[Clinical features and prognostic analysis of testicular relapse in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of testicular relapse in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods: Clinical data including the age, time from initial diagnosis to recurrence, relapse site, and therapeutic effect of 37 pediatric ALL with testicular relapse and treated in Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between November 2011 and December 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were grouped according to different clinical data. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) rate and event free survival (EFS) rate for univariate analysis, and Cox proportional-hazards regression model was used to evaluate the influencing factors of OS rate and EFS rate for multivariate analysis. Results: The age at initial diagnosis of 37 pediatric testicular relapse patients was (5±3) years and the time from initial diagnosis to testicular recurrence was (37±15) months. The follow-up time was 43 (22, 56) months. Twenty-three patients (62%) were isolated testis relapse. The 5-year OS rate and EFS rate of the 37 relapsed children were (60±9) % and (50±9) % respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the 2-year EFS rate in the group of patients with time from initial diagnosis to testicular recurrence >28 months was significantly higher than those ≤28 months ((69±10)% vs. (11±11)%, P<0.05), 2-year EFS rate of the isolated testicular relapse group was significantly higher than combined relapse group ((66±11)% vs. (20±13) %, P<0.05), 2-year EFS rate of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell treatment after relapse group was significantly higher than without CAR-T cell treatment after relapse group ((78±10)% vs. (15±10)%, P<0.05). ETV6-RUNX1 was the most common genetic aberration in testicular relapsed ALL (38%, 14/37). The 4-year OS and EFS rate of patients with ETV6-RUNX1 positive were (80±13) % and (64±15) %, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified relapse occurred≤28 months after first diagnosis (HR=3.09, 95%CI 1.10-8.72), combined relapse (HR=4.26, 95%CI 1.34-13.52) and CAR-T cell therapy after relapse (HR=0.15,95%CI 0.05-0.51) were independent prognostic factors for 2-year EFS rate (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The outcome of testicular relapse in pediatric ALL was poor. They mainly occurred 3 years after initial diagnosis. ETV6-RUNX1 is the most common abnormal gene.Patients with ETV6-RUNX1 positive often have a favorable outcome. Early relapse and combined relapse indicate unfavorable prognosis, while CAR-T cell therapy could significantly improve the survival rate of children with testicular recurrence.

The triangular relationship between traditional Chinese medicines, intestinal flora, and colorectal cancer

Over the past decade, colorectal cancer has reported a higher incidence in younger adults and a lower mortality rate. Recently, the influence of the intestinal flora in the initiation, progression, and treatment of colorectal cancer has been extensively studied, as well as their positive therapeutic impact on inflammation and the cancer microenvironment. Historically, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in the treatment of colorectal cancer via promoted cancer cell apoptosis, inhibited cancer metastasis, and reduced drug resistance and side effects. The present research is more on the effect of either herbal medicine or intestinal flora on colorectal cancer. The interactions between TCM and intestinal flora are bidirectional and the combined impacts of TCM and gut microbiota in the treatment of colon cancer should not be neglected. Therefore, this review discusses the role of intestinal bacteria in the progression and treatment of colorectal cancer by inhibiting carcinogenesis, participating in therapy, and assisting in healing. Then the complex anticolon cancer effects of different kinds of TCM monomers, TCM drug pairs, and traditional Chinese prescriptions embodied in apoptosis, metastasis, immune suppression, and drug resistance are summarized separately. In addition, the interaction between TCM and intestinal flora and the combined effect on cancer treatment were analyzed. This review provides a mechanistic reference for the application of TCM and intestinal flora in the clinical treatment of colorectal cancer and paves the way for the combined development and application of microbiome and TCM.

Clinical characteristics, outcomes and risk factors for mortality in hospitalized diabetes and chronic kidney disease patients after COVID-19 infection following widespread vaccination

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 poses a significant threat to patients with comorbidities, such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). China experienced a nationwide COVID-19 endemic from December 2022 to January 2023, which is the first occurrence of such an outbreak following China's widespread administration of COVID-19 vaccinations.

METHODS

A total of 338 patients with diabetes and CKD combined with COVID-19 infection between December 7, 2022 and January 31, 2023 were included in this study. The end follow-up date was February 10, 2023. Univariate analysis and multivariate Cox analysis were used to analyze risk factors for death.

RESULTS

During the 50-day median follow-up period, 90 patients in the study cohort died, for a mortality rate of 26.63%. The median age of the study cohort was 74 years, with a male predominance of 74%. During hospitalization, 21% of patients had incident AKI, 17% of patients experienced stroke, and 40% of patients experienced respiratory failure. Cox proportional hazard regression showed that older age, a diagnosis of severe or critically severe COVID-19 infection, incident AKI and respiratory failure, higher level of average values of fasting glucose during hospitalization, UA, and total bilirubin were independent risk factors for death in our multivariate model.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the critical importance of identifying and managing comorbid risk factors for COVID-19, especially among the elderly, in order to optimize clinical outcomes, even after COVID-19 vaccination.

Intratumoural and peritumoural CT-based radiomics for diagnosing lepidic-predominant adenocarcinoma in patients with pure ground-glass nodules: a machine learning approach

AIM

To develop and validate a diagnostic model utilising machine-learning algorithms that differentiates lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma (LPA) from other pathological subtypes in patients with pure ground-glass nodules (pGGNs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This bicentric study was conducted across two medical centres and included 151 patients diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma based on histopathological confirmation of pGGNs. The training cohort consisted of 99 patients from Institution 1, while the test cohort included 52 patients from Institution 2. Radiomics features were extracted from both tumours and the 2 mm peritumoural parenchyma. The tumoural and peritumoural radiomics were designated as Modeltumoural and Modelperitumoural, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy of various models was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Subsequently, a machine-learning-based prediction model that combined Modeltumoural, Modelperitumoural, and Modelclinical-radiological was developed to differentiate LPA from other pathological subtypes in patients with pGGNs.

RESULTS

Modeltumoural achieved area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.762 and 0.783 in the training and validation sets, respectively. Modelperitumoural attained AUCs of 0.742 and 0.667, and Modelclinical-radiological generated an AUC of 0.727 and 0.739 in the training and validation sets, respectively. Among the machine-learning models evaluated, gradient boosting machines demonstrated the best diagnostic efficacy, with accuracy, AUC, F1 score, and log loss values of 0.885, 0.956, 0.943, and 0.260, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The combined model based on machine learning that incorporated tumour and peritumoural parenchyma, as well as clinical and imaging characteristics, may offer benefits in assessing the pathological subtype of pGGNs.

Stigmasterol and gastrodin, two major components of banxia-baizhu-tianma decoction, alleviated the excessive phlegm-dampness hypertension by reducing lipid accumulation

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Banxia baizhu tianma decoction (BBTD) originated from the Qing Dynasty Chinese medicine book "Medical Xinwu", which has a clinical application history of more than 300 years. It's a classic prescription for expelling phlegm, extinguishing wind, strengthening the spleen (traditional Chinese medicine, ie, TCM, refers to the spleen channel) and dissipating excessive fluid based on TCM theory. BBTD is particularly effective in the treatment of excessive phlegm-dampness hypertension. However, the precise pharmacological effect of each herb of BBTD on hypertension treatment is not yet fully understood.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To investigate the pharmacological effects of each herb in BBTD on hypertension treatment and to explore the mechanisms behind them.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A high-fat-diet fed animal model was developed to evaluate the efficacy of different groups of drugs in BBTD for the treatment of hypertension. Untargeted metabolism was used to detect the metabolic changes after modeling and drug intervention. Then, Stigmasterol (STI) and gastrodin (GAS), major components of Pinellia Ternate Makino and Gastrodia elata Blume, were selected for treatment on HepG2 cell steatosis model. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to detect changes of corresponding gene and protein after drug intervention to explore the exam anti-hyperlipidemia mechanism of STI and GAS combination.

RESULTS

The weight gain, elevated blood pressure and increased blood lipids induced by high-fat-diet were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) after each prescription medicine intervention in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, 28 differential metabolites (DMs) were detected after modeling and were regulated to normal at varying degrees after each drug group treatment. In addition, eight of the 28 DMs were significantly different from the model group after the full prescription drug intervention, primarily related to four metabolic pathways, while only two metabolites were significantly different from the model group after the unprincipled drug intervention, related to one metabolic pathway. In HepG2 hyperlipidemia cell model, STI, GAS and their combination significantly decreased TC, TG levels and lipid accumulation (p < 0.05), and decreased sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) and their protein expressions (p < 0.05), increased adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and it's protein expression (p < 0.05). The two drugs work better in combination than alone.

CONCLUSION

BBTD has been shown to be effective in reducing lipid accumulation in a high-fat rat model, as well as in restoring the model-induced abnormal metabolites to normal levels in a dose-dependent manner. Pinellia ternata Makino and Gastrodia elata Blume, the main components of BBTD, may regulate lipid metabolism through fatty acid biosynthesis, arginine and proline metabolism. Their main active agents, STI and GAS, effectively reduce lipid accumulation and lipid content in cells and regulate the expression levels of genes and proteins associated with lipid metabolism. These results suggest that BBTD may regulate lipid metabolism via AMPK/SREBP-1c pathway.

Source apportionment and ozone formation mechanism of VOCs considering photochemical loss in Guangzhou, China

Understanding the sources and impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on ozone formation is challenging when the traditional method does not account for their photochemical loss. In this study, online monitoring of 56 VOCs was carried out in summer and autumn during high ozone pollution episodes. The photochemical age method was used to evaluate the atmospheric chemical loss of VOCs and to analyze the effects on characteristics, sources, and ozone formation of VOC components. The initial concentrations during daytime were 5.12 ppbv and 4.49 ppbv higher than the observed concentrations in the summer and autumn, respectively. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model identified 5 major emission sources. However, the omission of the chemical loss of VOCs led to underestimating the contributions of sources associated with highly reactive VOC components, such as those produced by biogenic emissions and solvent usage. Conversely it resulted in overestimating the contributions from VOC components with lower chemical activity such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) usage, vehicle emissions, and gasoline evaporation. Furthermore, the estimation of ozone formation may be underestimated when the atmospheric photochemical loss is not taken into account. The ozone formation potential (OFP) method and propylene-equivalent concentration method both underestimated ozone formation by 53.24 ppbv and 47.25 ppbc, respectively, in the summer, and by 40.34 ppbv and 26.37 ppbc, respectively, in the autumn. The determination of the ozone formation regime based on VOC chemical loss was more acceptable. In the summer, the ozone formation regime changed from the VOC-limited regime to the VOC-NOx transition regime, while in the autumn, the ozone formation regime changed from the strong VOC-limited regime to the weak VOC-limited regime. To obtain more thorough and precise conclusions, further monitoring and analysis studies will be conducted in the near future on a wider variety of VOC species such as oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs).

Nanoscale LiZnN - Luminescent Half-Heusler Quantum Dots

Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots are a well-established technology, with numerous materials available either commercially or through the vast body of literature. The prevalent materials are cadmium-based and are unlikely to find general acceptance in most applications. While the III-V family of materials is a likely substitute, issues remain about its long-term suitability, and other earth-abundant materials are being explored. In this report, we highlight a nanoscale half-Heusler semiconductor, LiZnN, composed of readily available elements as a potential alternative system to luminescent II-VI and III-V nanoparticle quantum dots.

[Genomics of next generation sequencing in pediatric B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia and its impact on minimal residual disease]

Objective: To describe the gene mutation profile of newly diagnosed pediatric B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and analyze its effect on minimal residual disease (MRD). Methods: A total of 506 newly diagnosed B-ALL children treated in Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from September 2018 to July 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The enrolled children were divided into MRD ≥1.00% group and <1.00% group according to MRD results on the 19th day since chemotherapy, and MRD ≥0.01% group and <0.01% group according to MRD results on the 46th day. Clinical characteristics and gene mutations of two groups were compared. Comparisons between groups were performed with chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Independent risk factors of MRD results on the 19th day and the 46th day were analyzed by Logistic regression model. Results: Among all 506 patients, there were 318 males and 188 females. On the 19th day, there were 114 patients in the MRD ≥1.00% group and 392 patients in the MRD <1.00% group. On the 46th day, there were 76 patients in the MRD ≥0.01% group and 430 patients in the MRD <0.01% group. A total of 187 gene mutations were detected in 487 (96.2%) of 506 children. The most common gene mutations were signal transduction-related KRAS gene mutations in 111 cases (22.8%) and NRAS gene mutations in 99 cases (20.3%). Multivariate analysis showed that PTPN11 (OR=1.92, 95%CI 1.00-3.63), KMT2A (OR=3.51, 95%CI 1.07-11.50) gene mutations and TEL-AML1 (OR=0.48, 95%CI 0.27-0.87), BCR-ABL1 (OR=0.27, 95%CI 0.08-0.92) fusion genes and age >10 years (OR=1.91, 95%CI 1.12-3.24) were independent influencing factors for MRD ≥1.00% on the 19th day. BCORL1 (OR=2.96, 95%CI 1.18-7.44), JAK2 (OR=2.99, 95%CI 1.07-8.42) and JAK3 (OR=4.83, 95%CI 1.50-15.60) gene mutations and TEL-AML1 (OR=0.43, 95%CI 0.21-0.87) fusion gene were independent influencing factors for MRD ≥0.01% on the 46th day. Conclusions: Children with B-ALL are prone to genetic mutations, with abnormalities in the RAS signaling pathway being the most common. Signal transduction related PTPN11, JAK2 and JAK3 gene mutations, epigenetic related KMT2A gene mutation and transcription factor related BCORL1 gene mutation are independent risk factors for MRD.

Pinellia genus: A systematic review of active ingredients, pharmacological effects and action mechanism, toxicological evaluation, and multi-omics application

The dried tuber of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit, Pinelliae Rhizoma (PR, also named 'Banxia' in Chinese), is widely used in traditional medicine. This review aims to provide detail summary of active ingredients, pharmacological effects, toxic ingredients, detoxification strategies, and omic researches, etc. Pharmacological ingredients from PR are mainly classified into six categories: alkaloids, amino acids, polysaccharides, phenylpropanoids, essential oils, and glucocerebrosides. Diversity of chemical composition determines the broad-spectrum efficacy and gives a foundation for the comprehensive utilization of P. ternata germplasm resources. The pharmacological compounds are involved in inhibition of cancer cells by targeting various pathways, including activation of immune system, inhibition of proliferation and cycle, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of angiogenesis. The pharmacological components of PR act on nervous system by targeting neurotransmitters, activating immune system, decreasing apoptosis, and increasing redox system. Lectins, one major class of the toxic ingredients extracted from raw PR, possess significant toxic effects on human cells. Inflammatory factors, cytochrome P450 proteins (CYP) family enzymes, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling factors, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling factors, and nervous system, are considered to be the target sites of lectins. Recently, omic analysis is widely applied in Pinellia genus studies. Plastome genome-based molecular markers are deeply used for identifying and resolving phylogeny of Pinellia genus plants. Various omic works revealed and functional identified a series of environmental stress responsive factors and active component biosynthesis-related genes. Our review summarizes the recent progress in active and toxic ingredient evaluation, pharmacological effects, detoxification strategies, and functional gene identification and accelerates efficient utilization of this traditional herb.

A sex- and site-specific relationship between body mass index and osteoarthritis: evidence from observational and genetic analyses

OBJECTIVE

We primarily aimed to investigate whether there are phenotypic and genetic links underlying body mass index (BMI) and overall osteoarthritis (OA). We then intended to explore whether the relationships differ across sexes and sites.

METHOD

We first evaluated the phenotypic association between BMI and overall OA using data from the UK Biobank. We then investigated the genetic relationship leveraging summary statistics of the hitherto largest genome-wide association studies performed for BMI and overall OA. Finally, we repeated all analyses in a sex- (female, male) and site- (knee, hip, spine) specific manner.

RESULTS

Observational analysis suggested an increased hazard of diagnosed OA per 5 kg/m² increment in BMI (hazard ratio = 1.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.37-1.39). A positive overall genetic correlation was observed for BMI and OA (r_g = 0.43, P = 4.72 × 10^-133), corroborated by 11 significant local signals. Cross-trait meta-analysis identified 34 pleiotropic loci shared between BMI and OA, of which seven were novel. Transcriptome-wide association study revealed 29 shared gene-tissue pairs, targeting nervous, digestive, and exo/endocrine systems. Mendelian randomization demonstrated a robust BMI-OA causal relationship (odds ratio = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.42-1.52). A similar pattern of effects was observed in sex- and site-specific analyses, with BMI affecting OA comparably in both sexes and most strongly in the knee.

CONCLUSION

Our work demonstrates an intrinsic relationship underlying BMI and overall OA, reflected by a pronounced phenotypic association, significant biological pleiotropy, and a putative causal link. Stratified analysis further reveals that the effects are distinct across sites and comparable across sexes.

Effect of Multicomponent Intervention on Functional Decline in Chinese Older Adults: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVES

To confirm whether multicomponent exercise following vivifrail recommendations was an effective method for improving physical ability, cognitive function, gait, balance, and muscle strength in Chinese older adults.

METHODS

This was a multicenter and randomized clinical trial conducted in Jiangsu, China, from April 2021 to April 2022. Intervention lasted for 12 weeks and 104 older adults with functional declines were enrolled. All participants were randomly assigned to a control (usual care plus health education) or exercise group (usual care plus health education plus exercise). Primary outcomes were the change score of Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and activities of daily living (ADL). The secondary outcomes included instrumental activities of daily living, Tinetti scores, Frailty score, short-form Mini Nutritional Assessment, Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale-15, the 12-item Short Form Survey, 4-meter gait speed test, 6-min walking distance, grip strength, and body composition analysis.

RESULTS

Among the participants, the average age was 85 (82, 88) years. After 12 weeks of follow-up, the exercise group showed a significant improvement in SPPB, with a change of 2 points (95% confidence interval [0, 3.5], P<0.001) compared to control. In contrast, SPPB remained stable in the control group. Compared to the control group, ADL improved in the exercise group, as did instrumental activities of daily living, Tinetti, Frailty, Short Form Survey, 4-meter gait speed test, and 6-min walking distance. Although there was no significant difference between groups in body composition analysis after post-intervention, the exercise group still improved in soft lean mass (P=0.002), fat-free mass (P=0.002), skeletal muscle mass index (P<0.001), fat-free mass index (P=0.004), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (P<0.001), and leg muscle mass (P<0.001), while the control group had no significant increase. No difference was observed in adverse events during trial period.

CONCLUSIONS

The multicomponent exercise intervention following vivifrail recommendations is an effective method for older adults with functional decline and can reverse the functional decline and improve gait, balance, and muscle strength. Additionally, the 12-week multicomponent exercise method provides guidance for Chinese medical professionals working in the field of geriatrics and is a promising method to improve physical function in the general population.

KIAA1429 promotes infantile hemangioma regression by facilitating the stemness of hemangioma endothelial cells

Infantile hemangiomas are common vascular tumors with a specific natural history. The proliferation and regression mechanism of infantile hemangiomas may be related to the multilineage differentiation ability of hemangioma stem cells, but the specific mechanism is not well elucidated. KIAA1429 is an N⁶ -methyladenosine methylation-related protein that can also exert its role in a methylation-independent manner. This study aims to explore the function of KIAA1429 in infantile hemangiomas. qRT-PCR, western blotting, and immunostaining were performed to verify the expression of KIAA1429. The endothelial and fibroblast-like phenotypes of hemangioma endothelial cells were detected after KIAA1429 knockdown and overexpression. The stemness properties of hemangioma endothelial cells and the underlying mechanism of KIAA1429 in hemangiomas were also investigated. Nude mouse models of infantile hemangiomas were conducted to ascertain the effects of KIAA1429 in vivo. The results showed that KIAA1429 was highly expressed in infantile hemangiomas, particularly in involuting hemangiomas. In vitro experiments confirmed that KIAA1429 inhibited the endothelial phenotype, enhanced the differentiation ability, and promoted the fibroblast-like phenotype of hemangioma endothelial cells by inducing endothelial cell transition to facultative stem cells. However, the effect of KIAA1429 on the potential target was shown to be independent of N⁶ -methyladenosine methylation modification. Mouse models further revealed that KIAA1429 could inhibit the proliferation and promote the regression of hemangiomas. In conclusion, this study found that KIAA1429 played an important role in the regression of infantile hemangiomas by enhancing the stemness of hemangioma endothelial cells and could be a potential treatment target for infantile hemangiomas.

[Susceptibility study on the germline rare variants of bromodomain and extraterminal domain protein family-encoding genes and patients with cancer living in some regions of China]

Objective: To explore the relationship between germline rare variants of bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) protein family-encoding genes and susceptibility to cancer in some regions of China. Methods: Capturing probes were designed for bromodomain-containing protein 2 (BRD2), BRD3 and BRD4 genes, and Illumina high-throughput sequencing platform was used to conduct targeted sequencing of genomic DNA of peripheral blood leukocytes from 1 673 patients with cancer and 1 661 individuals without cancer recruited between October 2015 and July 2018 from Chinese PLA General Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, People's Hospital of Macheng City, Hubei Province and Geneplus-Beijing Co. Ltd. Mutation detection and analysis were carried out according to the genome analysis toolkit (GATK) best practice guidelines, ANNOVAR and VEP software were used for annotation, and germline rare variants in BET family were screened. To determine potential pathogenic germline rare variants, clinical and experimental evidence was obtained from the ClinVar database and SIFT and Polyphen-2 softwares were used to predict pathogenicity. Fisher's exact test was used to compare the difference of the carrying rate of variants in the case group and the control group, and multivariate regression analysis was performed with the SKAT software with sex and age used as covariates. Results: Among the 1 673 cancer patients, 911 were males and 762 were females, with the mean age was (57.9±11.7) years. There were 1, 111 cases (66.4%) of lung cancer, 266 cases (15.9%) of colorectal cancer, 186 cases of breast cancer (11.1%), and 110 cases (6.6%) of esophagus or gastric cancer. In the same period 1, 661 non-tumor control individuals were recruited, including 821 males and 840 females, with the mean age was (44.5±13.9) years. It was observed that there were 4 potential pathogenic germline rare variants in BRD2 gene carried by 17 patients with cancer, 5 potential pathogenic germline rare variants in BRD3 gene and 8 potential pathogenic germline rare variants in BRD4 gene. The carrying rate of potential pathogenic germline rare variants in BRD2 gene in cancer patients was 1.02% (17/1 673), significantly higher than that in controls without cancer [0 (0/1 661); OR=+∞, 95%CI: 4.81-+∞, P<0.001]. The carrying rate of potential pathogenic germline rare variants in BRD3 gene in cancer patients was 0.24% (4/1 673), and the difference was not statistically significant compared with controls without cancer [0.12% (2/1 661); OR=1.99, 95%CI: 0.46-10.47, P=0.690]. The carrying rate of potential pathogenic germline rare variants in BRD4 gene in cancer patients was 0.18% (3/1 673), and the difference was not statistically significant compared with controls without cancer [0.36% (6/1 661); OR=0.50, 95%CI: 0.14-2.08, P=0.340]. Furthermore, the dataset of whole exome sequencing of Chinese individuals in "Huabiao Project" was used as an additional control, and the rate of carrying BRD2 rare variants in cancer patients was 17/3 346 (0.51%), significantly higher than that in controls without cancer [0.07% (3/4 154); OR=7.07, 95%CI: 2.32-22.83, P<0.001]. Among the 17 patients carrying 4 potentially pathogenic germline rare variants of BRD2 gene, 9 were patients with lung cancer, 6 were patients with colorectal cancer, 1 was patient with breast cancer, and 1 was patients with esophagus or gastric cancer. The carrying rate of potential pathogenic germline rare variants in BRD2 gene in lung cancer patients was 0.81 (9/1 111), significantly higher than that in controls without cancer [0(0/1 661); OR=+∞, 95%CI: 3.95-+∞,P<0.001]. The carrying rate of potential pathogenic germline rare variants in BRD2 gene in patients with colorectal cancer was 2.26% (6/266), significantly higher than that in controls without cancer [0(0/1 661); OR=+∞, 95%CI: 9.03-+∞, P<0.001]. Wilcoxon rank-sum test results showed that patients with colorectal cancer carrying BRD2 rare variants had an earlier age at diagnosis [(47.0±7.4) vs (57.2±12.1) years old, P=0.017]. Conclusions: BRD2 gene may be served as a candidate genetic susceptibility gene for lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Carrying BRD2 potential pathogenic germline rare variants is associated with higher risk of lung cancer and colorectal cancer, and with earlier age of colorectal cancer.

Dynamical Response of Nonlinear Optical Anisotropy in a Tin Sulfide Crystal under Ultrafast Photoexcitation

Analogous to black phosphorus, SnS processes folded structure that shows a strongly anisotropic optical absorption. Herein, by using ultrafast two-color pump and probe spectroscopy, the azimuthal angle dependence of nonlinear optical anisotropy in SnS is investigated. After 390 nm photoexcitation, the reflectivity of the 780 nm probe beam is first reduced significantly, followed by a complex alternation with the rotation of the sample along the c-axis. The relaxation of reflectivity consisted of two components: a 1-3 ps fast process that shows azimuthal angle and pump fluence dependence, which arises from electron-phonon coupling. The slow process shows strongly azimuthal angle dependence, which arises from the recovery of a photoinduced structural change, i.e., from the photoinduced metastable state with Cmcm-like symmetry to the initial state with Pnma symmetry. In addition, a coherent acoustic phonon with a frequency of 40 GHz is also identified, which originates from the temperature gradient-induced strain wave in the SnS crystal.

Hybrid Simulations of the Cusp and Dayside Magnetosheath Dynamics Under Quasi-Radial Interplanetary Magnetic Fields

Under quasi-radial interplanetary magnetic fields (IMF), foreshock turbulence can have an impact on the magnetosheath and cusps depending on the location of the quasi-parallel shock. We perform three-dimensional simulations of Earth's dayside magnetosphere using the hybrid code HYPERS, and compare northward and southward quasi-radial IMF configurations. We study the magnetic field configuration, fluctuations in the magnetosheath and the plasma in the regions around the northern cusp. Under northward IMF with Earthward B _x , there is a time-varying plasma depletion layer immediately outside the northern cusp. In the southward IMF case, the impact of foreshock turbulence and high-speed jets, together with magnetopause reconnection, can lead to strong density enhancements in the cusp.

[Analysis of the stressors and mental status of civil aviation pilots under the background of the major infectious disease]

Objective: To study the stressors and mental status of civil aviation pilots under the background of major infectious disease. Methods: From January to March 2021, a cluster sampling method was used to select 143 airline pilots in service as the research objects. The self-made emotion and stress source questionnaire, Chinese version of stress perception scale (CPSS) , self rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and self rating Depression Scale (SDS) were used to investigate the airline pilot population. 136 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective recovery rate of 95.1%. The measurement data conform to the normal distribution and are expressed by (x±s) . T-test and analysis of variance are used for comparison between groups, and Pearson correlation is used for correlation analysis. The data that do not conform to the normal distribution are expressed by the median and quartile [M (Q(1), Q(3)) ], and the non parametric test is used for the comparison between groups. Multiple linear stepwise regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of pressure perception. In addition, Amos 23.0 software was used to construct structural equation models of stress perception and negative emotions. Results: Under the background of the epidemic, the main sources of stress for civil aviation pilots are: the risk of possible reduction in income, the risk of contracting COVID-19, the pressure at work, and the risk of possible slow progress of upgrading. Among them, the first co pilot was more worried about the possible reduction of income than the instructor (P=0.009) ; The first co pilot and the captain of the airline were more worried about the possible slowdown of the upgrade progress than the instructor (P<0.001, P=0.014) . The mean pressure perception of pilots was higher than that of Chinese norm (t=3.11, P=0.002) . The standard scores of anxiety and depression were slightly higher than the standard scores of the Chinese norm under the non epidemic situation (t=7.00, 4.07, all P<0.001) . The results of multiple linear stepwise regression analysis showed that stress perception was negatively correlated with good family relations (t=-8.50, P=0.000) , and positively correlated with worries about slow progress of upgrading, COVID-19 infection, lack of interpersonal communication and income reduction (t=3.31、3.86、2.88、2.06, P<0.05) . Pressure perception was positively correlated with negative emotion (all P<0.001) . The results of structural equation model show that stress perception affects pilots' negative emotions directly or indirectly, and its standardized total effects on anxiety, depression, hypochondriac, fear, compulsion and irritability are 0.719, 0.811, 0.403, 0.355, 0.295 and 0.244 respectively. Conclusion: Public health emergencies have an impact on the mental status of pilots. Should pay attention to the stressors and psychological conditions of pilots in time, and consider formulating measures to relieve the stress of pilots.

Comparison of amino acid digestibility and its additivity determined with slaughter or cecectomy method for yellow-feather chicken

The objective of this experiment was to compare the slaughter and cecectomy methods to determine amino acid (AA) digestibility of corn and soybean meal and their additivity in a corn-soybean meal diet. A completely randomized design was adopted to determine endogenous AA losses (EAAL) and AA digestibility in each of corn, soybean meal, and a corn-soybean meal diet using either slaughter or cecectomy methods. Each treatment contained 6 replicates with 3 chickens per replicate. The endogenous loss (EL) of histidine and glycine was lower and the EL of methionine and phenylalanine was greater when determined by slaughter vs. cecectomy (P < 0.05). The EL of arginine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, valine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and serine determined by slaughter were 1.2 to 3.2 times of those from cecectomy. The standard error (SE) of EL of 14 AA (excluding histidine and glycine) obtained by slaughter method was 2.1 to 9.6 times of those by cecectomy method. The apparent and standardized digestibility was not affected by methods for most AA except apparent digestibility of methionine, phenylalanine and glycine, and standardized digestibility of glycine in corn. The apparent and standardized digestibility of most AA except apparent digestibility of glycine and standardized digestibility of lysine, cysteine and glycine were less for slaughter versus cecectomy methods in soybean meal (P < 0.05). Using slaughter method resulted in reduced apparent digestibility of 15 AA (except glycine) and reduced standardized digestibility of 7 AA (arginine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and proline) relative to cecectomy method (P < 0.05), but the standardized digestibility of glycine was greater when determined by slaughter vs. cecectomy methods in corn-soybean meal diet (P < 0.05). The mean value of SE of 16 AA digestibility in slaughter method was 2.9 times of that by cecectomy method. The apparent digestibility of 2 and 9 of 16 AA and the standardized digestibility of 15 and 7 of 16 AA were additive when using slaughter and cecectomy determinations, respectively. In conclusion, compared to the slaughter method, cecectomy method had less SE and EAAL but greater apparent digestibility of methionine and phenylalanine in corn, and the apparent digestibility of 15 AA (except glycine) in soybean meal and corn-soybean meal diet. Additivity in apparent and standardized AA digestibility was more inconsistent when determined with slaughter vs. cecectomy methods. These findings suggest that the cecectomy method is more suitable than the slaughter method to determine the digestibility of AA.

[Investigate developmental coordination disorder of kindergarten children in Zhejiang Province]

In order to investigate developmental coordination disorder (DCD) of kindergarten children in Zhejiang province, 200 ordinary kindergartens were randomly selected by stratified random sampling in 11 prefecture-level cities of Zhejiang Province, and 38 900 children from 1 000 classes in each grade were then randomly selected into the study from June 2019 to December 2019. The Little DCD Questionnaire and a self-designed questionnaire were used to screen the DCD of those children. There were 36 807 valid questionnaires, and 6.50% (2 391/36 807) of them were positive results. The results showed that boy, age ≤5 years, overweight or obesity, left handedness, comorbidity with motor or developmental disorders and premature infants were risk factors of DCD in children. As for parents and families, maternal gestational age<20 years, maternal overweight or obesity before pregnancy, low-middle level education of parents, direct family and low income of family were also associated with DCD in children. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct early prevention and intervention strategies targeting on identified risk factors among relevant population.

Observation of Ultrafast Interfacial Exciton Formation and Relaxation in Graphene/MoS2 Heterostructure

Heterostructures constructed from graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have established a new platform for optoelectronic applications. After a large number of studies, one intriguing debate is the existence of the interfacial exciton in graphene/TMDs. Hereby, by combined optical pump-terahertz probe spectroscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy, we report the observation of the interfacial exciton in graphene/MoS2 heterostructure. With the photon energy well below the band gap of monolayer MoS2, the hot electrons of graphene are transferred to MoS2 within 0.5 ps; subsequently, the relaxation of the holes in graphene and electrons in MoS2 shows an identical time scale of 15-18 ps, which manifests the formation and relaxation of the interfacial exciton in the heterostructure following photoexcitation. Moreover, a model of the carrier heating and photogating effect in graphene is proposed to estimate the amount of transferred charge, which agrees well with the experimental results. Our study provides insights into the dynamics of graphene-based heterostructure interfacial non-equilibrium carriers.

miR-6124: A potential new prognosis biomarker for lung squamous cell carcinoma through m5C regulating mechanism

e20568

Background: RNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that can act as tumor prognosis biomarkers, and which is regulated by methyltransferase, RNA binding protein, and demethylase. 5-Methylcytosine (m5C) is a well-known post-transcriptional modification that plays an important role in cell differentiation and apoptosis. Although gene mutations in those regulator genes are associated with various cancers, the m5C regulating mechanism and its roles in cancer prognosis largely remains unknown. This study aimed to find new microRNA biomarkers associated with prognosis of clinical outcomes through m5C regulating mechanism in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Methods: The RNA-seq expression data of LUSC were collected from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). In total, we obtained 501 LUSC tumor samples and 49 normal samples from 502 LUSC patients. We firstly identified differential expressed genes of the 13 previously reported m5C regulators between the tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Then miRNAs were identified using Pearson correlation analysis between the microRNA expression and the differential expressed m5C regulator genes. Pathway enrichment analysis of the miRNAs was performed using clusterProfiler to examine their cancer development roles. Furthermore, cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factor for overall survival. Targeted relationship between miRNA and genes were confirmed by miRTarBase. Results: Differential analysis revealed 4 significantly up-regulated (NOP2, NSUN2, DNMT3B and ALYREF) genes in tumor among 13 interested m5C regulators. Pearson correlation analysis identified 39 correlated miRNAs. After cox regression, we found out one micro-RNA miR-6124, which is highly correlated with DNMT3B gene and is significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS, p < 0.01). We then identified the regulatory targets of miR-6124 using miRTarBase database. In total we identified 181 target genes. Among them, H3F3A which encode histone H3 synergistically work with DNMT3B gene as showed in the previous studies and promote DNA methylation of the oncogenes. Such preliminary results showed miR-6124 may be involved in cancer pathway regulating and was a potential prognosis biomarker candidate in LUSC. Conclusions: We identified a potential new prognosis biomarker in lung squamous cell carcinoma. The identified miR-6124 is involved in DNMT3B and m5C regulating mechanism. Further evidences are needed to study its’ role in clinical applications.

Menopausal hormone therapy: what are the problems in the perception of Chinese physicians?

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate Chinese physicians' perception and attitudes toward menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).

METHODS

This nationwide online survey was conducted in China. Physicians registered in the WeChat groups of the Gynecological Endocrinology Committee of China's Maternal and Child Health Care Association received a message invitation to complete this anonymous online survey from April 2020 to July 2020. Physicians' knowledge of and attitudes toward MHT were surveyed.

RESULTS

In total, 4672 questionnaires were submitted; only completed questionnaires could be submitted. The message was sent to 6021 doctors, so the response rate was 77.6%. Overall, 77.9-92.9% of physicians knew the common indications and contraindications to MHT. Additionally, 90.6%, 85.4%, 80.7% and 37.5% of physicians thought that MHT would increase the risk of venous thrombosis, breast cancer, endometrial cancer and weight gain, respectively. In total, 58.1% of the physicians mistakenly believed that a sex hormone test was one of the necessary examinations to reassess MHT prescription during follow-up visits. We found that 68.5% of physicians would consider using MHT themselves or recommend MHT to their partners in the future, and 11.4% were currently using MHT.

CONCLUSIONS

Most Chinese physicians have basic knowledge of MHT. Their misunderstandings about MHT mainly centered on the risks of endometrial cancer, weight gain and the necessary examinations during follow-up visits. These misunderstandings need to be clarified in future professional training programs.

Ultrafast Dynamics of Defect-Assisted Auger Process in PdSe2 Films: Synergistic Interaction between Defect Trapping and Auger Effect

By using optical pump and terahertz probe spectroscopy, we have investigated the photocarrier dynamics in PdSe₂ films with different thicknesses. The experimental results reveal that the photocarrier relaxation consists of two components: a fast component of 2.5 ps that shows the layer-thickness independence and a slow component that has typical lifetime of 7.3 ps decreasing with the layer thickness. Interestingly, the relaxation times for both fast and slow components exhibited both pump fluence and temperature independence, which suggests that synergistic interactions between defect trapping and Auger effect dominate the photocarrier dynamics in PdSe₂ films. A model involving a defect-assisted Auger process is proposed, which can reproduce the experimental results well. The fitting results reveal that the layer-dependent lifetime is determined by the defect density rather than carrier occupancy rate after photoexcitation. Our results underscore the interplay between the Auger process and defects in two-dimensional semiconductors.

Identification of Key microRNAs and Genes in Infantile Hemangiomas

Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most frequent vascular tumors that occur during infancy. Microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) have been demonstrated as critical regulators of gene expression in various diseases. However, the function of miRNAs in IH still remains largely unknown. In the present study, we performed a miRNA microarray analysis of IH and identified 68 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs). In addition, miRNA-gene networks and protein-protein interactions were constructed, and the hub miRNAs and genes of IH were screened out. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were used for biological analysis of DEMs and differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The pathway enrichment analysis of DEMs revealed several tumor-related pathways, including proteoglycans in cancer, signaling pathway regulating pluripotency of stem cells and TGF-beta signaling pathway. DEGs were mainly enriched in biological processes, including intracellular signal transduction, cell adhesion, and cell death. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that DEGs were enriched in tumorigenesis- and angiogenesis-related pathways such as proteoglycans in cancer, MAPK signaling pathway and Rap1 signaling pathway. Collectively, this study first established a comprehensive miRNA-gene network in IH, which should provide novel insights into IH pathogenesis and be beneficial to the understanding of neovascularization-related disorders.

[Spindle cell hemangioma: a clinicopathological and molecular analysis of eight cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological and genetic characteristics of spindle cell hemangioma (SCH). Methods: The clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical features of 8 SCHs diagnosed from January 2013 to September 2021 in West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China were retrospectively analyzed. Hotspot mutations for IDH1 codon 132 and IDH2 codon 172 were tested in 4 SCHs and 29 other non-SCH lesions using Sanger sequencing. Results: The 8 cases occurred in patients with a wide age range, from neonate to 46 years (mean 28 years, median 32 years). Both genders were equally affected. The course of the disease spanned from half a year to 31 years. Two SCHs were recurrent tumors. All tumors involved the distal extremities (4 of foot, 2 of ankle and 2 of hand). Six cases were presented as a single lesion and 2 cases as multiple lesions. The tumor diameters were 1-5 cm. All the 8 SCHs were typically composed of cavernous vascular space and solid components consisting of slit-like vessels, spindle cells and epithelioid endothelial cells which often exhibited cytoplasmic vacuolation. These two alternating components and the vacuolated epithelioid endothelial cells were the distinctive diagnostic clues for SCH. Vascular endothelial cells including epithelioid cells in the solid areas expressed CD31 (8/8), ERG (4/4), CD34 (5/8) and D2-40 (2/3). The spindle cells expressed SMA (8/8). Neither endothelial cells nor spindle cells expressed HHV8 (0/7), Desmin (0/5) or S-100 (0/3). Mutations were revealed in 2 SCHs, with IDH1 mutation (p.R132C) and IDH2 mutation (p.R172G), respectively. The IDH1/2 gene hotspot mutations were not found in the remaining 2 SCHs or the other 29 non-SCH lesions. Simple excisions were performed for 7 cases, and partial resection for 1 case. Follow-up information was obtained in 6 cases, with follow-up time ranging from 5 to 90 months (average, 46 months). No metastasis occurred in the 6 cases. No recurrence occurred in cases treated with simple excision. The residual lesions of the patient who received partial resection were stable. Conclusions: SCH is rare and should be differentiated from a variety of benign and malignant vascular lesions. An accurate diagnosis of SCH is clinically important and can be achieved by combining clinical information and typical pathological presentation. IDH1/2 gene hotspot mutations are specific to SCH in vascular lesions. Genetic detection is helpful in the diagnosis of challenging cases.

Genetic analyses of blood β-hydroxybutyrate predicted from milk infrared spectra and its association with longevity and female reproductive traits in Holstein cattle

Ketosis is one of the most prevalent and complex metabolic disorders in high-producing dairy cows and usually detected through analyses of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration in blood. Our main objectives were to evaluate genetic parameters for blood BHB predicted based on Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectra from 5 to 305 d in milk, and estimate the genetic relationships of blood BHB with 7 reproduction traits and 6 longevity traits in Holstein cattle. Predicted blood BHB records of 11,609 Holstein cows (after quality control) were collected from 2016 to 2019 and used to derive 4 traits based on parity number, including predicted blood BHB in all parities (BHBp), parity 1 (BHB1), parity 2 (BHB2), and parity 3+ (BHB3). Single- and multitrait repeatability models were used for estimating genetic parameters for the 4 BHB traits. Random regression test-day models implemented via Bayesian inference were used to evaluate the daily genetic feature of BHB variability. In addition, genetic correlations were calculated for the 4 BHB traits with reproduction and longevity traits. The heritability estimates of BHBp, BHB1, BHB2, and BHB3 ranged from 0.100 ± 0.026 (± standard error) to 0.131 ± 0.023. The BHB in parities 1 to 3+ were highly genetically correlated and ranged from 0.788 (BHB1 and BHB2) to 0.911 (BHB1 and BHB3). The daily heritability of BHBp ranged from 0.069 to 0.195, higher for the early and lower for the later lactation periods. A similar trend was observed for BHB1, BHB2, and BHB3. There are low direct genetic correlations between BHBp and selected reproductive performance and longevity traits, which ranged from -0.168 ± 0.019 (BHBp and production life) to 0.157 ± 0.019 (BHBp and age at first calving) for the early lactation stage (5 to 65 d). These direct genetic correlations indicate that cows with higher BHBp (greater likelihood of having ketosis) in blood usually have shorter production life (-0.168 ± 0.019). Cows with higher fertility and postpartum recovery, such as younger age at first calving (0.157 ± 0.019) and shorter interval from calving to first insemination in heifer (0.111 ± 0.006), usually have lower BHB concentration in the blood. Furthermore, the direct genetic correlations change across parity and lactation stage. In general, our results suggest that selection for lower predicted BHB in early lactation could be an efficient strategy for reducing the incidence of ketosis as well as indirectly improving reproductive and longevity performance in Holstein cattle.

Giant dorsal lipofibromatosis in an infant: a case report

BACKGROUND

Lipofibromatosis is a rare, benign, soft tissue tumor that usually presents in children. Low incidence and lack of specificity in clinical presentation make its diagnosis difficult.

CASE PRESENTATION

This is a case report of a patient with a giant lipofibromatosis on the back that resembles an infantile hemangioma, which posed great difficulty in diagnosis due to atypical clinical manifestations. After the postoperative pathological and immunohistochemical examination and fluorescence in situ hybridization, the patient was finally diagnosed with lipofibromatosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of fibromatosis was low. This case presents an atypical clinical manifestation since the tumor growth was on the back, and this can easily cause misdiagnosis. This case suggests that the diagnosis of lipofibromatosis depends on the pathology and fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Emerging Advances of Detection Strategies for Tumor-Derived Exosomes

Exosomes derived from tumor cells contain various molecular components, such as proteins, RNA, DNA, lipids, and carbohydrates. These components play a crucial role in all stages of tumorigenesis and development. Moreover, they reflect the physiological and pathological status of parental tumor cells. Recently, tumor-derived exosomes have become popular biomarkers for non-invasive liquid biopsy and the diagnosis of numerous cancers. The interdisciplinary significance of exosomes research has also attracted growing enthusiasm. However, the intrinsic nature of tumor-derived exosomes requires advanced methods to detect and evaluate the complex biofluid. This review analyzes the relationship between exosomes and tumors. It also summarizes the exosomal biological origin, composition, and application of molecular markers in clinical cancer diagnosis. Remarkably, this paper constitutes a comprehensive summary of the innovative research on numerous detection strategies for tumor-derived exosomes with the intent of providing a theoretical basis and reference for early diagnosis and clinical treatment of cancer.

Identification of cardiomyopathy-related core genes through human metabolic networks and expression data

Background

Cardiomyopathy is a complex type of myocardial disease, and its incidence has increased significantly in recent years. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) are two common and indistinguishable types of cardiomyopathy.

Results

Here, a systematic multi-omics integration approach was proposed to identify cardiomyopathy-related core genes that could distinguish normal, DCM and ICM samples using cardiomyopathy expression profile data based on a human metabolic network. First, according to the differentially expressed genes between different states (DCM/ICM and normal, or DCM and ICM) of samples, three sets of initial modules were obtained from the human metabolic network. Two permutation tests were used to evaluate the significance of the Pearson correlation coefficient difference score of the initial modules, and three candidate modules were screened out. Then, a cardiomyopathy risk module that was significantly related to DCM and ICM was determined according to the significance of the module score based on Markov random field. Finally, based on the shortest path between cardiomyopathy known genes, 13 core genes related to cardiomyopathy were identified. These core genes were enriched in pathways and functions significantly related to cardiomyopathy and could distinguish between samples of different states.

Conclusion

The identified core genes might serve as potential biomarkers of cardiomyopathy. This research will contribute to identifying potential biomarkers of cardiomyopathy and to distinguishing different types of cardiomyopathy.

Long-term explant culture: an improved method for consistently harvesting homogeneous populations of keloid fibroblasts

Explant culture is a more suitable method than enzyme digestion for the isolation of keloid fibroblasts (KFs), but it has a longer isolation period. In this study, we propose a long-term explant culture method. Unlike in the conventional explant culture method, we continued culturing explants to isolate KFs rather than discarding them during passage. We demonstrated that keloid explants could be cultured for more than 4 months to continuously yield enriched KFs, and the KFs from the repeatedly cultured explants had shorter isolation times. The biological behavior and fibrotic phenotypic characteristics of the KFs from the explants cultured long term were investigated, and no statistical differences were found compared with the KFs from the original explants. In conclusion, the long-term explant culture method was shown to be efficient for harvesting a large, homogeneous population of KFs. The high efficiency as well as ease of operation and sample saving make this method convenient for researchers working with KFs.

Urinary complement proteins and risk of end-stage renal disease: quantitative urinary proteomics in patients with type 2 diabetes and biopsy-proven diabetic nephropathy

PURPOSE

To investigate the association between urinary complement proteins and renal outcome in biopsy-proven diabetic nephropathy (DN).

METHODS

Untargeted proteomic and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional analyses and targeted proteomic analysis using parallel reaction-monitoring (PRM)-mass spectrometry was performed to determine the abundance of urinary complement proteins in healthy controls, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and patients with T2DM and biopsy-proven DN. The abundance of each urinary complement protein was individually included in Cox proportional hazards models for predicting progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

RESULTS

Untargeted proteomic and functional analysis using the KEGG showed that differentially expressed urinary proteins were primarily associated with the complement and coagulation cascades. Subsequent urinary complement proteins quantification using PRM showed that urinary abundances of C3, C9, and complement factor H (CFAH) correlated negatively with annual estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline, while urinary abundances of C5, decay-accelerating factor (DAF), and CD59 correlated positively with annual rate of eGFR decline. Furthermore, higher urinary abundance of CFAH and lower urinary abundance of DAF were independently associated with greater risk of progression to ESRD. Urinary abundance of CFAH and DAF had a larger area under the curve (AUC) than that of eGFR, proteinuria, or any pathological parameter. Moreover, the model that included CFAH or DAF had a larger AUC than that with only clinical or pathological parameters.

CONCLUSION

Urinary abundance of complement proteins was significantly associated with ESRD in patients with T2DM and biopsy-proven DN, indicating that therapeutically targeting the complement pathway may alleviate progression of DN.

Research Note: Effect of dietary cottonseed meal and soybean oil concentration on digesta passage time and amino acids digestibility in roosters

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of dietary cottonseed meal (CM) and soybean oil (SO) on passage time of digesta and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA). The experimental design was a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement evaluating the levels of CM (20 or 40 %) and SO (0 or 10 %). Experiment 1 estimated the effect of CM and SO on the passage time of digesta. Twenty-five Chinese yellow-feathered roosters (BW = 2.61 ± 0.08 kg; 26-wk-old) were individually weighed and allocated to 5 diets in 5 randomized complete blocks by initial BW. Experimental diet 1 contained 20% CM and 0 SO, diet 2 contained 20% CM and 10% SO, diet 3 contained 40% CM and 0% SO, diet 4 contained 40% CM and 10% SO, and a nitrogen-free diet was also fed. Passage time through the total digestive tract was determined by time-relative cumulation of dry excreta. Experiment 2 estimated the effect of CM and SO on SID of AA in CM. Thirty Chinese yellow-feathered roosters (BW = 2.91 ± 0.05 kg; 26-wk-old) were allocated to the 5 experimental diets in 6 randomized complete blocks by initial BW to determine the SID of AA. Increasing CM concentration significantly reduced the time for 50% relative cumulation of dry excreta (P < 0.05). Adding 10% SO tended to increase the time for 50% relative cumulation of dry excreta (0.05 < P < 0.10) relative to diets without SO. Dietary CM and SO did not affect the SID of indispensable AA or dispensable AA of CM significantly, but increasing dietary CM tended to reduce the SID of Lys (0.05 < P < 0.10). Increasing SO tended to reduce the SID of Met (0.05 < P < 0.10). There were no significant interactive effects of SO and CM (P > 0.10). These results suggest passage time is increased with dietary SO, and reduced with dietary CM, but digestibility of AA in CM was not significantly affected by dietary CM and SO.

[Analysis of laboratory re-examination results in Sichuan Provincial Malaria Diagnostic Reference Laboratory from 2014 to 2020]

OBJECTIVE

To re-examine the diagnosis results of reported malaria cases in Sichuan Province from 2014 to 2020, so as to assess the malaria diagnostic capability of Sichuan Provincial Malaria Diagnostic Reference Laboratory.

METHODS

The blood and blood smear samples from reported malaria cases were collected by Sichuan Provincial Malaria Diagnostic Reference Laboratory from 2014 to 2020, and subjected to re-examinations using microscopy and nested PCR assay. The re-examination results were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 1 710 samples from reported malaria cases were re-examined by Sichuan Provincial Malaria Diagnostic Reference Laboratory from 2014 to 2020, and 1 634 samples were identified positive, with a positive coincidence rate of 95.56% (1 634/1 710) and a 92.29% (1 508/1 634) total coincidence rate of the Plasmodium species. The coincidence rates with P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale were 99.48% (961/966), 97.07% (430/443), 83.05% (98/118) and 67.86% (19/28), respectively, and the coincidence rate was 91.81% (1 513/1 648) between microscopic and nested-PCR results.

CONCLUSIONS

The capability of microscopists remains weak at grassroot medical institutions in Sichuan Province. Further training is required among microscopists to improve the malaria surveillance capability in Sichuan Province during the post-elimination stage.

Construction of multifunctional porcine acellular dermal matrix hydrogel blended with vancomycin for hemorrhage control, antibacterial action, and tissue repair in infected trauma wounds

Prevention of bacterial infection and reduction of hemorrhage, the primary challenges posed by trauma before hospitalization, are essential steps in prolonging the patient's life until they have been transported to a trauma center. Extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel is a promising biocompatible material for accelerating wound closure. However, due to the lack of antibacterial properties, this hydrogel is difficult to be applied to acute contaminated wounds. This study formulates an injectable dermal extracellular matrix hydrogel (porcine acellular dermal matrix (ADM)) as a scaffold for skin defect repair. The hydrogel combines vancomycin, an antimicrobial agent for inducing hemostasis, expediting antimicrobial activity, and promoting tissue repair. The hydrogel possesses a porous structure beneficial for the adsorption of vancomycin. The antimicrobial agent can be timely released from the hydrogel within an hour, which is less than the time taken by bacteria to infest an injury, with a cumulative release rate of approximately 80%, and thus enables a relatively fast bactericidal effect. The cytotoxicity investigation demonstrates the biocompatibility of the ADM hydrogel. Dynamic coagulation experiments reveal accelerated blood coagulation by the hydrogel. In vivo antibacterial and hemostatic experiments on a rat model indicate the healing of infected tissue and effective control of hemorrhaging by the hydrogel. Therefore, the vancomycin-loaded ADM hydrogel will be a viable biomaterial for controlling hemorrhage and preventing bacterial infections in trauma patients.

Tunable valley polarization in Janus WSSe by magnetic proximity coupling to a CrI3 layer

We investigate the electronic properties and valley physics of Janus monolayer WSSe on a CrI₃ substrate layer based on first-principles calculations. It is shown that the K and K' valley degeneracy can be lifted which leads to valley polarization (VP) in the WSSe due to the magnetic proximity coupling to a magnetic substrate. The magnitude of VP is highly sensitive to the interfacial electronic properties and can be tuned by varying the stacking configurations of the heterostructure. Interestingly, the direction of VP can be altered by manipulating the layer alignment without reversing the magnetism orientation of the magnetic substrate CrI₃. We suggest that the hybridization between the bands of WSSe and the substrate plays an important role. Meanwhile, the charge distributions have been mapped out to uncover the microscopic origin of the direction variable VP. In addition, large VP can be achieved by adjusting the interlayer spacing. Our investigations may have potential applications in the design of valleytronic devices.