Effect of postbiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LRCC5314 supplemented in powdered milk on type 2 diabetes in mice

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic multifactorial disease characterized by a combination of insulin resistance and impaired glucose regulation. The alleviative effects of probiotics on T2D have been widely studied. However, studies on the effects of postbiotics, known as inactivated probiotics, on dairy products are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of postbiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LRCC5314 in milk powder (MP-LRCC5314) in a stress-T2D mouse model. Compared with probiotic MP-LRCC5314, postbiotic MP-LRCC5314 significantly influenced stress-T2D-related factors. The administration of heat-killed MP-LRCC5314 reduced corticosterone levels, increased short-chain fatty acid production by modulating gut microbiota, and regulated immune response, glucose metabolism, stress-T2D-related biomarkers in the brain, gut, and adipose tissues, as well as glucose and insulin sensitivity. Additionally, heat-killed MP-LRCC5314 treatment led to a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokine levels. Overall, these findings suggest that adding postbiotic MP-LRCC5314 to milk powder could serve as a potential supplement for stress-T2D mitigation.

5-aminosalicylic acid suppresses osteoarthritis through the OSCAR-PPARγ axis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive and irreversible degenerative joint disease that is characterized by cartilage destruction, osteophyte formation, subchondral bone remodeling, and synovitis. Despite affecting millions of patients, effective and safe disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs are lacking. Here we reveal an unexpected role for the small molecule 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), which is used as an anti-inflammatory drug in ulcerative colitis. We show that 5-ASA competes with extracellular-matrix collagen-II to bind to osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR) on chondrocytes. Intra-articular 5-ASA injections ameliorate OA generated by surgery-induced medial-meniscus destabilization in male mice. Significantly, this effect is also observed when 5-ASA was administered well after OA onset. Moreover, mice with DMM-induced OA that are treated with 5-ASA at weeks 8-11 and sacrificed at week 12 have thicker cartilage than untreated mice that were sacrificed at week 8. Mechanistically, 5-ASA reverses OSCAR-mediated transcriptional repression of PPARγ in articular chondrocytes, thereby suppressing COX-2-related inflammation. It also improves chondrogenesis, strongly downregulates ECM catabolism, and promotes ECM anabolism. Our results suggest that 5-ASA could serve as a DMOAD.

Niraparib plus abiraterone acetate with prednisone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and homologous recombination repair gene alterations: second interim analysis of the randomized phase III MAGNITUDE trial

BACKGROUND

Patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and BRCA alterations have poor outcomes. MAGNITUDE found patients with homologous recombination repair gene alterations (HRR+), particularly BRCA1/2, benefit from first-line therapy with niraparib plus abiraterone acetate and prednisone (AAP). Here we report longer follow-up from the second prespecified interim analysis (IA2).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with mCRPC were prospectively identified as HRR+ with/without BRCA1/2 alterations and randomized 1 : 1 to niraparib (200 mg orally) plus AAP (1000 mg/10 mg orally) or placebo plus AAP. At IA2, secondary endpoints [time to symptomatic progression, time to initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy, overall survival (OS)] were assessed.

RESULTS

Overall, 212 HRR+ patients received niraparib plus AAP (BRCA1/2 subgroup, n = 113). At IA2 with 24.8 months of median follow-up in the BRCA1/2 subgroup, niraparib plus AAP significantly prolonged radiographic progression-free survival {rPFS; blinded independent central review; median rPFS 19.5 versus 10.9 months; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.55 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39-0.78]; nominal P = 0.0007} consistent with the first prespecified interim analysis. rPFS was also prolonged in the total HRR+ population [HR = 0.76 (95% CI 0.60-0.97); nominal P = 0.0280; median follow-up 26.8 months]. Improvements in time to symptomatic progression and time to initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy were observed with niraparib plus AAP. In the BRCA1/2 subgroup, the analysis of OS with niraparib plus AAP demonstrated an HR of 0.88 (95% CI 0.58-1.34; nominal P = 0.5505); the prespecified inverse probability censoring weighting analysis of OS, accounting for imbalances in subsequent use of poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase inhibitors and other life-prolonging therapies, demonstrated an HR of 0.54 (95% CI 0.33-0.90; nominal P = 0.0181). No new safety signals were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

MAGNITUDE, enrolling the largest BRCA1/2 cohort in first-line mCRPC to date, demonstrated improved rPFS and other clinically relevant outcomes with niraparib plus AAP in patients with BRCA1/2-altered mCRPC, emphasizing the importance of identifying this molecular subset of patients.

First Measurement of Hard Exclusive π^{-}Δ^{++} Electroproduction Beam-Spin Asymmetries off the Proton

The polarized cross-section ratio σ_{LT^{'}}/σ_{0} from hard exclusive π^{-}Δ^{++} electroproduction off an unpolarized hydrogen target has been extracted based on beam-spin asymmetry measurements using a 10.2  GeV/10.6  GeV incident electron beam and the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Lab. The study, which provides the first observation of this channel in the deep-inelastic regime, focuses on very forward-pion kinematics in the valence regime, and photon virtualities ranging from 1.5  GeV^{2} up to 7  GeV^{2}. The reaction provides a novel access to the d-quark content of the nucleon and to p→Δ^{++} transition generalized parton distributions. A comparison to existing results for hard exclusive π^{+}n and π^{0}p electroproduction is provided, which shows a clear impact of the excitation mechanism, encoded in transition generalized parton distributions, on the asymmetry.

NecroX Improves Polyhexamethylene Guanidine-induced Lung Injury by Regulating Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Various environmental compounds are inducers of lung injury. Mitochondria are crucial organelles that can be affected by many lung diseases. NecroX is an indole-derived antioxidant that specifically targets mitochondria. We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential and related molecular mechanisms of NecroX in preclinical models of fatal lung injury. We investigated the therapeutic effects of NecroX on two different experimental models of lung injury induced by polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) and bleomycin, respectively. We also performed transcriptome analysis of lung tissues from PHMG-exposed mice and compared the expression profiles with those from dozens of bleomycin-induced fibrosis public data sets. Respiratory exposure to PHMG and bleomycin led to fatal lung injury manifesting extensive inflammation followed by fibrosis. These specifically affected mitochondria regarding biogenesis, mitochondrial DNA integrity, and the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in various cell types. NecroX significantly improved the pathobiologic features of the PHMG- and bleomycin-induced lung injuries through regulation of mitochondrial oxidative stress. Endoplasmic reticulum stress was also implicated in PHMG-associated lung injuries of mice and humans, and NecroX alleviated PHMG-induced lung injury and the subsequent fibrosis, in part, via regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress in mice. Gene expression profiles of PHMG-exposed mice were highly consistent with public data sets of bleomycin-induced lung injury models. Pathways related to mitochondrial activities, including oxidative stress, oxidative phosphorylation, and mitochondrial translation, were upregulated, and these patterns were significantly reversed by NecroX. These findings demonstrate that NecroX possesses therapeutic potential for fatal lung injury in humans.

First CLAS12 Measurement of Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering Beam-Spin Asymmetries in the Extended Valence Region

Deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) allows one to probe generalized parton distributions describing the 3D structure of the nucleon. We report the first measurement of the DVCS beam-spin asymmetry using the CLAS12 spectrometer with a 10.2 and 10.6 GeV electron beam scattering from unpolarized protons. The results greatly extend the Q^{2} and Bjorken-x phase space beyond the existing data in the valence region and provide 1600 new data points measured with unprecedented statistical uncertainty, setting new, tight constraints for future phenomenological studies.

First Measurement of Λ Electroproduction off Nuclei in the Current and Target Fragmentation Regions

We report results of Λ hyperon production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering off deuterium, carbon, iron, and lead targets obtained with the CLAS detector and the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility 5.014 GeV electron beam. These results represent the first measurements of the Λ multiplicity ratio and transverse momentum broadening as a function of the energy fraction (z) in the current and target fragmentation regions. The multiplicity ratio exhibits a strong suppression at high z and an enhancement at low z. The measured transverse momentum broadening is an order of magnitude greater than that seen for light mesons. This indicates that the propagating entity interacts very strongly with the nuclear medium, which suggests that propagation of diquark configurations in the nuclear medium takes place at least part of the time, even at high z. The trends of these results are qualitatively described by the Giessen Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model, particularly for the multiplicity ratios. These observations will potentially open a new era of studies of the structure of the nucleon as well as of strange baryons.

BEAR: A Novel Virtual Screening Method Based on Large-Scale Bioactivity Data

Data-driven drug discovery exploits a comprehensive set of big data to provide an efficient path for the development of new drugs. Currently, publicly available bioassay data sets provide extensive information regarding the bioactivity profiles of millions of compounds. Using these large-scale drug screening data sets, we developed a novel in silico method to virtually screen hit compounds against protein targets, named BEAR (Bioactive compound Enrichment by Assay Repositioning). The underlying idea of BEAR is to reuse bioassay data for predicting hit compounds for targets other than their originally intended purposes, i.e., "assay repositioning". The BEAR approach differs from conventional virtual screening methods in that (1) it relies solely on bioactivity data and requires no physicochemical features of either the target or ligand. (2) Accordingly, structurally diverse candidates are predicted, allowing for scaffold hopping. (3) BEAR shows stable performance across diverse target classes, suggesting its general applicability. Large-scale cross-validation of more than a thousand targets showed that BEAR accurately predicted known ligands (median area under the curve = 0.87), proving that BEAR maintained a robust performance even in the validation set with additional constraints. In addition, a comparative analysis demonstrated that BEAR outperformed other machine learning models, including a recent deep learning model for ABC transporter family targets. We predicted P-gp and BCRP dual inhibitors using the BEAR approach and validated the predicted candidates using in vitro assays. The intracellular accumulation effects of mitoxantrone, a well-known P-gp/BCRP dual substrate for cancer treatment, confirmed nine out of 72 dual inhibitor candidates preselected by primary cytotoxicity screening. Consequently, these nine hits are novel and potent dual inhibitors for both P-gp and BCRP, solely predicted by bioactivity profiles without relying on any structural information of targets or ligands.

Causes and diagnostic utility of musculoskeletal MRI recall examinations

AIM

To determine the causes and diagnostic utility of musculoskeletal (MSK) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) recall examinations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An institutional review board-approved retrospective review was conducted of all MSK MRI examinations performed at a single academic institution over 10 years where radiologists requested the patient return for additional imaging. The reason for the recall was documented. Recalls were reviewed in consensus by two MSK radiologists to determine whether additional sequences resulted in a change in the final report. Recall causes were divided into four categories: (1) radiologist-related: incorrect field of view (FOV) or incorrect protocol; (2) technologist-related: incorrect FOV or incorrect/incomplete protocol performed, or technically poor-quality images; (3) patient-related motion artefact; (4) unexpected lesion discovered. Fisher's exact test was used to assess for statistical significance.

RESULTS

The recall rate was 0.25% (156/62,930). Of the total 129 recalls returning for imaging, 42 (33%) were radiologist-related, 45 (35%) were technologist-related, six (5%) were patient-related, and 36 (28%) had an unexpected lesion requiring additional sequences. For clinical utility, 42% resulted in a change from the initial report. Recalls due to radiologist error, incorrect FOV, or unexpected lesion caused a significant change in the final report; however, recalls due to technologist error, patient motion artefact, or incorrect protocol did not.

CONCLUSION

MRI MSK recalls are uncommon, and the most common reasons are incorrect FOV, incorrect protocol, and unexpected lesion. Radiologist-related errors in protocols and FOV led to a significant change in the final report and should be targeted as areas for improvement to reduce recall examinations.

Observation of Correlations between Spin and Transverse Momenta in Back-to-Back Dihadron Production at CLAS12

We report the first measurements of deep inelastic scattering spin-dependent azimuthal asymmetries in back-to-back dihadron electroproduction in the deep inelastic scattering process. In this reaction, two hadrons are produced in opposite hemispheres along the z axis in the virtual photon-target nucleon center-of-mass frame, with the first hadron produced in the current-fragmentation region and the second in the target-fragmentation region. The data were taken with longitudinally polarized electron beams of 10.2 and 10.6 GeV incident on an unpolarized liquid-hydrogen target using the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Lab. Observed nonzero sinΔϕ modulations in ep→e^{'}pπ^{+}X events, where Δϕ is the difference of the azimuthal angles of the proton and pion in the virtual photon and target nucleon center-of-mass frame, indicate that correlations between the spin and transverse momenta of hadrons produced in the target- and current-fragmentation regions may be significant. The measured beam-spin asymmetries provide a first access in dihadron production to a previously unexplored leading-twist spin- and transverse-momentum-dependent fracture function. The fracture functions describe the hadronization of the target remnant after the hard scattering of a virtual photon off a quark in the target particle and provide a new avenue for studying nucleonic structure and hadronization.

Observation of Azimuth-Dependent Suppression of Hadron Pairs in Electron Scattering off Nuclei

We present the first measurement of dihadron angular correlations in electron-nucleus scattering. The data were taken with the CLAS detector and a 5.0 GeV electron beam incident on deuterium, carbon, iron, and lead targets. Relative to deuterium, the nuclear yields of charged-pion pairs show a strong suppression for azimuthally opposite pairs, no suppression for azimuthally nearby pairs, and an enhancement of pairs with large invariant mass. These effects grow with increased nuclear size. The data are qualitatively described by the gibuu model, which suggests that hadrons form near the nuclear surface and undergo multiple scattering in nuclei.These results show that angular correlation studies can open a new way to elucidate how hadrons form and interact inside nuclei.

Quantitative angiographic assessment of aortic regurgitation post 11 different types of TAVI devices a multicentre pooled analysis of 2665 valves

Background

Regurgitation following TAVR impacts all-cause mortality. So far, no quantitative comparison of regurgitation by the same core lab has been performed among the various commercially available transcatheter heart valves (THV) We aimed to compare quantitative angiographic aortic regurgitation (AR) of 11 different types of THVs.

Method

This is a multicentre retrospective corelab pooled analysis of aortograms from 2704 consecutive patients treated with 11 different THV devices. Analysis was done by quantitative videodensitometric aortography (LVOT-AR), which is an objective, accurate, and reproducible tool for assessment of AR following TAVR. This method relies on time density changes in contrast medium after injection in the ascending aorta and its regurgitation (and subsequent density increase) in the LVOT. The ratio between the areas under the two-time density curves of these regions quantifies the AR in absolute percentage. The valves evaluated include ACURATE neo2 (n=120), Lotus (n=546), Myval (n=108), VitaFlow (n=105), Evolut PRO (n=95), SAPIEN 3 (n=397), Evolut R (n=295), SAPIEN XT (n=239), ACURATE neo (n=120), Venus-A (n=113) and CoreValve (n=532). Stratification of continuous variable regurgitation into categorical variables was performed according to the following pre-determined threshold criteria: 1) none/trace regurgitation (LVOT-AR<6%); 2) mild (6%≤ LVOT-AR ≤17%); and 3) moderate or severe (LVOT-AR >17%).

Results

The addition of anti PVR sealing features to the new generations ACURATE neo2 THV proved to be effective in reduction the incidence of significant PVR In comparison with the first generation ACURATE neo.

Myval, VitaFlow and Venus-A THVs are showing promising results.

Although the incidence of moderate/severe AR has regressed over time with new generations of THVs, the incidence of mild AR is still prominent with all THVs still exhibiting mild AR with an incidence ranging between 30% and 50% with the exception of the Lotus valve that had an 19% incidence of mild AR

Conclusion

ACURATE neo2 had the lowest severe/moderate percentage of AR showing significant improvements in comparison to ACURATE neo. Myval, VitaFlow and Venus-A are promising options in the THV armamentarium. These results should be confirmed in prospective randomized, head-to-head comparisons between THVs.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Discovery of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor specific biomarker in NAFLD mouse models using modified basket trial

Background/Aims

We aimed to define an optimal target population and drug-specific biomarkers that may predict dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitor responses in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods

An exploration study (study I) was performed using three different NAFLD models (basket study design; high-fat diet [HFD], methionine choline-deficient diet [MCD], and high-cholesterol Western diet [WD] models). RNA transcriptome analysis was performed on pre-studied liver tissues to identify biomarkers that could predict the response to DPP-4 inhibitors. In the validation study (study II), the HFD-induced NAFLD model was divided into high and low hepatic insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (Igfbp-1) groups based on the pre-study liver biopsy.

Results

DPP-4 inhibitor attenuated the NAFLD activity score and fibrosis stage in the HFD model but not in the WD and MCD models. The overall response rate was 19% across the modified basket NAFLD trial and 42%, 25%, and 0% in the HFD, WD, and MCD models. Hepatic Igfbp-1 expression was higher in the responder group than in the non-responder group in pre-study biopsy samples. In contrast, hepatic Igfbp-1 expression was lower in the responder group than in the non-responder group in the end-study biopsy samples. DPP-4 inhibitor response rates were 83% and 17% in the baseline hepatic high Igfbp-1 and low Igfbp-1 groups, respectively. Hepatic messenger RNA Igfbp-1 expression was positively correlated with serum IGFBP-1 levels.

Conclusions

The DPP-4 inhibitor response was higher in the HFD phenotype and pre-treatment levels of hepatic or serum IGFBP-1 were high.

Cerium-polysulfide redox flow battery with possible high energy density enabled by MFI-Zeolite membrane working with acid-base electrolytes

A pH change can enable high-energy-density RFB (redox flow battery) in an aqueous medium. Nevertheless, a membrane to prevent the ion crossover is needed. This study adopted cerium and polysulfide in an acid-base combined electrolyte with an MFI-Zeolite membrane as a separator. The increased potential with pH change is described by the OCP (open circuit potential) difference, which varies by 0.8 V for the combination of acid-acid and acid-base electrolyte. A decrease of 350 mV at the redox peak potential of Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ and a 10 mV negative potential shift for S₄^2-/2S₂^2- highlights the pH effect between the combination of acid-acid and acid-base electrolyte indicates the influence of pH leading in half-cell of anodic than the opposite cathodic side. The UV-visible spectral analysis for Ce³⁺ and S₄^2- ions displacement shows that cerium and sulfur ions do not migrate to each other half-cell through an MFI-Zeolite membrane. As a result, the current efficiency of 94%, voltage, and energy efficiency of 40%-43% were attained at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2. Moreover, the acid-base composition of the Ce/S system showed an energy density of 378.3 Wh l ^-1.

Multidimensional, High Precision Measurements of Beam Single Spin Asymmetries in Semi-inclusive π^{+} Electroproduction off Protons in the Valence Region

High precision measurements of the polarized electron beam-spin asymmetry in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) from the proton have been performed using a 10.6 GeV incident electron beam and the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Lab. We report here a high precision multidimensional study of single π^{+} SIDIS data over a large kinematic range in Bjorken x, fractional energy, and transverse momentum of the hadron as well as photon virtualities Q^{2} ranging from 1-7  GeV^{2}. In particular, the structure function ratio F_{LU}^{sinϕ}/F_{UU} has been determined, where F_{LU}^{sinϕ} is a twist-3 quantity that can reveal novel aspects of emergent hadron mass and quark-gluon correlations within the nucleon. The data's impact on the evolving understanding of the underlying reaction mechanisms and their kinematic variation is explored using theoretical models for the different contributing transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions.

The MELD Score Is Superior to the Maddrey Discriminant Function Score to Predict Short-Term Mortality in Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis: A Global Study

INTRODUCTION

Several scoring systems predict mortality in alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH), including the Maddrey discriminant function (mDF) and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score developed in the United States, Glasgow alcoholic hepatitis score in the United Kingdom, and age, bilirubin, international normalized ratio, and creatinine score in Spain. To date, no global studies have examined the utility of these scores, nor has the MELD-sodium been evaluated for outcome prediction in AH. In this study, we assessed the accuracy of different scores to predict short-term mortality in AH and investigated additional factors to improve mortality prediction.

METHODS

Patients admitted to hospital with a definite or probable AH were recruited by 85 tertiary centers in 11 countries and across 3 continents. Baseline demographic and laboratory variables were obtained. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 28 and 90 days.

RESULTS

In total, 3,101 patients were eligible for inclusion. After exclusions (n = 520), 2,581 patients were enrolled (74.4% male, median age 48 years, interquartile range 40.9-55.0 years). The median MELD score was 23.5 (interquartile range 20.5-27.8). Mortality at 28 and 90 days was 20% and 30.9%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for 28-day mortality ranged from 0.776 for MELD-sodium to 0.701 for mDF, and for 90-day mortality, it ranged from 0.773 for MELD to 0.709 for mDF. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for mDF to predict death was significantly lower than all other scores. Age added to MELD obtained only a small improvement of AUC.

DISCUSSION

These results suggest that the mDF score should no longer be used to assess AH's prognosis. The MELD score has the best performance in predicting short-term mortality.

First Measurement of Timelike Compton Scattering

We present the first measurement of the timelike Compton scattering process, γp→p^{'}γ^{*}(γ^{*}→e^{+}e^{-}), obtained with the CLAS12 detector at Jefferson Lab. The photon beam polarization and the decay lepton angular asymmetries are reported in the range of timelike photon virtualities 2.25<Q^{'2}<9  GeV^{2}, squared momentum transferred 0.1<-t<0.8  GeV^{2}, and average total center-of-mass energy squared s=14.5  GeV^{2}. The photon beam polarization asymmetry, similar to the beam-spin asymmetry in deep virtual Compton scattering, is sensitive to the imaginary part of the Compton form factors and provides a way to test the universality of the generalized parton distributions. The angular asymmetry of the decay leptons accesses the real part of the Compton form factors and thus the D-term in the parametrization of the generalized parton distributions.

Effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation on left ventricular pressure overload indicated by inflammatory biomarkers in high-risk patients

Background

Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is associated with left ventricular (LV) pressure overload that leads to myocardial remodelling and inflammatory processes. Interleukin 6 (IL6) is secreted by leukocytes as an early response to infection and tissue damage as well as high senisitve C-reactive Protein (hsCRP), which is subsequent in the same pathway. Several studies have suggested an association of elevated serum levels with a higher risk of cardiovascular events. GDF-15 and MR-proADM are also associated with inflammatory processes in cardiovascular diseases and are predictors for adverse events and mortality in patients with AS. The aim of the present study was to evaluate their potential prognostic value regarding the patients all-cause mortality.

Methods

A total of 92 consecutive patients (mean age: 80,8 [±5,3] years) undergoing TAVI were included in this study. TAVI was performed according to standard clinical practice. Venous blood samples for biomarker analysis were collected prior to and 6 months after TAVI, these were processed immediately and frozen at −80°C until the assay was performed. Safety events, physiological- and echocardiographical parameters, were assessed at the baseline and the 6-month follow-up. Furthermore, we compiled the all-cause mortality of our patients after two years.

Results

TAVI was performed successfully in all patients. During the two-year follow-up period 24 patients met the endpoint of all-cause mortality. At baseline, serum levels of the inflammatory biomarkers were significantly higher in patients who died within the follow-up period, when compared to survivors (IL6:14,450pg/ml [IQR:7,550; 42,150] vs. 4,200pg/ml [IQR:2,515; 13,875],p=0,0004; hsCRP:5,360 mg/l [IQR:2,248; 26,790] vs. 2,900mg/l [IQR:1,208; 8,210],p=0,022); MR-proADM:1,347nmol/l [IQR:1,038–1,678] vs. 0,922nmol/l [IQR:0,706; 1,202],p=0,0003 and GDF-15:2770,0pg/ml [IQR:2401,0; 3701,0] vs. 1675,2pg/ml [IQR:1141,6; 2524,4],p=0,001). The area under the curve was 0,767 for IL-6, 0,665 for hsCRP, 0,735 for MR-proADM and 0,735 for GDF-15. In addition, there was a significant decrease of IL-6 (baseline: 4,200pg/ml [IQR:2,525; 13,875] vs. 6FU:2,600pg/ml [IQR:1,500; 7,000],p&lt;0,0001), hsCRP (baseline:2,900mg/l [IQR:1,208; 8,210] vs. FU: 2,101 mg/l [IQR: 0,980; 4,540],p=0,002) and MR-proADM (baseline:0,922nmol/l [IQR:0,706–1,202] vs. FU: 0,828nmol/l [IQR:0,642–1,132],p=0,01) serum levels in survivors after a follow-up of 6 months after TAVI, when compared to baseline values. While the median serum levels of GDF-15 (baseline:1675,2pg/ml [IQR:1141,6; 2524,4] vs. FU: 1663,8pg/ml [IQR:1176,5; 2538,1],p=0,563) remained stable.

Conclusions

In the present study there was a significant decrease of inflammatory biomarkers after TAVI in high risk patients with severe aortic stenosis and good clinical outcome. In this regard, IL-6, hsCRP, MR-proADM and GDF-15 were predictors of all-cause mortality in patients, who underwent TAVI.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Artificial intelligence to improve decision making in transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Background

The current state of the art in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases has been based on evidence resulting from traditional trials as well as years of clinical experience. Due to interindividual differences and a huge number of possible cofounders, in interventional cardiology a linear algorithm is usually not able to precisely estimate individual risk, therapy, or outcome. With the technological evolution in deep machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), clinicians may now address aspects that might not have been investigated previously, as supercomputers may handle the plethora of data that are generated as part of treatment. Ultimately, treatment recommendations and decisions may be made on a personalized level.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to apply AI to routine clinical practice to improve decision making in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) to determine the best type and size of prosthesis personalized for each patient with pre-procedural risk stratification.

Methods

All patients included in the study were undergoing TAVI. To predict the clinical outcomes we applied a random forest classification, a ML method with high interpretability. For baseline data 58 features were chosen, including valve type and size used. After removing highly collinear features with a certain variance inflation factor, feature selection was based on impurity-based feature importance as well as permutation importance. The performance of the estimators was evaluated by a five-fold nested stratified cross-validation. To evaluate the model ROC and mean AUC scores were chosen.

Results

A total of 3882 patient datasets were included in this trial. The baseline characteristics were consistent with a high cardiovascular risk typical of this collective. Device success was achieved in 83.3%, pacemaker implantation was necessary in 12.2%, and aortic valvular insufficiency was observed in 2.5%. The 30-day mortality was 3.4% and one-year mortality was 12.7%. The mean AUC for the outcome parameters device success, aortic valvular insufficiency, any pacemaker operation, and 30-day and one-year mortality after five-fold cross validation were 0.61±0.03, 0.71±0.04, 0.66±0.04, 0.67±0.03, and 0.69±0.01, respectively.

Conclusions

We report preliminary data concerning a promising method to improve decision making in the context of TAVI evaluation and planning using ML algorithm. We showed the feasibility with acceptable AUC values for all outcome parameters. Thus, the integration of AI in TAVI strategy planning process offers a valuable tool providing patient focused personalized therapy.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Short-term outcomes of a multicentre randomized clinical trial comparing laparoscopic pylorus-preserving gastrectomy with laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer (the KLASS-04 trial)

BACKGROUND

There remain concerns about the safety and functional benefit of laparoscopic pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (LPPG) compared with laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG). This study evaluated short-term outcomes of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) comparing LPPG with LDG for gastric cancer.

METHODS

The Korean Laparoendoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study (KLASS)-04 trial was an investigator-initiated, open-label, parallel-assigned, superiority, multicentre RCT in Korea. Patients with cT1N0M0 cancer located in the middle third of the stomach at least 5 cm from the pylorus were randomized to undergo LPPG or LDG. Participants, care givers and those assessing the outcomes were not blinded to group assignment. Outcomes were 30-day postoperative morbidity rate and death at 90 days.

RESULTS

Some 256 patients from nine institutions were randomized (LPPG 129 patients, LDG 127 patients) between July 2015 and July 2017 and outcomes for 253 patients were analysed. Postoperative complications within 30 days were seen in 19.3 and 15.5 per cent in the LPPG and LDG groups respectively (P = 0·419). Postoperative pyloric stenosis was observed in nine (7.2 per cent) and two (1·5 per cent) patients in the LPPG and LDG groups (P = 0·026) respectively. In multivariable analysis higher BMI was a risk factor for postoperative complications (odds ratio 1·17, 95 per cent c.i. 1·04 to 1·32; P = 0·011). Death at 90 days was zero in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Postoperative complications and mortality was comparable in patients undergoing LPPG and LDG. Registration number: NCT02595086 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Comprehensive Survey of Recent Drug Discovery Using Deep Learning

Drug discovery based on artificial intelligence has been in the spotlight recently as it significantly reduces the time and cost required for developing novel drugs. With the advancement of deep learning (DL) technology and the growth of drug-related data, numerous deep-learning-based methodologies are emerging at all steps of drug development processes. In particular, pharmaceutical chemists have faced significant issues with regard to selecting and designing potential drugs for a target of interest to enter preclinical testing. The two major challenges are prediction of interactions between drugs and druggable targets and generation of novel molecular structures suitable for a target of interest. Therefore, we reviewed recent deep-learning applications in drug-target interaction (DTI) prediction and de novo drug design. In addition, we introduce a comprehensive summary of a variety of drug and protein representations, DL models, and commonly used benchmark datasets or tools for model training and testing. Finally, we present the remaining challenges for the promising future of DL-based DTI prediction and de novo drug design.

Perceived friend support buffers against symptoms of depression in peer victimized adolescents: Evidence from a population-based cohort in South Korea

BACKGROUND

Peer victimization is associated with an increased risk for depression, but there is less evidence on how certain factors such as friend support can buffer this association. This study investigated the associations between friend support and depressive symptoms among victimized and non-victimized adolescent girls and boys from South Korea.

METHODS

Participants includes 2258 students from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey, a nationally representative sample of middle school students in South Korea. Self-reported perceived friend support, depressive symptoms and peer victimization were measured using validated scales during middle school year 3 (mean age= 15.7 years).

RESULTS

The association between peer victimization and depressive symptoms varied by sex (p for sex by peer victimization interaction<0.05). Peer victimization was more strongly associated with same year depressive symptoms in girls (β=0.55) than boys (β=0.24). After controlling for key confounders, including prior year mental health symptoms, higher levels of friend support were found to attenuate the association between peer victimization and depressive symptoms (p for friend support by peer victimization interaction <0.05). Peer victimization was associated with more depressive symptoms for adolescents with low and moderate friend support, but not those with high friend support.

LIMITATIONS

Peer victimization, depressive symptoms, and friend support, were self-reported and measured the same year.

CONCLUSIONS

Friend support protects victimized South Korean adolescents from the negative effect of peer victimization on depressive symptoms, hence contributes to closing the gap in depression between victimized and non-victimized adolescents.

Circulating Small Extracellular Vesicles Activate TYRO3 to Drive Cancer Metastasis and Chemoresistance

Extracellular vesicles (EV) in the tumor microenvironment have emerged as crucial mediators that promote proliferation, metastasis, and chemoresistance. However, the role of circulating small EVs (csEV) in cancer progression remains poorly understood. In this study, we report that csEV facilitate cancer progression and determine its molecular mechanism. csEVs strongly promoted the migration of cancer cells via interaction with phosphatidylserine of csEVs. Among the three TAM receptors, TYRO3, AXL, and MerTK, TYRO3 mainly interacted with csEVs. csEV-mediated TYRO3 activation promoted migration and metastasis via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stimulation of RhoA in invasive cancer cells. Additionally, csEV-TYRO3 interaction induced YAP activation, which led to increased cell proliferation and chemoresistance. Combination treatment with gefitinib and KRCT-6j, a selective TYRO3 inhibitor, significantly reduced tumor volume in xenografts implanted with gefitinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer cells. The results of this study show that TYRO3 activation by csEVs facilitates cancer cell migration and chemoresistance by activation of RhoA or YAP, indicating that the csEV/TYRO3 interaction may serve as a potential therapeutic target for aggressive cancers in the clinic. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrate that circulating extracellular vesicles are a novel driver in migration and survival of aggressive cancer cells via TYRO3 activation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/81/13/3539/F1.large.jpg.

Circulating Small Extracellular Vesicles Activate TYRO3 to Drive Cancer Metastasis and Chemoresistance

Extracellular vesicles (EV) in the tumor microenvironment have emerged as crucial mediators that promote proliferation, metastasis, and chemoresistance. However, the role of circulating small EVs (csEV) in cancer progression remains poorly understood. In this study, we report that csEV facilitate cancer progression and determine its molecular mechanism. csEVs strongly promoted the migration of cancer cells via interaction with phosphatidylserine of csEVs. Among the three TAM receptors, TYRO3, AXL, and MerTK, TYRO3 mainly interacted with csEVs. csEV-mediated TYRO3 activation promoted migration and metastasis via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stimulation of RhoA in invasive cancer cells. Additionally, csEV-TYRO3 interaction induced YAP activation, which led to increased cell proliferation and chemoresistance. Combination treatment with gefitinib and KRCT-6j, a selective TYRO3 inhibitor, significantly reduced tumor volume in xenografts implanted with gefitinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer cells. The results of this study show that TYRO3 activation by csEVs facilitates cancer cell migration and chemoresistance by activation of RhoA or YAP, indicating that the csEV/TYRO3 interaction may serve as a potential therapeutic target for aggressive cancers in the clinic. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrate that circulating extracellular vesicles are a novel driver in migration and survival of aggressive cancer cells via TYRO3 activation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/81/13/3539/F1.large.jpg.

Three concomitant locked finger metacarpophalangeal joints caused by degenerative metacarpal heads: Case report

A locked metacarpophalangeal joint (LMCP) is a rare condition often confused with trigger finger. Its causes are numerous and typically divided into two broad categories: acquired LMCP in younger patients, and degenerative LMCP in older patients. This pathology usually affects only one MCP. Even though several external reduction techniques have been described, the main risk of non-surgical reduction treatment is recurrence. Thus, its management is most often surgical. We report the case of a 60-year-old woman with 3 simultaneous LMCP (3rd, 4th, and 5th rays of the left hand) due to degenerative metacarpal heads. Surgical treatment was performed and found that locking was due to entrapment of the radial collateral ligament on metacarpal head osteophytes. Full extension was regained at the end of the surgery. The follow-up was uneventful, no recurrence occurred. This case highlights the need for careful examination to prevent medical and surgical wandering for a rare but well-described and easy to treat condition.

Observation of Beam Spin Asymmetries in the Process ep→e^{'}π^{+}π^{-}X with CLAS12

The observation of beam spin asymmetries in two-pion production in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering off an unpolarized proton target is reported. The data presented here were taken in the fall of 2018 with the CLAS12 spectrometer using a 10.6 GeV longitudinally spin-polarized electron beam delivered by CEBAF at JLab. The measured asymmetries provide the first opportunity to extract the parton distribution function e(x), which provides information about the interaction between gluons and quarks, in a collinear framework that offers cleaner access than previous measurements. The asymmetries also constitute the first ever signal sensitive to the helicity-dependent two-pion fragmentation function G_{1}^{⊥}. A clear sign change is observed around the ρ mass that appears in model calculations and is indicative of the dependence of the produced pions on the helicity of the fragmenting quark.

Aβ Accumulation in Vmo Contributes to Masticatory Dysfunction in 5XFAD Mice

Alzheimer's disease (AD) shows various symptoms that reflect cognitive impairment and loss of neural circuit integrity. Sensory dysfunctions such as olfactory and ocular pathology are also observed and used as indicators for early detection of AD. Although mastication is suggested to correlate with AD progression, changes in the masticatory system have yet to be established in transgenic animal models of AD. In the present study, we have assessed pathologic hallmarks of AD with the masticatory behavior of 5XFAD mice. We found that masticatory efficiency and maximum biting force were decreased in 5XFAD mice, with no significant change in general motor function. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed significant accumulation of Aβ (amyloid β), increased microglia number, and cell death in Vmo (trigeminal motor nucleus) as compared with other cranial motor nuclei that innervate the orofacial region. Masseter muscle weight and muscle fiber size were also decreased in 5XFAD mice. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Aβ accumulation in Vmo contributes to masticatory dysfunction in 5XFAD mice, suggesting a close association between masticatory dysfunction and dementia.

Beam Spin Asymmetry in Semi-Inclusive Electroproduction of Hadron Pairs

A first measurement of the longitudinal beam spin asymmetry A_{LU} in the semi-inclusive electroproduction of pairs of charged pions is reported. A_{LU} is a higher-twist observable and offers the cleanest access to the nucleon twist-3 parton distribution function e(x). Data have been collected in the Hall-B at Jefferson Lab by impinging a 5.498-GeV electron beam on a liquid-hydrogen target, and reconstructing the scattered electron and the pion pair with the CLAS detector. One-dimensional projections of the A_{LU}^{sinϕ_{R}} moments are extracted for the kinematic variables of interest in the valence quark region. The understanding of dihadron production is essential for the interpretation of observables in single-hadron production in semi-inclusive DIS, and pioneering measurements of single-spin asymmetries in dihadron production open a new avenue in studies of QCD dynamics.

Extraction of microplastics from commonly used sea salts in India and their toxicological evaluation

Microplastics (MPs) are one of the marine debris, accumulated in the ocean as a result of the successive breakdown of a large piece of plastics over several years. MPs are about less than 5 mM, have a detrimental impact on marine organisms/products (seafood/sea salts) and therefore they are considered as a global environmental pollutant. The occurrence and impact of MPs in commercial sea salts that are consumed by humans are not well studied so far. In the present study, we attempted to characterize and evaluate the in vitro toxicity of isolated MPs. Here, we have used ten brands of commercial sea salts of different origins for the identification and characterization of MPs. The average abundance of MPs in all commercial brands is < 700 MP/kg and the particle size range between 5.2 mM and 3.8 μM. The most common types of MPs were identified as fragments, fibers, and pellets. By Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), it was found that the MPs in abundance were made of cellophane (CP), polystyrene (PR), polyamide (PA) and polyarylether (PAR). Further, in vitro toxicity assessment revealed that HEK-293 cells get detached upon treatment with MPs (MIC-75 μg mL^-1) Consequently, the AO/EB dual staining confirmed that the induction and rate of apoptosis were comparatively higher in microplastic treated HEK-293 cells. Taken together, the MPs identified are the origin of anthropogenic derivatives and they exert a lethal effect on human cells, which might be associated with health risk complications in human beings.

Crosstalk between YAP and TGFβ regulates SERPINE1 expression in mesenchymal lung cancer cells

Serpin family E member 1 (SERPINE1), a serine proteinase inhibitor, serves as an important regulator of extracellular matrix remodeling. Emerging evidence suggests that SERPINE1 has diverse roles in cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. However, the mechanism via which SERPINE1 is induced in cancer has not been fully determined. In order to examine the molecular mechanism of SERPINE1 expression, the present study took advantage of the isogenic pair of lung cancer cells with epithelial or mesenchymal features. Using genetic perturbation and following biochemical analysis, the present study demonstrated that SERPINE1 expression was upregulated in mesenchymal lung cancer cells and promoted cellular invasiveness. Yes‑associated protein (YAP)‑dependent SERPINE1 expression was modulated by treatment with a Rho‑associated protein kinase inhibitor, Y27632. Moreover, TGFβ treatment supported YAP‑dependent SERPINE1 expression, and an enhanced TGFβ response in mesenchymal lung cancer cells promoted SERPINE1 expression. TGFβ‑mediated SERPINE1 expression was significantly attenuated by knockdown of YAP or transcriptional co‑activator with PDZ‑binding motif, suggesting that crosstalk between the TGFβ and YAP pathways underlies SERPINE1 expression in mesenchymal cancer cells.

Naa20, the catalytic subunit of NatB complex, contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating the LKB1-AMPK-mTOR axis

N-α-acetyltransferase 20 (Naa20), which is a catalytic subunit of the N-terminal acetyltransferase B (NatB) complex, has recently been reported to be implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and autophagy, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report that based on bioinformatic analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas data sets, Naa20 expression is much higher in HCC tumors than in normal tissues, promoting oncogenic properties in HCC cells. Mechanistically, Naa20 inhibits the activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to promote the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway, which contributes to cell proliferation, as well as autophagy, through its N-terminal acetyltransferase (NAT) activity. We further show that liver kinase B1 (LKB1), a major regulator of AMPK activity, can be N-terminally acetylated by NatB in vitro, but also probably by NatB and/or other members of the NAT family in vivo, which may have a negative effect on AMPK activity through downregulation of LKB1 phosphorylation at S428. Indeed, p-LKB1 (S428) and p-AMPK levels are enhanced in Naa20-deficient cells, as well as in cells expressing the nonacetylated LKB1-MPE mutant; moreover, importantly, LKB1 deficiency reverses the molecular and cellular events driven by Naa20 knockdown. Taken together, our findings suggest that N-terminal acetylation of LKB1 by Naa20 may inhibit the LKB1-AMPK signaling pathway, which contributes to tumorigenesis and autophagy in HCC.

Search for Sub-eV Sterile Neutrinos at RENO

We report a search result for a light sterile neutrino oscillation with roughly 2200 live days of data in the RENO experiment. The search is performed by electron antineutrino (ν[over ¯]_{e}) disappearance taking place between six 2.8 GW_{th} reactors and two identical detectors located at 294 m (near) and 1383 m (far) from the center of the reactor array. A spectral comparison between near and far detectors can explore reactor ν[over ¯]_{e} oscillations to a light sterile neutrino. An observed spectral difference is found to be consistent with that of the three-flavor oscillation model. This yields limits on sin^{2}2θ_{14} in the 10^{-4}≲|Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.5  eV^{2} region, free from reactor ν[over ¯]_{e} flux and spectrum uncertainties. The RENO result provides the most stringent limits on sterile neutrino mixing at |Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.002  eV^{2} using the ν[over ¯]_{e} disappearance channel.

Procedural and clinical outcomes of type 0 versus type 1 bicuspid aortic valve stenosis treated with transcatheter valve replacement: insights from the BEAT international collaborative registry

Background

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an established therapy for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Bicuspid aortic valves (BAV) were generally excluded from randomized trials due to anatomic features that may challenge TAVR (valve morphology, annulus geometry and size and severe calcifications). Nevertheless real-world registries have shown that a consistent number of BAV has been treated with TAVR. Whether BAV phenotype may affect acute or long-term outcomes following TAVR still remains unclear.

Purpose

Evaluate the impact of BAV phenotype on procedural and clinical outcomes after TAVR with new generation valves.

Methods

Patients included in the BEAT (Balloon vs Self-Expandable valve for the treatment of bicuspid Aortic valve sTenosis) registry were classified according to the BAV phenotype. Procedural and clinical outcomes of type 0 (2 cusps, 1 commissure, no raphe) vs type 1 (1 raphe) BAV are here reported. Primary endpoint was post-procedural device success, according to Valve Academic Research Consortium–2 (VARC-2) criteria. Secondary endpoints included procedural complications, rate of permanent pacemaker (PM) implantation and assessment of clinical outcomes at 30-day and 1-year follow-up.

Results

BAV 0 phenotype was present in 25 (7.1%) cases, and BAV 1 in 218 (61.8%). 3 (0.9%) patients with BAV 2 phenotype and 105 (29.8%) patients in whom BAV phenotype was undeterminable were excluded. Baseline characteristics of the two populations were well balanced. Mean STS score tended to be lower in type 0 vs type 1 BAV (3.35% ±1.8 vs 4.5% ± 3.0, p=0.062). Mean transvalvular gradient, aortic valve area (AVA), and left ventricular ejection fraction didn't differ between groups. According to CT findings moderate-severe aortic valve calcifications were less frequently present in type 0 vs type 1 (52% vs 71.1%, p=0.01). TAVR was performed under conscious sedation in most patients (89.7%), no differences were noted in terms of valve type, valve size, pre and postdilation between groups. There was no significant difference in any peri-procedural complication including pericardial tamponade, second valve implantation, valve embolization, annular rupture, aortic dissection, coronary occlusion, conversion to open surgery, and need of PM between groups however VARC-2 success tended to be lower in type 0 BAV versus type 1 (72% vs 86.7%; p=0.07). A higher rate of mean transvalvular gradient&gt;20 mmHg was observed in the type 0 vs type 1 groups (respectively 24% vs 6%, p=0.007), while no differences were reported in the rate of moderate-severe aortic regurgitation. At 30-day and 1-year follow-up we did not find differences in clinical outcomes.

Conclusions

Our study confirms the feasibility of TAVR in both type 0 and type 1 BAV, however despite a lower rate of moderate-severe calcifications, a trend toward a lower VARC device success and a higher rate of mean transvalvular gradient &gt;20 mmHg was observed in type 0 vs type 1 BAV.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Extraction of Beam-Spin Asymmetries from the Hard Exclusive π^{+} Channel off Protons in a Wide Range of Kinematics

We have measured beam-spin asymmetries to extract the sinϕ moment A_{LU}^{sinϕ} from the hard exclusive e[over →]p→e^{'}nπ^{+} reaction above the resonance region, for the first time with nearly full coverage from forward to backward angles in the center of mass. The A_{LU}^{sinϕ} moment has been measured up to 6.6  GeV^{2} in -t, covering the kinematic regimes of generalized parton distributions (GPD) and baryon-to-meson transition distribution amplitudes (TDA) at the same time. The experimental results in very forward kinematics demonstrate the sensitivity to chiral-odd and chiral-even GPDs. In very backward kinematics where the TDA framework is applicable, we found A_{LU}^{sinϕ} to be negative, while a sign change was observed near 90° in the center of mass. The unique results presented in this Letter will provide critical constraints to establish reaction mechanisms that can help to further develop the GPD and TDA frameworks.

Systematic identification of a nuclear receptor-enriched predictive signature for erastin-induced ferroptosis

Erastin, a synthetic lethal compound against cancer expressing an oncogenic RAS, inhibits cystine/glutamate antiporters and causes ferroptosis. However, despite recent evidence for the mechanisms underlying ferroptosis, molecular biomarkers of erastin-dependent ferroptosis have not been identified. Here, we employed isogenic lung cancer cell models to show that a redox imbalance leads to glutathione depletion and ferroptosis. Subsequent transcriptome analysis of pan-cancer cell lines revealed that the activity of transcription factors, including NRF2 and AhR, serve as important markers of erastin resistance. Based on the integrated expression of genes in the nuclear receptor meta-pathway (NRM), we constructed an NRM model and validated its robustness using an independent pharmacogenomics dataset. The NRM model was further evaluated by sensitivity tests on nine cancer cell lines for which erastin sensitivities had not been determined. Our pharmacogenomics approach has the potential to pave the way for the efficient classification of patients for therapeutic intervention using erastin.

Safe scarless cassette-free selection of genome-edited human pluripotent stem cells using temporary drug resistance

An efficient gene-editing technique for use in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has great potential value in regenerative medicine, as well as in drug discovery based on isogenic human disease models. However, the extremely low efficiency of gene editing in hPSCs remains as a major technical hurdle. Previously, we demonstrated that YM155, a survivin inhibitor developed as an anti-cancer drug, induces highly selective cell death in undifferentiated hPSCs. In this study, we demonstrated that the high cytotoxicity of YM155 in hPSCs, which is mediated by selective cellular uptake of the drug, is due to the high expression of SLC35F2 in these cells. Knockout of SLC35F2 with CRISPR-Cas9, or depletion with siRNAs, made the hPSCs highly resistant to YM155. Simultaneous editing of a gene of interest and transient knockdown of SLC35F2 following YM155 treatment enabled the survival of genome-edited hPSCs as a result of temporary YM155 resistance, thereby achieving an enriched selection of clonal populations with gene knockout or knock-in. This precise and efficient genome editing approach took as little as 3 weeks and required no cell sorting or the introduction of additional genes, to be a more feasible approach for gene editing in hPSCs due to its simplicity.

GW190521: A Binary Black Hole Merger with a Total Mass of 150 M_{⊙}

On May 21, 2019 at 03:02:29 UTC Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo observed a short duration gravitational-wave signal, GW190521, with a three-detector network signal-to-noise ratio of 14.7, and an estimated false-alarm rate of 1 in 4900 yr using a search sensitive to generic transients. If GW190521 is from a quasicircular binary inspiral, then the detected signal is consistent with the merger of two black holes with masses of 85_{-14}^{+21}  M_{⊙} and 66_{-18}^{+17}  M_{⊙} (90% credible intervals). We infer that the primary black hole mass lies within the gap produced by (pulsational) pair-instability supernova processes, with only a 0.32% probability of being below 65  M_{⊙}. We calculate the mass of the remnant to be 142_{-16}^{+28}  M_{⊙}, which can be considered an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH). The luminosity distance of the source is 5.3_{-2.6}^{+2.4}  Gpc, corresponding to a redshift of 0.82_{-0.34}^{+0.28}. The inferred rate of mergers similar to GW190521 is 0.13_{-0.11}^{+0.30}  Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}.

Osteoclast-associated receptor blockade prevents articular cartilage destruction via chondrocyte apoptosis regulation

Osteoarthritis (OA), primarily characterized by articular cartilage destruction, is the most common form of age-related degenerative whole-joint disease. No disease-modifying treatments for OA are currently available. Although OA is primarily characterized by cartilage destruction, our understanding of the processes controlling OA progression is poor. Here, we report the association of OA with increased levels of osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR), an immunoglobulin-like collagen-recognition receptor. In mice, OSCAR deletion abrogates OA manifestations, such as articular cartilage destruction, subchondral bone sclerosis, and hyaline cartilage loss. These effects are a result of decreased chondrocyte apoptosis, which is caused by the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in induced OA. Treatments with human OSCAR-Fc fusion protein attenuates OA pathogenesis caused by experimental OA. Thus, this work highlights the function of OSCAR as a catabolic regulator of OA pathogenesis, indicating that OSCAR blockade is a potential therapy for OA.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with cartilage disruption, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the authors show that expression of osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR) is associated with OA, that its genetic ablation or targeting with OSCAR-Fc fusion protein ameliorates OA in mice by decreasing chondrocyte apoptosis.

Automated Detection of TMJ Osteoarthritis Based on Artificial Intelligence

The purpose of this study was to develop a diagnostic tool to automatically detect temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images with artificial intelligence. CBCT images of patients diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder were included for image preparation. Single-shot detection, an object detection model, was trained with 3,514 sagittal CBCT images of the temporomandibular joint that showed signs of osseous changes in the mandibular condyle. The region of interest (condylar head) was defined and classified into 2 categories-indeterminate for TMJOA and TMJOA-according to image analysis criteria for the diagnosis of temporomandibular disorder. The model was tested with 2 sets of 300 images in total. The average accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score over the 2 test sets were 0.86, 0.85, 0.84, and 0.84, respectively. Automated detection of TMJOA from sagittal CBCT images is possible by using a deep neural networks model. It may be used to support clinicians with diagnosis and decision making for treatments of TMJOA.