and portal vein thrombosis (HR=4.026, 95%CI: 1.483-10.932, P=0.006) were the risk factors for the first gastroesophageal variceal rebleeding within 36 months after non-urgent endoscopic treatment. The study found that, 10 mm ˂ the diameter of GV ≤ 15 mm (HR=7.503, 95%CI: 1.568-35.890, P=0.012) was the risk factor for rebleeding within 36 months in the thrombotic group. Conclusion: Portal vein thrombosis is a risk factor for rebleeding after non-urgent endoscopic treatment of esophagogastric varices.

Partial replacement of soybean meal with microalgae biomass on in vitro ruminal fermentation may reduce ruminal protein degradation

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of partially replacing soybean meal (SBM) with algal sources on in vitro ruminal fermentation. Using 6 fermenters in a 3 × 3 replicated Latin square with 3 periods of 10 d each, we tested 3 treatments: a control diet (CRT) with SBM at 17.8% of the diet dry matter (DM); and 50% SBM biomass replacement with either Chlorella pyrenoidosa (CHL); or Spirulina platensis (SPI). The basal diet was formulated to meet the requirements of a 680-kg Holstein dairy cow producing 45 kg/d of milk with 3.5% fat and 3% protein. All diets had a similar nutritional composition (16.0% CP; 34.9% NDF; 31.0% starch, DM basis) and fermenters were provided with 106 g DM/d split into 2 portions. After 7 d of adaptation, samples were collected for 3 d of each period for analyses of ruminal fermentation at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after morning feeding for evaluation of the ruminal fermentation kinetics. For the evaluation of the daily production of total metabolites and for the evaluation of nutrient degradability, samples from the effluent containers were collected daily. Statistical analysis was performed with the MIXED procedure of SAS with treatment, time, and their interactions considered as fixed effects; day, square, and fermenter were considered as random effects. Orthogonal contrasts (CRT vs. algae; and CHL vs. SPI) were used to depict the treatment effect, and significance was declared when P ≤ 0.05. Fermenters that received algae-based diets had a greater propionate molar concentration and molar proportion when compared with the fermenters fed CRT diets. In addition, those algae-fed fermenters had lower branched short-chain fatty acids (BSCFA) and isoacids (IA), which are biomarkers of ruminal protein degradation, along with lower ammonia (NH3-N) concentration and greater nonammonia nitrogen (NAN). When contrasting with fermenters fed SPI-diets, fermenters fed based CHL-diets had a lower molar concentration of BSCFA and IA, along with lower NH3-N concentration and flow, and greater NAN, bacterial nitrogen flow, and efficiency of nitrogen utilization. Those results indicate that CHL protein may be more resistant to ruminal degradation, which would increase efficiency of nitrogen utilization. In summary, partially replacing SBM with algae biomass, especially with CHL, is a promising strategy to improve the efficiency of nitrogen utilization, due to the fact that fermenters fed CHL-based diets resulted in a reduction in BSCFA and IA, which are markers of protein degradation, and it would improve the efficiency of nitrogen utilization. However, further validation using in vivo models are required.

The downregulation of Tapasin in dendritic cell regulates CD8+ T cell autophagy to hamper hepatitis B viral clearance in the induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocyte organoid

Tapasin, a crucial molecular chaperone involved viral antigen processing and presentation, plays an important role in antivirus immunity. However, its impact on T cell differentiation in the context of virus clearance remains unclear. In this study, we employed induced pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cell, which were subsequently inserted to the inverted colloidal crystal scaffolds, thus establishing a hepatocyte organoid (HO). By inoculating hepatitis B virus (HBV) particles in the system, we successfully engineered a robust in vitro HBV infection model for at least 3 weeks. Furthermore, we aimed to explore the effects of lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting human Tapasin on the differentiation and antiviral function of CD8+ T cells. Specifically, we transfected dendritic cells (DCs) with Tapasin-shRNA and cocultured with T cells. The results demonstrated that Tapasin-shRNA transfected DCs effectively suppressed T cell proliferation and impeded HBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses. Our investigation also revealed the role of mTOR pathway activation in reducing autophagy activity within CD8+ T cells. Expressions of autophagy-related proteins, beclin-1, LC3II/LC3I were decreased and PI3K/AKT/mTOR activity was increased in Tapasin-shRNA group. Collectively, our findings elucidate that shRNA targeting the Tapasin gene within DCs inhibits T cell differentiation by reducing autophagy activity to hamper viral clearance in the HBV-infected HO.

Breaking the Fifth Wall: Two Studies of the Effects of Observing Interpersonal Communication with Content Creators on YouTube

Two studies were conducted to test the convergence of mass and interpersonal media processes and their effects on YouTube. The first study examined the influence of interpersonal interactions on video enjoyment. The results indicated that positive comment valence affected participants' identification with the content creator, which then affected enjoyment of the video. To investigate the effects of convergence from a macro-level perspective, the second study tracked and recorded data from 32 YouTube videos for 34 days and recorded the following data for each video: number of views, likes, and comments/responses. The results indicated that the more content creators and users interact, the more likes the video receives. However, user-to-user interactions are associated with a decrease in the number of likes a video receives.

Populus euphratica GRP2 Interacts with Target mRNAs to Negatively Regulate Salt Tolerance by Interfering with Photosynthesis, Na+, and ROS Homeostasis

The transcription of glycine-rich RNA-binding protein 2 (PeGRP2) transiently increased in the roots and shoots of Populus euphratica (a salt-resistant poplar) upon initial salt exposure and tended to decrease after long-term NaCl stress (100 mM, 12 days). PeGRP2 overexpression in the hybrid Populus tremula × P. alba '717-1B4' (P. × canescens) increased its salt sensitivity, which was reflected in the plant's growth and photosynthesis. PeGRP2 contains a conserved RNA recognition motif domain at the N-terminus, and RNA affinity purification (RAP) sequencing was developed to enrich the target mRNAs that physically interacted with PeGRP2 in P. × canescens. RAP sequencing combined with RT-qPCR revealed that NaCl decreased the transcripts of PeGRP2-interacting mRNAs encoding photosynthetic proteins, antioxidative enzymes, ATPases, and Na+/H+ antiporters in this transgenic poplar. Specifically, PeGRP2 negatively affected the stability of the target mRNAs encoding the photosynthetic proteins PETC and RBCMT; antioxidant enzymes SOD[Mn], CDSP32, and CYB1-2; ATPases AHA11, ACA8, and ACA9; and the Na+/H+ antiporter NHA1. This resulted in (i) a greater reduction in Fv/Fm, YII, ETR, and Pn; (ii) less pronounced activation of antioxidative enzymes; and (iii) a reduced ability to maintain Na+ homeostasis in the transgenic poplars during long-term salt stress, leading to their lowered ability to tolerate salinity stress.

Promising therapeutic targets for ischemic stroke identified from plasma and cerebrospinal fluid proteomes: a multicenter Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

Ischemic stroke (IS) is more common every year, the condition is serious, and have a poor prognosis. New, efficient, and safe therapeutic targets are desperately needed as early treatment especially prevention and reperfusion is the key to lowering the occurrence of poorer prognosis. Generally circulating proteins are attractive therapeutic targets, this study aims to identify potential pharmacological targets among plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins for the prevention and treatment of IS using a multicenter Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.

METHODS

First, the genetic instruments of 734 plasma and 151 CSF proteins were assessed for causative connections with IS from MEGASTROKE consortium by MR to identify prospective therapeutic targets. Then, for additional validation, plasma proteins from the deCODE consortium and the Fenland consortium, as well as IS GWAS data from the FinnGen cohort, the ISGC consortium and UK biobank, were employed. A thorough evaluation of the aforementioned possible pharmacological targets was carried out using meta-analysis. The robustness of MR results was then confirmed through sensitivity analysis using several techniques, such as bidirectional MR analysis, Steiger filtering, and Bayesian colocalization. Finally, methods like Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) Networking were utilized to investigate the relationship between putative drug targets and therapeutic agents.

RESULTS

The authors discovered three proteins that may function as promising therapeutic targets for IS and meet the Bonferroni correction ( P <0.05/885=5.65×10 -5 ). Prekallikrein (OR=0.41, 95% CI: 0.27-0.63, P =3.61×10 -5 ), a protein found in CSF, has a 10-fold protective impact in IS, while the plasma proteins SWAP70 (OR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.80-0.91, P =1.64×10 -6 ) and MMP-12 (OR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.89-0.95, P =4.49×10 -6 ) of each SD play a protective role in IS. Prekallikrein, MMP-12, SWAP70 was replicated in the FinnGen cohort and ISGC database. MMP-12 (OR=0.93, 95% CI: 0.91-0.94, P <0.001), SWAP70 (OR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.90-0.94, P <0.001), and prekallikrein (OR=0.53, 95% CI: 0.33-0.72, P <0.001) may all be viable targets for IS, according to the combined meta-analysis results. Additionally, no evidence of reverse causality was identified, and Bayesian colocalization revealed MMP-12 (PPH 4 =0.995), SWAP70 (PPH 4 =0.987), and prekallikrein (PPH 4 =0.894) shared the same variant with IS, supporting the robustness of the aforementioned causation. Prekallikrein and MMP-12 were associated with the target protein of the current treatment of IS. Among them, Lanadelumab, a new drug whose target protein is a prekallikrein, may be a promising new drug for the treatment of IS.

CONCLUSION

The prekallikrein, MMP-12, and SWAP70 are causally associated with the risk of IS. Moreover, MMP-12 and prekallikrein may be treated as promising therapeutic targets for medical intervention of IS.

A sustainable strategy for biosynthesis of Rebaudioside D using a novel glycosyltransferase of Solanum tuberosum

Bioconversion of Rebaudioside D faces high-cost obstacles. Herein, a novel glycosyltransferase StUGT converting Rebaudioside A to Rebaudioside D was screened and characterized, which exhibits stronger affinity and substrate specificity for Rebaudioside A than previously reported enzymes. A whole-cell catalytic system was thus developed using the StUGT strain. The production of Rebaudioside D was enhanced significantly by enhancing cell permeability, and the maximum production of 6.12 g/L and the highest yield of 98.08% by cell catalyst was obtained by statistical-based optimization. A new cascade process utilizing this recombinant strain and E. coli expressing sucrose synthase was further established to reduce cost through replacing expensive UDPG with sucrose. A StUGT-GsSUS1 system exhibited high catalytic capability, and 5.27 g L-1 Rebaudioside D was achieved finally without UDPG addition by systematic optimization. This is the best performance reported in cell-cascaded biosynthesis, which paves a new cost-effective strategy for sustainable synthesis of scarce premium sweeteners from biomass.

Compound heterozygous WNT10A missense variations exacerbated the tooth agenesis caused by hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to analyse the differences in the phenotypes of missing teeth between a pair of brothers with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) and to investigate the underlying mechanism by comparing the mutated gene loci between the brothers with whole-exome sequencing.

METHODS

The clinical data of the patients and their mother were collected, and genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples. By Whole-exome sequencing filtered for a minor allele frequency (MAF) ≤0.05 non-synonymous single-nucleotide variations and insertions/deletions variations in genes previously associated with tooth agenesis, and variations considered as potentially pathogenic were assessed by SIFT, Polyphen-2, CADD and ACMG. Sanger sequencing was performed to detect gene variations. The secondary and tertiary structures of the mutated proteins were predicted by PsiPred 4.0 and AlphaFold 2.

RESULTS

Both brothers were clinically diagnosed with HED, but the younger brother had more teeth than the elder brother. An EDA variation (c.878 T > G) was identified in both brothers. Additionally, compound heterozygous variations of WNT10A (c.511C > T and c.637G > A) were identified in the elder brother. Digenic variations in EDA (c.878 T > G) and WNT10A (c.511C > T and c.637G > A) in the same patient have not been reported previously. The secondary structure of the variant WNT10A protein showed changes in the number and position of α-helices and β-folds compared to the wild-type protein. The tertiary structure of the WNT10A variant and molecular simulation docking showed that the site and direction where WNT10A binds to FZD5 was changed.

CONCLUSIONS

Compound heterozygous WNT10A missense variations may exacerbate the number of missing teeth in HED caused by EDA variation.

[Effects of canagliflozin on amino acid metabolism in atherosclerotic mice]

Objective: To explore the possible anti-atherosclerotic mechanisms of glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor canagliflozin. Methods: ApoE-/-mice fed on Western diet were randomly assigned into the model group (n=10) and the canagliflozin group (n=10). C57BL/6J mice fed on normal diet were chosen as the control group (n=10). Mice in the canagliflozin group were gavaged with canagliflozin for 14 weeks. The presence and severity of atherosclerosis were evaluated with HE and oil red O stainings in aortic root section slices. PCR assay was performed to determine the mRNA expression levels of nitric oxide synthase. Hepatic transcriptome analysis and hepatic amino acid detection were conducted using RNA-seq and targeted LC-MS, respectively. Results: HE staining and oil red O staining of the aortic root showed that AS models were successfully established in ApoE-/-mice fed on Western diet for 14 weeks. Canagliflozin alleviated the severity of atherosclerosis in pathology. Hepatic transcriptome analysis indicated that canagliflozin impacted on amino acid metabolism, especially arginine synthesis in ApoE-/-mice. Targeted metabolomics analysis of amino acids showed that canagliflozin reduced hepatic levels of L-serine, L-aspartic acid, tyrosine, L-hydroxyproline, and L-citrulline, but raised the hepatic level of L-arginine. Compared to the model group, the canagliflozin group exhibited higher serum arginine and nitric oxide levels as well as elevated nitric oxide mRNA expression in aortic tissues (P<0.05). Conclusion: Canagliflozin regulated the amino acid metabolism, reduced the levels of glucogenic amino acids,and promoted the synthesis of arginine in atherosclerotic mice.

Novel Strategy for High Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells through Atomic Layer Deposition

The perovskite material has demonstrated conceivable potential as an absorbing material of solar cells. Although the power conversion efficiency of the device based on perovskite has rapidly come to 26%, there are still many factors that affect the further improvement of the photoelectric conversion efficiency. Interface defects are the dominating concern that influence carrier transportation and stability. Here, we report a novel strategy where B2O3 is deposited on the fresh perovskite film by atomic layer deposition technology. The organic atmosphere during atomic layer deposition can effectively regulate the crystallization kinetics of perovskites and promote crystal growth. The B2O3 adsorbed on the perovskite light-absorption layer can effectively reduce the electropositive defects on the surface of the perovskite, such as uncoordinated Pb2+ and I vacancies due to the electron-donating properties of the side O atoms in B2O3. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency of the perovskite solar cell after B2O3 treatment increases to 21.78% from 18.89%. Simultaneously, B2O3 can improve the stability of devices.

Splicing neoantigen discovery with SNAF reveals shared targets for cancer immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has emerged as a crucial strategy to combat cancer by "reprogramming" a patient's own immune system. Although immunotherapy is typically reserved for patients with a high mutational burden, neoantigens produced from posttranscriptional regulation may provide an untapped reservoir of common immunogenic targets for new targeted therapies. To comprehensively define tumor-specific and likely immunogenic neoantigens from patient RNA-Seq, we developed Splicing Neo Antigen Finder (SNAF), an easy-to-use and open-source computational workflow to predict splicing-derived immunogenic MHC-bound peptides (T cell antigen) and unannotated transmembrane proteins with altered extracellular epitopes (B cell antigen). This workflow uses a highly accurate deep learning strategy for immunogenicity prediction (DeepImmuno) in conjunction with new algorithms to rank the tumor specificity of neoantigens (BayesTS) and to predict regulators of mis-splicing (RNA-SPRINT). T cell antigens from SNAF were frequently evidenced as HLA-presented peptides from mass spectrometry (MS) and predict response to immunotherapy in melanoma. Splicing neoantigen burden was attributed to coordinated splicing factor dysregulation. Shared splicing neoantigens were found in up to 90% of patients with melanoma, correlated to overall survival in multiple cancer cohorts, induced T cell reactivity, and were characterized by distinct cells of origin and amino acid preferences. In addition to T cell neoantigens, our B cell focused pipeline (SNAF-B) identified a new class of tumor-specific extracellular neoepitopes, which we termed ExNeoEpitopes. ExNeoEpitope full-length mRNA predictions were tumor specific and were validated using long-read isoform sequencing and in vitro transmembrane localization assays. Therefore, our systematic identification of splicing neoantigens revealed potential shared targets for therapy in heterogeneous cancers.

The oligodontia phenotype in a X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia patient with a novel EVC2 variant

Objectives

To analyse the pathogenic genes in a patient with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) and explore the relationship between pathogenic genes and the oligodontia phenotype.

Methods

Clinical data and peripheral blood were collected from a patient with HED. Pathogenic genes were analysed by whole-exon sequencing (WES) and verified by Singer sequencing. The secondary and tertiary structures of the variant proteins were predicted to analyse their toxicity.

Results

The patient exhibited a severe oligodontia phenotype, wherein only two deciduous canines were left in the upper jaw. WES revealed a hemizygous EDA variant c.466C > T p.(Arg156Cys) and a novel heterozygous EVC2 variant c.1772T > C p.(Leu591Ser). Prediction of the secondary and tertiary structures of the EDA variant p.(Arg156Cys) and EVC2 variant p.(Leu591Ser) indicated impaired function of both molecules.

Conclusion

The patient demonstrated a more severe oligodontia phenotype when compared with the other patients caused by the EDA variant c.466C > T. Since Evc2 is a positive regulator of the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signal pathway, we speculated that the EVC2 variant p.(Leu591Ser) may play a synergistic role in the oligodontia phenotype of HED, thereby exacerbating the oligodontia phenotype. Knowledge of oligodontia caused by multiple gene variants is of great significance for understanding individual differences in oligodontia phenotypes.

Statistical analysis of single-cell protein data

Immune modulation is considered a hallmark of cancer initiation and progression, with immune cell density being consistently associated with clinical outcomes of individuals with cancer. Multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) microscopy combined with automated image analysis is a novel and increasingly used technique that allows for the assessment and visualization of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recently, application of this new technology to tissue microarrays (TMAs) or whole tissue sections from large cancer studies has been used to characterize different cell populations in the TME with enhanced reproducibility and accuracy. Generally, mIF data has been used to examine the presence and abundance of immune cells in the tumor and stroma compartments; however, this aggregate measure assumes uniform patterns of immune cells throughout the TME and overlooks spatial heterogeneity. Recently, the spatial contexture of the TME has been explored with a variety of statistical methods. In this PSB workshop, speakers will present some of the state-of-the-art statistical methods for assessing the TIME from mIF data.

Prolonged Viral Shedding in Cancer Patients with Asymptomatic or Mild Omicron Infection: A Retrospective Study

Background

This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for persistent viral shedding in cancer patients after Omicron infection.

Methods

Patients with asymptomatic or mild Omicron infection (≥18 years) who were treated in a makeshift hospital in Shanghai were enrolled from 9 Apr to 11 May, 2022. Deidentified information of all patients were collected retrospectively. Logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors associated with prolonged duration of viral shedding (defined as the time from the day of first positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA test to the first day of two consecutive negative SARS-CoV-2 RNA tests).

Results

A total of 1442 Omicron-infected patients were enrolled, including 129 cancer patients and 1313 non-cancer patients. The baseline clinical characteristics of cancer and non-cancer patients were balanced by propensity score matching (1:4). Compared with non-cancer patients, a higher odds ratio ([OR] 1.84, 95% CI 1.24-2.76, P = 0.003) of lasting viral shedding for ≥7 days was found in cancer patients. Further subgroup analyses found that cancer patients were at higher risk for prolonged viral shedding in a subgroup of patients without hypertension (OR 1.89), diabetes (OR 1.80), or other chronic disease (OR 2.13), unvaccinated (OR 1.97), and asymptomatic (OR 2.36). In addition, 29 patients with active cancer and 19 patients with inactive cancer were identified. The median duration of viral shedding in the active cancer group was longer than that in the inactive cancer group (10 vs 6 days, P = 0.002). The risk of persistent viral shedding ≥7 days was also increased in the active cancer group (OR 5.33, 95% CI 1.49-21.51, P = 0.013).

Conclusion

Cancer disease is an independent risk factor for prolonged viral shedding in Omicron infected patients, especially in patients with active cancer.

The development of a novel simultaneous in vitro dissolution - in situ perfusion system as a potential tool for studying the absorption of solid oral formulation in rat

The aim of this work is to develop a novel simultaneous in vitro dissolution - in situ perfusion system (SDPS) as a potential tool to evaluate the in vivo performance of solid oral formulation in rat. The innovative nitrendipine (NTD) tablet of Bayotensin mite® made in Germany was used as reference listed drug (RLD), and five generic products from Chinese market were compared with RLD using the in vitro dissolution test method specified by the orange book and the SDPS method developed in this study. Four self-prepared NTD tablets with different proportions of microcrystalline cellulose/starch were employed to investigate the discriminatory ability of the SDPS for formulation. In addition, the predictivity of the SDPS in relation to data from in vivo pharmaceutics studies was evaluated. The 45-min dissolution test and multiple-pH dissolution profiles of generic product 1 and 2 have no difference compared with the RLD, but their dissolution profiles from the SDPS showed statistically significant differences. A biexponential formula successfully described the concentration profiles of self-prepared formulations in SDPS experiments. The kdis (0.08 ± 0.01 ∼ 0.2 ± 0.03 min-1) and ka (about 2.30 × 10-3 min-1) values calculated by the formulas of F1-F3 suggested that the used excipients had no effect on the intestinal absorption of NTD, and it might be the property of active pharmaceutical ingredient that led to the difference among the generics. Furthermore, the in vivo rat pharmacokinetics study results of F1-F3 showed a good correlation (R2 = 0.99) with the SDPS data. In summary, the SDPS is a promising tool to detect the unexpected quality changes of pharmaceutical products in weakly regulated markets, facilitate formulation screening, and potentially reduce animal testing for estimating the in vivo absorption behavior of solid oral formulations. The absorption performance of generic drugs in vivo should be further investigated.

CircMap4k2 Reactivated by Aneurysm Plication Alleviates Residual Cardiac Remodeling After SVR by Enhancing Cardiomyocyte Proliferation in Post-MI Mice

INTRODUCTION

Surgical ventricular reconstruction (SVR) is an alternative therapeutic approach in patients with refractory heart failure (HF), but residual remodeling after SVR limits the improvement of HF. Recently, we reported that SVR may act as an environmental cue to reactivate endogenous proliferation of cardiomyocytes; however, it is unclear whether enhancing endogenous cardiomyocyte regeneration further improves HF after SVR.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to explore whether circular RNAs (circRNAs) would involved in SVR and their mechanisms.

METHODS

Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to myocardial infarction (MI) or sham surgery. Four weeks later, MI mice with a large ventricular aneurysm underwent SVR or a second open-chest operation only. Echocardiography and histological analysis were used to evaluate heart function, cardiac remodeling, and myocardial regeneration. Sequencing of circular RNAs, RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pulldown, and luciferase reporter assay were used to explore the underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

SVR markedly attenuated cardiac remodeling and induced cardiomyocyte regeneration, as evidenced by positive staining of Ki-67, phospho-histone H3 (pH3), and Aurora B in the plication zone, but significant residual remodeling still existed in comparison with the sham group. Sequencing results showed that SVR altered the expression profile of cardiac circRNAs, and circMap4k2 was identified as the most upregulated one. After characterizing circMap4k2, we noted that overexpression of circMap4k2 significantly promoted proliferation of cardiomyocytes in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and silencing of circMap4k2 significantly inhibited it; similar results were obtained in SVR-treated MI mice but not in MI mice without SVR treatment. Residual cardiac remodeling after SVR was further attenuated by circMap4k2 overexpression. CircMap4k2 bound with miR-106a-3p and inhibited cardiomyocyte proliferation by targeting a downstream effector of the antizyme inhibitor 1 (Azin1) gene.

CONCLUSIONS

CircMap4k2 acts as an environmental cue and targets the miR-106a-3p/Azin1 pathway to increase cardiac regeneration in the plication zone and attenuate residual remodeling after SVR.

Honeycomb-like structure (HLS) in the left anterior-descending coronary artery-recanalized thrombus demonstrated by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in a patient with polycythemia vera and thrombocythemia

A 71 year old male patient who experienced acute myocardial infarction (AMI) 4 years ago and had a history of polycythemia vera and thrombocythemia was admitted because acute attack of chronic heart failure. Coronary angiography revealed an unusual filling defect in the middle segment of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery and IVUS showed it is a HLS which is different from dissection or woven coronary artery. We review the recent literature of HLS in this article and further investigations are warranted for the optimal management of HLS.

Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging in the Surgical Management of Skin Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Introduction

Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging has been used in the resection surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy of many tumors. The aim of the present study is to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of ICG fluorescence imaging used for guiding the biopsy and resection of skin squamous cell carcinoma (SSCC).

Methods

Sixty patients were enrolled, including 18 patients of suspected SSCC and 42 patients of diagnosed SSCC on admission. The ICG fluorescence imaging-guided skin biopsy was performed preoperatively in the 18 cases of suspected SSCC. Fifty-three patients underwent ICG fluorescence imaging-guided radical excision.

Results

The results showed that 138 skin tissue samples in 60 patients with preoperative or intraoperative ICG fluorescence imaging-guide biopsy were collected. For a total number of 138 biopsies, 122 specimens were squamous cell carcinoma, and the accuracy rate was 88.4%, which was significantly higher than that of the group without preoperative ICG fluorescence imaging (41/62, 66.1%, P < 0.05). Fifty-three patients underwent surgery guided with ICG fluorescence imaging. Residual fluorescent signals in 24 patients were intraoperatively found and the excision was then expanded until the signals disappeared. Follow-up to November 2022, 12 patients died, of which 5 cases died from the tumor recurrence, and the others died due to advanced ages or other reasons. The recurrence rate was 9.4%, which was not significantly different from that of the group received routine radical resection (4/35, 11.4%, P > 0.05). Moreover, sentinel lymph nodes were successfully detected under ICG fluorescence imaging in the 4 patients with suspected lymph node metastases, and the location of lymph nodes can be precisely identified.

Conclusion

ICG fluorescence imaging technique can guide the pathology biopsy to improve the accuracy of pathological examination, and help to identify the boundaries of tumor tissues and sentinel lymph nodes to resect tumor radically during operation.

Examining the Potential of ChatGPT on Biomedical Information Retrieval: Fact-Checking Drug-Disease Associations

Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT have recently attracted significant attention due to their impressive performance on many real-world tasks. These models have also demonstrated the potential in facilitating various biomedical tasks. However, little is known of their potential in biomedical information retrieval, especially identifying drug-disease associations. This study aims to explore the potential of ChatGPT, a popular LLM, in discerning drug-disease associations. We collected 2694 true drug-disease associations and 5662 false drug-disease pairs. Our approach involved creating various prompts to instruct ChatGPT in identifying these associations. Under varying prompt designs, ChatGPT's capability to identify drug-disease associations with an accuracy of 74.6-83.5% and 96.2-97.6% for the true and false pairs, respectively. This study shows that ChatGPT has the potential in identifying drug-disease associations and may serve as a helpful tool in searching pharmacy-related information. However, the accuracy of its insights warrants comprehensive examination before its implementation in medical practice.

KatG catalase deficiency confers bedaquiline hyper-susceptibility to isoniazid resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a growing source of global mortality and threatens global control of tuberculosis (TB) disease. The diarylquinoline bedaquiline (BDQ) recently emerged as a highly efficacious drug against MDR-TB, defined as resistance to the first-line drugs isoniazid (INH) and rifampin. INH resistance is primarily caused by loss-of-function mutations in the catalase KatG, but mechanisms underlying BDQ's efficacy against MDR-TB remain unknown. Here we employ a systems biology approach to investigate BDQ hyper-susceptibility in INH-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis . We found hyper-susceptibility to BDQ in INH-resistant cells is due to several physiological changes induced by KatG deficiency, including increased susceptibility to reactive oxygen species and DNA damage, remodeling of transcriptional programs, and metabolic repression of folate biosynthesis. We demonstrate BDQ hyper-susceptibility is common in INH-resistant clinical isolates. Collectively, these results highlight how altered bacterial physiology can impact drug efficacy in drug-resistant bacteria.

Triterpenes and Pheophorbides from Camellia ptilosperma and Their Cytotoxicity, Photocytotoxicity, and Photodynamic Antibacterial Activity

Phytochemical investigation of the leaves of Camellia ptilosperma S. Y. Liang et Q. D. Chen led to the isolation of ten undescribed compounds, including six new triterpenes (1-6) and four new pheophorbide-related compounds (7-10). Meanwhile, the cytotoxic activity of the six triterpenes against six cancer cell lines was evaluated by MTT assay. Compound 2 showed potent cytotoxicity toward HepG2 cells with an IC50 value of 2.57 μM. Compounds 4 and 5 exhibited cytotoxicity against MDA-MB231 cells, with IC50 values of 11.31 and 5.52 μM, respectively. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of four new pheophorbides against these cancer cells was evaluated both in the presence and absence of light treatment. Compound 7 exhibited exceptional photocytotoxicity against Hela, MCF-7, and A549 cells, with IC50 values of 0.43 μM, 0.28 μM, and 0.92 μM, respectively. Compound 10 demonstrated significant photodynamic cytotoxic activity against BEL-7402 and HepG2 cells with IC50 values of 0.77 μM and 0.33 μM, respectively. The photodynamic antibacterial activity of 7-10 was also tested for S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa under direct illumination. Compounds 8 and 10 exhibited sensitivity to E. coli and demonstrated a photodynamic antibacterial effect, with a MIC value of 0.625 μM.

Benchmarking the Effect of Particle Size on Silicon Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

High-capacity silicon has been regarded as one of the most promising anodes for high-energy lithium-ion batteries. However, it suffers from severe volume expansion, particle pulverization, and repeated solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) growth, which leads to rapid electrochemical failure, while the particle size also plays key role here and its effects remain elusive. In this paper, through multiple-physical, chemical, and synchrotron-based characterizations, the evolutions of the composition, structure, morphology, and surface chemistry of silicon anodes with the particle size ranging from 50 to 5 µm upon cycling are benchmarked, which greatly link to their electrochemical failure discrepancies. It is found that the nano- and micro-silicon anodes undergo similar crystal to amorphous phase transition, but quite different composition transition upon de-/lithiation; at the same time, the nano- and 1 µm-silicon samples present obviously different mechanochemical behaviors from the 5 µm-silicon sample, such as electrode crack, particle pulverization/crack as well as volume expansion; in addition, the micro-silicon samples possess much thinner SEI layer than the nano-silicon samples upon cycling, and also differences in SEI compositions. It is hoped this comprehensive study and understanding should offer critical insights into the exclusive and customized modification strategies to diverse silicon anodes ranging from nano to microscale.

The Role of Radiation Therapy for Metastatic Cervical Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Survival rates for women with metastatic cervical cancer (CC) are low, with limited management options. Radiation therapy (RT) for metastatic disease has led to prolonged survival in other malignancies, however, the data are scarce in CC. Herein, we evaluated the effect of RT for metastatic CC.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 58 patients with metastatic CC between September 2019 and January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients were treated with platinum-based chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy or immunotherapy followed with or without RT (NRT). The recent efficacy, survival status and prognostic factors were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

Objective response rate (ORR) was 63.6% with one complete and twenty partial responses in RT group (n = 33) and 40.0% with two complete and eight partial responses in NRT group (n = 25), respectively (p = 0.074). Disease control rate (DCR) of the RT and NRT groups were 79.4% vs 80.0%, respectively (p = 0.861). Median follow-up time was 17 months (3-39months). In RT group, 11(33.3%) patients experienced local regional or distant failure and 9 (27.3%) patients were dead. In NRT group, 15(60%) patients had progression and 8 (32%) patients dead. There was no significant difference between the two groups in overall survival (OS); however, RT group displayed superior progression-free survival (PFS) (1-year OS: 72.7% vs. 68.0%, p = 0.460; 1-year PFS: 66.7% vs. 40.0%, p = 0.039). The multivariate analysis showed that RT, immunotherapy, lymph node metastasis only relevant predictor of superior PFS but not OS. In subgroup analysis, patients treated with RT appeared to have a better PFS in some specific cohorts, such as age>45 years (72.0% vs 36.4% P = 0.015), squamous carcinoma histology (71.0% vs 40.9% P = 0.017), metastatic at diagnosis (75.0% vs 47.6% P = 0.012), non-targeted therapy (72.4% vs 43.8% P = 0.040). No significant increase in treatment-related toxicity was observed in the RT group compared with the NRT group.

CONCLUSION

RT provided superior PFS in metastatic CC patients compared to NRT, and well tolerated. Moreover, RT, immunotherapy, lymph node metastasis only were independent significant prognostic factors for PFS. Subgroup analysis showed that combination of RT and chemotherapy obtained favorable PFS in metastatic CC patients with age>45 years, squamous carcinoma histology, metastatic at diagnosis, non-targeted therapy. Studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up are warranted.

Hyperthermia Enhances the Radiosensitivity of Pancreatic Cancer Cells by Inhibiting Wnt2B Signaling

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly lethal human malignance. Due to unobvious symptoms at early stage, most of the patients with PC are diagnosed at late stages and lose the chance of surgical resection. Furthermore, PC patients are resistant to chemoradiotherapy and therefore show a dismal survival. Hyperthermia is commonly used as a sensitizer of chemotherapy or radiotherapy for the clinical treatment of human cancers. Our study aimed to investigate whether hyperthermia can improve the radiosensitivity of PC cells and uncover the involved mechanisms.

MATERIALS/METHODS

PC cells BxPC3, CFPAC-1 and PANC1 were heated to 43 ℃ 1 h before exposure to ionizing irradiation (IR). The radiosensitivity of PC cells were detected in vitro by colony formation assay, immunofluence analysis and western blotting. The mechanisms studies have been conducted using qRT-PCR analysis, cDNA/siRNA transfection and comet assay.

RESULTS

Hyperthermia significantly enhanced the radiosensitivity of PC cells by decreasing their colony formation and increasing DNA damage following IR. By qRT-PCR analysis of Wnt genes expressions, we found Wnt2B was significantly down-regulated in PC-3 cells which were treated with the combination of hyperthermia and IR compared with hyperthermia or IR alone. Functional assays showed that the expression level of Wnt2B was inversely associated with the radiosensitivity of PC-3 cells. Furthermore, we found hyperthermia inhibited the expression of DNA repair proteins such as p-BRCA1 and p-MRE11 in PC cells following IR CONCLUSION: Hyperthermia can significantly enhance the radiosensitivity of PC cells in a Wnt2B signaling-dependent manner.

Molecularly engineered dual-network photothermal hydrogel delivery system with enhanced mechanical properties, antibacterial ability and angiogenic effect for accelerating wound healing

Bacterial infection caused by trauma and chronic wounds in the most mobile area remains a challenge in clinic. It is difficult to achieve the synergistic effects of antibacterial capacity and skin regeneration using conventional therapeutic methods. Developing a multi-functional hydrogel dressing that can cope with the complex wound environment will contribute to the healing and therapeutic effects. In this work, a novel Cur@PAM/TA-Cu photothermal hydrogel delivery system was prepared by engineering tannic acid (TA) into covalent cross-linked polyacrylamide (PAM) on which the chelating tannic acid-copper metal-polyphenolic network (TA-Cu MPN) was imposed to form dual-crosslinked networks, and the natural medicine curcumin was loaded eventually. The molecularly engineered dual-crosslinked networks resulted in enhanced mechanical properties including bio-adhesion, tensile strength and self-healing, which made the hydrogel suitable for dynamic wound and various application scenarios. In addition, the excellent photothermal capacity, antioxidant effect and biocompatibility of the hydrogel were demonstrated. Notably, this curcumin loaded photothermal hydrogel exhibited superior antibacterial capacity (almost 100% killing ratio to E. coli and S. aureus) under 808 nm laser irradiation. Meanwhile, the in vivo wound healing experiment results revealed that the anti-inflammation and proangiogenic effect of Cur@PAM/TA-Cu hydrogel successfully shortened the healing time of wound and the reconstruction of skin structure and function. Thus, this dual-crosslinked multi-functional hydrogel delivery system is a promising wound dressing for accelerating wound healing.

GammaGateR: semi-automated marker gating for single-cell multiplexed imaging

Motivation

Multiplexed immunofluorescence (mIF) is an emerging assay for multichannel protein imaging that can decipher cell-level spatial features in tissues. However, existing automated cell phenotyping methods, such as clustering, face challenges in achieving consistency across experiments and often require subjective evaluation. As a result, mIF analyses often revert to marker gating based on manual thresholding of raw imaging data.

Results

To address the need for an evaluable semi-automated algorithm, we developed GammaGateR, an R package for interactive marker gating designed specifically for segmented cell-level data from mIF images. Based on a novel closed-form gamma mixture model, GammaGateR provides estimates of marker-positive cell proportions and soft clustering of marker-positive cells. The model incorporates user-specified constraints that provide a consistent but slide-specific model fit. We compared GammaGateR against the newest unsupervised approach for annotating mIF data, employing two colon datasets and one ovarian cancer dataset for the evaluation. We showed that GammaGateR produces highly similar results to a silver standard established through manual annotation. Furthermore, we demonstrated its effectiveness in identifying biological signals, achieved by mapping known spatial interactions between CD68 and MUC5AC cells in the colon and by accurately predicting survival in ovarian cancer patients using the phenotype probabilities as input for machine learning methods. GammaGateR is a highly efficient tool that can improve the replicability of marker gating results, while reducing the time of manual segmentation.

Availability and Implementation

The R package is available at https://github.com/JiangmeiRubyXiong/GammaGateR.

Pregnancy-induced physiological hypertrophic preconditioning attenuates pathological myocardial hypertrophy by activation of FoxO3a

Previous studies show a woman's pregnancy is correlated with post-reproductive longevity, and nulliparity is associated with higher risk of incident heart failure, suggesting pregnancy likely exerts a cardioprotection. We previously reported a cardioprotective phenomenon termed myocardial hypertrophic preconditioning, but it is unknown whether pregnancy-induced physiological hypertrophic preconditioning (PHP) can also protect the heart against subsequent pathological hypertrophic stress. We aimed to clarify the phenomenon of PHP and its mechanisms. The pluripara mice whose pregnancy-induced physiological hypertrophy regressed and the nulliparous mice underwent angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion or transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Echocardiography, invasive left ventricular hemodynamic measurement and histological analysis were used to evaluate cardiac remodeling and function. Silencing or overexpression of Foxo3 by adeno-associated virus was used to investigate the role of FoxO3a involved in the antihypertrophic effect. Compared with nulliparous mice, pathological cardiac hypertrophy induced by Ang II infusion, or TAC was significantly attenuated and heart failure induced by TAC was markedly improved in mice with PHP. Activation of FoxO3a was significantly enhanced in the hearts of postpartum mice. FoxO3a inhibited myocardial hypertrophy by suppressing signaling pathway of phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3β (p-GSK3β)/β-catenin/Cyclin D1. Silencing or overexpression of Foxo3 attenuated or enhanced the anti-hypertrophic effect of PHP in mice with pathological stimulation. Our findings demonstrate that PHP confers resistance to subsequent hypertrophic stress and slows progression to heart failure through activation of FoxO3a/GSK3β pathway.

First-principles property assessment of hybrid formate perovskites

Hybrid organic-inorganic formate perovskites, AB(HCOO)3, are a large family of compounds that exhibit a variety of phase transitions and diverse properties, such as (anti)ferroelectricity, ferroelasticity, (anti)ferromagnetism, and multiferroism. While many properties of these materials have already been characterized, we are not aware of any study that focuses on the comprehensive property assessment of a large number of formate perovskites. A comparison of the properties of materials within the family is challenging due to systematic errors attributed to different techniques or the lack of data. For example, complete piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic tensors are not available. In this work, we utilize first-principles density functional theory based simulations to overcome these challenges and to report structural, mechanical, dielectric, piezoelectric, and ferroelectric properties of 29 formate perovskites. We find that these materials exhibit elastic stiffness in the range 0.5-127.0 GPa; highly anisotropic linear compressibility, including zero and even negative values; dielectric constants in the range 0.1-102.1; highly anisotropic piezoelectric response with the longitudinal values in the range 1.18-21.12 pC/N; and spontaneous polarizations in the range 0.2-7.8 μC/cm2. Furthermore, we propose and computationally characterize a few formate perovskites that have not been reported yet.

Avasimibe can cooperate with a DC-targeting and integration-deficient lentivector to induce stronger HBV specific T cytotoxic response by regulating cholesterol metabolism

We have reported a lentivector which could effectively induce HBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Avasimibe is an inhibitor of acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase-1 (ACAT1), and has been shown to enhance T lymphocyte cytotoxicity on tumor cells. However, the role of avasimibe in lentivector-induced HBV-specific T cytotoxic response remains unknown. Based on previous study, we constructed an integration-deficient lentivector LVDC-ID-HBV (harboring HBcAg expression), and the in vitro experiments showed that the combination of avasimibe exhibited better efficacy in inducing HBV-specific CTL responses including cell proliferation, production of cytokines, as well as CTL killing activities. Mechanism experiments showed that increasing cell membrane cholesterol levels by MβCD-coated cholesterol or ACAT1 inhibition efficiently promoted TCR clustering, signaling transduction and immunological synapse formation, thereby mediating augmented CTL responses. Nevertheless, the depletion of plasma membrane cholesterol with MβCD led to obviously decreased CTL responses. The avasimibe-mediated strengthened immune effects were also determined in animal experiments and the results were in agreement with those from the in vitro research. In particular, the in vivo CTL killing activities were identified by the CFSE or BV-labeled splenocyte lysis assay. Moreover, the experiments in HBV transgenic mice showed that the LVDC-ID-HBV plus avasimibe group demonstrated the lowest serum HBsAg and HBV DNA levels, as well as the lowest expression of HBsAg and HBcAg in liver tissues. We concluded that the HBV-specific CTL immune responses could be potentiated by avasimibe through regulating plasma membrane cholesterol levels. Avasimibe may be a potential adjuvant for lentivector vaccine against HBV infection.

Identification of vaccine candidates against rhodococcus equi by combining pangenome analysis with a reverse vaccinology approach

Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) is a zoonotic opportunistic pathogen that can cause life-threatening infections. The rapid evolution of multidrug-resistant R. equi and the fact that there is no currently licensed effective vaccine against R. equi warrant the need for vaccine development. Reverse vaccinology (RV), which involves screening a pathogen's entire genome and proteome using various web-based prediction tools, is considered one of the most effective approaches for identifying vaccine candidates. Here, we performed a pangenome analysis to determine the core proteins of R. equi. We then used the RV approach to examine the subcellular localization, host and gut flora homology, antigenicity, transmembrane helices, physicochemical properties, and immunogenicity of the core proteins to select potential vaccine candidates. The vaccine candidates were then subjected to epitope mapping to predict the exposed antigenic epitopes that possess the ability to bind with major histocompatibility complex I/II (MHC I/II) molecules. These vaccine candidates and epitopes will form a library of elements for the development of a polyvalent or universal vaccine against R. equi. Sixteen R. equi complete proteomes were found to contain 6,238 protein families, and the core proteins consisted of 3,969 protein families (∼63.63% of the pangenome), reflecting a low degree of intraspecies genomic variability. From the pool of core proteins, 483 nonhost homologous membrane and extracellular proteins were screened, and 12 vaccine candidates were finally identified according to their antigenicity, physicochemical properties and other factors. These included four cell wall/membrane/envelope biogenesis proteins; four amino acid transport and metabolism proteins; one cell cycle control, cell division and chromosome partitioning protein; one carbohydrate transport and metabolism protein; one secondary metabolite biosynthesis, transport and catabolism protein; and one defense mechanism protein. All 12 vaccine candidates have an experimentally validated 3D structure available in the protein data bank (PDB). Epitope mapping of the candidates showed that 16 MHC I epitopes and 13 MHC II epitopes with the strongest immunogenicity were exposed on the protein surface, indicating that they could be used to develop a polypeptide vaccine. Thus, we utilized an analytical strategy that combines pangenome analysis and RV to generate a peptide antigen library that simplifies the development of multivalent or universal vaccines against R. equi and can be applied to the development of other vaccines.

Alterations in the gut microbiome implicate key taxa and metabolic pathways across inflammatory arthritis phenotypes

Musculoskeletal diseases affect up to 20% of adults worldwide. The gut microbiome has been implicated in inflammatory conditions, but large-scale metagenomic evaluations have not yet traced the routes by which immunity in the gut affects inflammatory arthritis. To characterize the community structure and associated functional processes driving gut microbial involvement in arthritis, the Inflammatory Arthritis Microbiome Consortium investigated 440 stool shotgun metagenomes comprising 221 adults diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or psoriatic arthritis and 219 healthy controls and individuals with joint pain without an underlying inflammatory cause. Diagnosis explained about 2% of gut taxonomic variability, which is comparable in magnitude to inflammatory bowel disease. We identified several candidate microbes with differential carriage patterns in patients with elevated blood markers for inflammation. Our results confirm and extend previous findings of increased carriage of typically oral and inflammatory taxa and decreased abundance and prevalence of typical gut clades, indicating that distal inflammatory conditions, as well as local conditions, correspond to alterations to the gut microbial composition. We identified several differentially encoded pathways in the gut microbiome of patients with inflammatory arthritis, including changes in vitamin B salvage and biosynthesis and enrichment of iron sequestration. Although several of these changes characteristic of inflammation could have causal roles, we hypothesize that they are mainly positive feedback responses to changes in host physiology and immune homeostasis. By connecting taxonomic alternations to functional alterations, this work expands our understanding of the shifts in the gut ecosystem that occur in response to systemic inflammation during arthritis.

Ursane-Type Triterpenes with a Phenylpropanoid Unit from Camellia ptilosperma and Evaluation of Their Cytotoxic Activities

Six new ursane-type triterpenes with a phenylpropanoid unit and five known oleanane-type triterpenes were isolated from the leaves of Camellia ptilosperma. The undescribed compounds were identified by analysis of 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS spectroscopic data as ptilospermanols A-F. The cytotoxicity of new compounds against six human cancer cell lines and three mouse tumor cell lines was evaluated by MTT assay.

The association of new-onset diabetes with subsequent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer-novel use of a large administrative database

BACKGROUND

Screening options for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are limited. New-onset type 2 diabetes (NoD) is associated with subsequent diagnosis of PDAC in observational studies and may afford an opportunity for PDAC screening. We evaluated this association using a large administrative database.

METHODS

Patients were identified using claims data from the OptumLabs® Data Warehouse. Adult patients with NoD diagnosis were matched 1:3 with patients without NoD using age, sex and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) status. The event of PDAC diagnosis was compared between cohorts using the Kaplan-Meier method. Factors associated with PDAC diagnosis were evaluated with Cox's proportional hazards modeling.

RESULTS

We identified 640 421 patients with NoD and included 1 921 263 controls. At 3 years, significantly more PDAC events were identified in the NoD group vs control group (579 vs 505; P < 0.001). When controlling for patient factors, NoD was significantly associated with elevated risk of PDAC (HR 3.474, 95% CI 3.082-3.920, P < 0.001). Other factors significantly associated with PDAC diagnosis were increasing age, increasing age among Black patients, and COPD diagnosis (P ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

NoD was independently associated with subsequent diagnosis of PDAC within 3 years. Future studies should evaluate the feasibility and benefit of PDAC screening in patients with NoD.

Bioinformatics exploration of potential common therapeutic targets for systemic and pulmonary arterial hypertension-induced myocardial hypertrophy

Systemic and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) can induce left and right ventricular hypertrophy, respectively, but common therapeutic targets for both left and right hypertrophy are limited. In this study, we attempt to explore potential common therapeutic targets and screen out potential target drugs for further study. Cardiac mRNA expression profiles in mice with transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and pulmonary arterial constriction (PAC) are obtained from online databases. After bioinformatics analyses, we generate TAC and PAC mouse models to validate the phenotypes of cardiac remodelling as well as the identified hub genes. Bioinformatics analyses show that there are 214 independent differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GSE136308 (TAC related) and 2607 independent DEGs in GSE30922 (PAC related), while 547 shared DEGs are associated with the function of the extracellular matrix (ECM) or involved in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, and ECM-receptor interactions. We identifyd Fn1, Il6, Col1a1, Igf1, Col1a2, Timp1, Col3a1, Cd44, Ctgf and Postn as hub genes of the shared DEGs, and most of them are associated with myocardial fibrosis. Those hub genes and phenotypes of cardiac remodelling are validated in our TAC and PAC mouse models. Furthermore, we identify dehydroisoandrosterone (DHEA), iloprost and 4,5-dianilinophthalimide (DAPH) as potential therapeutic drugs targeting both left and right ventricular hypertrophy and validate the effect of DHEA. These findings suggest that DHEA could be an effective drug for pressure overload-induced left or right ventricular hypertrophy by regulating the shared hub differentially expressed genes associated with fibrosis.

Development and validation of internet literacy scale for high school students

The paper aims to develop and validate an internet literacy scale for high school students. The study emphasizes the importance of internet literacy, especially for adolescents who need sufficient internet literacy to gain self-development and live their whole lives in this information age. The study has recruited 744 high school students and provided a validated scale consisting of thirty items in eight dimensions: (1) self-management, (2) self-image construction, (3) damage control, (4) information processing, (5) critical thinking, (6) cooperation, (7) consciousness of morality, and (8) consciousness of security. The current developed scale can reflect the latest, abundant meaning of internet literacy. This study fulfills the need to build up a validated, comprehensive internet literacy scale for adolescents such as high school students. The study also suggests potential applications of the scale in the pedagogical context.

Exosomes loading Tapasin enhance T cell immune response by autophagy to inhibit HBV replication

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) specific T cell immune response plays a vital role in viral clearance. Dendritic cell derived exosomes (Dexs) can activate T cell immunity effectively. Tapasin (TPN) is involved in antigen processing and specific immune recognition. In the present study, we elucidated that Dexs loading TPN (TPN-Dexs) could enhance CD8⁺ T cell immune response and inhibit virus replication in HBV transgenic mice. T cell immune response and the ability of inhibiting HBV replication were measured in HBV transgenic mice immunized with TPN-Dexs. Meanwhile, CD8⁺ T cell autophagy and specific T cell immune responses were measured in vitro and vivo, and the mechanisms probably involved in were explored. Purified TPN-Dexs could be taken up into the cytoplasm of DCs and upregulate CD8⁺ T cell autophagy to enhance specific T cell immune response. In addition, TPN-Dexs could increase the expression of AKT and decrease the expression of mTOR in CD8⁺ T cells. Further research confirmed that TPN-Dexs could inhibit virus replication and decrease the expression of HBsAg in the liver of HBV transgenic mice. Nevertheless, those also could elicit mice hepatocytes damage. In conclusion, TPN-Dexs could enhance specific CD8⁺ T cell immune responses via the AKT/mTOR pathway to regulate the autophagy and exert the antiviral effect in HBV transgenic mice.

Bacterial antibiotic resistance among cancer inpatients in China: 2016-20

BACKGROUND

The incidence of infections among cancer patients is as high as 23.2-33.2% in China. However, the lack of information and data on the number of antibiotics used by cancer patients is an obstacle to implementing antibiotic management plans.

AIM

This study aimed to investigate bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance in Chinese cancer patients to provide a reference for the rational use of antibiotics.

DESIGN

This was a 5-year retrospective study on the antibiotic resistance of cancer patients.

METHODS

In this 5-year surveillance study, we collected bacterial and antibiotic resistance data from 20 provincial cancer diagnosis and treatment centers and three specialized cancer hospitals in China. We analyzed the resistance of common bacteria to antibiotics, compared to common clinical drug-resistant bacteria, evaluated the evolution of critical drug-resistant bacteria and conducted data analysis.

FINDINGS

Between 2016 and 2020, 216 219 bacterial strains were clinically isolated. The resistance trend of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam and imipenem was relatively stable and did not significantly increase over time. The resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to all antibiotics tested, including imipenem and meropenem, decreased over time. In contrast, the resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii strains to carbapenems increased from 4.7% to 14.7%. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly decreased from 65.2% in 2016 to 48.9% in 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

The bacterial prevalence and antibiotic resistance rates of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii, S. aureus and MRSA were significantly lower than the national average.

Effects of testis testosterone deficiency on gene expression in the adrenal gland and skeletal muscle of ducks

1. Testosterone has an anabolic effect on skeletal muscle. The testes produce most of the testosterone in vivo, while the adrenal glands contribute smaller amounts. When testis testosterone is deficient the adrenal gland increases steroid hormone synthesis, which is referred to as compensatory testicular adaptation (CTA).2. To reveal the effects of testis testosterone deficiency on adrenal steroid hormones synthesis and skeletal muscle development, gene expression related to adrenal steroid hormones synthesis and skeletal muscle development were determined by RNA-seq.3. The results showed that castrating male ducks had significant effects on their body weight but no significant impact on cross-sectional area (CSA) or density of pectoral muscle fibres. In skeletal muscle protein metabolism, expression levels of the catabolic gene atrogin1/MAFbx and the anabolic gene eEF2 were significantly higher, with concomitant increases after castration. The adrenal glands' alteration of the steroid hormone 11β-hydroxylase (CYP11B1) was significantly lower following castration.4. Expression pattern analysis showed that the adrenal glands' glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1/GR) had a potential regulatory relationship with the skeletal muscle-related genes (Pax7, mTOR, FBXO32, FOXO3, and FOXO4).5. The data showed that castration affected muscle protein metabolism, adrenal steroid and testosterone synthesis. In addition, it was speculated that, after castration, steroid hormones produced by the adrenal gland could have a compensatory effect, which might mediate the changes in skeletal muscle protein metabolism and development.

Flexible-to-Stretchable Mechanical and Electrical Interconnects

Stretchable electronic devices that maintain electrical function when subjected to stress or strain are useful for enabling new applications for electronics, such as wearable devices, human-machine interfaces, and components for soft robotics. Powering and communicating with these devices is a challenge. NFC (near-field communication) coils solve this challenge but only work efficiently when they are in close proximity to the device. Alternatively, electrical signals and power can arrive via physical connections between the stretchable device and an external source, such as a battery. The ability to create a robust physical and electrical connection between mechanically disparate components may enable new types of hybrid devices in which at least a portion is stretchable or deformable, such as hinges. This paper presents a simple method to make mechanical and electrical connections between elastomeric conductors and flexible (or rigid) conductors. The adhesion at the interface between these disparate materials arises from surface chemistry that forms strong covalent bonds. The utilization of liquid metals as the conductor provides stretchable interconnects between stretchable and non-stretchable electrical traces. The liquid metal can be printed or injected into vias to create interconnects. We characterized the mechanical and electrical properties of these hybrid devices to demonstrate the concept and identify geometric design criteria to maximize mechanical strength. The work here provides a simple and general strategy for creating mechanical and electrical connections that may find use in a variety of stretchable and soft electronic devices.

Association between smoking and Schneiderian membrane perforation during maxillary sinus floor augmentation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the association between smoking and Schneiderian membrane perforation in sinus floor augmentation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Data were extracted by two authors independently. The inclusion criteria were the (1) age of patients >18, (2) the number of participants >10, and (3) smoking and the patients of Schneiderian membrane perforation were accurately recorded. The risk of bias was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). Statistics analyses were conducted using Reman5.4.1 and Stata (15.0). The association of Schneiderian membrane perforation with smoking habits during maxillary sinus floor elevation was expressed as odds ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CIs). And the I2 statistic was used to estimate statistical heterogeneity. The funnel plot and Egger's tests were used to evaluate the reliability and stability of the results.

RESULTS

Of 1463 articles screened, nine studies were included in our systematic review, and eight were synthesized for meta-analysis. Eight were retrospective observational studies and one was a clinical trial, with a total of 1424 patients included. The nine studies were proved as high quality according to the NOS. There was no significant publication bias in the studies (p = 0.827). A random-effects model was used because of differences in the adopted methodologies (p = 0.39, I2  = 5%). During maxillary sinus augmentation, smoking and Schneiderian membrane perforation were associated (odds ratios, 1.58 [95% CI, 1.10-2.25]).

CONCLUSION

Smoking increased the risk of membrane perforation in maxillary sinus floor augmentation. Our evaluation was limited by the poor reporting of the number of cigarettes smoked per day (PROSPERO number was CRD42022306570).

Emerging Prevalence and Clinical Features of Elizabethkingia meningoseptica Infection in Southwest China: A 9-Year Retrospective Study and Systematic Review

Background

Elizabethkingia meningoseptica infections have gradually emerged as life-threatening nosocomial infections worldwide, accompanied by increasing incidence, multidrug resistance and poor outcomes. However, the epidemiology and clinical features of E. meningoseptica infection are still limited in mainland China.

Methods

Patients with E. meningoseptica infections from 2011 to 2019 in southwestern China were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical features, infection patterns and outcomes were extracted from medical records and analyzed. A comprehensive systematic review was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines from conception to August 23, 2021.

Results

Ninety-two patients were ultimately included, with the prevalence rapidly rising from 0 in 2011 to 0.19 per 1000 inpatients in 2019. A total of 93.48% of E. meningoseptica isolates were multidrug resistant, including 100% resistance to carbapenem. Furthermore, 75% of E. meningoseptica infections were concomitant with other pathogens. The mortality of our cohort was 36.96%, with risk factors for mechanical ventilation (OR=9.51, P=0.004), male sex (OR=0.27, P=0.031) and more concomitant pathogens. After propensity score matching, central venous catheters, exposure to carbapenem and antifungal drugs, and underlying tumors were associated with E. meningoseptica infection. Sixteen articles were also summarized, with reported mortality rates ranging from 11.0% to 66.6%. Blood and respiratory tract were the common sources. Piperacillin/tazobactam, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, fluoroquinolone and minocycline were the most sensitive antibiotics. Inappropriate antibiotic treatment was the most commonly reported risk factor for mortality.

Conclusion

Nosocomial infection with E. meningoseptica has become an emerging problem with high mortality in southwestern China. Inappropriate antibiotic treatment and central venous catheters are risk factors for infection and death and should receive adequate attention.

Direct Quantitative Analysis of Fluorine in Solid Samples by Cryogenic Laser Ablation and Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

The determination of fluorine, the lightest element in halogens, suffers from high ionization potential and spectral interference from water molecules in mass spectrometry. Herein, we introduced a liquid nitrogen cooling unit into the laser ablation and ionization source for the first time to construct a cryogenic laser ablation and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Cryo-LAI-TOFMS) system. With this system, the interference of water-related species at m/z 19 was effectively eliminated, and fluorine atomization and ionization efficiency could reach 6.3%. A direct quantitative analysis method was developed to determine fluorine contents in phosphate rock, copper ore, industrial byproduct gypsum, stream sediment, and soil. Considering the simplicity, high sensitivity, and low spectral interference of this technique, it can be extended to the determination of fluorine content as low as μg/g in complex solid samples.

Genetic and phenotype recovery of Ananas comosus var. MD2 in response to ionizing radiation

Due to their sessile nature, plants are exposed to various environmental stressors such as exposure to high levels of harmful ultraviolet (UV), ionizing, and non-ionizing radiations. This exposure may result in various damages, ranging from DNA and chromosomal aberrations to phenotypic abnormalities. As an adaptation, plants have evolved efficient DNA repair mechanisms to detect and repair any damage caused by exposure to these harmful stressors to ensure their survival. In this study, the effects of gamma radiation (as a source of ionizing radiation) on clonal Ananas comosus var. MD2 was evaluated. The morphology and physiology of the clonal plantlets before and after exposure to gamma radiation were monitored at specific time intervals. The degree of genetic variation between the samples pre- and post-irradiation was also analyzed by using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The resulting data revealed that the heights of the irradiated plantlets were significantly reduced (compared to control), but improved with the recovery period. Irradiated samples also exhibited relatively good photosynthetic efficiency that further improved as the plantlets recover. These observations were supported by the ISSR analysis, where the genetic dissimilarities between the irradiated samples and control were reduced by 0.1017, after 4 weeks of recovery. Overall, our findings suggested that the phenotype recovery of the clonal A. comosus var. MD2 plantlets was contributed by their ability to detect and repair the DNA lesions (as exemplified by the reduction in genetic dissimilarity after 4 weeks) and hence allow the plantlets to undergo phenotype reversion to normal plant stature.

Statistical and Computational Methods for Microbial Strain Analysis

Microbial strains are interpreted as a lineage derived from a recent ancestor that have not experienced "too many" recombination events and can be successfully retrieved with culture-independent techniques using metagenomic sequencing. Such a strain variability has been increasingly shown to display additional phenotypic heterogeneities that affect host health, such as virulence, transmissibility, and antibiotics resistance. New statistical and computational methods have recently been developed to track the strains in samples based on shotgun metagenomics data either based on reference genome sequences or Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). In this paper, we review some recent statistical methods for strain identifications based on frequency counts at a set of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) within a set of single-copy marker genes. These methods differ in terms of whether reference genome sequences are needed, how SNVs are called, what methods of deconvolution are used and whether the methods can be applied to multiple samples. We conclude our review with areas that require further research.

Effects of Lifetime Exposures to Environmental Contaminants on the Adult Gut Microbiome

Emerging experimental evidence indicates that toxicant-induced alterations in gut microbiota composition and activity may affect host homeostasis. However, data from human studies are scarce; to our knowledge, no previous studies have quantified the association of lifetime exposure to environmental chemicals, across multiple time points, with the composition of the adult gut microbiome. Here we studied 124 individuals born in the Faroe Islands in 1986-1987 who were followed approximately every seven years from birth through age 28 years. Organochlorine compounds, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and mercury (Hg), were measured in cord blood and longitudinally in participants' blood. At age 28, the gut microbiome was assessed using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Historical contaminant exposures had little direct effect on the adult gut microbiome, while a small number of fastidious anaerobes were weakly linked to recent PFAS/PFOS exposures at age 28. In this cohort, our findings suggest no lasting effects of early life exposures on adult gut microbial composition, but proximal exposures may contribute to gut microbiome alterations. The methods developed and used for this investigation may help in future identification of small but lasting impacts of environmental toxicant exposure on the gut microbiome.